Anjal Chande, a multidisciplinary artist, performed a work of solo dance-theater last Friday at Steppenwolf's 1700 Theater. Initially planned as a collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art, the performance was rescheduled due to injury and is now featured as part of the Steppenwolf’s “LookOut Series” highlighting experimental Chicago artists.

The word liaison commonly refers to a person acting as an ambassador, tour guide, or escort—someone who serves to establish a connection between two entities unable to connect due to cultural, linguistic or other barriers.  Not often do we think of an artform serving as this intermediary, but at the Den Theatre three professional, transatlantic tap companies demonstrated how tap dance can transcend human obstacles such as language to create an evening of joy and laughter, married through the celebration of rhythm in motion.  

Imagine a grey plate on a spinning platform being scored by dribbles of paint of different textures and colors—hot pink, orange, Kelly green, royal blue and mustard. Swirling. Combining. Splattered. Rising up? Yes! Nimble dancers emerge with time-altering powers. They dip in and out of the timestream, alive in multiple eras at the same moment. It’s a trip, a fantasy, an illusion… No!

After completing a month-long tour through Japan, the Trinity Irish Dance Company returns to a packed Auditorium Theatre for a one-time matinee performance on March 3rd. The company proves why they are one of the main innovators of progressive Irish dance.

When I hear the word Ouroboros, I imagine myself at the beach. Rotating in the breeze as I carve endless circles in the sand with a stick or my finger. Listening to waves return and go endlessly.

Ouroboros, a word that commands the entire mouth, is an ancient Greek and Egyptian symbol of a serpent eating its own tail. Possessing a meaning as fluid and complex as its pronunciation, it is a fitting title for Nejla Yatkin’s latest theatrical solo performance premiering at Links Hall March 8-10.

A trio of dancers hold long, luminescent rods of white light. The space feels cold and empty. Suddenly, it’s dark. One by one, as each rod turns back on, a trio of dancers are caught static in a forward moving pose, holding poles as walking sticks. It’s like we are driving down a road, and our headlights happen to flash upon sole wanderers in the night.

Winifred Haun and Dancers First Draft on March 1st at Links Hall held space for many Chicago creatives to illustrate the bright future for their dances.

The work presented may be incomplete, or altered in the future, but has a beginning, middle, and end. The evening showcased a variety of modern, contemporary, praise, and west African dance.

“The Fight To Be Found” by choreographer Imani English opens with three dancers and a solo center stage. Elegant violins play over the speakers. Three more enter, all six wearing various shades of earthy brown flowy clothes.

On Feb. 10th, Madrid-based Compañía Nacional de Danza (National Dance Company) made its Chicago debut at the Auditorium Theatre, showcasing a mesmerizing series of performances that explored the intricate layers of human existence. The carefully selected pieces presented the company's choreographic history while guiding the audience through an emotional journey of connection and loss. In an interview with See Chicago Dance, Artistic Director Joaquin De Luz and the company artists provided new insight into the work.

If Alice (from Wonderland, of course), were to create her own world, she says, “Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn’t.” The concepts of nonsense, contradiction and mystery, like dreams or illusions, can be playful and keep us on our toes.