Zephyr, an experimental dance company that pushes the art form’s boundaries, presents a collaborative choreographic evening, “Not Dead Yet,” April 21–23 at 7:30 p.m. at its space, SITE/less, 1250 West Augusta Boulevard, Chicago. SITE/less aims to rethink the connection between movement and architecture and deepen the relationship between the viewer and the venue beyond the typical model.
Three choreographic artists are developing work that interacts with the existing scenic design at SITE/less, which Zephyr architect/designer David Sundry created for Zephyr’s 2019 work On Notice. The choreographers and their companies include:
Performance artist Tom Brady is developing a series of short performances around the theme of presence and absence, including solos and collaborations with dance artist Monica Newsam.
Director Joanna Read, working with dancers Patrick Burns, Juli Farley, Chloe Michels and Enid Smith, presents Things Hidden and Left Unsaid, a repurposed version of her full-length work scheduled to premiere in fall 2022. Costumes are by Vin Reed.
Zephyr Director Michelle Kranicke, working with longtime company member Molly Strom and guest artist Joanne Barrett, creates an as-yet-untitled collage of movement ideas that originate from each dancer’s interaction with a specific object and recalled memories of past dance works.
“Each of us has spent our whole artistic careers creating and presenting dance work for live audiences,” Kranicke said. “As live performance begins its return after the long COVID-19 hiatus, the most joyful thing to do, and the one that seemed to make sense, was to present a live concert. It is a defiant act—one that demonstrates the power and strength of live art.”
