Robyn Leaving The Nest

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Vicki

Robyn Mineko Williams. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

This weekend Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) presents its Summer Series at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance (May 31-June 3). The three-piece program concludes another stellar season for the group and sets the bar high for next season, their 35th. Another conclusion this weekend is the tenure with the company of dancer Robyn Mineko Williams. The matinee on Sunday, June 3rd will be her last Chicago performance with HSDC. (She will dance with them this summer at the American Dance Festival – June 29-30 and on tour in Aspen, CO. – July 6-7.) The three-piece, mixed program includes HSDC Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo’s cross-company collaboration with Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) Malditos, the U.S. premiere of William Forsythe‘s lush, emotional Quintett and Ohad Naharin‘s choreographic mash-up THREE TO MAX. Williams, always a stand out in Naharin’s works, will dance this final piece for her HSDC finale. “She’s done a lot of Ohad’s work. It’s kind of her forte,” says HSDC Artistic Director Glenn Edgerton. “Robyn is a fantastic force of nature in everything she does. I might start crying…I love her. She’s a special lady.” The feeling is mutual. Williams tears up multiple times talking about leaving Edgerton and the dancers she adores. Anyone witnessing her dance feels like they know her. She’s a friend, a sister, a lover. She dances with open, honest, heartfelt grace. Her eyes sparkle with a sly, wickedness that intrigues, making you want to know all her secrets.

On this Memorial Day, along with celebrating those who serve our country and those who have sacrificed their lives serving, RB gives tribute to Williams who has danced in the Chicago-area her entire life, first in Lombard, as a scholarship student at Lou Conte Dance Studio, for four years with River North Dance Chicago and as a HSDC company member since 2000. “I’ve been here forever,” she says from the company’s West Loop studios. “This was my 12th season. It’s been awesome. When you’re dancing with the company so full-time, it’s all-encompassing. I feel like I’m ready to take on new challenges.” When asked what she’s going to to next, before answering, she shrugs and giggles. “I know I want to stay in the dance realm and I want to keep choreographing. I’d love to perform still, just at a different intensity level.” Her choreography will keep her connected to HSDC. HS2 continues to perform Harold and the Purple Crayon: A Dance Adventure, which she co-created with HSDC Rehearsal Director Terry Marling, and they may be adding Recall, her piece from last season’s danc(e)volve to their rep.

RB sat down with Williams early one morning before company class.

What was the reaction when you told everyone?

Oh…(tears), I’m choked up just thinking about leaving the people. Every week Glenn asks if I”m sure this is really what I want to do, so I have to be strong in my decision. I adore him so much. These small opportunities I’ve had over the last few years with “Harold'”, danc(e)volve and the Art Institute, I’ve realized that I love the challenges of making new things and collaborating with different artists in different mediums. That’s something I’d love to be able to do more of. It’s difficult when you’re in a company.

Are there artists you’d like to work with?

Aszure (Barton). I’d love to work with her again. I’ve gone to a couple of auditions…trying to put my feelers out. It’s such a shockingly different world for me. It’s such a different way of thinking. I still love dance and I’m not ready to leave it. I’m ready to see what else is out there and work on collaborations. I feel like I’m being a little naive and risky taking this leap, but one day it all focused in for me and I thought “this is right”. I’m open to change. I’m hoping something comes my way.

You know, they’re auditioning for Disney princesses down the hall today.

Hmm…maybe I should break out my 16 bars.

What were some of your favorite pieces at HSDC?

“Minus 16”, because I grew up with that piece. It’s the piece that’s in me the most – that I know the most. I got to do it with so many different people.

Did Ohad come set it on you?

Yes, that’s why it has a special place. Ohad and Mari (Kajiwara) came. They were here for about a month and it was this intense workshop process. It was the first big thing I did with the company. It was really a game-changer for me.

What else?

