Snowflakes with a 90% chance of Sugarplums! Severe ColdWatch, in effect beginning December 4, likely to trigger an infestation of dancing Mice!
Nutcrackers across Chicagoland are flexing their jaws and sharpening their swords in preparation for the annual battle to be played out on stages large and small, North South, East, and West, beginning in downtown Chicago with Joffrey Ballet’s iconic “Nutcracker,” (Auditorium Theatre, December 4-27) choreographed by Robert Joffrey in 1987 and poised for its final voyage with the company for its 28th consecutive season. Nutcracker groupies, do not despair! The Joffrey has commissioned Christopher Wheeldon to choreograph a brand new “Nutcracker” to premiere next year. Meanwhile, the Joffrey Ballet’s roster of stellar Sugarplum Fairies and Cavaliers, along with brilliant soloists in a dessert buffet of character roles from across the globe, will once again delight audiences young and old with its founding director’s 19th-Century American setting of the beloved holiday classic. The production features the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra, performing the Tchaikovsky score live under the direction of Joffrey Music Director Scott Speck. Young singers from five different local children’s choirs and 118 young dancers in children’s roles from the Party Scene through The Land of the Sweets compliment the professional cast.
Salt Creek Ballet continues its run of “The Nutcracker” on December 5th at south suburban Governor’s State University Center for Performing Arts, followed by north suburban performances at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie December 12th and 13th. Salt Creek’s grand Russian-style production, directed and choreographed by Sergey Kozadayev and Zhanna Dubrovskaya, who trained at St. Petersburg’s famed Vaganova Ballet Academy. The production features a professional cast and guests soloists Maria Mosina and Alexei Tukov, both Russian trained, from the Colorado Ballet. 
Salt Creek Ballet's "Nutcracker"
The Ruth Page Civic Ballet stages its annual “Nutcracker” at Northeastern Illinois University December 5-6, and at Ravinia’s Bennet Gordon Hall in North suburban Highland Park December 12-13.
Ballet Legere’s 31st annual “Nutcracker” takes place December 10-14 in west suburban River Forest at Dominican University’s Performing Arts Center.
Southside’s Hyde Park School of Dance presents August Tye’s community-inclusive “Nutcracker” December 11-13 in Mandel Hall on the University of Chicago campus.
On the north side, Ballet Chicago lights up the Athenaeum Theatre’s stage (December 12-13 and 19-20) with former New York City Ballet dancer Daniel Duel’s extrapolation of Balanchine’s “Nutcracker,” featuring both professional soloists and accomplished students from the Ballet Chicago School and Studio Company.
A posse of Nutcracker Soldiers on wooden stick ponies charges into south suburban Palos Hills with Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts’ “Beyond The Nutcracker” (Staag High School Performing Arts Center, December 19-20). “Beyond the Nutcracker” begins in the 1940’s, just as the Cooper family is preparing their annual Christmas party. Emma and Peter wait eagerly for the arrival of their Uncle Abrahms, who has promised to be home from the war in time for Christmas. As the evening drags on, it seems that Uncle Abrahms may not be keeping his promise after all - but wait! There is a knock at the door, and sure enough, it is the much-anticipated guest... Emma and Peter seem to think that Uncle Abrahms' telling of the story of the first Christmas is just a fairytale. What do you think?
The UN-”Nutcracker,” of the month is Chicago Tap Theatre’s “Tidings of Tap,” ( UIC Theatre, December 11-13). Featuring rhythm and whimsy-filled interpretations of your favorite Christmas, Chanukah and Winter songs, this is a fun yet sophisticated, family-friendly evening. While this is a great family show, many people have commented on the fact that it is truly enjoyable for all ages. Children and parents will love the end-of-the show number, where all the children are invited on-stage to dance! Parents are even allowed to take photos of their kids on stage. Audience favorites will return, including our humorous take on the Twelve Days of Christmas, the men of CTT dancing in Chanukah Oh Chanukah and the battle between Frosty and Rudolf in Bohemian Tapsody. Tidings of Tap! will feature three new premieres, including the debut piece by Rehearsal Director Kirsten Uttich.
ADDITIONAL DECEMBER EVENTS:
Laboratory Dancers holds its monthly “1st Wednesday Series” Open Mic December 2nd at the Fulton Street Collective. Not your ordinary open mic night, this is for music, dance, theatre, stand up comedy, improv, magic, puppetry, spoken word, performance art…anything your heart wants to perform! This is a perfect opportunity to go out on a limb and show everyone what your guts are made of. There will be some liquid courage. Everything is donation based. Bring a friend. Bring your mom. Bring extra artists to sign up too!
Jump Rhythm Jazz Project stages “Getting Down, Going Forward” (Old Town School of Folk Music, December 2nd), a lecture-demonstration and performance from JRJP’s repertory.
Joel Hall Dancers showcases its Joel Hall II company, along with Joel Hall Dancers Youth Company, Ensemble Espanol Youth Company, DMA Allegro Performance Company, Senn Arts Dancers, The Jazzettes and RIZE Youth Company in a Winter Showcase Collaboration.
Joel Hall II
Broadway’s Susan Stroman is director/choreographer of Lyric Opera’s “The Merry Widow,” playing at the Civic Opera House December 3-13.
Dance Crash presents “New Alaska” (DCA Storefront Theatre, December 4-20). Both guest and in-house choreos have each been asked to create a premier dance work based on nothing more than the following three stipulations:
1) Alaska.
2) 100 years in the future.
3) Immediately following a worldwide catastrophe.
Aside from Crash’s conventional array of flips, turns, and superhuman athleticism, the creative reality of “New Alaska” begs for anything from neo-wildlife and mutations to bright whites, month-long evenings, and aurora borealis.
The performance includes new works from rhythmic hip hop artist Stephanie Paul, Luna Negra Dance Theater alum Kirsten Shelton, Pursuit Productions founder Ahmad Simmons, as well as CDC’s own Kaitlin Webster & Artistic Director Jessica Deahr.
"New Alaska"
Danceworks Chicago presents Dance Chance (Lou Conte Studio, December 4th), a one-hour event designed to offer opportunities for choreographers to show their work informally, create a forum for dialogue among artists, and build audience for dance. Inspired by the concept of open-mic night. Dance Chance is held once a month and features 3 choreographers chosen by chance, each of whom has a 15-minute time slot to share their work. To round out the hour, the final 15-minute segment is a moderated meet-the-artist session providing an opportunity for choreographers to discuss their work and process as well as time for the audience to ask questions. At the end of each Dance Chance, the next trio of participants is chosen from names submitted by choreographers in attendance.
“Loyola Dance Informance” (December 4th). Dance students from all classes showcase their semester’s work in an informal dance performance. Featuring a wide variety of styles at all levels, the performance offers students the opportunity to showcase the progress they have made in their respective courses.
The Chicago Dance History Project holds its first-ever “Transcriptathon” (1-6 PM December 5th at the Old Town School of Folk Music) The CDHP has collected over 50 hours of video footage featuring Chicago dance history interviews and events, and now wants to share them with you! Please join them to transcribe part of your favorite interview, enjoy free food and drinks, & gather with friends from the Chicago dance and arts education communities. ***PLEASE bring a laptop and headphones.***
Striding Lion Performance Group holds its “Peep Show: The Instant Choreography Series” December 7th at Links Hall. Peep Show gives audiences a behind the scenes peek into the unique dance making processes of innovative Chicago choreographers as they develop world premiere dance works live and in the moment. Each performance features two choreographers working simultaneously against the clock (45 min) in two different studios, to realize completely new pieces that incorporate suggestions from the audience, original music from an experimental composer (chosen by Constellation) and their choreography. The audience is invited to grab drinks and mingle between sittings in on each studio.
“The Catch,” presented by Dancing On The Spot” (December 10-11, Hamlin Park Field House), weaves together improvisational dance, a one act play, texts written by the ensemble, and original music by Robert Hornbostel. The first part of the performance is a transformation of Michael Brayndick's one act play Fragments from the Permanent Collection into an experimental overlap of theater and dance. The second half of the show is an exploration of the many different meanings of the word "catch". We talk about falling in love, but not very often about how or when we get caught. A catch can also be something seized, grasped, intercepted, engaged, attracted, or ignited among many other, sometimes contradictory meanings. This multi-dimensional word is a catalyst for group-generated text tied to movement structures which allow us to express our many versions of "the catch".
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (Harris Theater, December 10-13) presents four inventive artists with evocative works exploring themes of acceptance, self-reckoning, and the complexities of desire. Crystal Pite brings the U.S. company premiere of Solo Echo to Hubbard Street, alongside a world premiere by Penny Saunders, and A Glimpse Inside a Shared Story: new work for Hubbard Street 2 by 2015 International Commissioning Project choreographer Yin Yue. Waxing Moon by Robyn Mineko Williams, called “breathtaking” by the Chicago Tribune, completes this compelling program.
The Old Town School of Folk Music Adult Dance Student Showcase (December 15th, Old Town School of Folk Music) presents a night celebrating dance as its adult students present pieces they have been rehearsing in class. This mulit-disciplinary show includes both culturally specific and world dances along with social dances.
Tiny Liquid Bones (December 17-20, Links Hall and Hamlin Park) is the next umbrella-project in Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak's long-term ensemble creative practice, performed by Kristina Fluty, Ben Law, Jessica Marasa, and Molly Shanahan. Tiny Liquid Bones can be seen as a stand-alone performance or in conjunction with Khecari and Blind Tiger Society as part of a micro-festival sponsored by Links Hall and Chicago Moving Company.
Khecari and San Francisco guest artists from Blind Tiger Society present “Ring SOUR” (December 18-19, Links Hall). This combined evening of contemporary dance is presented in conjunction with Links Hall's Midwest Nexus Touring Initiative. Khecari's Julia Antonick and Jonathan Meyer will show a next iteration of their ongoing duet improvisation "Orders from the Horse," and Blind Tiger Society will show "Dressage," a duet for director Bianca Cabrera and company member Rebecca Morris.
“Reduction” by Tsukasa Taiko (December 19, Museum of Contemporary Art) is an eclectic slate of contemporary and classical music and dance
artists from Tokyo, San Francisco, and Chicago who reunite at MCA Stage for
two distinct and inventive programs, rooted in the unmistakable sound of
taiko. Once heard only at traditional ceremonies and temples in Japan,
today taiko allows artists to explore exuberant expression and the
fullest possibilities of drumming.
"Reduction" by TsukasaTaiko