February sweetens Chicago’s winter with dance valentines for every taste. Ballet lovers can gorge on delectable programs from both the Joffrey and American Ballet Theatre in seasons of contemporary works.
Brian Brooks sees movement from an uncommon perspective, and his Harris Theater premiere this week takes an especially uncommon view of falling. “It makes one’s head twist, the undoing of things,” he says in a recent phone interview with seechicagodance. “Prelude” takes on the reversal of energy flow, “retracing the points of initiation,” and exploring how the act of undoing manifests itself physically and psychologically through movement. With un-falling, “the physics is not intuitive.”
Make your 2018 New Year’s resolution to SEE MORE DANCE! Dance in Chicago is thriving, with exciting seasons on the horizon from our own major resident companies, including Hubbard Street, The Joffrey Ballet, Giordano Dance Chicago, Visceral Dance Chicago, and Deeply Rooted Dance Theater. The Dance Center of Columbia College, The Auditorium Theatre, The Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Harris Theater bring illustrious out-of-town guests, including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alvin Ailey, American Ballet Theatre, Claire Cunningham and Jess Curtis, and Brian Brooks.
Many good ideas in the arts start and end with a grant. The seed – the concept and vision – that grows into a production is, for many artists, reliant on institutional, state, or local funding. And once that dance has blossomed, it often must be put on a shelf until it withers, as the artist looks to the next idea and the next grant.
December is Nutcracker month the world over, with Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet leading the annual Nutcracker parade and no fewer than five local productions following, but December also brings a rich array of contemporary dance, tap, belly dance, and mixed media to enliven your holidays.
DECEMBER HIGHLIGHTS:
After a stunning world premiere last year, The Joffrey Ballet’s uniquely Chicago Nutcracker returns for a second season (December 1-30, Auditorium Theatre).
Whoops and cheers, gasps and applause punctuate Giordano Dance Chicago’s run-through of its upcoming Fall Season (7:30 PM, this Friday and Saturday, October 27-28, Harris Theater for Music and Dance) as dancers clustered on the sidelines of the rehearsal studio waiting for their entrances acknowledge each other’s special moments—a deliciously prolonged balance in arabesque, breathtaking lifts, spot-on multiple pirouettes, and stunning group geometry.
Collaborations across disciplines fill November with a veritable cornucopia of interdisciplinary dance events. Look for exciting new work from some of Chicago’s most innovative dance makers this month, including forays into spoken word, visual art, live music, theater, photography, literature, fashion, and storytelling. Read on for a calendar of events you won’t want to miss!
NOVEMBER HIGHLIGHTS:
OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS:
Dance in Chicago revs up for a lively fall season with major companies, smaller ensembles, solo artists, and interdisciplinary projects.
SEPTEMBER HIGHLIGHTS: