When Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre’s fall concert series, “America/Americans,” hits you, it really hits you. And it sometimes hurts to see your reflection made bare and vulnerable. The narratives that it invokes are dark and painful, but always with a glimmer of hope at the end, embodying the vast milieu of modern American life.

Editor's note: The Shows Ya Gotta see is a new monthly series highlighting "must-see" performances curated by See Chicago Dance critics.

In the mood for something zaney, eye-popping and boisterous?

Ya gotta see Chicago Dance Crash on Oct. 8

Meghan Frederick documents her life as a dancer and mother in Venus at Home as a part of SeeChicagoDance’s radically casual Screendance Club
September 28, 2021 | By Laura Paige Kyber

Winifred Haun and Dancers came back to the theater this weekend for the first time since the pandemic began to celebrate athletic dance on a safe, wide-open marley floor—and to celebrate the almost-forgotten experience of gathering beneath familiar walls with unfamiliar faces to enjoy live performance. “When Day Comes and Other Dances” took the audience through the company’s long legacy with a new premiere, restaged works and a cameo by Banks Performance Project (founded by Winifred Haun alumna Elysia Banks).

Project Bound Dance’s “Dance on the Deck,” a free, outdoor one-night-only mini festival on Friday featured two new works by the presenting company, as well as performances from Chicago Dance Crash, RE|dance group, Britney C. Johnson and student performers from The Hive. Curated by Project Bound co-artistic directors Ashley Deran and Emily Loar, the shared-bill delivered non-stop innovation, palpable magnetism and intergenerational joy on Hexe Coffee’s patio.

Editor’s note: The 2021 Our Readers Write column is a curated collection of articles and creative writing by various members of the Chicago dance community. We hope to provide our readers with expanded perspectives on both dance writing and the artistic lenses of the contributing authors. Joshua X. Miller’s video “Catching Creativity” and accompanying essay provide a comforting camaraderie around the highs and lows of the artistic process—along with some simple motivations for those of us in that creative slump.  —Jordan Kunkel

The 92nd St. Y in New York City may have an unassuming name, but it is one of the leading venues in the country that produces soul-stirring art—be it poetry, prose, music, or dance. Wait a minute, See Chicago Dance is a Chi-town rag, so why are we talking about NYC? That’s the beauty of the digital age, that a fan in Chicago can see their favorite artists and prodigal performers from 800 miles away.

“Oh, so y’all fine, fine!” That was my initial thought when dancers Tamisha A. Guy and Claude “CJ” Johnson graced the opening living room scene of the world premiere of “An Untitled Love,” performed by A.I.M by Kyle Abraham at the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago Thursday. Upon witnessing the duet's endearing chemistry, it’s difficult to not be flooded with nostalgia for the various loves of your lifetime: on a dance floor, on a subway, at a house party or on a college campus.

Upon reading Mr. Knowlton’s recent article published on See Chicago Dance, I was immediately inspired to respond to this writer’s impassioned exposition. While I believe this writer when he says that he loves the arts and enjoys attending performances of varied genres including dance, I find the article to be a jumbled and harmful blurb of ideas culminating in a threat to artists. For those of us who attend therapy regularly, one can’t help but identify the elephant in the room here: Using threats in an attempt to control your partner’s behavior isn’t love, it’s abuse.