Preview

“Chicago is no longer a second city,” said Greg Cameron, the president and CEO of the Joffrey Ballet, on stage at the premiere of the company’s highly anticipated “Anna Karenina.”

We never were, Greg, but your point is well taken, and February was, indeed, an indelible month for dance in Chicago, with exciting premieres and historic accomplishments from more than one of our large and long-standing dance institutions.

Five dancers form a clump on the floor of the rehearsal space, their bodies woven together, breathing together. An external voice cuts through the air: “Whose story is told and who tells it?” it asks. One at a time, the dancers find their way out of the clump, moving through athletic solos and embodying characters from old Mexican legends. Their stories are told through an original spoken word poem and contemporary choreography, mapping out a history and culture that is just as relevant in Chicago today as it was in Mexico when it first took place.

What does it mean to be in close-proximity to another person? To be of the community and to exist as an individual?  What roles do artists play in the reactivation of forgotten spaces, and how do we reclaim these spaces for imagination and play that speaks to our culture and personal contexts? These are some of the questions I think about as I watch Emma Draves and Andrea Cerniglia rehearse developing works for their shared concert, “SNUG,” Feb. 15-16, at 4251 N. Lincoln Ave.

“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

These famous first lines of Leo Tolstoy’s epic novel, "Anna Karenina," echo throughout the Joffrey Ballet’s world premiere production of "Anna Karenina," set amidst the turbulent times of late-19th century Imperialist Russia.

The In>Time Performance Festival is arguably the best tri-annual festival that Chicago dancemakers and audiences barely know about. If we, as dance audiences, are too quick to dismiss the category of “performance” as a genre that’s not quite our thing, then we’d be seriously underestimating its history and potential.

On Jan 21, a group gathered at the Hyde Park Art Center to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Only at this event, attendees were asked not only to listen and reflect on Dr. King’s impact, but to also create something of their own. They made collages out of random black items until the space was transformed into a black universe—a tapestry of darkness that spread beauty and brought a community together.

Trinity Irish Dance Company brings a powerhouse program with a unique blend of traditional and innovative Irish dance and live music to the Auditorium Theatre’s “Made In Chicago” series for one night only Feb. 2. 

As I write this, it’s 0 degrees, but it feels like -4. Motivation to leave the cozy comforts of fuzzy slippers and brave Chicago’s winter right now ranges from slim to none. But while February might not bring much of a change in temperature, there are a couple of dance events that make it easy to put on the boots, pants, hats and gloves and brave the weather for a night out. February has turned out to be a surprisingly fruitful month for dance in Chicago, and I’d venture to call a few of these productions “not to be missed.” So, zip up that puffy coat and head to the theater. 

A puppet glides across the stage, and despite knowing it’s just cloth, wood, and maybe some string, the sight—and dynamic storytelling that comes with it—captivates audience members.

Running Jan. 17-27, the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival connects audiences with a wide array of contemporary and traditional puppet theater performances from around the world. In its third year, the festival aims to shake up conventional live performance by connecting audiences with puppetry that both challenges and entertains.

RE|dance group celebrates its 10th anniversary with two new premieres by artistic director Michael Estanich, January 10-11 and 17-18 at the Hamlin Park Fieldhouse Theater.

The tense national and international political climate and recent current events form the backdrop to "The Biggest Wail From The Bottom Of My Heart" and "What Love Looks Like," companion pieces that wallop a one-two punch, one aggressively dark in its energy, its counterpart lyrical and hopeful.