NOVEMBER HIGHLIGHTS:
Twyla Tharp has come a long way from the steam box studio above an automotive garage near City Center where she and her band of rogue ballerinas took Richard Thomas’s daily ballet class in the late 1960’s.
This month, Tharp and her company of twelve dancers launch the company’s 50th Anniversary Tour at the Auditorium Theatre (November 5-8).
Back in 1968, Thomas dubbed Tharp and her dancers “The Tharpettes,” little suspecting the trajectory her career would take, from choreographing for the Joffrey and Ballet Theatre, among other internationally acclaimed companies, to Hollywood films, TV, and full-length Broadway hits.
In between was a lovely romance with Chicago’s own Hubbard Street Dance Chicago from 1990-95. With “The Tharp Project,” Hubbard Street became Tharp’s home away from home during a period of time when her company had disbanded, and she was freelancing as an independent choreographer. “The Tharp Project” enabled Hubbard Street to acquire six existing works and to premiere a seventh piece, “I Remember Clifford,” which she developed exclusively for the company in 1995. She returned in 2012 to develop “Scarlatti,” another Hubbard Street exclusive. Hubbard Street’s iterations of two of Tharp’s best known and loved works, “Nine Sinatra Songs” and “The Golden Section,” continue to stand as benchmarks for the most vibrant realizations of her work.
Emerging mid-20th century as a ballet renegade, Tharp dared to cross rigid genre lines merging the classical ballet idiom with pop music and popular dance forms on the ballet stage. Her unique voice has made a huge impact on the concert dance stage across all genres, as well as on musical theater, always pushing the envelope, and has been a major impetus for the cross-pollination of ballet, modern dance, jazz, and musical theatre.
Tharp’s anniversary tour features two world premieres. The vibrant introductory FANFARE is followed by PRELUDES AND FUGUES, set to J.S. Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier. YOWZIE, the second premiere, is a humorous work set to a wild, raucous, and jazzy score.
Dancers from the Twyla Tharp Company will offer two Master Classes Saturday, November 7th at 10:30 AM and 12:15 PM, in the Katten/Landau Studio at Roosevelt University as part of the Hubbard Street Studio Series. Advanced registration is required.
Friday, November 6th, the sponsoring Auditorium Theatre offers Young Professionals Night, with a pre-show reception, drinks, and lite bites. A post-show Q & A with Twyla Tharp will take place immediately following the Sunday, November 8th matinee.
“Black Girl: Linguistic Play” is New York choreographer and dancer Camille A. Brown’s answer to the media stereotypes of black women. “When we hear the phrase, ‘black girl,’ what images come to mind?” she asks. Brown and her company of seven dancers, two musicians, and a moderator hope to open up the dialogue and change the conversation with “Black Girl,” coming to the Dance Center of Columbia College November 5-7.
Camille A. Brown
The piece, which premiered at New York’s Joyce Theater in September, is centered around sisterhood. “It’s about memory and duality,” says Brown, “culturally specific but universal in its themes.” Camaraderie and competition, conflict, exhaustion and resolution all figure into the storytelling. Her goal is for people from all walks of life to find an entry point in the story and feel like part of the conversation. “Black Girl: Linguistic Play” has almost no spoken text, and yet it “speaks” through the linguistic code of the body--how do black girls communicate in posture, gesture. Through the games that carve the landscape of childhood, she lets her audiences see the world through the eyes of a black girl. “There’s a little girl that still lives inside me,” she says, and she wants to awaken that awareness of the continuity of self from childhood to maturity in her audiences.
Brown wants to dispel the caricature of the black female perpetuated in today’s popular media and to present “our authentic selves.” Alice In Wonderland was a springboard for her ideas about the piece. “What if the hole Alice falls into isn’t a bad hole?” With original music compositions, performed live by pianist Scott Patterson and bass guitarist Tracy Wormworth, Brown uses the rhythmic play of African-American dance vernacular, including social dancing, double dutch, steppin’, tap, Juba, ring shout and gesture, as the black woman’s domain to evoke childhood memories of self-discovery.
Each performance culminates in a seamless final act with a dialogue in which audiences engage with the artists on stage.
On Friday, November 6th, The Harris Theater for Music and Dance presents the world premiere of “Tesseracts of Time,” a brand new collaboration between renowned choreographer Jessica Lang and celebrated architect Steven Holl, performed by Jessica Lang Dance and commissioned by the Chicago Architecture Biennial.
Jessica Lang Dance/Tesseracts of Time
“Tesseracts of Time” relates to the four types of architecture: Under, In, On, and Over. “Tesseracts of Time” demonstrates how the two worlds of architecture and dance merge with respect to time.
"The body moving through space in time is a central experience of both architecture and dance,” said Steven Holl. “To collaborate on a ‘Dance for Architecture’ with Jessica Lang is an inspiring chance to experiment with the merging of the two arts, focusing on time, form, light, and movement."
“Collaboration is an essential part of making great art,” said Jessica Lang. “Having the opportunity to work intensely with architect Steven Holl on “Tesseracts of Time” has been a valuable process that will inform my work well beyond the creation of this piece. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of dance and architecture and the result will awaken the human imagination.”
The architecture used in the dance was developed through a research project called ‘Explorations of IN.’ This project started June 2014 at Steven Holl Architects and explores questions of architectural language. It aims to re-value the Art of Architecture
In addition to “Tesseracts,” Jessica Lang Dance will perform “The Calling” (excerpt from Splendid Isolation II), “Droplet” (excerpt from i.n.k.), and “Thousand Yard Stare” (preview).
The gypsy fairy tale that Chicago choreographer Gordon Pierce Schmidt made up for his full-length ballet, “Day of the Gypsy” (Harris Theater, November 21-22) was inspired by the real-life story of his grandfather, who left his childhood home and took refuge with the gypsies in his native Czechoslovakia. Gypsy music had always intrigued Schmidt, and the idea of a non-gypsy wandering into the Romany culture captivated his imagination. After hearing John Jorgenson’s quintet play the music of gypsy jazz pioneer Django Rheinhardt in 2009, the two collaborated on an abstract piece for Grand Rapids Ballet. “Day of The Gypsy” grew out of that experience. “It’s light hearted, steeped in classical ballet,” Schmidt says, “but it’s infused with gypsy folk elements.” Schmidt researched gypsy dance, watching old films documenting the gypsy folk dance forms that emphasized intricate footwork, clapping, and hand-slapping the foot and thigh. Franco-American swing characterizes the mood of the original music composed by Jorgenson and inspired by Rheinhardt’s gypsy jazz. Former Joffrey Ballet dancer Yumelia Garcia will dance the lead role in the collaborative work, which will be performed live by Jorgenson and his quintet.
Day of The Gypsy
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS:
Antibody Corporation presents “Against Being” November 1st at Links Hall. Antibody Corporation is a mission based organization specializing in mind-body integration. Founded in 2009, The Corporation collaborates with artists to create interdisciplinary works spanning dance, performance art, film, video, and music.
Striding Lion brings its “Peep Show: The Instant Choreography Series” to Constellation at Links Hall November 2nd. 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.
Lab Dancers 1st Wednesday Open Mic takes place November 4th at the Fulton Street Collective. This isn’t your ordinary open mic night-this open mic night 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 some liquid courage. Everything is donation based. Bring a friend. Bring your mom. Bring extra artists to sign up too!
The Lynching of (Insert Name of White Killer on an Unidentifeid Black Man): An Avant Garde Jazz Hip hOpera (November 6-8, Links Hall) is the love story of two young activists in the Black Lives Matter Movement. It dramatizes the challenges that their relationship faces from differences of opinion on internal struggles within the movement and the consequences of drastic measures.
Clinard Dance’s newly-formed Flamenco Repertory Quartet brings the world premiere of a new piece to the Instituto Cervantes Friday, November 6th. The quartet represents an exciting collaboration of nationally and internationally renowned flamenco artists, including Artistic Director/Principal Dancer Wendy Clinard, vocalist/guitarist Marija Temo, bassist Alex Wing and violinist Steve Gibons. The new work will feature an original flamenco score by Temo.
MOMENTA presents Looking Back/Looking Forward: Dances Past & Present November 7-8 and 14-15 at the Doris Humphrey Memorial Theatre of the Academy of Movement and Music in Oak Park. MOMENTA’s Fall Evening Concerts present gems from their historical dance repertory including sections of Paquita, the exotic Polovtsian Dances, Doris Humphrey’s Water Study and Two Ecstatic Themes. Associate Executive Director, Anita Fillmore Kenney, and MOMENTA Alumna, Sage Miller, premiere new work; and 3Arts Award recipient, Kris Lenzo will perform a new physically integrated duet.
