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:
Joshua Manculich's new work "Scenic Route" will be part of DanceWorks Chicago's "DanceFlight" at Chicago's Ruth Page Center for the Arts, and of course we wanted to hear more about what went into making the work. Here's what Joshua told us:
We talked to CHRP Founder and Director Lane Alexander and Mayumana Co-Founder, Co-Director and Creator Boaz Berman to tell us more about their partnership and the exciting production that Mayumana is bringing to Chicago's Harris Theater stage. Here's what they told us:
Hedwig Dances brings together choreographers Rigoberto Saura and Taimy Ramos in "SEA LEVEL: Above and Below". We asked these rising choreographers about Saura's "The Flowering Mechanism" and Ramos' "A Flor de Piel", and here's what they told us:
Praize Productions Inc. CEO and founder Enneressa Davis tells us all about the inspiration, creative process and artists that bring their latest production, "Smells Like Freedom," to life. Here's what she told us:
We asked the five participating choreographers one question each about their works in Red Clay Dance Company's La Femme Dance Festival. Here's what L. Graciella Maiolatesi, Brittany C. Winters, Jasmin Williams, Marceia Scruggs and Linsday Renea Benton 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:
CTT Founder and Artistic Director Mark Yonally shares his personal tap journey and how it continues to influence the nature of the company's work and productions. Here's what he told us:
In Urban Bush Women's Hair and Other Stories, hair is used as the jumping off point to begin a conversation about colorism and racism. Since its founding in 1984 by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, UBW has sought to "bring the untold and under-told histories and stories of disenfranchised people to light through dance." To this day the company stays true to its mission and artistic vision, and audiences can see the evidence of their drive and passion to push that mission and vision forward in Hair and Other Stories. Furthermore, upon learning more about the performance or physically being present for it, you'll soon discover that each of UBW's core values is also represented in the work. One such example is UBW validates the individual by recognizing the importance of hair stories from people of all backgrounds and ethnicities. They are an ear that is eternally and openly listening to anyone who has a story to tell; you can even submit a story to them at anytime via the Story Booth on their website. The company also has an long standing partnership with The People's Institute of Survival and Beyond (PISAB) - an organization devoted to undoing racism community programs, workshops and other educational experiences. To learn more about Hair and Other Stories, DancerMusic Dance Editor Kristi Licera caught up with Urban Bush Women Associate Artistic Director Chanon Judson. Here's what she told us:
Gavin Sutherland is the Music Director of English National Ballet, and he's a master of an invisible art. He knows how a dancer moves to sound, and how to keep the sounds that come from an orchestra of musicians moving perfectly with a stage full of dancers. He knows every part in detail, and he knows how to make each of them part of all of the others. DancerMusic wanted to learn more about all of this --- about the complex choreography of collaborations that are the heart of Gavin Sutherland's art. So we asked him if he would give us a look inside the art of bringing music to dance, and here's what he told us: