Thursday, 23 January 2020 15:19
Tragically, Ukrainian ballet 'Romeo and Juliet' lacks spark
Written by Vika Lvova
A tragic Shakespearian tale of Romeo and Juliet set to the music of a Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev is brought to Chicago Harris theatre by The National Ballet Theatre of Odessa (Ukraine). A ballet in two acts, it starts out rather slow. Dancers are mostly standing around, and a sense…
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Dance in Review
Sunday, 10 November 2019 23:45
Dancers Take Flight, and Give Voice, in Rink Life
Written by Bill Esler
Rink Life is a dance performance with a difference: these dancers also speak. And sing. And act. Dance is said to have five elements - body, action, space, time and energy. But creative director Julia Rhoads (she was once part of Red Moon) adds voice as another component to that…
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Dance in Review
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Saturday, 19 October 2019 18:37
From Page to Stage: Joffrey Ballet’s 'Jane Eyre'
Written by CJ Burroughs
It seems to me the Joffrey Ballet’s been picking literary shows as of late based on books I either never finished or don’t remember. Last season, they presented Anna Karenina, which I admit I never read all the way through, but which delighted me in its transformation to the Auditorium…
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Dance in Review
Wednesday, 13 March 2019 13:23
Joffrey's 9th Annual Winning Works yet another beautiful celebration of art
Written by Mariah Sulaiman
It is no wonder that the 9th Annual Winning Works, presented by the Joffrey Academy of Dance Chicago, has been a sold out show since its opening on March 9th through the 10th. With its talented selection of winning choreographers and their eclectic styles, they brought a show that brings…
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Dance in Review
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Tuesday, 12 March 2019 14:07
Sweet Tap Chicago Gets Its Groove On at Chicago City Winery
Written by Bill Esler
For those who love tap dance (and even those who don't know if they like it), the second annual Sweet Tap Chicago performance at City Winery was heaven on earth. It’s a mix of jazz, classic pop, and blues. And it features a dollop of rap, whose wordplay blends beautifully…
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Dance in Review
Friday, 15 February 2019 19:41
Light and Shadow: Joffrey Premieres 'Anna Karenina'
Written by CJ Burroughs
All apologies to the teachers and professors who groomed me to be a ceaseless reader and sporadic writer — I never finished Anna Karenina. But while I never plowed through all 900 pages of Tolstoy’s novel, moments from the book have stayed with me. One of them is just a…
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Dance in Review
Monday, 22 October 2018 19:10
'Flamenco Passion' at MacIninch Art Center: A passion-filled event
Written by Ron Reis
I’m going to admit, this was not exactly what I expected. I heard flamenco and, me being a guitarist and passionate for the instrument, I thought…hmmm…Flamenco guitar music. That fact that the show would feature the degree of dancing it did never even occurred to me. So, I got the…
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Dance in Review
Saturday, 20 October 2018 18:38
Joffrey’s return of the Swan Lake is pure perfection
Written by Vika Lvova
The Joffrey Ballet opens 2018-2019 season with the return of choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s modern re-telling of Swan Lake to the Auditorium Theatre four years after its first premiere in Chicago in 2014. Composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875-77, it was originally a ballet in two acts, named The Lake…
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Dance in Review
Saturday, 09 June 2018 17:45
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Summer Series features Ohad Naharin’s moody DecaDance/Chicago
Written by Vika Lvova
The renowned Israeli choreographer and director of Batsheva Dance Company, Ohad Naharin, is the spotlight of this year’s Hubbard’s Summer Series, 40th Season at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. The program features DecaDance, a reimagining of Naharin’s most celebrated pieces and recreated every 10 years. Deca Dance/ Chicago…
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Dance in Review
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Sunday, 29 April 2018 23:39
A Midsummer Night’s Trip: Joffrey’s newest ballet a masterpiece
Written by Kendall Royzen
Forget everything you know about A Midsummer Night's Dream. Don't recall images of the classical ballet, or lines from Shakespeare's play, and definitely don't think about how often the singular possessive noun is used incorrectly by putting the possessive on the wrong word. A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Joffrey…
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Dance in Review
Monday, 26 March 2018 17:55
Hubbard Street Dance Takes On The Nature of Consciousness
Written by Vika Lvova
Returning to the Auditorium Theatre after a long 20-year absence is Hubbard Street Dance Chicago with its 40th Anniversary Spring Series. This edition spotlights Spanish born Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo, who joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in 2005, and was named Choreographic Fellow in 2008 and became the company’s first…
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Dance in Review
Got to admit I was floored to arrive to find Sweet Tap Chicago, a tap dancing show, was packed for its Sunday matinee at Chicago’s City Winery. The promise that had lured me - jazz and tap dancing together – was borne largely out of curiosity. In fact, the show…
Published in
Dance in Review
As the era of streaming entertainment and sweatpants-clad binge watching continues, you have to applaud those who attend the performing arts. It’s certainly not an easier medium to consume, but some would argue it’s much more rewarding. Unfortunately, ballet and opera are struggling to attract a millennial audience. The Joffrey…
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Dance in Review
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