EVENT POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
Noumenon Dance Ensemble: What if?
Noumenon Dance Ensemble has been reborn. Co-artistic director Nina Rose Wardanian(previously adancer with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater) has joined the team in partnership with Erin Murphy. The2019–20 season is the first with this new partnership, and Noumenon has already completed a successfulfirst half, selling out the winter showcase performances at Chicago Dramatists Theater.“What if?” features dancers in stories that explore possibilities of what could have been, what is,and what could be. The performance considers space people spend time and energy on rather thanholding space in the moment. Murphy’sCome in, Honeycelebrates the small joys in life.The full-company work is a kaleidoscope of intertwining dancers with Horton-inspired movements. Asstorytellers, the dancers invite the audience to share in their own joyful emotions in a bright and vibrantwork.Former Chicago Dance Crash company memberDavid Ingram, in his first choreographed workfor Noumenon, centershisstoryonasking the tough questions and handling the outcomes of doing so.What if I questioned everything:relationships, family, career, friends? Does questioning lead to anultimate discontent? What if I were actually content with my life? With his contemporary fusionmovement, the dancers flow through emotions of questions and acceptance.Wardanianpresentstwo new works, includinga triothatmirrors her existing trio,I’ll get by. Theexisting work follows three women who independently struggle with their own demons, while seeing theneed to both give and receive support. The new trio will be performed backto back with this existingwork, telling two very different sidesofthe same story.Wardanian’ssecondnew workfeaturesfive dancersbattling their need to present themselves ascompletely in control, whenbeneath the surface they each deal with issuesthatunravel that facade.Little do they know the person next to them is also fighting a battle. What if they let each other see thoseimperfections? Do they face their fear of being seen with flaws?As with the winter showcase, this performance willinclude an in-theater student showcase for CPS students from diverse backgrounds, many with special needs.
Noumenon Dance Ensemble performs “Whatif?” May 22 and 23 at the Chicago DramatistsTheater. Visitndedance.com.