Dancin' Feats
By Eric Eatherly
As we move into the middle of June, Chicago might be heating up but that doesn't mean that its dance community is slowing down. Here are some exciting upcoming events over the next month:
To highlight the quality and variety of Chicago's dance companies, The Dance Center of Columbia College, in partnership with Link's Hall, will present Dance/USA's Chicago Dance Showcase on June 15 at 7 p.m. at The Dance Center, 1306 S. Michigan. Companies performing as part of the Showcase include Chicago Human Rhythm Project, The Dance COLEctive, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Hedwig Dances, Lucky Plush Productions, Luna Negra Dance Theatre, Mordine & Company Dance Theatre, Muntu Dance Theatre and River North Chicago Dance. Chicago artists Molly Shanahan, Lisa Gonzales and Nicole LeGette will also provide studio showings at 6:15 p.m. before the main showcase begins. The performance is free but seat availability is limited and on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, call 312-344-8300.
The Chicago Moving Company Performance Project presents Khecari Dance Theatre in The Opal Door on June 14-15 at the Hamlin Park Fieldhouse, 3035 N. Hoyne. This evening-length work, choreographed by artistic director Jonathan Meyer, explores time, possibility, fear and redemption through a movement vocabulary that fuses modern dance with ballet and capoeira ( a Brazilian martial art form ) with a Butoh ( Japanese post-modern dance ) sense of theatricality. 505-741-0221; $12-$15.
Link's Hall, 3435 N. Sheffield, presents Ecotone Physical Theatre on June 22-23. Ecotone is the creation of Donna Jewell, head of dance at the University of New Mexico, and Kevin Paul, a musician, performer and writer, that works as a multimedia performance group pushing the boundaries of live theater. Their latest show, Voodoo Cabaret, fuses contemporary dance technique with live electronic and acoustic music, video projections, props, spoken word and audience participation. 773-281-0824; $10.
Thodos Dance Chicago will present its New Dances program June 22-24 at the Ruth Page Theatre, 1016 N. Dearborn. Seven of the company members have created their own pieces, experimenting with their choreographic voices, which will be joined by special guest choreographer Lucas Crandall, artistic associate of Hubbard Street Dance. The pieces generally share a modern dance aesthetic, but range from elegant and tender to ferociously athletic. 312-266-6255; $15-$25.
The dance arts of Spain come to Chicago June 22-24 as Ensemble Español presents the American Spanish Dance Festival at Northeastern Illinois University, 3701 W. Bryn Mawr. The program offers classical, contemporary, folkloric, flamenco and dramatic theatrical performances with a cast of 50 dancers, singers, musicians and international guest artists. On June 21 there is also a special 'Behind the Scenes' one-hour preview performance. 773-442-5916; $35 preview show; $45 full concert.
Continuing its mission to promote interest in and appreciation for dance, Open House Dance Collective will showcase its annual summer concert, You Are Here, on June 28-30 at the Ruth Page Theatre. Open House Dance teams professional choreographers with non-professional dancers to create new works of various styles in a high-caliber production. Each year, the company donates its net profits to charity; this year, proceeds will benefit the Reilly C. Bush Foundation, which provides support for chronically ill children. The show also features a professional guest company, Hedwig Dances, which will perform Wet Dreams, a sensual piece choreographed by Jan Erkert that explores the rituals of water and bathing. Also in the line-up is the premiere of Connect Four, a new dance film by Nadia Oussenko. 773-275-5314; $15.
Eastern and Western movement styles collide in Chicago Dance Crash's latest evening-length movement play, Tiger Prawn: The Mountain Mover, June 29-July 15. Choreographed by artistic director Kyle Terry, the performance blends Shaolin Kung Fu with a contemporary dance perspective. Storefront Theatre, 66 E. Randolph; 312-742-8497; $15-$20.
For three shows only, July 10-11, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Hell's Kitchen Dance perform at the Harris Theatre in Millennium Park. Hell's Kitchen Dance is an ensemble of young dancers, mostly from The Juilliard School and NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, who have received fellowships from the New York-based Baryshnikov Arts Center. The program offers choreography by Aszure Barton, Benjamin Millepied and Donna Uchizono, and will no doubt showcase virtuosity and vibrant talent. 312-344-7777; $55-$70.
