April Newsletter

By Sid Smith

 

April is Chicago Dance Month, a new venture of partnership and promotion launched by seechicagodance.com's Audience Architects and boasting performances, discounts and educational ventures among its benefits.

Appropriately enough, the month's wealth of performances start with a new beginning: Links Hall, a fixture in the heart of Wrigleyville for decades, opens new digs April 1 with "Fraction: Dance in Progress" at 3111 N. Western Av. The program, fittingly for an organization devoted to the experimental and offbeat throughout the years, is non-curated, an open call to artists willing to participate.

Ongoing, meanwhile, began in March, the Innervation Dance Cooperative continues its engagement of rotating repertory April 3-6 at the Prop Thtr, 3502 N. Elston Av. Mexico's acclaimed Delfos Danza Contemporanea troupe visits April 4-6 at the Dance Center of Columbia College. A pair of Music + Movement offerings also arrive April 4: The Chicago Human Rhythm Project presents a collaborative effort by Princess Grace choreography winner Michelle Dorrance, jazz pianist Greg Spero and BAM! at 6 p.m., while the Joel Hall Dancers team up with musician Charles Heath at 7:30 p.m., both on the 4th floor at 425 S. Wabash Av.

DanceWorks Chicago offers another of its Dance Bytes April 5 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts. That busy weekend also includes the inaugural outing of the troupes joining forces in the FlySpace consortium, sharing concerts two troupes at a time in performances April 5-14 on the enclosed stage of the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, 55 N. Michigan Av.

Elements Contemporary Ballet presents its spring engagement April 5 and 6 at the Athenaeum Theatre, including a new collaboration involving some 10 choreographers. Emma Draves curates programming by various artists in "Braiding Rivers: Stereotype" April 5-7, again at Links Hall's new 3111 N. Western location.

Three programs are set for the April 7 line-up of MUSIC + MOVEMENT at 425 S. Wabash: the Bryant Ballet with Sylvia and Miguel de la Cerna at 3 p.m., the Mexican Dance Ensemble at 4:30 p.m. and DanceWorks Chicago with Paul Wertico at 6 p.m.

"One World..." is an interactive endeavor of concert and community dance, hosted by Urban Bush Women artistic director Jawole Zoller, at 6:30 p.m. April 8 at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington Blvd.

Clinard Dance Theatre hosts a free flamenco dance showcase April 12 at 1747 S. Halsted St. The Seldoms' "Mix with Six" shows off short works of new choreography April 12-14 at Links, while the relatively new JorsTAP Chicago returns to perform "Rackets" April 12-14 at the Athenaeum.

An eagerly anticipated and major presentation arrives via "Havana Blue," the program devoted to Cuban artistry and featuring River North Dance Chicago and Orbert Davis and the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic April 13 at the Auditorium Theatre. Detroit's Eisenhower Dance Ensemble brings work set to Motown favorites April 14, also at the Auditorium.

The inimitable Poonie's Cabaret returns April 15 to Links.

The Space Movement Project performs April 17-19 at the Hamlin Park Fieldhouse, 3035 N. Hoyne Av. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago teams up with its second company for performances in conjunction with the Picasso exhibit April 18 at the Art Institute of Chicago. Young Jean Lee's Theater Company features six nude women artists in an untitled feminist program April 18-21 at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Four emerging choreographers--Francesca Bourgault, Ashley Deran, Jessie Young and seechicagodance contributor Lauren Warnecke--present work in "In here, we are whole" April 19-21 at Links. The Chicago Tap Theatre presents "Liaison," a program of American and European tap, April 20 at the Athenaeum. One of the suburbs most distinguished organizations, the Salt Creek Ballet, offers "Alice in Wonderland" April 20 and 21 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie.

In a major presentation, the Joffrey Ballet reprises its superb production of Lar Lubovitch's strikingly original full-length ballet "Othello" April 24-May 5 at the Auditorium.

Perceptual Motion, Inc. presents "Percolate! Fresh Brewed Dances" April 25 and 26 at Hamlin Park, and the Alliance Dance Company celebrates 10 years of dance presentation with "Spring Forward" April 25-28 at the Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St.

The Najwa Dance Corps offers "Tell It Like It Is" April 26 at 1900 W. Van Buren St. The Rephrase Dance Collective serves up "Imperfectly Mingled" April 26-28 at Links.

DanceWorks Chicago reunites with the folk group Sons of the Never Wrong for sets of dance and music and the collaborative piece "My Witness" April 27 at the North Shore center. (One night earlier, on April 26, DanceWorks marks six years of operation, by the way, with TOTEM 6, a benefit performance, at the North Shore.) And in this time of rebirth, new beginnings and long-hoped-for blithe weather, Winifred Haun & Dancers rounds out the month with a spring open rehearsal April 28 at the Hubbard Street dance studios, 1147 W. Jackson Blvd.