Taylor Mitchell has a brand new work, and naturally, we wanted to hear all about it. It's called Out of Pocket, and its performance by MitchellMovement is part of Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival's second weekend of performances (Friday September 28 and Saturday September 29, both at 8PM). It's an ideal pairing; Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival brings together a rich spectrum of imaginative independent choreography each year, and Mitchell epitomizes the kind of engaging and impactful dance that HCCDF was founded to present. We asked Taylor to let us in on more of what we'll get to see when Out of Pocket takes the stage at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, and here's what he told us:
Concert Dance is not an art form that sustains itself easily; it needs a lot of care and it needs a lot of community. See Chicago Dance is the source for a lot of both, and although we know them best for their excellent website, SeeChicagoDance.com, the Chicago based not-for-profit supports dance in many other ways as well. On Tuesday, September 25 (from 6 to 10pm at City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph Street, Chicago) they're hosting their Fourth Annual Gala, a celebration of accomplishment past and future. The event will honor two important contributors to Concert Dance in Chicago; Angelique Power receives the Distinguished Service to the Dance Field Award, which recognizes "outstanding philanthropic leadership and honors someone who has made tremendous contributions to the health and vibrancy of the Chicago dance sector". Shirley Mordine, founder and artistic director of Mordine & Co. Dance Theater and founder and past director of the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, receives the Legacy Award, which honors "someone who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in the field and made a momentous impact on the Chicago dance community". We asked Shirley Mordine to tell us a little more about at least some of her extraordinary accomplishments, and here's what she 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:
Cerqua Rivera Dance Theater has been on a relentless build-up to their 2018 Fall Concert Series since last April. It's something they've been doing for years, a very carefully planned series of monthly presentations -- they call them Inside / Out --- that bring their audience, their performers, and the creators of their upcoming works together. The settings are informal but the results always informative, an engaging blend of discussion and performance. The last of the 2018 Inside / Out series takes place on Thursday, September 20th at 7pm at Chicago's Fine Arts Building, and it promises to be a great one. The subject is a new work called The Process Takes a Lifetime, an exceptionally rich and well-thought out story by choreographer Joshua Ishmon and --- in keeping with Cerqua Rivera's trademark practice of pairing great choreographers with great composers --- an original score by Pharez Whitted. Of course DancerMusic wanted to find out more, so we asked Joshua Ishmon if he would give us some insight into The Process Takes a Lifetime. Here's what he told us:
When the average person thinks of Chicago, a few things hit the top of the list: the sports teams, the vibrant downtown scene and its iconic architecture... the wind (and for locals: confusing parking signs and that particular smell of the ‘L’). What does not immediately come to mind is the incredible array of outdoor spaces and field houses that make up the Chicago Park District. Chicagoans all over the city burst out of their winter hidey-holes to enjoy the fresh summer air and sunshine, and people from the world over come to the more well-known parks for events like
PRE-View: Hubbard Street’s Spring Series – 10 Years and 2 Nights of Alejandro Cerrudo’s Choreography
There are so many interwoven dimensions to Alejandro Cerrudo's creativity that we just knew we had to get a better look at them. One way to do that would be to go see Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's "An Evening of Alejandro Cerrudo" at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre, and the other, while we're waiting to do that, would be to ask Alejandro to tell us a little more about what we'll see. Here's what he told us:
If you seek a career in dance, where do you even begin? For dancer and choreographer Luis Vazquez, the beginning was sparked by an after school program taught by the Joffrey Ballet. Luis brings his journey through dance full circle with the world premiere of his latest choreographic work, Sea of Comets, in 8th Annual Winning Works, presented by The Joffrey Academy of Dance. DancerMusic's Kristi Licera caught up with Luis to find out more about his journey through dance. Here’s a behind the scenes look at Sea of Comets:
The Dance Center at Columbia College Chicago will present Cloud Gate Dance Theater of Taiwan at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance at the beginning of March. Founded in 1973 by Artistic Director Lin Hwai-min, Cloud Gate Dance Theater has been recognized for its unique movement aesthetic and for Mr. Lin's "distinct and mature Chinese choreographic language". But what makes his dancers and movement aesthetic so unique? DancerMusic's Kristi Licera had the chance to speak with Mr. Lin during their Mexico City performances to find out:
There’s nothing like a good get-together with friends, especially around the holidays. You never know what can happen at these gatherings, and we are certainly curious to know what will happen when the dance artists known as The Cambrians present Chicago Dances, a special gathering of their own running December 14-18 at Hairpin Studios. DancerMusic’s Kristi Licera recently ran into Noelle Kayser, and could not help but get the inside scoop on this collaborative evening of original works:
There's an old saying that goes a little something like this: "You never know a person until you walk a mile in their shoes". Try dancing a full evening length concert that includes 42 pairs of shoes - that is exactly what the artists at Project Bound Dance intend to do in their upcoming world premiere of 'Imprint'. DancerMusic's Kristi Licera caught up with Co-Artistic Director Ashley Deran to get a sneak peek at what will be hitting Chicago's Hamlin Park Field House Theater on October 19 + 20: