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Shout Out (MD)
I wanted to give a shout out to Dr. Daniel Adair. Seventeen years ago today, he repaired my torn ACL and meniscus.
Thanks Dr Adair!
Breaking News
Yesterday evening it was announced that Paul Lightfoot is the new Artistic Director at Nederlands Dans Theater, replacing Jim Vincent (former AD at Hubbard Street). Citing severe budget cuts, the NDT site has a short statement about the switch up and notes that Vincent will stay on as an Artistic Adviser through the rest of the 2011-2012 season.
Thoughts?
CDF Opening Gala
Joffrey Ballet's Victoria Jaiani & Temur Suluashvili in White Swan pas. Photo by Cheryl Mann.
Last night was the opening night gala kicking off the fifth year of the Chicago Dancing Festival (CDF). A short 5-piece program on the MCA Stage was followed by cocktails, a buffet with three ballroom dance couples interspersed upstairs at Puck’s Restaurant and outside on the terrace. The $250-a-head evening was co-chaired by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who stayed to mingle after the show along with his wife and daughter. A few short speeches preceded the performance. MCA Director of Performance Programs Peter Taub opened the fest saying, “We are here to celebrate the best of dance from across the country”. CDF co-founder Jay Franke gave some impressive stats including that in the past five years the festival has presented over 35 companies and over 400 dancers and proudly announced that this year CDF sold out approximately 10,000 seats for this week’s performances. Franke turned over the mic to Mayor Emanuel, who celebrated his 100th day in office by attending the gala. The Mayor, a former dancer and huge fan, declared that he wants to double the size of the fest and make sure Chicago is the dance destination for the entire country. He added there are 19 companies performing this week to an estimated 19,000 audience members. Co-founder Lar Lubovitch said, “One cannot describe dance in words, no matter how eloquent,” but then went on to read the most eloquent essay (written by him) on duets, five of which we were about to see.
HSDC's Penny Saunders & Alejandro Cerrudo in Following the Subtle Current Upstream. Photo by Cheryl Mann.
The program of duets featured choreography from 1895 to present and while they represented divergent styles, there was a through-line of choreographic evolution. A pristine classical white ballet to a fluid neoclassical ballet with a contemporary twist. An emotive classic modern offering to a postmodern minimal feat. Then an avant garde performance art work that evoked musical and choreographic themes from the first duet. A mini-history of dance in 60 minutes or less…sort of. Joffrey Ballet‘s husband and wife team, Victoria Jaiani and Temur Suluashvili began with Lev Ivanov’s traditional White Swan pas (1895) from Swan Lake. On a small, bare stage it is difficult to bring the audience into the magical place that is needed for the dance, but what it lacked in mood and setting was made up for by technique. Jaiani’s extraordinary extensions and limberness were on full display. (I’m fairly certain her back is made of a flexible pipe cleaner.) Just as they disappeared into the wings, Hubbard Street‘s (HSDC) Penny Saunders and Alejandro Cerrudo oozed onto the stage in an excerpt from Alonzo King’s Following the Subtle Current Upstream (2000). While similar to the previous pas in technique, flexibility and master partnering (and similar promenades in penché), this duet was the opposite in feel. Fluid, continuous and rich.
Martha Graham's Xiaochuan Xie & Tadej Brdnik in "Snow on the Mesa". Photo by Cheryl Mann.
An excerpt from *Robert Wilson‘s Snow on the Mesa (1995) brought a display of control and drama with Martha Graham Dance Company dancers Xiaochuan Xie and Tadej Brdnik’s gorgeous interpretation. Strong, yet delicate with minimal, but heartbreaking gestures, I found myself holding my breath through the piece. The all white costuming and loving touches again reminded me of the first duet. Brian Brooks Moving Company changed things up with a male duet titled MOTOR (2010). Clad only in black briefs, Brooks and David Scarantino embarked on a thigh-killing, synchronized chugging spree. Set to a driving beat with ominous overtones, MOTOR had the men hopping, jumping and chugging, foward, backward, in changing formations around the stage. It was an exercise in stamina and focus. There were more than a few moments, however, that took me back to the swan theme. Precise chugs in attitude devánt (four cignets) and chugs in fondue arabesque (white swan corps). A stripped down off-kilter Swan Lake.
The final piece Compression Piece (Swan Lake) was a commission by Walter Dundervill , created specifically for CDF this year. If the previous piece was off-kilter, this was Swan Lake on crack! Dundervill (who Lubovitch said could be ” a lunatic”), along with partner Jennifer Kjos, creates a white landscape of distorted beauty in his choreography (warped fouetté turns and bourré sequences), sets (a fabric installation that serves as back drop and eventually part of the choreography) and costumes (interchangeable pieces – they changed on and off stage – layered from baroque to bridal). The soundscape featured swan riffs from Tchaikovsky and Saint-Saëns, but funked it up with Diana Ross and Sonic Youth. This world premiere proved that the black swan has nothing on the white swan when it comes to crazy (in a good way).
Maybe I have Swan Lake on the brain (a strain of avian flu?), but I caught a definite thread of similarity in the pieces. As if all of the works were distilled from choreography from 120 years ago and ended up being all of these unique moments on stage…and maybe they were. Example: Look at the photos on this page. From very different styles and eras, yet all are an interpretation of a standard supported arabesque. Technical issues prevented Faye Driscoll from performing on the program as scheduled, but I’m looking forward to seeing it later in the week at the MCA Moves program to see how it would’ve fit into this program. As it was presented last evening, it was a testament to the brilliant artistic direction of Lubovitch and Franke.
*This has been updated. I originally had the piece choreographed by Martha Graham. Oops!
On Her Way
Cecily showing how it's done at the James R. Thompson Center. Photo by Dennis Peralta.
At 16, Cecily Romaynne Shives knows what she wants to do with her life…dance! In fact, she’s known that she wanted to be a dancer since she was 10-years-old. Luckily, she is blessed with strong feet, innate talent and some fantastic genes (her parents are Evie Peña Shives, former ballerina at Tulsa Ballet Theatre and teacher at Chicago Ballet Arts and Willy Shives, former dancer and current Ballet Master at Joffrey Ballet). Add to the mix her love of the art form and spirited determination and you have a young artist ready to learn it all.
Shives gets up at 5:00 am to prepare for her days as an honor student at the Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) where she takes academic classes in the mornings and dance classes at the conservatory in the afternoons. “It’s a very long day,” she says and admits to sometimes doing homework during her commute on the Red Line. Growing up in Pittsburgh, she remembers her first ballet class was actually the family living room where her Mom would teach her terminology. At 2, she got her first taste of studying at a local studio and was hooked, but didn’t get serious in her training until the family moved to Chicago. “My parents gave me a choice to keep dancing and I haven’t regretted the choice I made since,” says Shives.
Right now, she’s in Texas attending an American Ballet Theatre (ABT) summer intensive workshop for a month. She auditioned at the request of a friend (who didn’t want to go alone) and didn’t expect anything to come of it. “All the other girls were twice my height and had so much flexibility,” she recalls. “I was really nervous.” After the initial shock wore off, Shives let the excitement hit her. RB asked her a few questions as she packed for her ABT summer adventure.
What are your goals? Do you want to be a professional ballerina or would you consider other genres?
I want to become a professional dancer when I’m older. I think when dancing professionally you must know about other genres of dance because most companies don’t just have one in the repertoire. I feel that professionals don’t get anywhere unless they are well-rounded at all types of dance. I want to finish college at some point in my life, whether it’s before or after my dance career. I would eventually like to go to law school and follow in my grandfather’s footsteps. I have always been intrigued with the law and standing up for justice.
Which style do you like the most and in which are you the strongest?
I am best at contemporary ballet. I love classical ballet, but like to branch out of that. I love being off my leg and allowing gravity to take its course. Pointe/Variations class has been a lot of fun for me because of my strength on pointe and my understanding of each ballet. At Chiarts, we have learned some of Gerald Arpino’s works and variations from Paquita and Raymonda.
What’s your favorite role danced so far?
Peasant Pas de Deux from Giselle. The first time I performed it I was 12 and it was one of the best experiences of my career. I felt so strong and it improved my self-confidence.
What’s the best advice your parents have given you?
The best thing they told me was to learn every single part whether it was boys or girls. They told me to learn it and write it down, so in case someone is injured I know the part. This has paid off greatly.
Are you proud to be following in their footsteps?
I don’t think I’m exactly following in their footsteps. They both had great careers, but that was their own thing. I want to carve my own way in the dance world. I’m proud to have them as my mentors and I love that I have people who support my decision in becoming an artist.
ACTION!
The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on more cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) this week, however, Congresswoman Louse Slaughter and Congressman Todd Platts (sounds like a heavy metal band, no?), who co-chair the Congressional Arts Caucus have started a “Strike the Last Word” effort – or pro-forma amendment – in the House in the hopes of securing time to speak or submit a statement before the vote. Please let your representative(s) know how you feel about arts funding and urge them to join this effort.
For more information on what you can do, go to The Performing Arts Alliance. Click on “Take Action” on the left of the screen. On the next page (right-hand side) click “Find Your Representative”. The site will give you contact information for all of your district reps. You will find more advocacy info at Dance/USA.org.
Shows, Auditons, etc.
Aerial Dance Chicago (formerly AMEBA) performs Unearthed this weekend at the Ruth Page Center, 1016 N. Dearborn. July 22 & 23 @ 7pm. Tickets: $25 online, $30 at door, $20 for students and seniors.
The Seldoms are holding auditions for male and female dancers to perform in a special project in Feb 2012. Saturday, July 23 @ 10:00 am, Pilsen East Arts Center, 1945 S. Halsted, 4th floor.
The Dance COLEctive is holding auditions on Saturday, Aug 6th from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at the Drucker Center, 1535 N. Dayton. Audition fee: $10.
Synapse Arts Collective is holding auditions on Saturday, Aug 30th from 12:00 – 2:00 pm (check-ins begin at 11:30) at the Menomonee Club, 1535 N. Dayton. Two paid company member positions are open.
Spam-A-Lot!
It seems a spam bot wiggled its way into my Twitter account. My apologies to anyone who is receiving spam tweets from RB! Apparently it’s widespread and they haven’t figured out how to stop it yet 🙁
Fancy!
You can download apps for your iPhone or Android mobile device, take a photo/scan of my qr (quick response) code – pictured left – and voila! Instant access to Rogue Ballerina! Cool 😉 I can’t wait for my button to get here for the conference this week.
Thanks to Julia at Yoolia Design and Nancy at Pixies and Porcupines for their help.
Dreams?
I dream of the day when I can write for a living and not need to have a “day job”…oh, and world peace.
What is your dream?
(hint: comments encouraged!)