Pictured: Cie Heddy Maalem.
Here is a list of what to expect in the local terpsichorean world this autumn:
—San Francisco Ballet: After a two-decade absence, one of the world's finest ballet companies returns to Chicago as part of its 75th-anniversary tour. ( We see them first, followed by New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. ) Although the enormous ensemble can easily give definitive performances of the classical canon, it's wisely touring more contemporary work. In fact, the only tutus in their luggage are for the sharp, witty Double Evil by Jorma Elo, whose From All Sides was one of Hubbard Street's more memorable recent premieres. Expect peerless dancing and flawless production values—you may not have another chance anytime soon. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph; Sep. 16-21.
—The Other Dance Festival: The ever-expanding Chicago modern dance scene outdoes itself annually at 'the Other,' a three-weekend, sell-out fest that simultaneously shows off its extraordinary range and interconnectedness. There's no better place to see what's cooking in everyone's kitchens, preview the coming season's concerts and be introduced to the city's newest dancers. Many of the works excerpted for the festival are receiving their first public showings and, as such, the Other has proven a valuable laboratory for choreography in development. At $35 for an all-programs pass, discovering your new favorite dancemaker is a verifiable bargain. Hamlin Park Fieldhouse, 3035 N. Hoyne; Thursdays and Fridays, Sep. 18-Oct. 3.
—David Dorfman Dance: The Dance Center gets into the spirit of the season—political—by inviting New York City-based David Dorfman Dance to open its 2008 series. Three related documentaries were screened at the Ludington Building starting Sep. 9, followed by the company's run, two evening-length works performed twice each. ( The last runs Tuesday, Sept. 23. ) Disavowal delves deep into the complexities of race relations through the frame of John Brown's life and violent death, while underground looks at '60s radicals the Weather Underground, zooming out to assess the implications of living a life dedicated to the cause. Dance Center at Columbia College, 1306 S. Michigan; Sep. 25-28.
—Luna Negra Dance Theater: Luna Negra opens its 10th-anniversary season by paying tribute to José Limón, the pioneering Mexican-born modern choreographer whose centennial also arrives this year. Two world premieres bookend: Deshár Alhát, by Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro, takes cues from the live vocals of Stefani Valadez to tell the story of Sephardic Jews in Latin America, while AviMar shows the fruits of collaboration between friends Stephanie Martinez and Francisco Aviña. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph; Sep. 26 & 27.
—The Kirov Ballet: It doesn't get more classical than this enormous company from St. Petersburg performing the 1841 ballet Giselle in all its melodramatic—and admittedly transcendent—splendor. Superstar ballerina Diana Vishneva is all but guaranteed to give one of the canon's juiciest storylines the interpretation it deserves. Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress; Oct. 2-5.
—Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: Hubbard Street is going from two to four annual appearances at the Harris starting in October, and to inaugurate the tradition will premiere a new piece by Toru Shimazaki, whose Bardo draped a rich, animal vocabulary over an elegantly sparse structure. Returning are the hit Extremely Close and the megahit Minus 16. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph; Oct. 9-12.
—The Joffrey Ballet: New Artistic Director Ashley C. Wheater has our ballet company looking stronger than ever these days, and the debut of choreography by rising talent Edward Liaang is a great opportunity to get a sense of his future plans. Also returning after three decades in storage is founder Robert Joffrey's Postcards, set to Erik Satie and presented in remembrance of Joffrey's death in 1988. Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress; Oct. 15-26.
—Cie Heddy Maalem: A rite of passage for many contemporary choreographers, Igor Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps inspired French-Algerian Heddy Maalem to create an unnervingly immediate dance in 2004. Using the megalopolis of Lagos as his inspiration, he places the vocabularies of native dancers from all over the continent into a formal, contemporary structure, leaving the production clean and letting contrasts reveal themselves from within the driving score. Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago; Oct. 17-19.
—Namah & Zarbang: In the United States—with visas that could not have been easy to acquire—Iranian percussion masters Zarbang will lay the rhythmic foundation for the explorations and images of Iranian-American Banafsheh Sayyad's group of dancers. Her show, Mirror, is an admirable and inspiring usage of music and dance to transcend worldly concerns. Many satellite events are planned around the two companies' joint visit—be sure to take advantage of the wisdom while they're here. Dance Center at Columbia College, 1306 S. Michigan; Oct. 16-18.
—Ronald K. Brown/Evidence: The attention that the dancers of Brooklyn-based Evidence pay to every second of performance has an almost narcotic effect—few companies look more freely, passionately alive onstage. Ronald K. Brown's pieces are each aimed at weaving personal histories and centuries-old traditions of African dance into a succession of beautiful, intangible moments. If you saw them close this year's Chicago Dancing Festival and didn't get enough, don't miss their one-night stand at McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage, 425 Fawell, Glen Ellyn; Oct. 18.
—Trisha Brown Dance Company: Trisha Brown shares with fellow modern dance guru Merce Cunningham a dedication to experimentation, tight working relationships with legendary visual artists and musicians, and a taste for the formal. Unlike Cunningham, however, who bases most of his work on chance decisions, Brown imbues every gesture with a deliberate sense of purpose. She's challenged the idea of dance for decades, and remains avant-garde even in her 70s. Dance Center at Columbia College, 1306 S. Michigan; Oct. 23-25.
—Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago: The company he founded pays tribute to Gus Giordano, who died last March at 84, with Celebrate Life, a program of works by choreographers he mentored and inspired. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph; Oct. 24 & 25.
—Thodos Dance Chicago: Seven dances, including three premieres and a fourth by Ron de Jesus, make for a varied program that should showcase more than anything the versatility of this passionate ensemble. Athenaeum Theater, 2936 N. Southport; Oct. 24-26.
—Same Planet Different World: Same Planet Different World continues to advocate for strong emerging choreographers with another commission from New Yorker Ashleigh Leite, as well as a premiere ensemble work by Molly Shanahan. Company co-director Joanna Rosenthal is making her first dance for the group, entitled Auto-Body, with repertory from Shapiro & Smith rounding out the program. Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn; Nov. 14-16.
—Lar Lubovitch Dance Company: Another staple of the Chicago Dancing Festival—no surprise, given that Lubovitch is a co-founder—this New York-based company returns for their own evening, comprised of two works wrought in the venerable dancemaker's trademark style. Men's Stories and Little Rhapsodies both bear the stamp of his painstaking construction, a calm, swirling parade of recurring motifs and dissolving patterns. What really takes it to the next level are the dancers themselves, all brilliant at giving even the most challenging steps the ease of a Sunday stroll. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph; Nov. 22.
