On Wednesday, January 25th, I was so fortunate to moderate the first Screendance  Club of 2023 highlighting Talia Koylass and her 2018 dance film, The Good Christian.  The film is a meditation on Black women, Black spirituality, and the church explored  through three vignettes performed by a trio of Black women dancers shot in a gorgeous  south side Chicago church. Each section of the film is distinct in its color,  cinematography, costume, and choreography to a mix of serene, pensive music and  punctuated Kendrick Lamar songs.

Bam! Garlic and onions. Whango! Coconut oil and cumin. Biff! Sharp, fresh ginger.

From the second you step into the 1700 Theater at Steppenwolf, you are hit with the pungent and pleasing aromas of ingredients cooking in two pans over hot plates, doted over by artist and creator of “Bangali Meye,” Tuli Bera, and guest performer Anita (Tithi) Bera. Early arrivals are invited to inspect the cooking area—two tables atop which sit herbs, spices, oils and vegetables indicative of Indian cuisine.

Protestors hoisting ragdoll ballerinas marched between the lyric opera house’s towering columns shouting, “Shame on you, shame on you!”

As the dimming foyer lights indicated that the show was about to begin, I snagged one of the protestors to ask what all the fuss was about.

“These artists are from Russia,” said a young woman, “They are going to take the money to Russia and those money [sic] are going to go to bomb Ukraine and kill our families.”

“The Joffrey Ballet?” I asked.

Part music concert, part art installation and part dance showcase, “Blk Ark: The Impossible Manifestation” (Work In Progress) by Cat Mahari tries to be many things, and succeeds in creating some memorable tunes and moments of poignant human interactions.

Performed in Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater, “Blk Ark” is a part of Work Around, a series featuring three dance artists with works in different stages of development. The other programs in the series are Tuli Bera’s “Bangali Meye” (Feb. 9 & 10) and Drew Lewis’ “Heavy Objects” (Feb. 11 & 12).

My first experience seeing Step Afrika perform was fifteen years ago in Washington D.C. Founded by C. Brian Williams, I remember being stunned at that time by the striking parallels made between Africa and African American Fraternities and Sororities. However, the connection didn’t resonate for me in a full way until Saturday night.

Fans of dance in Chicago know where to look to find their favorite artists and companies. Up and coming artists regularly grace the blonde-wood floor of Links Hall. Larger companies fill the main stages at the Athenaeum up north and the Studebaker downtown. Local legacy and out of town touring companies put on must-see shows at the Auditorium or the Harris.

Of all the theaters who host dance, the name Steppenwolf rarely comes to mind. But that may be about to change thanks to the LookOut series.