After a 16-year absence, Dance Theatre of Harlem ( DTH ) comes into town Nov. 21-23 to perform at Chicago's stunning Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University ( who happens to be celebrating its 125th birthday this year ). Auditorium Theatre Executive Director Brett Batterson feels privileged to present DTH, whose program will include a beautiful program of mixed repertory by acclaimed choreographers including Ulysses Dove and Robert Garland.
Arthur Miller founded DTH in 1969 as an artistic response to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Miller, who was the first African-American principle dancer in New York City Ballet, created a school for young people living in Harlem to experience a disciplined and structured environment through dance training. Flash forward 45 years, and DTH is recognized not only as an artistic incubator for young dancers of color, but a multi-cultural, world-renowned dance company in its own right.
Da' Von Doane, 25, is an important part of this legacy, and the rising star in the dance world visits Chicago this weekend on tour with DTH. Doane, who started dancing in Salisbury, Maryland, at age 8, joined the DTH Ensemble at 19, during a time in which the main company was on hiatus. In 2012, DTH reinstated the company, and Doane became an official member. Two years later, Dance Magazine named Doane one of the "Top 25 to Watch in 2014," and he is currently making his mark by transcending genres within DTH and participating in a variety of outside projects.
Although his day job primarily consists of classical ballet, DTH is known for the diversity of its repertory, and Doane enjoys dancing both classical and contemporary works. Which type of dance does he prefer? "It actually depends on the day," he told Windy City Times. "Some days I really am moved towards the purity and technical precision that classicism demands. Other days, I just want to move. ... You have to be able to do it all at DTH, and often within the same performance."
As an openly gay dancer, Doane's coming-out story is simple, but poignant: "I came out to my mom last Christmas. We were having a glass of wine and watching TV, and she asked if I was seeing anyone. How we got on the topic, I don't know. I had broken up with the person I was seeing at that point, so the answer was easy: no. Meanwhile, I'm terrified of telling her. The question had come up a few times before when I was younger, but I never really had the courage to give her the real answer. I made up my mind last year that if she asked again I would tell her. She then asked if I had I had a type, and again, I said no. Then it came... 'Are you gay?' 'Yes,' I told her, and asked if she was surprised. Her response? 'Not really.'"
Despite only recently coming out to his mother, Doane considers his sexuality and race to be equal parts of his personality, in addition to being a dancer. "I view all of these characteristics as parts of myself," he said, "and as I grow, I hope to be able to add more to the list."
Now, he can add "Top 25 to Watch" to his list. Doane was surprised by the nomination, and admitted that appearing in last January's issue of Dance Magazine was just the confidence boost that he needed. "I've grown so much in the last few years," he said. "If I can continue growing and evolving, I'm happy. That's all I can ever really ask for. I grew up reading Dance Magazine, so to finally be in one is a little mind blowing. I hope that someone was able to see my photo, hear my story, and be inspired by it, just like I'd read about those who inspired me in past issues over the years."
Doane appears with Dance Theatre of Harlem Nov. 21-23 at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Pkwy. Show times are Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m.Tickets are $30-95, available online at auditoriumtheatre.org or by calling 800-982-ARTS.
Also this weekend:
Chicago is not wanting for dance, with performances for audience members of all tastes. Visceral Dance Chicago finishes its second-season opener at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance after a showing at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts late last month. Jonathan Meyer and Julia Rae Antonick, who, together form Khecari, continue a long run of Oubliette, a response to constraint and confinement that seats only 12 audience members per night at Indian Boundary Park on Chicago's North Side.
Finally, after a year of incubation, dancer/choreographer Cristina Tadeo and sound designer Nicholas Davio premiere their collaborative work Bread & Butter. The work is a quintet of dancers featuring sound bites from interviews with more than 25 freelance artists in multiple mediums about making work, sustainability and the public's consumption of art. The 45-minute installation at Tom Robinson Art Studio/Gallery features performers Mags Bouffard, Julie Boruff, Isabelle Collazo and Maria Macsay in addition to Tadeo and Davio.
