Dudes on Dance: "Rodin" Edition [Video]

The Auditorium Theatre invited three gentleman, who had either never seen dance before or had seen it and not liked it, to be our guests at a performance of the "Rodin" by the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg. Take a look to see how our "dudes" reacted to their first Eifman Ballet encounter! 

A Message About Dance from Boris Eifman

By Boris Eifman

The language of the body is one of the most ancient. It fixed the memory of sensual life of our ancestors’ many generations, and it makes dance a unique way to express the emotional world of human. Not only any feelings, movements of human nature can be displayed, but also the most complex intellectual and philosophical ideas. So dance is the very delicate tool that turns the artist’s hands into magic means to cognize the secrets of being.

During many decades I have been engaged in the development of human body’s expressiveness, using it for investigation of the individual’s inner and mental world. One of the most important creative tasks for me is to restore the lines that always united the ballet and psychological theatre, but were lost in XX century, in the era of choreographic abstraction. Psychologism must be inherent not only in drama, but also dance. Keeping this fundamental approach I create major ballet performances that are distinguished by acute intensity of emotions, serious dramatic basis and deep philosophical content. And coming to our ballets, the spectator finds the most important thing – catharsis, powerful emotional shock that cleanses the soul. A true magic of art is concealed in a similar impact.

Dance is a universal language of spiritual communication, rejecting cultural, national or any other barriers. Reflecting on the eternal themes of freedom, love, human passions, we play our performances with equal success in America, Asia, Europe, and Australia and constantly evoke in hearts of the audience the most vivid emotional response. I am delighted that owing to the support of Ardani Artists Management and direction of the Auditorium Theatre ofRoosevelt University of Chicago our theatre has an opportunity to perform its art on this excellent modern stage for interested and appreciative audience in America, every meeting with which becomes truly memorable for us.

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The Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg

Rodin

Venue: Landmark Stage
Dates: Friday, May 17 - Sunday, May 19, 2013
Times: Friday at 7:30 pm, Saturday at 8:00 pm, Sunday at 3:00 pm
Price: $90-$30

Visionary choreographer Boris Eifman’s full-length ballets combine dramatic stagecraft, exquisite technique and powerful dramatic interpretation. His newest ballet, Rodin, is based on the life of French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) and his turbulent relationship with his mistress and muse, Camille Claudel. Set to music by Saint-Saëns, Massenet and Ravel, Rodin is a tale of artistic inspiration and the terrible price of genius.

Oleg Gabyshev, Principal Dancer of the Eifman Ballet, received the Golden Mask Russian National Theater Award for the title role in "Rodin."

Box Office: 50 E. Congress Pkwy. | Phone: 800.982.ARTS (2787) | Groups of 10+ 312.341.2357

A Note from Brett Batterson, Executive Director [MUSIC+MOVEMENT SHOWCASE]

MUSIC: An art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions.

MOVEMENT: A series of motions that match the speed and rhythm of a piece of music.

MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL: A one-of-a-kind festival featuring 11 world premieres commissioned by the Auditorium, partnering live music with ground-breaking dance.

We opened this festival defining it in terms as simple as these; a few phrases to describe the journey we began this past February with the launch of the Auditorium Theatre’s MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL, and look how far we’ve come.

Over the past few months, an incredible amount of talent has passed through our doors, and the collaborations that have formed through this festival have shown the vast amount of originality and diversity amongst Chicago artists. We are so thrilled to offer Auditorium audiences a second chance to see a selected group of these exciting performances in this evening’s showcase on our landmark stage along with the always wonderful Giordano Dance Chicago.

Tonight, you will witness six of the original MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL premiere pieces from some of Chicago’s top dance companies and musicians. Originally performed as workshops in the Auditorium’s Katten/Landau Studio spanning February through April, all performances were reviewed by a panel of distinguished, anonymous dance professionals who selected six pieces for tonight’s program: Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre with musicians James Sanders, Stu Greenspan and Joe Cerqua; Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s BAM! with the Greg Spero Trio and Tressa Thomas; DanceWorks Chicago with Paul Wertico; Kuumba Lynx with Urban Aspirations; Mexican Dance Ensemble with Los Condenados Huastecos; and Thodos Dance Chicago with Amanda Batterson.

I want to again extend special thanks to our sponsors for this festival. Demonstrating their continued commitment to artistic quality and increased diversity, The Chicago Community Trust, The Boeing Company and The Joyce Foundation have made generous contributions to support the Auditorium Theatre’s self-produced MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL. All three of these wonderful community partners, support programs like our MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL which increase the diversity of Chicago audiences, create works by artists of color and enhance the cultural fabric of the city. We could not have done this without them.