Doris Humphrey's "Water Study"
The Chicago Human Rhythm Project presents a tribute to Billy Strayhorn (November 11th, Jazz Showcse Club), one of the original members of Harlem's famous tap dance collective -- the Copasetics -- so it's only natural that some of Chicago's finest hoofers should gather to celebrate his life, his music and his commitment to American tap dance!
The night will feature Chicago tap dancers, live jazz trio and special guests! For more information, please visit www.ChicagoTap.org! The Billy Strayhorn Festival is presented by the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University celebrating the Strayhorn Centennial.
Star Dixon
Hedwig Dances presents choreographer Victor Alexander's Line of Sighs November 12th at 6 and 7:30 at Defibrillator Performance Gallery. Line of Sighs is a dance that plays with illusion and perspective and combines poetic choreography with sculptural artifacts, vivid images and haunting original music.
Line of Sighs
The Detroit Revival Project takes place on November 13th at the Young Fenix Theatre, Detroit, MI. The Detroit REVIVAL Project will bring together local artists to collaborate in a shared performance space in order to build a stronger arts community in Detroit.
ARTLAB J is a collaboration with Marcus White / White Werx.
The Flow Show Chicago November 13, Links Hall) is one of three Flow Shows nationwide (along with San Francisco and New York) celebrating object manipulation in a theatrical setting. Audiences can expect a wide variety of dance and circus arts that incorporate spinning and juggling a variety of props such as hoops, poi, staff, fans, juggling balls, and possibly even a few new innovations!
Red Clay Dance Company brings their signature Afro-Contemporary Dance style to the South Suburbs of Chicago for the first time November 14th!
For their Fall engagement, the company presents two current repertory works, "Diamond in the RUF" and "Sistahs", along with the premiere of new works choreographed by Artistic Director Vershawn Ward, "She/Her" and guest choreographer Amansu Eason's "DevelopMino" which revals the story of the Amazon Warriors Women of Dahomey.
#SayHerName celebrates the multi-faceted lives of women. Women as warriors, both historically on the African continent and present day within the African Diaspora.
Danceworks Chicago presents Dance Flight (November 20-21, at The Ruth Page Center). Dance Flight is like a wine flight, a sampling of sorts. Join us as we offer an assortment of dances to fill your one-hour dance card!
Stay afterwards for an informal, post-performance meet the artist session hosted by the dancers.
“Poonie's Cabaret” (November 22, Links Hall) is Links Hall's risk-taking tri-annual performance cabaret of "the edgiest performers in Chicago, both up-and-coming and veteran” -Think Pink Radio.
Poonie's is named for Poonie Dodson, a much-loved Chicago dancer/choreographer who died of AIDS in the early 90's. Originally inspired by Patrick's Cabaret in Minneapolis, Poonie's Cabaret welcomes all forms of expression and anything which cannot be defined but can be thoroughly enjoyed. It features works in progress from artists working in many different creative realms - dance, music, contact improvisation, puppetry, performance art, theatre, voguing, freestyle rapping, drag, burlesque, cheerleading, stand-up comedy, etc.
At The Table: A Conversational Dance (November 23 at Links Hall) is an ongoing series of events in collaboration with performance artists, musicians, dancers, philosophers and activists. These events bring together individuals to experience and explore performance, participation and food as a celebration of our basic needs: sustenance, shelter and connection to others. These events are an invitation to be present with each other, creatively exploring new ways of communication and exchange while fully embracing the possibility of failure. This project questions the sustainability of a social structure based on debt and individualistic “survival of the fittest.” With an awareness that individual and community health are inseparable, we undertake an experiment in social technology inspired by mycelial communication of needs and resources.
The Salt Creek Ballet presents its annual Nutcracker November 28-29
at the Hinsdale Auditorium. Audiences call Salt Creek Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” “Enchanting,” “Magical,” and “Outstanding!” A tradition for young and old alike, meet young Clara and her hero, the Nutcracker, as you are transported on a magical journey, encountering waltzing flowers, giant mice and the Sugar Plum Fairy along the way. Performance features a live, 48-piece orchestra.
Salt Creek Ballet's "Nutcracker"
For Details and Tickets for all these events, go to seechicagodance.com and click on “Upcoming Events.”