Ensemble Español will perform "Mar del Fuego" at Dance for Life 2019, and DancerMusic's Crystal Gurrola asked Executive and Associate Artistic Director Jorge Pérez about the piece, its dedication to Dame Libby Komaiko, and the future of this great company. Here's what he told us.
DancerMusic writer Crystal Gurrola interviews forward. the movement founders Kaytee Cox and Ally Sanov on the company's debut performance.
Chicago Repertory Ballet performs Wade Schaaf's "MACBETH" at Chicago's Athenaeum Theatre, and DancerMusic's Crystal Gurrola spoke to Wade about the return of this very admired production. Here's what Wade told us:
From his hometown Pescara, Italy to Chicago to New York City, Riccardo Battaglia has experienced a successful career as a professional dancer, which most recently landed him a company position with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. We asked Riccardo to tell us about his journey to Ailey, which celebrates its 60th Anniversary this year. Here is what he told us:
Since its founding in 2011, Chicago Repertory Ballet has been bringing innovative contemporary ballet choreography to the stage, while reviving the spirit of storytelling that classical ballet itself was founded upon. CRB has taken the familiar and hit the refresh button on it. They’ve opened the landscape of what stories could be told through dance and how they could be shared, inviting new perspectives in dance making and viewership. On November 3rd and 4th we will get to see brand new perspectives shine from within CRB through the voices of the company dancers themselves. CRB will present The Choreography Project, an intimate in-house event at Dovetail Studios. The Choreography Project features brand new works-in-progress by five of CRB’s company dancers, each with their own unique stories to shares and unique creative processes. The choreographers sharing at this event are John Cartwright, Carley Klebba, Miriam-Rose LeDuc, Luis Vasquez, and Jacqueline Stewart. We caught up with Jacqueline Stewart to find out more about The Choreography Project. Here’s what she told us:
Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre has been growing like a wildflower in the past few years. They have established a unique and resonant identity that has captivated Chicago dance audiences. With such uninhibited growth, the advent of new roles within the company, such as a Rehearsal Director, became paramount. That is where our friend Brennen Renteria comes in, a veteran company member with CRDT and now Rehearsal Director too. Both on stage and off he is leading the company into their Fall concert series, “My Past / Our Present”, which will be performed in three Chicago locations this October (Oct 5-6 at 8pm at Studio5, Oct 19-20 at 7pm at Links Hall, and Oct 27 at 7:30pm at The Logan Center. The series features some very exciting collaborations, and a new addition to the American Catracho suite by artistic directors Wilfredo Rivera and Joe Cerqua. The catracho spirit is very much alive in CRDT’s Rehearsal Director Brennen Renteria. He shared with DancerMusic some beautiful insights into his role with the company and why he has so much love and pride for the work he does with Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre. Here's what he told us:
In choreography and in life, you might notice an old flame in passing one day and find that you’ve both matured. The spark reignites as you seize the opportunity to rediscover your connection and find more clarity and fulfillment than before. That is what Jessica Miller Tomlinson has done in her new work to be premiered at Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival on September 21st and 22nd. She gave us some insight into reigniting the flame on a decade past work. Read on to find out how it grew into a completely new piece from a deeper exploration of the same idea, plus more insights on being a Choreographer in Chicago. Here is what Jessica had to say:
