By Jonathan Abarbanel
The autumn dance calendar is absolutely HUGE, with particular treats—although pricey ones—for ballet lovers as several of the world's greatest troupes visit Chicago for the first time in years. The New York City Ballet appears after a 25-year absence ( Harris Theater, Oct. 17-21 ) and Russia's Kirov Ballet visits after a 16-year gap ( Auditorium, Nov. 1-5 ) . Even the hometown Joffrey Ballet plans something notable, with a new production of Sir Frederick Ashton's Cinderella ( see below ) .
There's plenty for modernists, too, with the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Pilobolus Dance Theatre, the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan and a Hubbard Street Dance Chicago home stand among other events. Capping the autumn dance season will be Dance Chicago 2006, the 12th edition of the annual month-long dance festival at the Athenaeum Theatre ( Nov. 4-Dec. 3 ) , 2936 N. Southport.
But we don't want to dance ahead too far. Here are details on September and early October fare:
Solestance Dance Festival, Sept. 15-17, Vittum Theatre ( 1012 N. Noble ) —Jazz dancers leaping for Frisbees, the Hawaiian ancient hula, acrobats flipping through suspended fabric and dueling Argentinean tango dancers: Expect all this and more at the seventh Solestance Festival, featuring 15 Chicago choreographers and ensembles performing ballet, modern, tap, hip-hop, salsa, flamenco, Indian, belly, Latin, ballroom, swing, gypsy and Celtic dance. 773-342-4141; $15.
Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez, Auditorium Theatre, Sept. 23-24—This is the oldest and largest of several Mexican folk ballet troupes, the internationally celebrated company that has been designated the national ballet of Mexico. If you want a blaze of color, infectious music and exhilarating and joyous dance, this is your cup of mezcal—and bring the kids! The troupe was founded in 1952 and made one of its first important foreign visits to Chicago in 1959, appearing here as a cultural component of the Pan-American Games the Windy City hosted that year. 312-902-1500; $34-$49.
Siobhan Davies Dance, Dance Center of Columbia College ( 1306 S. Michigan Ave. ) , Sept. 28-30—It's the Chicago debut of a contemporary British troupe performing the American premiere of In Plain Clothes. The evening-length work is created from snippets of movement inspired by sources as varied as a thoracic surgeon and a linguist, and performed to an original score by Matteo Fargion inspired by Italian folk songs. 312-344-8300; $22-$26.
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Harris Theater, Sept. 27-Oct. 1—A world premiere by Japanese choreographer Toru Shimazaki, set to music by French composer Rene Aubry, are among the offerings for Hubbard Street's autumn home stand under the umbrella title Global Tapestry. The programs also feature works by choreographers Alejandro Cerrudo ( a Hubbard Street dancer ) , Brian Enos, Lucas Crandall and Hubbard Street artistic director Jim Vincent. The varied composers include songwriter Devendra Banhart, the band Zap Mama, Norway's Bla Bergens Bordruner and Bach. 866-535-4732; $20-$75.
Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Museum of Contemporary Art ( MCA ) , Sept. 28-30—Science and dance slug it out—or learn to co-exist—in Ferocious Beauty: Genome, Liz Lerman's multimedia dance/theater work exploring the biological human code. From Gregor Mendel, the monk who crossbred sweet peas, to futuristic tales, this full-length work covers the march of science and the beauty science sometimes reflects. The MCA supported the development of this work, which is characteristic of the MCA's cutting-edge performance aesthetic. 312-397-4010; $20-$24.
The Joffrey Ballet, Auditorium Theatre, Oct. 4-15—Knighted for his services to British culture, Sir Frederick Ashton was one of the greatest dancers and choreographers of the mid-20th century. His 1948 Cinderella, created for the Royal Ballet to a score by Serge Prokofiev, is considered a masterpiece. Up until now, no American ballet company has staged Cinderella. The Joffrey Ballet is the first, under the guidance of Ashton's artistic heirs at the Royal Ballet. As an added fillip, the two ugly stepsisters—traditionally danced by men, including Ashton himself—will be taken by former Joffrey stars Christian Holder and Gary Chryst. 312-902-1500; $20-$130.
Pilobolus Dance Theatre, Chicago Theatre, Oct. 6-7—Twist like a pretzel—that sure looks like it hurts! The popular and almost impossibly athletic Pilobolus troupe plays the vast Chicago Theatre in a mix of works spanning 25 years of the troupe's history, set to music as varied as Debussy, Shostakovich, Bjork and Coldplay. Pilobolus is a dance troupe for people who don't like dance, and for people who do, as well. 312-462-6300; $49.50-$59.50 ( This writer saw the then-unknown Pilobolus for the first time in the 1970s at the long-gone MoMing Dance Center for $5. )
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, Harris Theater, Oct. 13-14—There's a large local following for this celebrated Asian troupe that combines Western and Eastern techniques with stunning visuals. The centerpiece of this return Chicago visit is the American premiere of Wild Cursive, a dance piece inspired by Chinese calligraphy and co-commissioned by the Dance Center of Columbia College. FYI: the company name—Cloud Gate—is taken from a 5,000 year-old Chinese ritual dance. 312-344-8300; $18-$48.
NOTE to the smart: the Harris Theater is selling out VERY quickly for the Oct. 17-21 performances by the American Ballet Theatre, even at $75-$112. The repertory will emphasize the Balanchine legacy. 312-334-7777.