I loved doing “Passomezzo” (Naharin). I felt like that was a chance that was given to me to hold some ground. “Walking Mad” (Johan Inger), “Gimme” (Lucas Crandall), “Lickety-Split” (Cerrudo). These pieces are some of the pieces where I felt like someone was giving me a chance. Jorma Elo (“From All Sides”, “Bitter Suite”), he really played a pivotal role for me in the way I approached movement. His words, though sometimes few are very softly spoken, resonated strongly and allowed me to perceive and explore in ways I never had before. Super cool experience.

Can you tell me a little something about each of the directors you’ve worked with at HSDC? Something they taught you…

Lou (Conte)…I worked with him, technically, for like a month, but I grew up with him. He taught me to be strong. You have to have a certain level of confidence in yourself to be successful. Jim (Vincent), in a similar vein, had the ability to make your attributes work for you, especially in your frame of dance. Take advantage of what you have and explore those qualities, because that’s what makes you special. Glenn…I’m not crying…he’s taught me so much. He instilled such trust…(crying)…

So, your last show…

Chicago, then ADF and Aspen. I think Aspen will be my last show. My Mom will be there. They’re doing “Harold”, so the second company will be there. I’m excited about the Chicago show. I have the opportunity to go out doing something I’m proud of and that represents what I do. I’m excited. I hope I don’t get too crazy and fall off the stage.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Summer Series, Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph Dr., Thursday, May 31 – Sunday, June 3. Tickets are $25-$94. Call 312.850.9744 or visit www.hubbardstreetdance.com.

Thoughts on HSDC Spring Series 2012

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Vicki

HSDC dancers Jesse Bechard & Ana Lopez in Alejandro Cerrudo's "Little mortal jump". Photo by Todd Rosenberg.

As usual, the dancers of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) ruled the Harris Theater stage last weekend. Shocking, right? First, they were performing two works from last season I already liked, plus a world premiere by resident choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo. It was safe to assume, I would be a goner. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no push over. In fact, it usually takes a lot to impress me, but these dancers seem to always knock it out of the park with energy, style, finesse and a humbleness that belies their collective and individual talents.

Alonzo King’s Following the Subtle Current Upstream, kicked off the performances. The LINES director set his work on the company last spring and with a year to play inside the choreography, the dancers seem more comfortable and willing to take more risks. There were a few wobbles in the first all-male section on Thursday, which could be attributed to last minute, lingering opening night nerves or they were really pushing it. The piece grew stronger with every section as the dancers took bigger risks with the movement. (I’m not sure, but I think one of them even danced right off the marley for a second.) Kevin Shannon – looking buff – has really grown in the work. His solo ending the piece was strong and daring. The duet danced by Penny Saunders and Cerrudo (Thurs) and Kellie Epperheimer and Jesse Bechard (Sunday) is the highlight of the work. The Cerrudo/Saunders relationship was comfortable, secure and trusting, while Bechard/Epperheimer showed a fresh tension and sensuality. The same choreography telling two opposing stages of love. Cerrudo expertly navigates the stage dragging, pulling, lifting and stopping Saunders as if he is a compass guiding her back home. Bechard lets Epperheimer take the lead offering support, helping her go where she yearns to be. Also returning from last season was Sharon Eyal’s Too Beaucoup. Think avant garde aliens acclimating to a futuristic Midwest 8th grade mixer.

It was the duet in Cerrudo’s premiere, Little mortal jump, that still has me transfixed. Coming at the end of several vignettes in a shadowy haze of black, white and gray, the duet transports the audience to a different realm at one point even transcending time. The slow motion sequence in the last minutes of the work makes you feel like you were in the movie Inception, taking your breath away with aching emotions, elegant reaches and its technical defiance of gravity. Bechard again shows his partnering prowess, this time dancing with the exquisite Ana Lopez. Cerrudo’s love of movies and music front and center in the short “film” clips hinting at past works melded with an eclectic hand-picked score that was spot on. The final image of the couple in a downlit lift center stage after pushing the through a wall of moveable black boxes was stunning. As they run off into the darkness upstage, the other dancers send the boxes spinning before exiting themselves. The moment was spectacular warranting a standing ovation for Cerrudo and crew at both shows.

I met a new friend at intermission. Max had never been to see a dance performance before. (Way to start at the top!) Let’s just say he was impressed.

Sneak Peek: HSDC’s Little mortal jump

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Vicki

Last week I sat in on rehearsal at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s (HSDC) West Loop studios. The well-respected group is prepping for a spring run of shows at the Harris Theater, March 15 – 18. Two of the three pieces they are presenting are audience favorites (and two of my favorites) from last season that pushed the dancers to new limits. Alonzo King’s Following the Subtle Current Upstream takes classical technique and tilts it off balance, skewing lines and testing the boundaries of center. Sharon Eyal’s Too Beaucoup challenges detail, sensory and memory capacity while stripping away virtually any sign of individuality. They are a study in contrast. It’s the third work on the program that proves to be an enigma. HSDC Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo, always a man of mystery, presents the world premiere of Little mortal jump at the top of the show. He will then dance in the remaining two pieces.

His new work for ten dancers has little bits of his older works Off Screen (2008), Extremely Close (2007) and Lickety Split (2006) and is set to an eclectic score that pieces together a collage of musical ranges from Tom Waits to Max Richter. “I think the piece has a twist,” Cerrudo said before a run-thru at rehearsal. “It starts one way and finishes in a completely different world. I tried to do that as smooth as possible. To me, the mood of the piece starts very theatrical and finishes…more dance, more intense.” Although he begins every new work with a fresh perspective, Little mortal jump shows glimpses of his evolution as a choreographer, while also proving he is a master of both extremes – humorous theatricality to intense beauty. Incorporating interactive set pieces adds an intriguing touch that will surprise all. A duet with Ana Lopez and Jesse Bechard includes a slow-motion sequence that is a tender, private moment in a fast-paced piece.

It’s an exciting time for Cerrudo. In late February, it was announced that HSDC’s 35th anniversary season would open with a full-length work by Cerrudo inspired by Marc Chagall’s America Windows at the Art Institute of Chicago. After this week’s premiere, he has a week off then travels to Milwaukee for final rehearsals of Extremely Close, then to set a new work on Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. The rest of the summer will be working on the Chagall piece in the studio. He, of course already is planning it in his head. “I’ll try to make it fun,” he said. “I know what I want a full-evening to look like or feel like, but it doesn’t mean I can make it work that way. I’m going to try my best.” If his past work is any indication, his best will surely delight and enthrall.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago at the Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph. Tickets are $25-$94. Call 312.850.9744 or visit hubbardstreetdance.com

Thursday, March 15 at 7:30 pm, Friday & Saturday, March 16 & 17 at 8 pm and Sunday, March 18 at 3 pm.

A Little Bit of Color

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Vicki

Dancer Gal Mahzari. Photo by Herbert Migdoll.

I guess there really isn’t a good time during the height of the dance season to leave town, so my taking a road trip this weekend lends to missing some great shows (my apologies to all). Gus Giordano Dance Chicago is at the Harris Theater, the Dance Center has a shared bill with Space/Movement Project, Rachel Damon/Synapse Arts and Erica Mott, and Same Planet Different World celebrate turning 15! at the Victory Gardens Theater. However, there is another show happening this Sunday, March 11th, that I hope gets a good audience too.

The Joffrey Academy of Dance presents the Choreographers of Color Award winners works at the Harris with a 4 p.m. show titled Winning Works. This is the second year for the contest that highlights the work of young, minority choreographers. The three winners are Carlos dos Santos, Jr., Ray Mercer and Bennyroyce Royon. Each winner received a $2,500 stipend, 30 rehearsal hours and the chance to work with Joffrey Ballet Artistic Director Ashley Wheater and Academy Directors Alexei Kremnev and Anna Reznik.

Here are the deets – hope you can make it!

Tickets for the Winning Works: Choreographers of Color Award 2012 at the Harris Theater are $15 in advance and $18 at the door, available in advance by calling the Harris Theater Box Office at 312-334-7777 or online at www.harristheaterchicago.org.

Hubbard St to open 35th Anniversary Season with World Premiere

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Vicki

Hubbard St's Alejandro Cerrudo speaking at the Art Institute of Chicago in front of Marc Chagall's "America Windows".

Chicago’s own Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) hits the 35-year mark next fall. At a press conference this morning at the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC), HSDC Executive Director Jason Palmquist, Artistic Director Glenn Edgerton, along with AIC’s Associate Director of Performance Programs Mary Sue Glosser told a small gaggle of press about the exciting collaboration that will open the anniversary season next fall. HSDC Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo, a rising international choreographic star, will create the company’s first evening-length work on a central theme inspired by Marc Chagall‘s permanent exhibit, America Windows. Glosser talking about the seven-year partnership with HSDC says, “seeing works of art come to life in their choreography…is a joy beyond measure”.

Chagall’s stained glass masterpiece imbeds themes of music, painting, literature, architecture, theater and dance in a royal and cerulean blue swirl celebrating freedom of expression. The work made to commemorate the Bicentennial was given to the City of Chicago in 1977, the same year Lou Conte started HSDC, in honor of the memory Mayor Richard J. Daley. In turn, this new work will be given to the City of Chicago in honor of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his commitment to making Chicago “a worldwide destination for dance”. Commissioner for the City’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Michelle Boone accepted the honor on the Mayor’s behalf joking that everyone knows he’s “crazy about dance”. Edgerton took the mic telling us how all the connections came together to make this “a monumental season”.

Cerrudo’s new piece, set to music by Philip Glass, will premiere during the company’s fall series at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, October 18 – 21, 2012. The shy Spaniard took the opportunity say how grateful he was for the honor of creating this new work “in honor of the city that has become my home” and declared it a big challenge. Taking inspiration from Chagall, he will take the “magic, colors and emotions” from the windows to create a non-literal interpretation focusing on how all the pieces and people (dancers) come together. He suggested a working title of “A Thousand Pieces” for the full-company piece.

The rest of the 35th Anniversary season will be announced later. Subscription tickets go on sale in May.

Spotlight Shines on White City Doc

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Vicki

Thodos dancers in "The White City". Photo by Kai Harding, Inc.

This Thursday night, instead of watching Leno or Letterman or Colbert, at 10:30 pm turn on WTTW Channel 11. You won’t be sorry. Our local PBS affiliate will premiere Christopher Kai Olsen’s Beneath the White City Lights: The Making of an American Story Ballet. This new dance documentary offers a behind-the-scenes look at rehearsals and preparation for Thodos Dance Chicago‘s (TDC) choreographic take on the 1893 Columbian Exposition, which premiered at the Harris Theater in 2011. Inspired by historical events surrounding the fair and Chicago’s architecture, Thodos founder Melissa Thodos and gal pal, Broadway star Ann Reinking developed a story board and the project took off from there. To create a multimedia experience, they enlisted the help of Emmy-winning filmmaker Chris Olsen to produce a series of short, video projections to aid in moving the plot along. (Olsen previously worked with Thodos, Reinking and company for the documentary Fosse: A Prelude.) Once immersed in rehearsals, Olsen found he didn’t want to stop. “I wanted to understand the process,” he says. “I wanted to make sure I was fully ingesting it. Rehearsals would end and I’d keep shooting. I just wouldn’t leave.” He ended up with almost 100 hours of footage.

Olsen decided to take what he’d seen and piece it together. The result is a wonderful 30-minute film showing the dancing, directing and dedication behind the creation of The White City: Chicago’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. I spoke with Olsen (in sleep-deprived, post-production mode) over the phone about the project and the PBS premiere.

Are you excited about the premiere?

Heck yes!

This isn’t your first premiere, so what makes this one so special?

