DancerMusic Editor Kristi Licera recently had the chance to speak with Jan Bartoszek on the eve of Hedwig Dances' 35th anniversary concert about how she has kept her creativity alive and to get insights to her latest work, "Raum." Here's what she told us:
This year Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival celebrates its tenth anniversary season. With so much to share and celebrate in this monumental season, we talked to co-founders Nicole Gifford and Melissa Mallinson in a special two part interview. Here's part one, featuring Nicole Gifford. Here's what she told us:
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