Kennedy Center honoree, two-time Tony Award winner and MacArthur "Genius" award winner Bill T. Jones returns to the stage at the center of a new work for his renowned company, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, as part of The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago's 40th season. Performances are October 24—26 at The Dance Center, 1306 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago.
Story/Time, inspired by legendary artist and composer John Cage's Indeterminacy, is a collage of dance, music and 70 of Jones' short stories, arranged anew for each performance by chance procedure. Jones fuses the age-old art of storytelling with a vibrant landscape of contemporary movement and music. Similar to a busy streetscape or a crowded room, the experience challenges audience members to find meaning and connection in the sweep of randomized, disparate elements. Jones draws these short stories from his own life and tales handed down through the generations of his family, among other sources. In layering a traditional form against the avant-garde compositional concerns of the mid-century modernists, the tension between high and low art is called into question. Composer, musician and intermedia artist Ted Coffey, Ph.D. composes and performs a new acoustic and electronic score that draws upon chance procedure and interactive technologies. Contains nudity and mature content.
Residency activities
There will be a post-performance conversation with the artists Thursday, October 24 and a pre-performance talk with Associate Artistic Director Janet Wong Friday, October 25 at 7 p.m., both free to ticket holders. Wong also will participate in The Dance Center's new DanceMakers series, which features leading contemporary dance artists offering insight into their choreographic process, on Wednesday, October 23 from 10 a.m. to noon at the American Rhythm Center, Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. In celebration of The Dance Center's 40th season, DanceMakers sessions are free. Preregistration is required.
Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company
Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, now in its 30th year,was born out of an 11-year collaboration between Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane (1948—1988). During this time, they redefined the duet form and foreshadowed issues of identity, form and social commentary that would change the face of American dance. The company has performed worldwide in more than 200 cities in 40 countries on every major continent and is recognized as one of the most innovative and powerful forces in the dance-theater world.
This is Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company's sixth appearance since its Dance Center debut during the 1980—81 season.
Funding
The Dance Center's presentation of Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company is funded, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts.
PHOTOS: Story/Time, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, photography Paul B. Goode.
The Dance Center
The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, named "Chicago's Best Dance Theatre" by Chicago magazine and "Best Dance Venue" by the Chicago Reader, is the city's leading presenter of contemporary dance, showcasing artists of regional, national and international significance. Programs of The Dance Center are supported, in part, by the Alphawood Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, New England Foundation for the Arts, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Irving Harris Foundation, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation and Arts Midwest. Additional funding is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Illinois Arts Council. Special thanks to Athletico, the Official Provider of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy for The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, and the Friends of The Dance Center.
The Dance Center's 2013—14 season continues with Khecari and The Humans (joint program Feb. 6—8), CCN Créteil et Val-de-Marne/Compagnie Käfig (Feb. 20—22), Raphael Xavier (Feb. 27—Mar. 1), Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan (co-presented with the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University and The Joffrey Ballet at the Auditorium Theatre Mar. 14 and 16) and Reggie Wilson/Fist & Heel Performance Group (Apr. 3—5).
Ticket information
The Dance Center presents Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company October 24—26, 2013, Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m. at The Dance Center, 1306 S. Michigan Ave. Single tickets are $26—30; subscribers who order tickets to three or more performances during the 2013—14 season save 20%. All programming is subject to change. The theatre is accessible to people with disabilities. For information, call 312-369-8330 or visit colum.edu/dancecenter.
