Jeff Hancock has a lot of experience with dance and design, and he's given it a lot of thought. He's seen the dynamic, multi-dimensional reality of design in concert dance from many perspectives, so we asked him about what it's like for a choreographer to be a designer, and for a designer to be a choreographer. Here's what he told us:
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.
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago dancer Rena Butler's career has a full circle moment at this year's Dance for Life as the company performs an excerpt of Ohad Naharin's "DECADANCE." Here's what she told us about taking the Dance for Life stage with her fellow HSDC artists:
Joffrey Ballet dancers Jeraldine Mendoza and Dylan Gutierrez will perform "Lorelei" at Dance for Life 2019. This pas de deux was originally created for a dance film and will be adapted for the stage. Here's what they told us as they prepare for their performance:
At Dance For Life 2019, Robyn Mineko Williams will present an excerpt from Echo Mine, and we asked Robyn about the work, about Claire Bataille, and about Dance for Life. Here's what she told us:
Four company dancers from Giordano Dance Chicago gives us insight to Ray Leeper's "SOUL," which will be performed at Dance for Life 2019. Here's what GDC dancers Jacob Frazier, Adam Houston, Katie Rafferty and Ashley Downs told us:
Each year, a dozen or more companies of young dancers gather to present the annual benefit Dance for Life's Next Generation, and in twenty five years it has come to be known not only as a showcase for imaginative and talented young artists, but even more as an iconic collaboration of good will. We asked Diane Rawlinson to tell us more about this widely anticipated event, which takes place this year on March 3rd at 5pm at Wheeling High School's Sang Theatre. Here's what she told us:
They say the best gifts are the ones you make yourself. The time, energy and thoughtfulness put into a handmade item is forever ingrained within it, making it truly unique. Here at DancerMusic, some of the best gift makers we know are the ones that create dance. These choreographers often spend countless hours in the studio creating movement, plus an ample amount of time researching and reflecting to refine what they make. No two creations are ever quite the same, and become more unique when you consider that no two performances of the same piece of choreography are identical. As
Giordano Dance Chicago will be performing Ray Mercer's Tossed Around when they take the stage on August 18th for Dance For Life 2018 at The Auditorium Theatre. So much goes into a work like Tossed Around that if you're seeing a work like that for the very first time, it can be a lot to take in all at once. That's why it's so great when somebody can give an audience a better idea of what they're about to see. Michael McStraw is the Executive Director of Giordano Dance Chicago, and he knows Tossed Around better than most, and not just its multiple layers of design. McStraw knows what went into it, and a lot of what has come out of it for audience and artists alike. He's one of those artists who has both danced and directed dance companies, someone who can mix passion and professionalism and never drop a beat. So naturally, we asked Michael McStraw to give us a little deeper look into Tossed Around. Here's what he told us:
Among the many arts of the Art of Dance, freestyling is its own special world, but it includes just about every part of what makes dance an art. Great freestyle starts with having such a range of motion and technique and inspiration that you can present any of it at any moment. Although the creative decisions are made faster than even the fastest of movement, those are the same decisions and the same creativity that are always the essence of making a dance. So it's quite remarkable that at Dance For Life 2018, Chicago Dance Crash is there to freestyle -- which is almost unheard of for such a monumental production. Crash Artistic Director Jessica Deahr took some time to give us a little closer look at four moments from Chicago Dance Crash's very rich freestyle history in 4PHOTOS from Crash. Here we go:
