If Alejandro Cerrudo’s name isn’t dancing off your tongue, it is sure to be June 11-14, when Hubbard Street Dance Chicago features a full evening of its first resident choreographer’s work, including a world premiere and two other Cerrudo slam-dunks. In addition to the new work, as yet unnamed, Hubbard Street’s Summer Series includes ‘Extremely Close” (2007), the second piece Cerrudo created for the company, in collaboration with students at Illinois Institute of Technology, and “Little mortal jump,” (2012), a cinematic approach to stagecraft. Cerrudo, a riveting presence as a dancer on stage, prefers not to dance in his own pieces. “What feels good doesn’t always look good,” he says, maintaining the artistic perspective he needs to recognize and capture moments that take him by surprise in the rehearsal process. Of the 14 pieces he has created for Hubbard Street, Cerrudo says, “I grow, and the audience grows with me.”
The Royal Ballet
The British are coming! Her Majesty’s dancers (aka The Royal Ballet) will grace the stage of the Auditorium Theatre June 18-21 with Carlos Acosta’s production of “Don Quixote.” Chicago is one of only three North American cities included in the Royal Ballet tour, it’s first visit here in 37 years. Some of us may remember Dame Margot (Fonteyn) and Rudy (Nureyev) and how they took Chicago by storm with a steamy performance of “Romeo and Juliet.” This month Chicago has a rare opportunity to see Acosta dance the lead role of Don Q in his 2013 adaptation of Marius Petipa’s classic ballet, set to the music of Russian composer Ludwig Minkus. Cuban born Acosta, acclaimed as one of the world’s greatest ballet dancers, has announced his retirement from the stage following his upcoming performances of the role of Don Jose in the September Royal Ballet premiere of his ballet “Carmen.”
Starting off the month of June, Esoteric Dance Project brings two new collaborative works to Links Hall June 5-7. “Orchestrated Homage in Five Movements” looks at the structure of classical music and how that structure is reflected in choreographic patterns. “Public Privacy” uses overheard conversations to fuel movement.
Tapman Productions presents “La Raison d’Etre" June 5-7 at the Athenaeum Theatre. The company, newly formed by director Tristan Bruns, mixes tap and modern dance with music and live singing from the past and present.
Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble
“Xtigone” is Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble’s modern-day, inner-city take on Sophocles’ Antigone, June 5-14 at Ebenezer Lutheral Church. The production was developed under the auspices of Lynn Nottage for LaMaMa’s International Symposium for Playwrights.
Aerial Dance Chicago’s “Shifting Limits” explores the air-ground continuum with daring creativity June 12-28 at the Ruth Page Center. Using suspended ropes, hoops, fabrics, and metal rings, the work looks at limitations and how we break free of them.
Jump Rhythm Jazz Project’s “Getting Down, Going Forward” features work by company members and students at the Josephine Louis Theatre June 12-13.
Erica Mott Productions offers a look at male stereotypes, identity, and image in “Cowboys and Vikings Across Chicago” June 17-18 at Indian Boundary Park.
Butoh Chicago presents "IKRU-Requiem para Pina Bausch” at Old Town School of Folk Music June 24th. Tadashi Endo, former student of the great butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno, is currently director of the Butoh-Center MAMU and the Butoh-Festivals MAMU, based in Göttingen, Vienna. His repertoire includes Noh theatre, Kabuki, and Butoh, as well as the traditional forms of Occidental theatre. In his extraordinary dances, Endo expresses the field of tension between Ying and Yang, the male and female, and their ever-lasting alteration. Tadashi Endo and Pina Bausch got to know each other through their friendship to Peter Kowald (double bass) and to the great Butoh-Master Kazuo Ohno.
Dance Chance continues June 26th at The Lou Conte Dance Studio. Sponsored by Danceworks Chicago, Dance Chance offers audiences an opportunity to collaborate in the creative process as choreographers present works-in-progress.
Chicago Tap Theatre
Chicago Tap Theatre continues in the circus mode with “Circo Tap” June 27th at the Athenaeum Theatre. Choreographed by company
director Mark Yonally in collaboration with circus professionals, the production brings back some of the characters from “Tightwire,” with a blend of circus arts and tap dancing. Production collaborator Marc Kelly Smith reprises his role as Ringmaster and company music director Kurt Schewitz provides original live music.
For details and tickets, go to SeeChicagoDance.com's Upcoming Events.
--Lynn Colburn Shapiro, editor