From the very first meeting about this project all the way to now was a big adventure. It’s been an exciting year. This is true independent cinema. It’s rewarding to get to this point and have the support of PBS or, in this case, WTTW to be able to air it is remarkable. For it to be received by the audience you were hoping to show it to is really important. I want people to see the (live) show, but if they can’t…I at least want them to see parts of it.

You’ve worked with Melissa and Ann before. How did this project come about?

Melissa reached out and said she had another project. No matter what it had been, I wanted to be on board. I have a love of that specific time period. I’m a huge Chicago architecture buff. My Dad’s an architect. And, the stories surrounding the Chicago World’s Fair were phenomenal, so when she said she had an idea about doing a story ballet about the Columbian Exposition, before she could finish the sentence, I said, ‘I’m in!’

Is it difficult to shoot dance, or is there just a learning curve?

I don’t know if it’s hard. I’ve always been sort of a portrait person…portraits in motion, if you will. I love being able to capture someone in the lens, but I’ve never been happy with just a single frame. It goes to my appreciation for animation –the idea of motion over time with design. The same eye, I apply with dancing. I look for what’s cool, that moment that captures the soul of the moment. That’s how I shoot. Dance gave me a subject that matched better for how I liked to shoot. It was fun to be able to find that.

Chris Olsen, Melissa Thodos & Ann Reinking at Thodos Dance Chicago's 20th Anniversary Gala. Photo by Bob Mihlfried.

With White City, you were originally on board, but was it just for the projections or were you always going to be filming a documentary?

No, I didn’t set out to make a documentary. I set out to document. The result is a documentary. Honestly, that’s how almost every project I do starts. I’m not necessarily aiming towards any one end goal, the art for me is the process of capturing and creating, coordinating and working with the other artists is the art. Everything I’m capturing is the evidence. I loved the idea from the very first second, it was exciting and interesting and you knew it was special. The whole process was like that. I was in the rehearsals, because I wanted to understand the process to help me with the 14 short films I produced. To be able to be there and immerse myself was a huge part of my creative process…and that doesn’t require a camera, but I brought one anyway. I wanted to record it. I wanted to make sure I was fully ingesting it. I like being able to absorb thing through the camera. I’m sort of fixing my perspective and be able to refer to it later, like taking visual notes. That was all part of my process, my creative approach. The whole time I was gathering information. Towards the end, I knew I had the potential with all this material, there was a storyline in my head that was evolving in a way I could piece it together.

Can you walk me through your thought process while making the documentary?

My original hope was that you’d have a mix of footage that gave you a good idea of the scope of the work showing you what went into it. A peek behind. A place only dancers ever see. I think people have a fixed idea of what a documentary is. And I’m not a very traditional documentary filmmaker, but the enjoyment I get out of interpreting portraits and trying to capture that moment of light or that spark of energy, that creativity…it’s about a perspective on an event. The trick is how do you create something that is compelling without giving away the farm.

When it airs on the 23rd, are you going to watch it?

Yes! I’m very excited to be able to TiVo my own show. I’ll still watch it live, but I’m going to record it.

Are you nervous?

Yeah, but it’s a good nervous. Every since we got the air date confirmed, I’ve been absolutely nervous and giddy. The whole reason why we do what we do as artists is to connect with other people and to share ideas. Finding that path with your audience is sometimes the hardest challenge. How do you speak to the people that you’re hoping to reach in a way that’s easy for them to see? I love PBS’ mission. I love that arts outreach is part of who I am. There is no better vehicle I could’ve asked for. You’ve gotta be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it – and I got it!

Beneath the White City Lights: The Making of an American Story Ballet airs Thursday, Feb 23rd at 10:30 pm on WTTW Channel 11

Artist Profile: River North’s Lauren Kias

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Vicki

RNDC's Lauren Kias. Photo by Bob Gallagher.

This weekend River North Dance Chicago (RNDC) takes the Harris Theater stage for its annual Valentine’s weekend engagement. Love is… features six pieces including two world premieres, Contact-Me by Italian choreographer and director of Spellbound Dance Company Mauro Astolfi and The Good Goodbyes by RNDC director Frank Chavez. Revivals of audience favorites Ella, Risoluta, Sentir em Nós and Al Sur Del Sur round out the program.

The company returned from an extended tour of Virginia last week and went right into rehearsals for the Valentine show. After a few failed attempts at scheduling an interview with veteran dancer Lauren Kias, we ended up doing a quick Q&A via email. Here is an edited version of our “chat”.

How was the tour?

One of the many things I love about this job is the national and international traveling we are asked to do. Touring with the company is much like traveling with the circus. You have a group of dancers very diverse with big personalities performing on the road together for up to a month at a time. You can be on the road so long and travel to so many places you often will wake up and not know what city you are in. We were just in Virginia for about 10 days. We had performances in Lexington, Fairfax and Richmond. On this particular tour I was responsible for warming up the company before the shows. This usually entails teaching a ballet class that will get the dancers on their leg and help set them up for a long day in the theater. This responsibility comes with a fair amount of stress because dancers are very particular on what they like to do before a show. I was up for the challenge and did the best I could.

You’re in your seventh year with RNDC. Was the company always on your radar?

I first saw River North in high school when they were on tour in my home town of Indianapolis. I remember loving the company immediately and keeping them in my radar from that moment on. While attending Butler University, I participated in their summer intensive program. I had such a positive experience that I made it a goal of mine to become a member of the company. After that summer I moved to Chicago and Frank asked me to be a company apprentice. After two years as an apprentice I was given a spot in the company.

Why is it a good fit for you?

River North is a good fit for me because the rep is so versatile. I love to dance as many different styles as I can. We get to work with a number of different choreographers every year that create very diverse pieces. The variety that we experience keeps our minds and body’s fresh and growing in this ever changing art form.

What is the most exciting part of dancing with RNDC and what is the most challenging?

It’s an exciting time to be in River North. There has and continues to be a lot of international touring gigs for the company. In the last couple years we have traveled to Germany and Switzerland twice for three weeks of touring. Last summer we performed on an ocean front stage at an International dance festival in Busan, South Korea. We are currently in the process of organizing a month long tour to Russia with as many as twenty shows. I love to travel and see the world and I am very fortunate that my job can take me on so many adventures. The most challenging part of being in this company, or any company for that matter, is staying injury free and staying in the best shape that you can. While at home we have all of the resources to help us stay healthy and injury free. Most of the time when we travel we don’t have access to physical therapists or a proper gym. You have to rely on yourself and the support of your fellow dancers to maintain good habits and injury prevention to stay as healthy as we can.

What will you be dancing in the upcoming show?

In this weekend’s ‘Love Is…’ Valentine’s performance I will be performing four very different pieces. The first is a solo choreographed by Robert Battle entitled ‘Ella’. The second is the world premier of ‘Contact-Me’, choreographed by Mauro Astolfi artistic director of Spellbound Dance Company in Rome, Italy. ‘Contact-Me’ connects the dancers in intense relationships of intertwining movements to the music of Jon Hopkins and the Italian Cellist Giovanni Sollima. I will also be performing in another premiere, this one by our very own artistic director Frank Chaves entitled ‘The Good Goodbyes’. Mr. Chaves has teamed up with Josephine Lee, Artistic Director of the Chicago Children’s Choir, who has written an original composition for the new work. Lee will be performing live with the company on the Friday and Sunday performances. Finally, we are closing the show with a sultry suite of Argentinean tangos choreographed by Sabrina and Ruben Veliz entitled ‘Al Sur Del Sur’.

Tell me about your solo Ella. What was it like working with Robert Battle?

‘Ella’ is a high energy comical solo set to Ella Fitzgerald scatting. This piece is by far the fastest movement I have ever done that has everything and the kitchen sink. Complete with quick articulated movements, a little tumbling, and Battle’s legendary “falls” that make your bones ache. A couple of us in the company have come up with the term “Battle wounds” which is something you require from doing Robert Battles movement. I love working with Robert Battle. He has a wonderful sense of humor and it takes center stage in this solo. He makes you want to push yourself beyond your limits and at the end of the day you end up surprising yourself.

Ok, Charles Moulton’s ball piece: really hard, fun or a just a pain in the ass?

Hahahaha! All three! Charles Moulton’s ball piece was about as fun as a ten car pileup on the way to a wedding where you rear ended the bridal party. In all seriousness, I had a great time with this challenge. We had a little less than two weeks of learning patterns different types of passes, as well as run drills for what to do when you’ve dropped your ball. If you happened to fumble a ball, you had two spare behind your back secured by a cummerbund that you would whip out in a Billy-the-Kid fashion. I am happy to say that River North was up for Charles Moulton’s challenge and answered by not dropping a single ball at our first attempt on the Harris stage under the hot lights.

River North Dance Chicago presents Love is… Feb 10 & 11 at 8pm, Feb 12 at 3pm

Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph. Tickets are $30-$75. Call 312.334.7777 or visit harristheaterchicago.org

Saturday, Feb 11 there is a post-show party with drinks and desserts, where you can mingle with the dancers. Tickets are $25.

HSDC On An Angle

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Vicki

Hubbard Street in "twice (once)" by Terence Marling. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.

Seven members of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) took a corner of the Harris Theater stage with select members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) for the MusicNOW series last night where HSDC Artistic Associate Terry Marling premiered his work to a score written by CSO Mead Composer-in-Residence Anna Clyne. Clyne, along with her fellow Composer-in-Residence, Mason Bates (cute!) hosted the evening that featured four other musical works by Julia Wolfe, Anthony Cheung, Aaron Jay Kernis, Lee Hyla. Each work was previewed with a video clip of the composer discussing their process as well as an appearance on stage to answer a question or two from the hosts. Cellist Kenneth Olsen played brilliantly in four of the five pieces and the petite Cynthia Yeh grabbed my focus with her huge sounds on percussion. Aside from a three-year stint playing the alto sax, my musical knowledge is fairly limited (music is my brother’s milieu), so I will leave that to the experts and focus on the dance.

With general admission seating it’s always a gamble, but I lucked out and grabbed a great seat down front (not too close) and center. When the crew rearranged the stage for the final piece, I realized the dancing would be happening on the stage left side and my vision was compromised, unfortunately, by a man with an ENORMOUS head. Undeterred, I wiggled around and leaned on my friend until I could see the dance space clearly, although at an angle. With no wings, the black stage walls provided a moody backdrop for the dancers wearing all white. A door on the back wall with bright light shining in served as the entrance (and numerous exits) for the dancers. In twice (once), Marling worked with the limited stage space by placing most of the dance on an angle coming from the open door. The dancers worked off of that angle, replacing each other, entering/exiting through the door, disappearing into the stage left blackness to Clyne’s achingly beautiful score. He successfully created a feeling of infinity, particularly in a moment where Kellie Epperheimer walked slowly forward on the angle while the other six dancers ran in a moving circle around her. Another breathtaking moment was with Ana Lopez (always brilliant, her solo work mesmerizing) where Jesse Bechard and David Schultz, who replaced an injured Pablo Piantino, held her feet to the ground while she swayed and arched back like a willow in the wind (pictured above). The sheer tulle skirts on the women added to the elegiac theme of the music (Clyne wrote it immediately after her mother’s death) and the somber, slow exit out of the door into the light by the dancers extended past the final note, again bringing to mind infinity and beyond. I’m looking forward to seeing Marling’s choreography reconfigured for the Danc(e)vole performances at the MCA Stage in January. His keen sense of weight shifts and musical timing shine on the HSDC dancers.

CSO’s MusicNOW w/ HSDC

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Vicki

Tonight at the Harris Theater, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) presents another installment of its MusicNOW series and includes a world premiere danced by Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC). twice (once), choreographed by HSDC Artistic Associate Terence “Terry” Marling is a work for seven dancers set to a piece of music composed by CSO Composer-in-Residence Anna Clyne. Clyne wrote Within Her Arms in honor of her mother shortly after her passing. Played by a 15-piece string ensemble, it is a departure from the acoustic and electro-acoustic sound she normally dabbles in. Marling, who writes music himself, was immediately in love with the music. “The music is really emotional,” says Marling. “It was a daunting, scary start. There’s the initial fear that music that emotional can overwhelm the choreography, so I had to draw on what I knew of that depth of emotion like the birth of my son.”

The evening also features musical works by Julia Wolfe and Aaron Jay Kernis, with Conductor Christian Macelaru making his MusicNOW debut. This is the first time HSDC has appeared in the series, although they have collaborated with the CSO before. Marling wanted to create a geometrically visual stage picture, so he used a combination of math and choreography to create what he calls “a fair view of infinity”. He started working with the HSDC dancers on the piece over the summer, but with performance and touring schedules found himself short on studio time. Luckily, he knows the dancers well and they were willing to try anything. “The artists I work with are wonderful,” says Marling, “and I can always keep making steps. I’m really happy with how it turned out.”

MusicNOW: Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Hubbard St Dance Chicago, Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph at 7 pm

Tickets are still available: $22, 312.294.3000, 800.223.7114

Adventures in Dance

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Vicki

"Moniquilla and the Thief of Laughter". Photo by German Anton.

This weekend, two local dance companies are staging children’s shows set to entertain both kids and adults alike. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago‘s (HSDC) second company, HS2 brings back last year’s hit Harold and the Purple Crayon at the Harris Theater and Luna Negra Dance Theater (LNDT) launches its children’s dance series Luna Niños with the Chicago premiere of Monaquilla and the Thief of Laughter at Stage 773. Both one-hour performances are interactive, incorporate video projections and designed specifically for young audiences. Ticket for both shows are $15.

HS2 premiered Harold in 2010 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and then to packed houses here in Chicago (read my preview here). This year’s show based on the beloved children’s book by Crockett Johnson promises a new cast and vamped up lighting design (Mattew Miller) to compliment the sets and projections (Ryan Wineinger) and costumes (Rebecca Shouse). Chicago composer Andrew Bird provides the music with HSDC dancer Robyn Mineko Williams and HSDC Artistic Associate Terence Marling choreographing.

Moniquilla and the Thief of Laughter, which premiered in Spain with Titoyaya Dance Project in 2008, has its U.S. debut this Saturday. Created by LNDT Artistic Director Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, Moniquilla is a mystery adventure styled after Scooby Doo and Indiana Jones (Sansano’s favorites as a kid). Moniquilla enlists the help of her friends Matias and Veronica to help her find out why the children across the world can’t laugh anymore. A narrator and video projection/sets by Luis Crespo help the story along, but it is the audience that ultimately must solve the mystery. A bicycle with sidecar, swinging axes, snakes (egads!), spies, and of course a villain add to the story set to a dramatic score including Prokofiev’s Dance of the Knights from Romeo and Juliet and classical flamenco music. “It was a good chance to use music that I loved, but never found the right fit for,” says Sansano. “When I was thinking about the music, I thought a lot about Walt Disney. He used to make all the soundtracks for the movies. Every single movement was in the music. It was real choreography.” Just because it’s for kids doesn’t mean this choreography is simple. Sansano’s trademark style involving fast, quirky movements with seamless transitions is on full display along with some slapstick moves reminiscent of the Keystone Kops. I sat in on a run of the first half of the show last week and I can’t wait to see how it ends! It’s fun, funny, and as Sansano says, “a treat for the senses.”

Hubbard Street 2, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Dec 3&4 at 2pm

Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph, 312,334,7777

Luna Negra, Moniquilla and the Thief of Laughter, Dec 3 at 10a & 1p, Dec 4 1&4pm

Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont, 773.327.5252

rogue ballerina

dishing on dance diva-style

Category Archives: Harris Theater for Music and Dance