This year, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre celebrates its 20th anniversary season. Every dance company dreams of celebrating such a milestone, so what is the secret to the success? It might have something to do with the incredible blend of live dance and music that the company continues to curate, but more likely it is the passionate and consistent commitment to their artistic mission that co-founders Wilfredo Rivera and Joe Cerqua demonstrate year after year. Despite the challenges of building and maintaining an audience, procuring funding, and pushing the boundaries of both music and dance, CRDT has nourished the creative talents
They say hindsight is 20/20, but sometimes looking into the past by yourself is not always enough to take full advantage of the lessons to be learned. Now and then, it is wise to have those you trust take that retrospective journey with you, if only to gain some clarity for the future. This is how the artists at Trifecta Dance Collective are approaching their upcoming performance of Moving Forward, Looking Back, with guest company Project606. The program features previous works from both companies, as well the premiere of a collection of new works by guest choreographers and company members of TDC. What we end up with is an evening of dance that takes audiences on a journey of Trifecta Dance Collective's three part mission - to Engage, Empower, and Expand - and how these talented artists have embraced their commitment to its realization, as well as their vision of things to come. DancerMusic's Dance Editor Kristi Licera caught up with Associate Artistic Director and TDC Dancer Joanna Paul to learn more about Moving Forward, Looking Back. Here's what she told us:
In every DancerMusic publication past, our writers and editors have been tasked with creating the introductions to each article. We have been held responsible for setting the scene and tone of the wonderful discoveries to come, but to each rule there is an exception, and here's one now. When our editors Johnny Nevin and Kristi Licera started talking to Ballet 5:8 Artistic Director Julianna Slager about putting together this 4PHOTOS, we tossed around ideas of what insights her photo captions would contain, and to quote Julianna in a previous 5 Question Interview, we "let the fish swim." When we received
We live in a world of that has become accustomed to instant gratification and yearns for it. The speed of achievement seems to be just as important as the achievement itself, but if we take a step back, we may just discover that the things that require patience can be the most rewarding of all. Taking time to reflect and observe can provide us with insights and opportunities that can come to us no other way, and that is exactly what the choreographers, dancers, and visual artists at Still Inspired(?) aim to do. For the last five years, Still Inspired(?)
When you think of "Gaga," the first thing to come to mind probably isn't dance. In fact, it probably reminds you more of a sound that you made when you were an infant and less of the movement language that has become a phenomenon in the concert dance world. Originally developed by choreographic phenomenon Ohad Naharin for his works with Batsheva Dance Company in Tel Aviv, Israel, this form of movement discovery and exploration has taken the dance world by storm. For many dancers, it's reminiscent of Isadora Duncan discovering modern dance. There was something so pure, so human about
What do you want to do with your life? It is a question we are asked time and time again through our childhood and at every pivotal turn in our lives. While there are many answers to the question, some of us are able to give a response that creates a vision of the future for others. Those special individuals are the ones with limitless dreams, who carry the will and determination to see those dreams through, and whose hearts bear the passion to inspire others. That is the kind of person that Vershawn Sanders-Ward is. It is clear that Vershawn’s vision of the future is limitless, her passion infectious, and her dedication as solid as her unwavering work ethic. All of this has spread beyond the studio and stage in Chicago and most recently brought Red Clay Dance Company artists to Kampala, Uganda for the “TransAtlantic Project.” This journey to Africa marked RCDC’s first international collaboration with Keiga Dance Company, and if the world premiere of their collaborative work this past November was just the beginning of what’s to come, it is more dazzling proof of Vershawn’s ability to continue to dream big and achieve something even bigger. DancerMusic’s Kristi Licera recently caught up with Vershawn to get an inside look at the product of Red Clay’s first collaboration with Keiga Dance Company, “EKILI MUNDA | What Lies Within.” Here’s what Vershawn told us:
The person that you are is a sum of all your experiences - good, bad, ugly and everything in between. If you happen to be Deeply Rooted Dance Theater Co-Founder and Associate Artistic Director Gary Abbott, then those experiences also inform the choreographic works that have and continue to receive praise from critics and audiences alike. What does all of this experience have to do with Gary's latest choreographic work, "Parallel Lives," for Deeply Rooted Dance Theater? Well, when we got to talking with Gary, it seems that he had been collecting the pieces of this creative puzzle for some time without realizing what the final picture would be. From deep within his past came the memories of an upbringing in a house of strong women. From his experience choreographing for theater and from his mentors, a deeper understanding of how to use drama and staging effectively to convey his ideas. And from teaching at the university, an unexpected connection with the ballet class pianist that would lead to an original score for the piece. DancerMusic's Kristi Licera caught up with Gary to see how all of these pieces came together to form "Parallel Lives" and to learn more about what's on the program for An Inspired Past, A Jubilant Future. Here's what Gary told us:
One of the last things you would expect to experience during a contemporary dance concert at a prestigious theater is Lil Wayne's hottest new single, bass bumping over the speakers, as some of the world's finest dance artists take the stage. Well, that is only part of what you are in for if you can make it to the Harris Theater for Music and Dance December 6, 8, or 9 in Chicago for the world premiere of Rena Butler's latest choreographic work for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, "III.Third." Rena and the dancers of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago use "III.Third" to examine identity through culture and customs, using references to popular urban culture. DancerMusic's Kristi Licera caught up with Rena during the final week of rehearsal for III.Third to learn more. Here's what Rena told us:
"Who looks out from my eyes? What is the soul? I cannot stop asking." This is an excerpt from 13th century Islamic scholar and poet, Rumi. These words put a whole new spin on soul searching by asking us to look deeper into ourselves and examine what the soul is truly made of. It's also a line of poetry included in the sound design for the upcoming world premiere of Al Nafs, choreographed by hip hop artist extraordinaire Amirah Sackett for the diverse, athletic, and ever-enticing dancers of Chicago Dance Crash. Leading up to its premiere at Moraine Valley Community College on November 17, Amirah and Dance Crash spent months in the studio creating, crafting, and contemplating the ways in which emotions like anger and sadness can be transcended to reach a place of love. DancerMusic Dance Editor and Chicago Dance Crash company artist Kristi Licera spent time with Amirah outside of the studio to learn more and share this journey of creation and self-discovery. Here's what Amirah told us:
If you have something important to say, all you have to do is whisper it to someone, and if its truly important, chances are that person will be the first of many to hear it. If you are talented enough to be a choreographer or dancer, then sometimes, you don't have to say anything at all, and sooner or later, you may find yourself touring around the country and beyond to share your message with countless others. That's been the result of the hard work and consistent creative efforts of The Seldoms. Over the last 16 years, The Seldoms have