"Water Stains on the Wall"/ Photo: LIU Chen-hsiang

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A slanted stage clad in white is the blank page upon which choreographer Lin Hwai-min draws strokes of remarkable beauty. His brushes: the lithe, razor-thin, flawlessly controlled bodies of the Cloud Gate Theatre dancers. The title comes from a conversation between two Chinese calligraphy masters of the Tang Dynasty—one who takes inspiration from dramatic summer clouds, the other from water stains on the wall. Read the rest of this entry »

Devin Buchanan and Ashley Lauren Smith in “Alloy.” /Photo: Gorman Cook Photography

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When commissioned by Nan Giordano to create a new work for her company, Kiesha Lalama took inspiration from the dancers—including some new faces like Devin Buchanan, fresh off performing with Alvin Ailey in New York. Lalama likes to choreograph with the performers in mind, and this piece, entitled “Alegria” (“joy” in Spanish), capitalizes on the individual athletic talents of the ten company members in series of trios and duets. Read the rest of this entry »

Victoria Jaiani and Miguel Angel Blanco/Photo: Sandro

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Yuri Possokhov, former principal dancer in the Bolshoi Ballet, borrows heavily from the famous choreography by Marius Petipa in his own rendering of the ingenious gentleman’s tale, but makes the title character the focal point and point of view, relegating the romance between Kitri and Basilio to the sidelines.

Puppetry and projection aid in representing the world through the mad knight’s eyes: Wendall Harrington, whose work created the illusion of sixteenth century Venetian architecture in last year’s “Othello,” projects Don Quixote’s illusory world on transparent scrims, cloaking the tangible with the dazzling light of the imaginary. Read the rest of this entry »

Ana Lopez in "Arcangelo"/Photo: Todd Rosenberg

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With a world premiere by Twyla Tharp and the cover of the current issue of Dance Magazine, all eyes are on Hubbard Street. And well they should be. The company and its leadership have, season after season, demonstrated an unparalleled balance of versatility, virtuosity and imagination, all presented in an appealing package of audience-friendliness.

This imaginative thinking was at play when artistic director Glenn Edgerton invited Tharp to step away from musical theater and revisit her roots in contemporary choreography—a harkening back to the nineties when some of her most inventive work was first placed on Hubbard Street dancers. The resultant piece, set to keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti, will have the attendant flash of not only the Tharp name, but of brightly patterned costumes from designer Norma Kamali’s fall 2011 collection as well. Read the rest of this entry »

Krithika Rajagopalan/Photo: Amitava Sarkar

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Normally Bharata Natyam, a classical Indian dance form, occurs as a solo performance marked by lively facial expressions, precise gestures and rhythmic footwork. Hema Rajagopalan, founder of Natya, puts the form in an epic context in this full-scale theatrical production for twenty dancers. Rajagopalan worked with a handful of collaborators to develop the concept, her first time doing so. “You have to let go of your ego,” Rajagopalan says of the collaborative experience. Read the rest of this entry »

Monica Cervantes/Photo: Cheryl Mann

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By ladies, about ladies, the newest program from Luna Negra features work by Latina (and one Latino) choreographers inspired by famous women through history. Artistic Director Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, now entering his junior year with the company, has introduced Chicago audiences to fantastic work by before-unseen-in-the-U.S. choreographers hailing from his native Spain. This show is no exception; Asun Noales, director of Otra Danza sets a new piece on Luna Negra inspired by the image of Juana la Loca, first queen of Spain, pregnant and following the casket of her young husband, the key to his coffin around her neck. Other pieces on the program include a full company work by Sansano and the revival of Michelle Manzanales’ piece inspired by four self-portraits of Frida Kahlo. (Sharon Hoyer)

At the Harris Theater, 205 East Randolph, (312)334-7777. October 1, 6:30pm. $25-$65.

Photo: George Ruhe

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The MCA is currently presenting a compelling retrospective on the forty-year artistic journey of Eiko and Koma—movement artists born in postwar Japan, trained by Butoh founders Tatsumi Hijkata and Kazuo Ohno, emigrated to the U.S. in the seventies, who create stark, intensely present work on subjects of nature and corporeality. Photography and documentation are on display in the gallery, and this weekend is the central stage performance component of the project. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo: Dan Merlo

By Sharon Hoyer

Most every artist does battle with the beasts of ego: anxiety, embarrassment, fear and, in the case of performers, awkwardness. Instead of fleeing or subduing them, Jonathan Meyer has chosen to take out the scalpel and better know his enemy. His three-part, yearlong Home series emerged as a courageous unpacking of the things that make Meyer uncomfortable as an artist, then abstracted to allow audiences interpretive space. In this final installment, Meyer performs solo, at times nude, in a dusty, sandy, 15,000-square-foot construction site in Pilsen, moving to a score by his collaborator Christopher Preissing. A quartet of female vocalists, a multi-track recording composed from field recordings and Meyer’s voice, and a murmuring, cheering, whispering Greek chorus create an aural atmosphere intended to heighten the experience of witnessing the performer alone—what Preissing and Meyer call a sound-movement opera. The audience is taken on a journey through the space, given license to stand and observe from the vantage point of their choice. I spoke with Meyer on the phone about this final installment, entitled “Whence.” Read the rest of this entry »

Photo: S. Truglio

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The highlight of August may have been the week of free performances by nationally renowned dance companies during Chicago Dancing Festival, but September belongs to The Other Dance Fest. Otherness being the smaller, Chicago-based modern and experimental companies/artists who often perform in intimate venues, warehouses, public spaces and park district buildings. And there’re a lot of them, all worth seeing.
This week’s lineup includes Peter Carpenter, Darrell Jones, Hedwig Dances, Lucky Plush, Raizel Performance and Other Fest hosts Chicago Moving Company. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo: Matthew Gregory Hollis

Lizzie Leopold begins our interview by saying, “part of the project was to demystify modern dance.” A moment later, she talked about the challenge of not only presenting, but watching process-based performance—the kind of repetition-based, non-narrative exploration that serves as the foundation of her new piece “une elephante”—and the trust required on the part of the choreographer to pull it off. The two statements might seem in opposition; isn’t slow-paced, story-less dancing the kind that scares away audiences out of fear either of being bored or of having to talk about it afterward? Read the rest of this entry »