Ask a dancer to jump, and they'll ask, "How high?" Chances are you will get a graceful, elegant leap. Ask a dancer to turn, and they'll ask, "How many times?" Ah, look at those lovely, effortless pirouettes. Now, ask that dancer to climb up a twenty-foot piece of fabric with the same grace and poise, and the most likely outcome is that dancer will say nothing, and all you will be staring at is one very, very skeptical and confused face. Unless, that is, that dancer happens to be one of the artists at Aerial Dance Chicago. These gravity defying
There's something magical that happens to Chicago in the summertime. After a long, cold, winter, it comes as no surprise that everyone wants to be outdoors, including the city's dance artists. These professional dancers spend a majority of their careers training and rehearsing in the studio and performing in concert and theater venues, with few opportunities outside of site-specific work to experience dancing outdoors. But thankfully, for the past ten summers, Dance in the Parks has given dancers and audiences alike the opportunity to consume concert dance in some of the cities most communal centers - Chicago's neighborhood parks. Dance
In the beginning of any career, we often make sacrifices. Sometimes this means late, unpaid nights in the office or putting in extra work at home, but what happens when these sacrifices become the norm? For many dancers in any stage of their career, the extra hours in the studio and unpaid rehearsals and performances come as no surprise. The justifications for putting up with these circumstances range from "I need to prove myself" to "This is the best opportunity I have." While those things may be true in the beginning, many dancers will continue to tell themselves these lines
As a current or potential audience member, you may catch a review of the show in the local paper. But one there is one thing about a review that you will never be able to skirt around; those words in that newspaper did not come from the mouth and heart of the artist or creator. That's where DancerMusic comes in. We pride ourselves in giving artists like Reesie Davis, Founder and CEO of Praize Productions, Inc. NFP, the opportunity to share reflections and discoveries of the work that she, her company and school of dancers work so hard to achieve and realize. We recently caught up with Reesie and asked her to share her reflections on PPI's recent production of REVIVAL: The Answer was Healing! Here's what Reesie shared with us in her 4PHOTOS:
If you recall our PRE-View of Hyde Park School of Dance's Amira: A Chicago Cinderella Story, then you may remember HPSD Artistic Director August Tye mention that the Prince's journey to find his princess, Amira, leads him on a search through some iconic neighborhoods on Chicago's south side. The dancers' balletic movement and gestures are the main vein for storytelling, but what completes this scenic journey are the projections and illustrations Tye has created in collaboration with photographer Damien Thompson and illustrator Sara Petrolis. DancerMusic got an exclusive sneak peek at the images to be used in Amira, and asked Damien Thompson to tell us more about the process of creating these powerful images and what role they play in bringing Amira to life. Take a journey through Chicago's south side as you learn what Damien told us:
As a child, you may have often dreamed of yourself as a prince or princess in your favorite story. But as we age and discover the truth about the world around us, we begin to see the cracks in our beloved tales. We learn that those portrayed as evil may not have been so bad after all, and what we once thought to be the truth is merely a representation of what someone wants the truth to be. Now that we're adults, how do we change these stories to reflect our reality, while still maintaining the magic they gave us as children? August Tye, Founding Artistic Director of Hyde Park School of Dance, has the answer. August, her artistic team, and a cast of over a hundred dancers are getting ready to share this revelation in their production of Amira: A Chicago Cinderella Story at the Reva and David Logan Center in Hyde Park. DancerMusic Dance Editor Kristi Licera caught up with August to learn more about this massive undertaking. Here's what August told us:
Picture in your mind a dancer who you love to see perform. Now, imagine that dancer... in drag! If you're having trouble picturing this, then grab a ticket to Dance Divas 2018, where male dancers from some of Chicago's most recognized professional dance companies take on a fabulous, new persona for an even more fabulous cause. Dance Divas is the kickoff event to Dance for Life 2018, an event that Chicago Dancers' United describes as the "annual benefit performance that showcases the city’s unique diversity of talent, dance traditions, and styles." Both events directly benefit The Dancers' Fund, which supports dancers in the local community affected with critical health issues. DancerMusic's Kristi Licera caught up with one of the choreographers and original Dance Diva, Harrison McEldowney, to learn more about Dance Divas 2018. Here's what Harrison told us:
It's time to introduce a new princess into the world. She cannot shoot icicles out of her fingers nor is she as famed as Sleeping Beauty, but one thing will be certain the moment you meet her: you will feel like you have already met. It may be because this new character is a fresh iteration of a princess we already know and love, Cinderella. But the more likely cause of your familiarity is that this princess, like so many of us in the city of Chicago and in our country, is an immigrant. In this day and age, we
First impressions are important . There's no denying it, especially when you are debuting a brand new dance company in a city that has an abundance of them. There are many ways to make a great first impression, but often, the best way to do so is to stay true to who you are and to step into the light with a kind and open heart. This is exactly what Founder and Artistic Director of South Chicago Dance Theatre, Kia Smith did. This past May, Smith curated SCDT's first evening-length performance at University of Chicago's Mandel Hall. What may not
Trifecta Dance Collective's upcoming production Solstice features the premiere of "In.grained" - a special collaborative piece inspired by five senior women from the Glenview area. The tales of these women create the context for the choreographic vision of Co-Artistic Directors Krissie Odegard-Geye and Carrie Patterson, and includes the muses on stage as part of the performance. In addition, the performance features two other Chicago-based dance companies - Nomi Dance Chicago and Valerie Alpert Dance Company - truly making this an event that includes and invites a sense of community. DancerMusic's Kristi Licera caught up with TDC's Co-Artistic Director Carrie Patterson to learn more about Solstice. Here's what Carrie told us: