Illinois Native Michael J. Novak – Dancer for Paul Taylor Dance Company

Being a dancer in the Paul Taylor Dance Company, I am so very blessed to travel the world doing what I love. I will soon be entering my fifth year with this organization and I have traveled to 64 cities and 6 countries.  But in all those travels no city can compare to the city where I grew up: Chicago. 

Now, in truth I was raised in the northwest suburbs, first living in Elk Grove Village and eventually in Rolling Meadows where I spent most of my childhood.  When I was growing up, “going downtown” meant an adventure, usually because it was saved for special occasions: holidays with the grandparents; seeing the Christmas windows at Marshall Field’s; or day-trips to the museums.

Funny enough, the Auditorium Theatre holds a very special place in my heart. When I was about nine, my parents took me to see my first Broadway musical - "The Phantom of the Opera" – at, of all places, the Auditorium Theatre.  We sat very close to the stage that night, and, being so young and impressionable, I was taken away by how such a fantastical world felt so real and accessible.  I don’t think I knew that I wanted to be a performer that night.  But I knew I never wanted that experience the end.

As I grew older I eventually started taking dance classes at the Bonnie Lindholm School of the Dance in Palatine, IL.  Chicago, however, stayed in the periphery as every year our dance troupe went downtown during Thanksgiving to perform for the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. The temperatures were usually frigid, but dancing downtown, especially along Michigan Ave for the Tree-Lighting Parade, is a very special memory for me. There was something about the magic of Christmas in the city (not to mention the magic of dancing alongside Mickey Mouse and Goofey) that made me so happy.  It was literally the stuff dreams are made of.

When I started attending William Fremd High School, the Drama Department became my home away from home.  I loved doing theater, but dance – true dance – started to become a calling for me, and I started to shift my focus to my dancing. Once I was old enough I would ride the train downtown to take the professional classes at Lou Conte Dance Studio. Of course, I had no clue what I was doing in those advanced classes. Honestly, I would just stare at the Hubbard Street company members. I remember being so distracted by their brilliance I never actually learned the combinations in class. Afterwards, I would spend the rest of the day downtown: always stopping by The Palmer House Hilton then walking to the Art Institute, north along Michigan Ave to Water Tower Place and spend the late afternoon at the Ohio Street Beach.

A lot has happened since those long days strolling downtown as an aspiring dancer. There have been many adventures, injuries, unexpected surprises, and struggles...lots and lots of struggles. It took almost ten years for me to find a dance company where I felt home, but the search was not in vain.  At the age of 27, I was asked to join the one and only company I yearned to dance for: the Paul Taylor Dance Company.

What is it about Paul Taylor’s company? Well, the repertory is remarkably vast; it’s emotionally sophisticated, and it can be as dark and disturbing as it is glorious. Then there are the dancers.  No one can dance like Taylor dancers dance. They understand the beauty and thrill of a simple walk, run, fall, and jump, and they execute them with a reckless abandon that is truly spectacular.  To dance among those accomplished artists and find myself grow with them is truly a dream come true. And to work with a master like Paul Taylor in the studio? Well, it's life changing, honestly.

I have not performed in Chicago since 2001, and to be returning as a member of the Paul Taylor Dance Company... to be dancing at the Auditorium Theatre... and to be staying at the Palmer House downtown? It's going to be a surreal experience!  I'm looking so forward to showing my friends and family what I've been doing for the past 13 years, that it's been worth it, and that Paul Taylor's company is where I am home. But I think deep down there's something else I'm looking forward to: walking around the city as a critically acclaimed dancer of one the world's best dance companies and saying, "Remember me Chicago? Well, I’m proud to say I finally made it."

Michael J. Novak performs with Paul Taylor Dance Company at the Auditorium on May 17 – 18. Visit the website for tickets and information.

Dancing in Chicago - Thodos Dance Chicago's Tenley Dorrill

The Auditorium Theatre is so thrilled to bring a collection of Chicago dance professionals together for the week of June 23 – 28 to teach our first annual “Made In Chicago” Dance Intensive, a week long summer camp for dancers age 10+ with at least two years of dance experience. We kick off our “Made In Chicago” Dance Intensive blog series with a peek at Thodos Dance Chicago’s teaching artist, Tenley Dorrill!

Dancing in Chicago:  As a senior in college I feared graduating without an answer to the question everyone was asking, "What are you doing after graduation?" I knew of many dance companies that I would love to be a part of, but I wasn't sure where to audition. I had attended Hubbard Street's dance intensive the summer before and had heard of Thodos Dance Chicago. After a few months of researching I came back to the company and discovered how well it matched what I wanted. Located in the city of Chicago, I knew that I would have the opportunity to take open class, teach dance, and be a part of a large dance community. Thodos stated that they valued dancers who were also choreographers, and they offered their own unique outlet for dancers to create, teach, and perform. The audition was intense with four cuts narrowing the group to four people (three of whom are now company members).  Melissa Thodos asked those auditioning to perform a self-choreographed solo then sit for an interview. The interview questions were very thoughtful and I could tell that they knew what they were looking for, which is something I respect. I was given an offer to be a "dancer apprentice" in the company. I was thrilled! I knew how lucky I was to have the opportunity to live and dance with such a great company in this wonderful city.

I began to prepare for life in Chicago by finding two roommates from Craig's List and applying to teaching positions. I applied all over the city and only heard back from a handful. I accepted jobs at Thodos's youth program, North Suburban School of Dance, and Chicago Contemporary Dance Theater.  Thodos started in August and I don't think we ever stopped until our Harris show in March! Learning so many dances in such a short time proved to be a great challenge. In many of the dances I was the only person who had not performed the piece, and I needed to learn extremely fast. At SMU we had many performances but usually focused on only a few dances during a semester. At Thodos, the company was working on over ten concert works, two story ballets, and two educational shows over the course of a few months. The pressure was great but I had the most wonderful season working with the incredibly talented company members and leaders who constantly inspired and encouraged me every day. 

Thodos threw me into many parts that challenged me in new ways. The most significant was the role of Helen Keller in "A Light in the Dark." Only after my first performance did I believe I could embody this complex character. The story is very emotional with highs and lows shifting moment by moment. I got some great advice about portraying Helen from one of the members of Thodos, Natalee Cooney, who has a BFA in Theater from NYU. She told me to always think about what Helen wants. Does she want love and comfort when she thrashes in anger? Does she want to find truth when she feels her teachers’ hands? This completely changed the way I approached the emotional range of Helen. Instead of thinking, "Ok, this is when I'm supposed to be happy" I thought about why Helen would be happy. This feedback from Natalee has also influenced the way I want to perform in other non-character driven pieces. Every piece has a tone or persona to convey. I want to always pursue honesty on stage and asking why I, the dancer, want to move in a certain way. I hope to find more integrity and transparency in my performance by constantly asking myself, “What do I want for this piece?” Once this question is answered, I understand where my purpose is and how I can give myself to the roll in an authentic way.  

My greatest challenge in the transition to professional life is finding joy and satisfaction in everything I do as a student, teacher, and performer.  Dance is almost like a truth serum in that the observer can always tell your intention.  Dancers are always on display and the constant criticism can cause damaging effects to an artist's confidence.  Throughout this year, I have at times felt lost in knowing my purpose as a dancer and teacher.  The thing that gets me out of this funk is shifting my mindset from focusing on my own needs and instead working for the greater good of others.  One of my favorite quotes is by Lewis Carroll, “One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others.” Great art and satisfaction comes from the act of giving and not taking. Dancers are, in some ways, naturally inclined to take and be selfish artists.  We take instruction and criticize its impact, we take choreography and judge its value, we take the stage from others through our desire to be seen.  This result is emptiness because dance is a fleeting fulfillment. If we constantly seek to give ourselves to this craft through a strong presence in class, a positive and engaged response to the choreographer, an active connector to fellow performers, we can feel more fulfilled and less selfish in our art. The career of a dancer is never stable or consistent.  The task must be to find consistency in an understanding of your reason to pursue dance.  

It is so important to keep reminding yourself why you dance and why you can meet the demands of performing professionally. We are constantly seeking approval from others and will rarely get the feedback we want to hear. Instead of seeking acceptance from others, seek to find satisfaction in the moment. Find what encourages you every day whether it is helping others or creating art.  Whenever I begin to doubt myself in a rehearsal I often imagine that my close college friends are in the room and supporting me. It takes me back to my safe place at the SMU dance facility where I felt comfortable to do anything. I am seeking to find comfort in this new home. A dancer always needs to be improving and learning from others, while also maintaining our integrity to what makes us unique. 

For more information or registration for our “Made In Chicago” Dance Intensive, click here or contact Katie Brown at kbrown@audiotirumtheatre.org or Kristen Smiley at ksmiley01@auditoriumtheatre.org.

Night Creature, Pas de Duke, The River, Revelations - Alvin Ailey Chicago Program C

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater visits the Auditorium Theatre for 10 performances, February 28 -March 9, 2014. The company will bring three programs, each featuring different pieces from their repertoire. Learn about the pieces in Program C below!

For tickets and information, click HERE.

Night Creature/ Pas de Duke / The River / Revelations
Running time: approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes
Wednesday, Mar 5 at 7:30PM
Saturday, Mar 8 at 2PM

Night Creature - Choreography by Alvin Ailey

Alvin Ailey’s Night Creature is a bubbly champagne cocktail of a dance, a perfect fusion of Ailey’s buoyant choreography and Duke Ellington’s sparkling music.  At once wistful and sassy, it beckons viewers into a nocturnal world populated by jazz babies and night owls.

Photo by Gert Krautbauer

Ellington said that “night creatures, unlike stars, do not come OUT at night­– they come ON, each thinking that, before the night is out, he or she will be the star.” This large ensemble work is full of such stars — strutting, leaping and slinking through a variety of dance idioms as they flaunt and flirt with each other and the audience. They hold their hands like paws, as if they’re cats on the prowl, then slide seamlessly into balletic allegro jumps, Martha Graham-like contractions and Lester Horton layouts. It’s the definitive dance homage to the exuberance of The Duke’s sophisticated symphonic work.

Pas De Duke - Choreography by Alvin Ailey


Alvin Ailey's PAS DE DUKE from Alvin Ailey on Vimeo.

Pas de Duke is Alvin Ailey’s spirited modern dance translation of a classical pas de deux, originally created in 1976 as a showcase for Judith Jamison and Mikhail Baryshnikov. She was a reigning star of modern dance; he was one of the world’s most famous ballet dancers, having defected from the Soviet Union two years earlier. Ailey made brilliant use of the dancers’ physical and stylistic differences, crafting an elegant, flirtatious work that showed off their exuberance and virtuosity as they engaged in a playful game of one-upmanship.  

The work is comprised of five solos and duets that require extraordinary technical facility, flawless timing, and strong acting skills. Since its premiere nearly 40 years ago, it has been performed by generations of dancers who have each put their own unique twist on the choreography, and it has stood the test of time in part for how perfectly it captures the timeless sophistication of Duke Ellington's jazz music.  The New York Times has praised it as “one of those special dances that lives in new ways with each new set of performers.”

The River - Choreography by Alvin Ailey


Alvin Ailey's THE RIVER from Alvin Ailey on Vimeo.

By turns muscular and lyrical, The River is a sweeping full-company work that suggests tumbling rapids and meandering streams on a journey to the sea. Ailey’s allegory of birth, life and rebirth abounds with water references, from the spinning “Vortex” solo to the romantic “Lake” duet, and from the powerful “Falls” quartet to the joyful “Giggling Rapids.” The choreography demonstrates Ailey’s admiration for classical ballet, but retains the modern and jazz influences found in all his work. “The River shows Mr. Ailey at his inventive best,” declared The New York Times.

The grandeur of the dancing is matched by the music, which was Duke Ellington’s first symphonic score written for dance. Ailey and Ellington collaborated closely on the piece.

This new production has been restaged by Associate Artistic Director Masazumi Chaya, the foremost living expert on Ailey’s repertory. He believes that the ballet feels fresh each time around because “each audience member can make a story of their own from The River. Alvin was very clever; he created something that can be applied to one’s entire life — birth, a relationship with a child, or even one’s impression of a flower. It is what the audience makes of it. It is what it means to the individual.”

Revelations – Choreography by Alvin Ailey

Alvin Ailey's REVELATIONS from Alvin Ailey on Vimeo.

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.”

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.

Journey to Bodhgaya - Cloud Gate Artistic Director & Founder Lin Hwai-min

By Lin Hwai-min

 

Lin Hwai-min photo by Liu Chen-hsiang

I do not know when the name Bodhgaya first entered my mind. For a few years I wanted to go there badly, even if I didn't know what I would do once I got there. I only knew it was in Bodhgaya that Buddha attained his enlightenment under a bodhi tree. In the summer of 1994, when I finally had a few free days, I hurriedly booked an air ticket. Still I did not know why I had set my mind on going.

Bodhgaya was a village with only a muddy track for access. Little shops and open-air stalls gathered around the compound of Mahabodhi Temple to form a market. Constructed in the sixth century, the Mahabodhi stupa, a stone structure, was 50 meters tall. Standing in the temple courtyard, it ascended towards the blue sky. To the back of the stupa stood a bodhi tree, a fourth generation descendent in 2,500 years; its trunk spreading into infinity, and its leaves and branches shielding over mortal souls. The Diamond Seat of Buddha sat beneath the tree; a fence had been set up around it. Monks and pilgrims of different nationalities sat on the ground outside the fence. Under the guidance of the monks, the pilgrims chanted Buddhist scriptures. Between the rising and falling of the chanting, one could hear birds twittering from near and afar.

In the afternoon I would sit on the banks of the Neranjra River outside of the Temple compound and stare blankly at it. The water was muddy and seemed motionless. From time to time, a big bubble would break out and pop, to remind one of the turbulent life coursing underneath the smooth surface of the river.

I suppose that the Neranjra river which Buddha saw would have been flowing in much the same way. It was in the grove of trees on the opposite shore that Prince Siddhartha engaged in six years of ascetic practice on a daily diet of sesame seeds and a grain of wheat, at last reducing himself to skin-and-bones before realizing that this consuming desire to be enlightened was the biggest obstacle to his enlightenment.

So Prince Siddhartha accepted the offerings of a village maiden. He crossed the river to take his place in the diamond seat that destiny had prepared for him.

I stood on the river bank and marveled at Buddha's determination to cross the river.

To turn away from the world and become self-reliant, to live the life of a hermit and practice asceticism, is completion of the self. To receive, to accept another person's bodily warmth was for Buddha, at the moment of receiving, a return to the world of birth, old age, illness and death. Having crossed the river himself, Buddha would now guide humanity to cross it.

The Agama Scripture tells us that, at the time of his nirvana, Buddha did not, as popular Buddhist mythology would have us believe, take leave of the world easily. He summoned his beloved disciple, Ananda, to give him detailed instructions on his cremation and the construction of the stupa. It was too much for Ananda to bear, and he ran into the woods to cry. Buddha heard him crying and called him back to his side and comforted him. There is infinite beauty within the beauty of nirvana – the reluctance to leave, and the reluctance to let go.

On the bank of the Neranjra River, I realized for the first time in my life that Buddha was an ordinary mortal who also endured human confusion and struggle. Out of his compassion, he practiced asceticism and meditation, and pointed out to us the path of salvation. I felt warmth and was filled with love and admiration for Buddha.

I sat quietly under the bodhi tree, shoulder to shoulder with the monks. I opened my eyes, and saw sunlight coming from the top of the stupa through the branches to land directly on my forehead. My heart became full of joy; I felt a quietude that I had never experienced.

Back in Taipei, I often remembered the cool bodhi tree, and the Neranjra River that ran quietly through time. Every day the dancers of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan meditated. I created Songs of the Wanderers with great ease, a work about practicing asceticism, the river's mildness, and the quest for quietude.

As I review this piece of work from 1994, it feels as though I am studying an entry in my diary. The memory of the journey to Budhgaya causes my heart to be overcome with joy, which I hope can be shared with the audience of Songs of the Wanderers.

For tickets and information on Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan - Songs of the Wanderers, visit the Auditorium Theatre website.

LIFT, D-Man in the Waters, Revelations - Alvin Ailey Chicago Program B

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater visits the Auditorium Theatre for 10 performances, February 28 -March 9, 2014. The company will bring three programs, each featuring different pieces from their repertoire. Learn about the pieces in Program B below!

For tickets and information, click HERE.

Win tickets to see Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater by entering our Facebook Contest or our Pinterest Contest.

LIFT* / D-Man in the Waters** / Revelations
Running time: approximately 1 hour and 55 minutes
Saturday, Mar 1 at 2PM
Saturday, Mar 1 at 8PM
Friday, Mar 7 at 7:30PM
Sunday, Mar 9 at 3PM 
* Chicago Premiere
** Company Premiere

Lift - Choreography by Aszure Barton


The Making of Aszure Barton's LIFT from Alvin Ailey on Vimeo.

This propulsive world premiere by in-demand choreographer Aszure Barton accentuates the vitality and physical prowess of the Ailey company. Driven by the dancers’ passion, skill and collective power, the work was created over a 5-week developmental process with the entire Company. The percussive score, composed by Curtis Macdonald, is infused with the infectious energy and heart that she observed in her initial encounters with the Ailey dancers.

Barton’s exhilarating new work, her first commission for Ailey, celebrates and challenges the dancers with its markedly intricate rhythmic patterns and mercurial structure. A much sought-after dance maker whose choreography ranges from Baryshnikov to Broadway, Barton has a style that is “vulnerable and feisty, brightly adept yet peculiar, witty and impetuously wild” (Dancemagazine).

“LIFT embodies an atmosphere and energy created by our time spent together in collaboration. I feel very welcomed by the Ailey family and am honored to be working with such a wonderful group of artists. "
- Aszure Barton

D-Man in the Waters - Choreography by Bill T. Jones


Bill T. Jones' D-MAN IN THE WATERS (PART I) from Alvin Ailey on Vimeo.

In this exhilarating work by Kennedy Center Honoree, MacArthur Grant awardee and Tony Award-winner Bill T. Jones (Fela!, Spring Awakening), rigorous formalism and musicality embody resilience and triumph over loss. The piece captures the infectious energy, innocence and will to survive of a beleaguered generation, and though it deals with sorrow, it maintains a defiantly celebratory tone.

Felix Mendelssohn’s soaring Octet for Strings propels the non-stop momentum, sending the dancers hurling across the stage in a whirlwind of leaps, rolls, and slides. Jones has said that the fact that Mendelssohn was just 16 years old when he composed the work resonated strongly with him. “This piece was created when we were dealing with a lot of death,” he said. “So creating this work was for us a way of dealing with grief, by finding the joy in the music this 16-year-old boy created.”

Jones’ tour-de-force was awarded a New York Dance and Performance (“Bessie”) Award and is praised for being one of the finest examples of the post-modern dance aesthetic. The New York Times called it “a stylish, impassioned outpouring of movement.”

“In a dream you saw a way to survive and you were full of joy.”
– conceptual artist Jenny Holzer

Revelations – Choreography by Alvin Ailey


Alvin Ailey's REVELATIONS from Alvin Ailey on Vimeo.

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.”

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.

Tweet to Win Tickets @AuditoriumCHGO

Enter to win a pair of tickets to your favorite show during our 13/14 Season! To enter, tweet and complete the phrase below. Click the link next to your favorite show for a pre-made customizable tweet! The most creative tweet that represents or promotes the event best will win.

“If I won tix to <event name> @AuditoriumCHGO, <fill in the blank>. #theaud”

Performances in the 13/14 Season include:

·      Hungarian State Folk Ensemble, November 22 [Tweet]

·      Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah, January 18-19 [Tweet]

·      Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, February 28 – March 9 [Tweet]

·      Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan Songs of the Wanderers, March 14-16 [Tweet]

·      Houston Ballet Aladdin, March 22-23 [Tweet]

·      Chick Corea and Béla Fleck, April 5 [Tweet]

·      River North Dance Chicago, April 12 [Tweet]

·      The Idan Raichel Project, May 15 [Tweet]

·      The Paul Taylor Dance Company, May 17-18 [Tweet]

Contest Rules: Only public tweets will be counted as entries. Enter as many times as you like for more chances to win!

One winner will be selected for each event  and contacted via Twitter on November 15. The most creative tweet that represents/promotes the event will win.

Living my Childhood Dream with Ballet West

By Tom Mattingly, Ballet West Dancer

I grew up in Ridgecrest, CA.  It's a small town that the billboard on highway 395 states is "the gateway to Death Valley." It was mostly sand and tumbleweeds.  The tallest building in town was around three stories high.  My father was a teacher and my mother an artist. From an early age I loved dancing to music. Fred Astaire and Kurt Browning were my idols (Michelle Kwan too). At four years old I was a regular at dance school. Sierra Academy of Dance was a small studio, usually hovering around 55 students total, with just one boy – me. 

Joffrey Nutcracker tour to California.
Photo by Mark Goldweber

When I was eight or nine I learned about the Joffrey Ballet and what it meant to be a professional dancer. I had no idea that dance could be a career until then, and I knew instantly that that was what I wanted to do. When I was 11 I auditioned for the Joffrey's tour of "The Nutcracker" at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. I made the cuts and became “Party Boy 4.” We had to learn the choreography quickly, stay in line and hope that our props (mine was a wheeled toy bear on a string) had no snafus. A man named Mark Goldweber was my rehearsal master and another (very tall) man named Adam Sklute was my Drosselmeyer. Move ahead 10 years and I've been offered a corps de ballet job with Ballet West by artistic director Adam Sklute and ballet master Mark Goldweber. When I told Mark that I was a Party Boy years ago his eyes lit up, and he excitedly said "I remember you! You had a little bowl cut and just learned how to shimmy!" The next day he came to work with a photo to prove it. It was me without any doubt. 

I've been to Chicago with Ballet West once before. We were performing Jiri Kylian's "Sinfonietta" as a part of the Chicago Dancing Festival. I was the traveling understudy. While it was great to visit Chicago with a light schedule, I was sad to not be dancing with the rest of the company. Adam promised me that next time we came to Chicago I'd be on stage. He made true on his promise and I am going to be one busy guy this week! I'll be dancing both casts of Prince Floristan in "Sleeping Beauty". It's a classical pas de trois with an incredibly demanding "Speedy Gonzales" type variation in the middle. Mark choreographed this on me when we premiered "Sleeping Beauty" in Salt Lake in 2011.  In the Gala performance I'll be featured in Nicolo Fonte's "Presto" and Val Caniparoli's "The Lottery." Fellow BW dancer Katie Critchlow and worked with Val to create the solo in "The Lottery" last fall. Neither of us has pulled the lot yet but I'm dying (pun) to choose the marked ballot this weekend. "Presto" is not only a Chicago premiere but a world premiere that Nicolo made in August. I'm in the unique position of exclusively performing choreography that has been made especially for me – it almost puts me in a comfort zone. 

Performing at the Auditorium Theatre is special for another reason as well. In May I had surgery to remove four bone spurs and a mass of scar tissue from my right ankle. These performances in Chicago will be my first with Ballet West since April. A tour of this nature might seem like an awful lot of pressure, but I couldn't be happier. I came from a small desert town and now I'm living my childhood dream and even getting paid to do it.  I'm dancing roles made especially for me by choreographers that I love and admire. I can't wait to take on this challenge and to have a few thousand people loudly smack their hands together when I'm done. 

Hopefully Mark will look down and smack his hands too. 

---- 

For tickets and information please click HERE.

Hello Chicago! Wonderful to see you again! [By Ballet West Dancer Jamie Hickey]

By Jamie Hickey, Ballet West Dancer

Hello Chicago! It is so wonderful to see you again!

What can I say? Being back in this incredible city and performing at the Auditorium Theatre again is flooding me with so many emotions.

I moved to Chicago in 2009 to join Yhe Joffrey Ballet. As most of you know, the Auditorium is The Joffrey’s home theatre. I had grown so comfortable in this space and so in love with it. There is a vast amount of beauty and intricacy in the architecture of the theatre and when you step out on that stage it brings the energy of the performance to the next level. I had many career milestones right on this very stage from my very first real company performance to my very first solo role and pas de deux. These moments will forever be in my heart.

When I accepted the offer from Ballet West to perform in their production of The Sleeping Beauty this season, which would include a tour to Chicago, I could not turn it down. As much as I wanted to find a new company to dance with, it was certainly hard to leave the Auditorium Theatre and all of the memories I have made there. Now I get to make another memory right here on the Auditorium stage. I am beginning a new chapter and tomorrow night I will have my first performance with Ballet West.

Ballet West has been so welcoming to me since I joined just one month ago.  They are a company of beautiful artists who are inspiring me each day I am with them.

When I arrived back at the theatre a few days ago to begin rehearsals, I was giddy. Walking through the alley to get to the stage door, it felt like I was coming home. I have to admit, I get a kick out of everyone who is trying to figure out their way around all of the yellow doors separating the dressing room hallways and am glad I know my way.   Haha.  It was also comforting to see some familiar faces among the stage crew and wardrobe staff, who all welcomed me back with open arms.

So tomorrow night I will make my return to the Auditorium Stage as one of Aurora’s Friends, a member of the Hunting Party, and a Nymph. I do have some butterflies to perform again for my friends and supporters of the ballet who I know well, but I can’t wait to get out on that Auditorium stage and perform. 

Chicago, I hope you enjoy this weekend with Ballet West!

For tickets and information please click HERE.

Growing Up with Ballet West [of "Breaking Pointe"]

By: Michele Holzman

Director, Northwest Ballet Academy

I am very excited to see Ballet West perform at the Auditorium Theater this fall. I grew up in Salt Lake City and feel a special kinship with Ballet West. I am bringing 60 people from my studio to the performance in order to share the experience.  Many people in Chicago would have no way of knowing the high quality of this ballet company unless they have been watching Breaking Pointe on television. 

Salt Lake City is a very unusual city.  Amidst the Rocky Mountains,  and less than 1/10 the size of Chicagoland , Salt Lake has an extremely strong arts community. The city has 3 modern dance companies of excellent repute, a fine symphony orchestra (The Utah Symphony), Ballet West, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the University of Utah, which has one of the best university ballet programs in the country. After establishing the San Francisco Ballet with his brothers Harold & Lew, Willam Christensen came to Salt Lake and began the University Ballet program in 1951.  Other universities had modern dance programs , but not a program for ballet dancers. He then went on to create  the Utah Civic Ballet which then became Ballet West in 1963. Bill Christensen was the first to stage  the full length Coppelia, Swan Lake and Nutcracker in the United States. 

When I was growing up in Salt Lake, one of the most exciting times of the year was the Nutcracker auditions. Children from Salt Lake area and even as far as Ogden came to audition. There were many strong ballet schools so the competition was fierce to be selected.  We used to do 24 performances of Nutcracker between Christmas and New Years, traveling  to Ogden, Logan, and Provo for additional performances. 

When I reached the university ballet department,  I was able to study with Bill Christensen, or Mr. C as we called him, and many other marvelous faculty members. Bill had an energy and charisma that made class fun and a drive for perfection that made us all better dancers. He has left a wonderful legacy of dance at the University and with Ballet West.  Ballet West now draws superb dancers from all over the country.  Under the leadership of Adam Sklute, the company is becoming even stronger. Last February I saw the Ballet West production of Cinderella in Salt Lake, and it was exquisite: beautiful ballet technique, amazing costumes and sets and excellent interpretation of the roles by the dancers. I would recommend that everyone take the opportunity to see this gem of a company at the Auditorium Theatre (October 4-6).

Click here for tickets and information.

Ensemble Español's Bolero - 20th Anniversary Celebration

Ensemble Español will perform Bolero as part of the 2013 Chicago Dancing Festival on August 22. Additional information can be found on the Auditorium Theatre website.

Considered Maurice Ravel's most popular work, the Bolero premiered in Paris in 1929. That same year the great conductor, Arturo Toscanini introduced Bolero to the U.S.  Ravel was a great admirer of the Spanish composer, Isaác Albéniz who described his work as "orchestral tissue without music." Bolero consists of a theme and a rhythmic pattern which have permanently impressed themselves on the world's musical consciousness. The Bolero was originally written for ballerina, Ida Rubinstein (Bronislava Nijinska was the choreographer). She presented it as a solitary dancer in an empty café dancing alone until she was joined by one partner, then other couples until the room was a swirling mass. The ballet was a success and the music a sensation. This work is dedicated to the memory of Irving B. Dobkin, long-time officer of the Board of Directors and friend of the Ensemble Español.



Since its creation, Ensemble Español’s Bolero has graced some of the greatest landmark theaters in the world to well over one million audience members and been featured in two documentaries; Dance for Life: 20th Anniversary Documentary in 2010 (winner of two Emmy awards for best documentary and best director –Scott Silberstein of HMS media) and Sobre Las Olas del Mar: A story of Flamenco in the U.S. 2013 by director, Carolina Loyola Garcia. Dame Libby’s Bolero has also been featured on ABC television, Public Television and on Dean Richards, WGN Radio and Television and international media in China, Puerto Rico and Poland.

Internationally Dame Libby’s Bolero has been performed in Puerto Rico, Poland, China and in the U.S. for the St. Louis Dance Festival in 2010, 2011, 2013 to a roaring record breaking 12 standing ovation curtain calls. The Ensemble will present Bolero on August 22 & 24, 2013 in a Chicago historic double header at the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University and on the Pritzker Pavillion stage in Millennium Park as part of this years Chicago Dancing Festival.

BOLERO REVIEWS:

"...Bolero a huge success…3,000 people over three performances...so many standing ovations that if the curtain had not finally dropped the audience would still be applauding."
Michael Uthoff, Artistic and Executive Director, Dance St. Louis Festival

“This world-class company and its roster of guest artists never ceases to bedazzle its audiences with the variety, precision, beauty and heat of its performances...knocked it out of the park with Bolero…most phenomenal piece…extraordinary.”
Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times / Auditorium Theater, Chicago

“Savvy stagecraft…set to Maurice Ravel’s famously escalating composition…sensuous choreography.” Laura Molzahn, DanceMagazine / Harris Theater, Chicago as part of Global Rhythms

“Bolero…beautiful, full of expression and magic…the music, dance and images will surely inscribe themselves in the memory of the audience that gave it a standing ovation and demanded encore” 

Polski Theater, Warsaw, Poland in honor of Warsaw Universities 190th Anniversary

“Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theatre's bravura benefit debut--opened the show with gorgeous, swirling, red-drenched costumes and dynamite flamenco…there was a kind of dignity to the occasion, visible at the very outset when the crowd was hushed, as if spellbound, by the sheer glamour and spectacle of Ensemble Español's opening, holding back their huzzahs until Dame Libby Komaiko's incandescent take on "Bolero" had ended... exciting, sensual and breathtaking” 

Sid Smith, Chicago-Tribune as part of Dance for Life Benefit Concert at the Harris Theater, Chicago

“I get Goosebumps…absolute harmony…truly spectacular…highly, highly recommend…one of the spectacular performances of Dance for Life I have seen in it’s 20 year history…I cannot rave enough about Ensemble Español and Bolero”
Dean Richards, Entertainment Reporter, WGN Radio and Television, Chicago Harris Theater

The first Dance St. Louis program of the year was a stunner. The artistry and athleticism of the Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater lit up the Touhill Performing Arts Center this weekend with an exhilarating and colorful evening of Spanish Regional, Classical, and Flamenco music and dance. Think of it as a Spanish “Riverdance” but farther from Las Vegas and closer to its roots. The evening concluded with what has apparently become a signature piece for the company, a dazzling realization of Ravel’s “Boléro” accompanied by projected images of drawings and paintings by Picasso.”
Chuck Lavazzi, KDHX St. Louis / Touhill Center for the Performing Arts

Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater lives up to its name, beguiling the crowd with quicksilver choreography steeped in an atmosphere of romance. In doing so, the Chicago-based company transcends geographic boundaries to get to the essence of what dance is all about: emotion in motion. The evening culminated in "Bolero," set to the famously sensuous Ravel composition and choreographed by the company's founder, Dame Libby Komaiko. This was ensemble work at its most transcendent — not just a stage picture, but one bursting with life. 

Calvin Wilson, STL Today / Touhill Center for the Performing Arts

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.