Although one major festival performance is over, I hope you were here for the River North Dance Chicago/Orbert Davis’ Chicago Jazz Philharmonic collaboration Havana Blue. Completing the festival, four companies, Kalapriya Dance Company, Full Effect Entertainment Theatrical Dance Company, Joel Hall Dancers and Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center’s Bryant Ballet, will revive their pieces throughout the city through June, offering a wider audience the ability to see the innovative, ground-breaking collaborations that have brought some of the most talented dance and music combinations together. Look for a stuffer in tonight's program to learn more about the locations and details of these performances.

Thank you again for joining us this evening. I hope the collaborations you see brought to life on our historic stage tonight inspire you to visit us again for our upcoming 2013–14 Season of world-class dance and music.

Brett Batterson

Executive Director 

Simplicity and Complexity in the Musée Rodin

In April, I took a special trip to Paris, France with my aunt. With the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg's performance of the ballet, Rodin, just a few weeks away at the Auditorium Theatre, I couldn't miss the opportunity to visit the Musée Rodin to gain unique perspective on Boris Eifman's newest work.

Located in the former Hôtel Biron, Musée Rodin houses the largest collection of his works as well as a garden. With their strict precision and bright colors, French gardens are beautiful and impressive in spring. Musée Rodin's is different. The foliage and blooms are more subdued highlighting the bronze monuments of the revered sculptor's most famous works with glimpses of the Eiffel Tour in the background.

The Thinking Man with
The Eiffel Tour in the background

Known for creating works that explore the human body and emotions like love and loss, Boris Eifman could not have selected a better visual artist on which to create a ballet. Similar to dance, I was struck by how simple Rodin's sculptures were at first glance, and then appreciated the complexity of the work as I processed details like facial expressions, body positions, muscle tones and emotions that are captured. 

The Three Shades - simple shape yet complicated details

I'm excited to watch the Eifman Ballet bring Auguste Rodin, his sculptures and his relationship with his mistress and muse, Camille Claudel to life in a couple weeks. Here are a few more photos from the museum's gardens, and learn more about them here.

The Gates of Hell - a simple door from a far
can become so much more

Ugolino and His Children

View of Musée Rodin from the north side of the garden

The detail of the bronze monuments were captivating.
Look at the detail in this opened boot.

Me and my aunt in front of The Thinking Man.

The Tenors on Why They Love Chicago [VIDEO]

Clifton and Remi, two of the four members of The Tenors, personally tell us why the are thrilled to be performing in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre on May 12!


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The Tenors: Lead with Your Heart

Venue: Auditorium Theatre Mainstage
Dates: Sunday, May 12, 2013
Times: 7:00 pm
Price: $59.50 and $49.50.

Since their inception only five years ago, The Tenors have been thrilling audiences around the world with their powerful voices and memorable melodies. Their blend of classical music and contemporary pop has garnered them international success. Their music is rich and soulful with powerful anthems and beautiful melodies.

For their live performance The Tenors will draw selections from their new album,Lead With Your Heart, as well as some of their past hits. Lead With Your Heart, their second studio album, stretches the boundaries of classical crossover by combining classic songs, modern tunes and Spanish and French world music. From cover features such as Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” and Elton John’s “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” to the inspirational anthem “Amazing Grace” and one of the most recognizable and heroic Tenor arias “Nessun Dorma”, the diverse track list features a mix of pop favourites and classical staples along with new compositions written and co-written by The Tenors.

Over the past two years, The Tenors have performed worldwide and shared the stage with legendary artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion (on the Oprah show) Sting, and Paul McCartney, to name a few. More recently, The Tenors were featured performers on two primetime international broadcasts: The Emmy Awards live from Los Angeles and The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations from Windsor Castle in the UK, where The Tenors performed for Her Majesty.

Phone: 800.982.ARTS (2787) | Box Office: 50 E. Congress Pkwy.

Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, by Laurie Eisenhower

Eisenhower Dance Ensemble has performed in Chicago a few times, but this is our first production presented at the Auditorium Theatre....and, of course, we are thrilled to be presented in such a fabulous theatre! The first half of our program will consist of three dances from our current repertory, including a fabulous premiere by Chicago choreographer Ron de Jesus. The second half of the program will be our highly successful Motown in Motion production. Motown is a project that began over ten years ago. As a Detroit-based dance company, I was trying to come up with a project that would celebrate Michigan and the Detroit community. Saluting the glory days of Motown music seemed like the perfect idea. 

We created the Motown production by commissioning nationally known choreographers to set works on the company, including Bill DeYoung, Ginger Thatcher, Gregory Patterson, Lindsay Thomas, Stephanie Pizzo, and Chicago's own Joel Hall. Our goal was not to imitate the original Motown dances, but to use those dances and the music as inspiration for new work. We now have over twenty Motown dances in our repertory and have selected ten to perform in Chicago. This version includes dances to a wonderful array of Motown hits by artists such as The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. The end result is super fun—the kind of show that has you dancing and moving in your seats. We can't wait to share our work with Chicago! 

Cheers, Laurie Eisenhower

Ailey Opening Night: Honoring the Ancestors

By Sabrina L. Miller, Ailey Aficionado, friend of an Ailey Ambassador

I’m lucky—I’ve been going to see Alvin Ailey AmericanDance Theater since I was a kid.

My mother was a huge modern dance fan who was unrepentant in dragging me –willingly—all over the city to see every local and national dance company she loved—Joseph Holmes, Darlene Blackburn, Muntu, Martha Graham, Joffrey, among others, and, of course, Alvin Ailey. Sometimes my dad or my sister would join us. But the deep love for the dance—bordering obsession, probably—was something very special that my Mother and I shared. So, I’m lucky. My love for Ailey was developed early.

I’ve carried this love for Ailey and passed it on to many others everywhere I’ve lived in the country—and the world. I lived in Florida for a decade, spread between Tampa Bay and Miami, and I never, ever missed Ailey’s stops there, and always made sure I took others who had not yet experienced the beauty and the genius. Often, I’d attend every performance—or I’d attend as many performances as my budget would accommodate.

I haven’t missed “Ailey Week” at the Auditorium Theatre...well, ever. Certainly not in the last 13 years. I’ll never forget Ailey Week in 2000 because my grandmother—my mother’s mother—died the day before opening night. Mom, Dad and I already had tickets so we went. By the time “Fix Me, Jesus” was being performed in “Revelations,” my mother and I had a moment where we looked at each other, tears streaming down both of our faces, and we smiled. Without speaking a word, we both felt the spirit of my grandmother with us, and despite our sorrow we felt comfort in her transition, as she had now become one of the ancestors Alvin Ailey was thinking of when he created this great work.

It is a poignant, indelibly etched memory, because it was the last Ailey performance I would share with my mother—she died unexpectedly a month later.

When Ailey week rolled around in 2001, I was ambivalent. I didn’t know if I was emotionally ready to experience Ailey without the woman who gave me life—the very person who gave life to my lifelong love for the dance and for Ailey itself. But I soldiered through. And at the end of Revelations, with tears streaming down my face, I blew kisses to the air, thinking of my mother, my grandmother, Mr. Ailey – all ancestors now, and part of the continuum and narrative of Black life that he envisioned...

Ailey Week, for me, is never just about me. It’s about celebrating the ancestors. It’s about celebrating my mother. I take great comfort and joy in what has become a ritual for me. That the 2013 series has been expanded to two weeks is phenomenal and fitting—Chicago loves Ailey and has always supported the Auditorium Theatre. It is a perfect marriage, and the commitment and enthusiasm of Auditorium Theatre Executive Director Brett Batterson to Ailey Week is contagious. One cannot help but to heed his call to spread the word.

Opening night was spectacular, of course, featuring the relatively new (2012) “Another Night”, choreographed by Kyle Abraham. Electric in its movement and colors, and classic with the accompaniment of Dizzy Gillespie’s “A Night in Tunisia” performed by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers. The masterful paean to the body “Petite Mort” followed, and Ailey Artistic Director Robert Battle’s intimate “Strange Humors” came next. But the star of the show, of course, is the triumphant “Revelations”—for which we saw a mix of beloved veterans (Linda Celeste Sims) as well as newcomers to the company.

I’m not a formal “Ailey Ambassador” but I feel like one because I never miss an opportunity through good, old word-of-mouth or, now, using social media, to spread the word. My only quibble with this year’s series is that I wish they were performing MORE Ailey-choreographed pieces. I’m incredibly disappointed that “Cry” is not in the lineup this year, and that the only Ailey-choreographed piece outside of “Revelations” is “Pas de Duke.” I certainly appreciate all the efforts to stay current while honoring the classics, but veteran Ailey fans and new ones alike would benefit from seeing that Alvin Ailey’s choreographic genius extends well beyond “Revelations.”

Nonetheless, I look forward to going back several more times before Ailey leaves next Sunday. Mom wouldn’t want it any other way.

Click HERE for tickets and information on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 2013 run at the Auditorium Theatre.

Returning to the Auditorium, by Ailey Dancer Sarah Daley

By Sarah Daley, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's
Sarah Daley. Photo be Eduardo Patino.

I've been dancing since I was about 5 years old. I was a an active kid, always underfoot, so my mom thought dance class would be a good place to put me. I've stuck with it ever since.

This is my second season with Ailey. Previously, I was in Ailey II for two years and am a graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA program. 

Being with Ailey has given me the opportunity to tour to and perform in some really amazing places I might not have been able to see on my own. My favorites so far have to be Copenhagen, Denmark;  Paris, France; and Tel Aviv, Israel. All three cities are beautiful in such different ways. What they all have that appeal to me are the rich histories they carry that you can see simply by walking around and looking at the architecture. Being able to visit places I've only read about and then stumbling on a hidden gem only the locals know of can happen all in the span of a day. The people I would meet on a daily basis were friendly, warm and eager to share knowledge of their culture to anyone who took the time to listen.  

The Auditorium Theatre holds a very special place in my heart. Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago and passionate about dance, I would always have to make the trip to the city to get my fix of professional performances. In the “nosebleeds” of this theater is where I first experienced performances by the Joffery Ballet, The Bolshoi, The Eifman Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.  From the first time I sat in the audience I was hooked. Anytime one of these companies came to Chicago it was an event for my dance friends and me. My mother and teacher would coordinate a trip for our studio, we all dressed in our best clothes (usually adorned with sparkles), chipped in a few dollars weeks before and rented a limo to take us to see the ballet! I remember my friends and I saving money leading up to the trip so at intermission we could buy some soda and candy at concessions and stand around discussing what we had just witnessed. It was all very sophisticated.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Sarah Daley,
Megan Jakel and Rachael McLaren in Ohad Naharin's Minus 16.
Photo by Paul Kolnik

After the performances we would make a mad dash to the alley behind the theater to catch the dancers on their way out and beg with our best puppy dog eyes for their signatures. I still have a program from an Ailey performance in 2002 signed by some of the people I now call coworkers and friends. That still amazes me.

Having the chance to return to this theater, as a company member now, is surreal to me. I happened to be off on our opening night this year and was able to watch the performance from the house, something I haven't done since high school. The weight of what that meant didn't escape me. Coming back to the theater that helped keep my love of concert dance alive, and beginning  a new relationship with it is very special. Chicago has such love for Ailey and I'm lucky that I get to be a part this annual reunion. 

Click HERE for tickets and information on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 2013 run at the Auditorium Theatre.

Sharing My Love of Ailey with Chicago

By Roderick K. Hawkins

I’ve had a longtime love affair with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. A little more than 20 years ago, this dynamic ensemble made its way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana—my home town—and performed on the campus of Southern University. I was a junior in high school at the time. Even though I was very much a typical teenager who devoted his attention to pursuing popularity, school activities, and socializing, witnessing the beauty of Alvin Ailey literally changed my life.

From the moment they took the stage, these striking, talented and spirited dancers held my attention. I never really fully appreciated the power for dance until I saw the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. I still can’t put into words how I felt when the company performed “Revelations.” What I did know was that, once the performance ended, I would have to see this ensemble again.

Fast forward to 2013 and, as I look around my house, there are elements of Ailey all around. Among my Ailey treasures are: program books from the last several years of Chicago engagements; a framed poster of Judith Jamison performing “Cry”; Alvin Ailey’s autobiography on my bookshelf; the music of “Revelations” on my iPod; and my annual Ailey tour refrigerator magnets in the kitchen. I think it’s safe to say that my house and my heart are truly Aileyfied.    

For the past few years I’ve had the pleasure of supporting the Auditorium Theatre ofRoosevelt University as an Ailey Ambassador—a member of a group of Chicagoans who are committed to building more audiences for Ailey’s Chicago run. This year is no exception. I’m always thrilled to help drive tickets sales and introduce new audiences to the group that is called the “cultural ambassador to the world.” I feel connected to the Ailey legacy when I reach out to my friends and colleagues and encourage them to support the performances.

From March 8-17 Chicago will be lifted by the dancing spirits that are the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. I am proud to be among that number and happy that so many people from in and around Chicago will join in welcoming the ensemble to our city. All of us who will attend have a connection to Ailey. For some it’s pure entertainment. For others it’s a celebration of beauty and technique. For me, it’s like welcoming a close member of the family for an extended stay. Alvin Ailey has always been an essential part of my quality of life and I am excited that they are, once again, back in Chicago.

Roderick K. Hawkins is the Vice President of External Affairs for the Chicago Urban League and is an Ailey Ambassador for the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.

Grace, Minus 16, and Revelations - Alvin Ailey Program C [videos]

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater visits the Auditorium Theatre for 10 performances, March 8-17, 2013. The company will bring several programs, each featuring different pieces from their repertoire.  Learn a bit about the pieces in Program C below!

For tickets and information, click HERE.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Chicago Program C

Grace***/Minus 16/Revelations
Wednesday, March 13 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, March 16 at 8:00 pm

***New Production

Grace (new production): Choreographed by Ronald K. Brown
One of the most popular works in the Ailey repertory, Ronald K. Brown’s spellbinding Grace is a fervent tour-de-force depicting individuals on a journey to the promised land.  Described by The New York Times as “astounding, something to be sensed as well as seen,” this spiritually-charged work is a rapturous blend of modern dance and West African idioms.  As in many of Brown’s works, the movement alternates fluidly between extremes, with eruptions of power coupled with lightness.  A serene solo for an angel-like figure in white gives way to fireball intensity as 12 dancers resembling urban warriors execute Brown’s whirling, pounding choreography, arms and legs slicing the air and fingers pointing to the sky.

Brown’s varied music choices closely reflect the heart of the work, with the spiritual grounding of Duke Ellington’s Come Sunday, the contemporary yet timeless house music vibe of Roy Davis’ “Gabriel,” and the West African and African-American traditions of Fela Kuti’s Afro-Pop beats.

Minus 16: Choreographed by Ohad Naharin
Featuring an eclectic score ranging from Dean Martin to mambo, techno to traditional Israeli music, Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16 uses improvisation and Naharin’s acclaimed “Gaga” method, a unique movement language that breaks down old habits, pushing the dancers to challenge themselves in new ways.  

The work is unique in the Ailey repertory for removing the barrier between performers and spectators, and inviting members of the audience onstage to become part of the dance. "Minus 16 not only delights in its own wackiness, but also celebrates the joy of dancing,” said the San Francisco Chronicle.

Having spectators join in brings an element of unpredictability and fun that makes each performance of Minus 16 delightfully different. Artistic Director Robert Battle recalled one performance when a woman lost her wig onstage. “When the dancer who was her partner whispered ‘I’m so sorry’ she said, ‘I’m 70 years old and having the time of my life.’”

Revelations: Choreographed by Alvin Ailey
Using African-American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues, Alvin Ailey’s Revelations fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.  More than just a popular dance work, it has become a cultural treasure, beloved by generations of fans.

Seeing Revelations for the first time or the hundredth can be a transcendent experience, with audiences cheering, singing along and dancing in their seats from the opening notes of the plaintive “I Been ’Buked” to the rousing “Wade in the Water” and the triumphant finale, “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.”

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre presents New Works in MUSIC+MOVEMENT FESTIVAL

By Wilfredo Rivera, Artistic Director of Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre (CRDT) redefines "performance ensemble" by fusing contemporary dance, live music and visual art onstage, creating multi-sensory excitement. The company will take you through an inspiring and moving landscape by exploring and celebrating the cultural diversity of contemporary American life.

Cerqua Rivera's MUSIC+MOVEMENT FESTIVAL performance features CRDT’s solo violinist and composer James Sanders, composer and vocalist Joe Cerqua, and music director Stu Greenspan.

The performance includes 10 dancers, 7 musicians and live visual work. CRDT will premiere two new pieces for the festival:

"Come to Light" features an original composition by Mr. Sanders and choreography by CRDT choreographer and soloist Raphaelle Ziemba.

“Lagrimas Negras” is inspired by the1929 composition by Miguel Matamoros and choreography by CRDT Artistic Director Wilfredo Rivera.

Other works being performed include:

The haunting excerpts from “Corner Sketches”- A tribute to Miles Davis (2009).

 “CAFÉ 1930” (2011) is CRDT’s abstract tribute to the evolution of the tango through the 20th century. Music composed by Astor Piazolla, with choreography by Rapahelle Ziemba.

“Dos Gardenias” (2008), a sensual, aching dance inspired by the Buena Vista Social Club’s rendition.

For further questions about the program you may contact Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre at:

crdtoffice@cerquarivera.org or call (312) 243-9310

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Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre with James Sanders, Stu Greenspan, and Joe Cerqua

MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL

Venue: Katten / Landau Studio
Dates: Saturday, March 2
Times: 7:30 pm
Price: $10 Adult - $5 Student

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre (CRDT) fuses contemporary dance, live music, and visual art onstage, creating a multisensory engagement focusing on different segments of society. CRDT will be accompanied by noted jazz violinist James Sanders, CRDT Musical Director Stu Greenspan, and Composer-in-Residence/vocalist Joe Cerqua.

Learn more about the MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL.

Seats may not be available at the door.


Box Office: 50 E. Congress Pkwy. | Phone: 800.982.ARTS (2787) 

To buy a pass by phone: call 312.341.2357.

From Before, Pas De Duke, Home, Revelations - Alvin Ailey Program B [video]

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater visits the Auditorium Theatre for 10 performances, March 8-17, 2013. The company will bring several programs, each featuring different pieces from their repertoire.  Learn a bit about the pieces in Program B below!

For tickets and information, click HERE.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Chicago Program B

From Before**, Pas de Duke/Home/Revelations
Saturday, March 9 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Friday, March 15 at 7:30 pm
** Company Premiere

From Before (Company Premiere): Choreographed byGarth Fagan
Mr. Fagan said of his work: “From Before was looking back at my origins in the West Indies and seeing how I could take away all the trimmings and the costumes of African or Caribbean dance and strip it right down to the bare bones.”  He attributed its popularity with audiences all across the world to “the fluidity of Caribbean dance, the polyrhythms of African, the precision of ballet and the strength and weight of modern dance.”

Pas de Duke: Choreographed by Alvin Ailey
Originally created as a showcase for Judith Jamison and Mikhail Baryshnikov, Pas de Duke is Alvin Ailey’s modern-dance translation of a classical pas de deux, celebrating the musical genius of Duke Ellington. Ailey’s choreography brilliantly captures the exuberance of the dancers’ star qualities and techniques as the duo mirror each other toe-to-toe and line-for-line in this playful, jazzy dance. The New York Times praised the work as “one of those special dances that lives in new ways with each new set of performers.”

Home: Choreographed by Rennie Harris
Home, returning to Auditorium Theatre again for the second year, is choreographed by bold hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris and is inspired by the stories of people living with or affected by HIV. Drawing upon poems and images submitted in 2011 to the Fight HIV Your Way contest, an initiative of Bristol-Myers Squibb, Harris created a compelling work that conveys both the chilling isolation and uplifting sense of community many experience.

Revelations: Choreographed by Alvin Ailey
Using African-American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues, Alvin Ailey’s Revelations fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.  More than just a popular dance work, it has become a cultural treasure, beloved by generations of fans. Seeing Revelations for the first time or the hundredth can be a transcendent experience, with audiences cheering, singing along and dancing in their seats from the opening notes of the plaintive “I Been ’Buked” to the rousing “Wade in the Water” and the triumphant finale, “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.”

Another Night, Strange Humors, Petite Mort, Revelations - Alvin Ailey Program A

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater visits the Auditorium Theatre for 10 performances, March 8-17, 2013. The company will bring 3 programs, each featuring different pieces from their repertoire.  Learn a bit about the pieces in Program A below! 

For tickets and information, click HERE.

Another Night*, Strange Humors**/Petite Mort**/Revelations 

Friday,March 8 at 7:30 pm

Sunday, March 10 at 3:00 pm
Thursday, March 14 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, March 16 at 2:00 pm

* Chicago Premiere
** Company Premiere


Another Night – Choreography by Kyle Abraham

Kyle Abraham, one of the most in-demand young choreographers today, presents a richly inventive contemporary jazz piece that showcases the artistry and versatility of the Ailey dancers.  Another Night was inspired by the legendary drummer Art Blakey’s interpretation of the jazz classic “A Night In Tunisia” by Dizzy Gillespie.

The New York Times exclaims, “Hurray to Robert Battle, now in his second year at the helm of this tradition-steeped institution, for seeking out new work from the young contemporary choreographer Kyle Abraham.”  Mr. Battle stated that “Kyle Abraham is someone I’ve known and watched for quite some time.  His work is provocative, with a diverse dance vocabulary that embodies a variety of traditions and styles.  It is the right time for him to create a new work on the dancers of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and I’m proud to be able to provide this platform for him.”

Although Another Night marks his first work for the main Company, Abraham first lent his creative voice to the Ailey organization in 2010 with The Corner, an acclaimed work commissioned by Ailey II that depicts urban social interactions through the use of contemporary and post-modern movement.


Strange Humors – Choreography by Robert Battle

Equal parts comedic and combative, Artistic Director Robert Battle’s Strange Humors is an eccentric, jocular display for two dancers.  Composer John Mackey, with whom Battle is a frequent collaborator, provides a fiery score propelled by elements of African hand drumming and Middle Eastern folk music.

Stationed far apart along a narrow shaft of light, the duo mirrors the building tension between Mackey’s string quartet and djembe with quirky spasms. They ultimately meet for an explosive confrontation of wits and prowess, as though “possessed by the force of feelings beyond their control” (The New York Times).


Petite Mort – Choreography by Jiří Kylián

Visual surprises abound in this tantalizing contemporary ballet, which blends a classical sensibility with a bold, modern wit.  The choreography includes six men, six women, and six fencing foils. The foils are, in many ways, the men's real dancing partners and sometimes turn out to be more stubborn and willful than a human partner.  Kylián also makes playful use of black baroque dresses, which seem to exist both separately from the dancers and molded to their bodies.

Czech native Jiří Kylián – “one of the most influential choreographers of the last thirty years” (New York Times) – originally created this piece for the 1991 Salzburg Festival, to mark the second centenary of the death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.   Kylián set his work to two of Mozart’s most popular Piano Concertos (Nos. 21 and 23), and the gorgeous slow movements of these Concertos serve as counterpoint to the onstage jousting and coupling.


Revelations – Choreography by Alvin Ailey

Using African-American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues, Alvin Ailey’s Revelations fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.  More than just a popular dance work, it has become a cultural treasure, beloved by generations of fans.SeeingRevelations for the first time or the hundredth can be a transcendent experience, with audiences cheering, singing along and dancing in their seats from the opening notes of the plaintive “I Been ’Buked” to the rousing “Wade in the Water” and the triumphant finale, “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.”

Ailey said that one of America’s richest treasures was the African-American cultural heritage —“sometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful.” This enduring classic is a tribute to that tradition, born out of the choreographer’s “blood memories” of his childhood in rural Texas and the Baptist Church. But since its premiere in 1960, the ballet has been performed continuously around the globe, transcending barriers of faith and nationality, and appealing to universal emotions, making it the most widely-seen modern dance work in the world.

MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL Announced!

The Auditorium Theatre’s MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL welcomes the best of Chicago musicians and dance companies for a celebration spanning February through June of 2013. In a series of collaborations, 11 dance companies will pair off with musicians to create brand new works. 

The MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL will feature: 

Feb - April: 10 new collaborations in the Auditorium's Katten/Landau Studio - 425 S. Wabash, 4th Floor | Chicago 
April 13: HAVANA BLUE, a World Premiere collaboration between River North Dance Chicago and Orbert Davis’ Chicago Jazz Philharmonic’s Chamber Ensemble 
May 15: MUSIC + MOVEMENT SHOWCASE featuring Giordano Dance Chicago and Luna Negra Dance Theater, plus the top 5 studio collaborations 

The MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL will continue with community performances through June in select locations around Chicago.


Chicago Tribune
Music + Movement Festival to bow at city's stages 
February 05, 2013|Howard Reich

A new festival celebrating music and dance will launch Feb. 28 under the auspices of the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University and run into June in venues downtown and across the city. 

The Music + Movement Festival will present 11 Chicago dance companies performing newly commissioned work with live music, some of it created for the occasion.

Two key events – by River North Dance Chicago with Orbert Davis' Chicago Jazz Philharmonic (April 13) and a Music + Movement Showcase with Giordano Dance Chicago and Luna Negra Dance Theater (May 15) – will unfold on the stage of the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Pkwy. The other performances will take place at the Auditorium’s Katten/Landau Studio (425 S. Wabash Ave., 4th floor) and in Chicago community centers to be named.

“This really came about because of a desire on the Auditorium’s part to work with a lot of great artists in Chicago that we normally wouldn’t be able to work with because of the costs,” said Auditorium Theatre executive director Brett Batterson.

“We thought: There are all these terrific musicians, all these terrific dance companies – could we raise enough money to put them together and see what happens?”

The Auditorium found support from the Chicago Community Trust, the Boeing Company and the Joyce Foundation for a festival budgeted at approximately $150,000, said Batterson. The River North/Chicago Jazz Philharmonic event, already announced as part of the Auditorium’s 2012-2013 season, is sponsored by BMO Harris Bank.

Read the entire article HERE

Chicago Sun Times
Auditorium Commissions 11 world premieres for festival

By Hedy Weiss and Thomas Conner Staff Reporters February 5, 2013

The Auditorium Theatre has announced a major new initiative, “The Music + Dance Festival,” a project designed to pair 11 of Chicago’s finest dance troupes with some of Chicago’s best live music makers. The festival, which will unspool over a five-month period (beginning this month and running through June), is being underwritten with $145,000 in grants from the Chicago Community Trust, The Boeing Company and The Joyce Foundation.

The festival will begin with 10 performances taking place in the Auditorium’s Katten/Landau Studio, 425 S. Wabash (4th floor), and will continue on the Auditorium Theatre stage, 50 E. Congress, with the highly anticipated April 13 collaboration between River North Dance Chicago and Orbert Davis’ Chicago Jazz Philharmonic in “Havana Blue,” and exploration of Afro-Cuban music and dance.

The Auditorium also will host a May 15 showcase featuring five selected performances from the festival as well as Giordano Dance Chicago and Luna Negra Dance Theater.

“This festival came out of a conversation [River North artistic director] Frank Chaves and I had when we were both part of the Miles Davis Festival at the Auditorium,” Orbert Davis, co-founder and conductor of the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, said Tuesday. “We talked about what we could do, something bigger, that blended music and movement. Then he mentioned that his family was from Cuba.”

Davis and Chaves spent nine days in Cuba in September. Davis, a trumpeter, was transformed: “I became truly inspired. My goal was to become Cuban, which meant taking my horn to every restaurant. Guys in the street, I was playing with them. Guys in a band would see I had an instrument and say, ‘Come on over and play!’”

The result is the new “Havana Blue,” one segment of which features both musicians and dancers improvising.

Read the entire article HERE

Coming Full Circle At The Auditorium

By Catherine L. Tully

The Auditorium.

I have literally grown up with this building in my life, and my journey in dance would not have been the same without it.

When I was a little girl, my mom used to take me to see performances there. We’d sit way up in the gallery seats, bringing our pop-up opera glasses to see the dancers on stage a little bit better. I can recall watching many a ballet from there, and at that height you notice a lot about the patterns! This was the also the stage where I saw Nureyev perform—one of the most amazing things any dancer could ever hope to see.

After studying at Chicago City Ballet School for a number of years in my teens, I was invited to perform Balanchine’s Four Temperaments with the company on stage at the Auditorium. I was thrilled—and terrified. This was not like being a child in The Nutcracker where you are on stage with fancy clothes and big set pieces among a sea of others. This ballet left you nowhere to hide. Only a handful of dancers were on stage at one time, costumes basically consisted of a leotard and tights, and the choreography was challenging—so my first time on this tremendous stage came coupled with a lot of pressure.

Nureyev’s autograph on an Auditorium program! 

I can still recall the thrill of it—dancing something from my favorite choreographer—on my favorite stage. Frightened as I was to be out there, it was exhilarating as well. As I looked out into the darkness at the end of the performance, I thought briefly about how odd it was that I was now on the other side of things—no longer a spectator. It was truly something I never could have imagined when I attended all those years before with my mom.

Fast-forward to the present day in my current role as editor/owner of 4dancers.org, a blog for dancers on the web, and once again the Auditorium plays a central part in my life. Things have come full-circle—I have returned to the audience—but this time in yet a different role. Now I attend to review companies such as the Joffrey Ballet and to help sponsor and support wonderful events like Dance for Life Chicago. It’s funny how things have a way of working out in a way that you never could have anticipated, isn’t it?

I took my niece to see Joffrey’s Nutcracker for the very first time in December, and I watched as her eyes opened wide with wonder as we walked into the theater to find our seats, soaking in all of the gold and grandeur. It took me back to those days with my mom, and I remembered how it felt to see that theatre through the eyes of a child.

As I think about all of the good times that I’ve had at the Auditorium I can’t choose just one moment to highlight, but I can say this—experience has taught me that it’s likely there are many more to come.

And I look forward to them all.

Catherine L. Tully is the owner/editor of 4dancers.org, a blog for dancers, dance teachers and those who love dance. She serves as the Outside Europe Representative for the National Dance Teachers Association in the UK and has over 40 years of experience in dance as an instructor, educator, performer and writer.