The fall is always a busy season for Chicago's diverse dance community, and this year promises to be no exception. Almost every company you can think of, from the small modern troupes to the major big-budget groups, are presenting fall concerts, as well as some wonderful out of town guests that rarely show work in Chicago. Below is simply a sampling of the work being produced this season. For more information about these shows or others not mentioned here, check out www.seechicagodance.com or any company Web site.
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Photo: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Image by Todd Rosenberg Photography. Lucky Plush Productions. Photo by Cheryl Mann.
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Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's 30th anniversary season opens with the Fall Series at the Harris Theatre, 205 E. Randolph. Two distinct programs showcase a 'who's who' of the world's leading contemporary choreographers. Program A ( Sept. 26-30 ) includes Baker's Dozen by Twyla Tharp, Nacho Duato's Cor Perdut, Daniel Ezralow's SF/LB, Susan Marshall's Kiss and Jim Vincent's Palladio. Program B ( Oct. 3-7 ) features a world premiere by Brian Enos, Ohad Naharin's Passomezzo, Duato's Rassemblement and Jiri Kylian's Sechs Tanze.
Deeply Rooted Productions, which celebrates the African-American aesthetic, presents Nefertiti: A Concert of Music and Dance, Oct. 4-7 at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport. Choreographed by co-artistic directors Kevin Iega Jeff and Gary Abbott, this production is based on the musical Nefertiti which debuted in 1977 at Chicago's Blackstone Theatre. It tells the tale of a love triangle between Nefertiti, the pharaoh Akhenaten and the general Horemhab, who enabled the royal couple to lead an artistic, spiritual and cultural revolution.
For one night only, Oct. 6, the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress, presents The Georgian State Dance Company. The program features a unique look at the traditional folk dances of the Eastern European nation of Georgia, showcasing strength and agility in a wide array of ceremonial, work, game and comic dance types.
The Merce Cunningham Dance Company makes its annual Chicago visit this year Oct. 12-13 at the Harris Theatre. Each night features a different program spanning five decades of Cunningham's iconoclastic work.
Audiences get a rare chance to see an immortal classic when The Joffrey Ballet premieres Giselle Oct. 17-28 at the Auditorium Theatre. Originally performed by the Paris Opera in 1841, this is ballet's most famous ghost story about love and redemption. Frederic Franklin, legendary Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo dancer, has coached the Joffrey ensemble for this production and Adolph Adams' haunting score will be performed by the Chicago Sinfonietta.
Luna Negra Dance Theatre returns to the Harris Theatre Oct. 19-21. Headlining the program is the world premiere of CUGAT!, an homage to the 'Mambo King' Xavier Cugat, choreographed by Eduardo Vilaro with live accompaniment by Angel Melendez & The 911 Mambo Orchestra. The show also offers the Chicago premiere of Tango Vitrola by Argentinean choreographer Alejandro Cervera and the Chicago premiere of Ellegro con Sabor by Pedro Ruiz, a work commissioned by The Joffrey Ballet in collaboration with Luna Negra, performed by dancers from both companies.
The Harris Theatre is a busy hub for dance this season. Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago will present its fall concert there Oct. 26-27. This energetic jazz ensemble offers a program mixing premiere and repertory work, including a new piece by Kiesha Lalama-White, the hit Pyrokinesis by former Alvin Ailey dancer Christopher Higgins, Davis Robertson's Entropy and Tony Powell's Impulse. Undoubtedly, Giordano's show will be acrobatic, sculptural, passionate, meditative and intensely complex.
Hedwig Dances will present Sweet Darkness/Earthly Tongues, a new collection of modern works, Nov. 1-4 at the Hamlin Park Theatre, 3035 N. Hoyne. The show will include a premiere by artistic director Jan Bartoszek, exploring her Polish heritage and the eternal question of nature versus nurture, as well as Bartoszek's Night Blooming Jasmine, choreography by New York-based Bill Young and a new piece by company member Kirsty MacKellar.
Same Planet Different World Dance Theatre will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a spectacular 'best of' show Nov. 9-11 at the Ruth Page Theatre, 1016 N. Dearborn. The evening features selections of the versatile troupe's rich repertory, as well as two premieres, including choreography by Jan Erkert, Shirley Mordine, Sam Watson, Jason Ohlberg and more.
Fusing ballet, modern, urban street dance, fashion, art and improvisation, Complexions Contemporary Ballet will perform at the Auditorium Theatre Nov. 10-11. Founded by former Alvin Ailey dancers Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, this innovative group brings a fresh perspective to the expression of race, culture and background.
The modern ensemble Lucky Plush Productions premieres Cinderbox 18 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago, Nov. 15-17. This evening-length work explores the comedy and terror of everyday ritual through highly inventive movement. Led by artistic director Julia Rhoads, Lucky Plush is known for its unique incorporation of technology and unexpected visual design to create immersive and transformative environments.
The Harris Theatre hosts a special guest for one night only: Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. Making its Chicago debut on Nov. 17, this contemporary ballet company offers a program of stunning works, including Finnish choreographer Jorma Elo's Pointeoff, Noir Blanc by Moses Pendleton and Twyla Tharp's rarely seen Sweet Fields.
Last ( but never least ) , Dance Chicago kicks off this fall Nov. 2-Dec. 2 at the Athenaeum Theatre. The largest festival of its kind in the world, Dance Chicago's five-week run showcases the broad spectrum of dance styles being performed by Chicago artists today. This season offers 13 different programs, each geared toward various aesthetics, including Dance for Kids, New Moves Festival, International Rhythms, Jazz Fusion and Dance Slam, among others. Each vibrant show will make you eager to take in even more of Chicago's fantastic array of artists and talent.
