It's been two months since our last Dancin' Feats column, what with The Holidays and The Super Bowl and all. Since a dancer's career is relatively short, we've no doubt that many gifted men and women have made their debuts, become great international stars and retired from the stage since the previous column. Our present task is to note as much upcoming dance activity as possible, and there's a great deal of it.
We won't waste time, since time is the theme running through the Adler Danztheatre Project's fourth annual Full Circle Danztheatre Festival at the Hamlin Park Studio Theater, 3035 N. Hoyne, Feb. 15-23. The festival features 16 of Chicago's most innovative dance and dance/theater companies in two programs. 773-486-8261; $15.
Elements Contemporary Ballet, a new dance company under the artistic direction of Mike Gosney, offers its second concert Feb. 16-17 at the Harold Washington Library Center. The 11 dancers have been working together for a year to hone an ensemble style and develop new choreography. 773-407-3327; $15.
The Chicago Human Rhythm Project opens its 17th tap-happy season with Feb. 16-18 workshops and performances at the Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th. The Winter Tap JAMboree ( sic ) performance is this Saturday ( Feb. 18 ) , with Lane Alexander, 'Lady Di' Walker, Same Weber and French female tapper France Roxanne Butterfly. 773-445-3838, ext. 200; $25.
Kalapriya Foundation, Center for Indian Performing Arts presents a trio of music and dance performances entitled Chakras…Mantra, Tantra, Yantra at The Hot House Feb. 18, 25 and March 4. Joining the Kalapriya Dancers will be Indian classical musicians from the Maahaul organization. Kalapriya specializes in Bharata Natyam, an ancient dance form utilizing stylized hand gestures, theatrical facial expressions, intricate footwork and complicated rhythms and counter-rhythms. 773-363-9303; $15 general, $50 special patron.
The 6th annual Chicago Flamenco Festival continues through Feb. 25 with dance and musical performances, lectures, films and workshops at various venues. Performing Feb. 25 at the Museum of Contemporary Art is Bailaoras Israelies del Cafe de Chinitas. If you detect a Spanish-Jewish connection, you're correct. This program of dance and live music, with the flavor of a traditional Madrid club, reflects flamenco's roots in the 1,000-year-old Sephardic ( Jewish ) community of Spain. This writer's family name is Sephardic. 312-397-4010; $35 ( with reception; $24 without ) .
Our dance journey travels from Spain to Southeast Asia as the Dance Center of Columbia College presents Together Higher Dance Troupe, Feb. 22-24. Not only is Together Higher Vietnam's first contemporary dance company, but almost all the dancers are deaf or hearing-impaired. Their performance, Stories of Us, examines exclusion and segregation inspired by Vietnamese people such as themselves existing on the fringe of the mainstream. 312-344-8300; $22-$26. FYI: The Dance Center is accessible to people with disabilities.
Once the Museum of Contemporary Art has cleared out the castanets, they'll present the Chicago debut of Australia's Chunky Move on March 1-3. The Oz contemporary dance troupe collaborates with artists in music, design, fashion and film; 312-397-4010; $16-$24.
The first weekend of March also is highlighted by the March 2-3 spring engagement of Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. The program offers four works already in the company repertory, plus a world-premiere piece, Pyrokinesis, created by former Alvin Ailey dancer Christopher L. Huggins. 312-334-7777; $25-$45.
A distinguished name in ethnic dance, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, turns presenter March 6-7, offering Les Ballets Africains, the National Ensemble of Guinea, in its first Chicago appearance in eight years. Founded in 1965 by Guinean choreographer Keita Fodeba, Les Ballets Africains performances include traditional dance, music, acrobatics and storytelling, using ancient instruments and exuberant choreography. 312-334-7777; $16.50-$48.50.
River North Chicago Dance Company is next up, with March 9-11 performances at the Harris Theater. The featured work is the public world premiere of Underground Movements, the troupe's largest work to date, which features choreography by River North artistic director Frank Chaves, an original score by Evan Solot and live vocals sung by members of the Chicago Children's Choir. The program also features pieces by Kevin Iega Jeff, Daniel Ezralow and Lynne Taylor-Corbett. 312-334-7777; $25-$50.
The cry may be 'The Devil made me do it!' as the Auditorium Theatre presents the Chicago debut of Diavolo, a 15-year-old Los Angeles-based troupe that includes dancers, gymnasts and actors known for their highly athletic, interdisciplinary work on sets featuring unusual three-dimensional objects. Diavolo's artistic director is Jacques Heim, who choreographed Ka, a Cirque de Soleil Las Vegas show. Diavolo will offer four works. 312-902-1500 ( Ticketmaster ) ; $34-$49.
As noted in recent issues of the Windy City Times, the upcoming dance calendar also includes Feb. 20-23 performances by the Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre at the Columbia College Music Center; and Feb. 23-24 performances by the Joel Hall Dancers at the Athenaeum Theatre, in a collaboration of choreographers Hall and Paul Sanasardo in tribute to Nina Simone.
