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 

The Pieces and The People of the MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL SHOWCASE

After 10 original performances over three months, The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University has selected six Chicago dance companies to perform on the landmark stage for the MUSIC + MOVEMENT SHOWCASE. Learn about the companies and the pieces they will be performing below!

MEXICAN DANCE ENSEMBLE

WITH LOS CONDENADOS HUASTECOS

En la huasteca

Choreography: Samuel Cortez

Music: Los Condenados Huastecos

Dancers

Carmen Gallardo, Nina Sandoval, Maira Jimenez, Mirella Borjon, Yesenia Alvarez, Beatriz Leyva, Maricela Gallegos, Liz Ledezma, Edgar Medrano, Gustavo Martinez, Eduardo Cortez, Anthony Ledezma, Ezequiel Flores, Rickey Ledezma, Angel Ledezma, Isidro Padilla, Nayeli Villagomez, David Carrillo, Teresa Perez, Betsy Corral, Blanca Acevedo, Natalia Cardenas, Hector Briseño, Jose Enrique Vazquez, and Edgar Hernandez

The Huapango is a product of a sentiment manifested by music chords, lyrics, and a wooden platform resonating soft heel clicking, which symbolizes the Huasteca culture. The Huapango arose during the colonial period’s Spanish-influenced dances and popular lyrics; yet, it retained aspects of the mestizo and indigenous sectors and identifies itself as a regional culture. Based on different traditions from this region, MDE premiers “En la huasteca,” a set of huapangos, that take us to this land of beautiful music and tradition.

Created for the MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL and premiered by Mexican Dance Ensemble at the Auditorium Theatre’s Katten/Landau Studio on April 7, 2013.

CHICAGO HUMAN RHYTHM PROJECT’s BAM!

WITH THE GREG SPERO TRIO and TRESSA THOMAS

Push Past Break

Choreography: Michelle Dorrance

Music: “St. Louis Blues,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Anywhere I Can”

Composition: W.C. Handy, Mae Boren Axton, Tommy Durden, and Toshi Reagon

Music performed by: Greg Spero (Piano), Junius Paul (Bass),

Xavier Breaker (Drums) and Tressa Thomas (Vocalist)

Lighting: Joshua Paul Weckesser

Dancers

Heather Brown, Tristan Bruns, Kristi Burris, Zada Cheeks, and Starinah Dixon 

“Some of the great indigenous American art forms: the blues, tap dance, hip hop/house, have deeprooted rhythmic and vernacular connections. We find their origins and roots in the poorest, often most oppressed people and circumstances the country has known and yet these forms illustrate that devastation can be the foundation for dynamic joyful expression.

—Michelle Dorrance (Choreographer)

The creation of “Push Past Break” was supported by the Princess Grace Foundation and the MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL, premiered by Chicago Human Rhythm Project at the Auditorium Theatre’s Katten/Landau Studio on April 4, 2013.

KUUMBA LYNX

WITH URBAN ASPIRATIONS

Welcome To The Salon/Barber Shop — Get Your Journal In! — I Got These Kids

Choreography: Christopher “Mad Dog” Thomas (Footwork and Hip Hop Dance Educator)

Musical Performance by: Urban Aspirations — Executive Director Marcus Burks, U.A. Ensemble Member Sam Trump, Winston Tyler, Everett Reid and Eric Williams

Original Compositions by: Winston Tyler

Co- Directors: Jacinda Bullie and Jaquanda Villegas

Assistant Choreography: Oshe Bates, Darius Parker, Davonte Williams, and Eddie Martin Jr.

KLAdult Ensemble

Jaquanda Villegas, Christopher Thomas, Jacinda Bullie, Keith Redmond, and Darius Parker

KLPerformance Ensemble Apprentices

Kieyana Itson, Oshe Bates, Sahara Burton, Tanya Smith, Jeremiah Perry, Jahleigh Bullie, Sejahari Villegas, Ariel Salgado, Karina Salgado, Stephany Sanchez, AshleyNaes de Venecia, Dwight Alaba, Marquis Hudson, Da’Shay Barlow, Tatiana Serrato, Mike Johnson, Alexis Pettis, Mike Jones, Artezia Hussan, and Marshan Hall

Created for the MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL and premiered by Kuumba Lynx at the Auditorium Theatre’s Katten/Landau Studio on March 24, 2013.

THODOS DANCE CHICAGO

WITH AMANDA BATTERSON

Sentient

Choreography: Melissa Thodos

Music: Praeludium and Allegro (in the style of Pugnani) by Fritz Kreisler

Violinist: Amanda Batterson

Costumes: Rosella Nitti

Lighting: Nathan Tomlinson, Jacob Snodgrass

Dancers

Annie Deutz, Caitlin Cucchiara, Diana Robertson, Ray Dones, Kyle Hadenfeldt, and Joshua Manculich

Created for the MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL and premiered by Thodos Dance Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre’s Katten/Landau Studio on February 28, 2013.

CERQUA RIVERA DANCE THEATRE

WITH JAMES SANDERS, STU GREENSPAN, AND JOE CERQUA

Lagrimas Negras- Black Tears

Choreography: Wilfredo Rivera

Composition: Miguel Matamoros

Music performed by: James Sanders, Violin; Pharez Whitted, Trumpet; Dan Hesler, Flute;

Marc Abel, Keyboards; Stu Greenspan, Bass; Rob Dicke, Drums; Joe Cerqua, Vocals

Dancers

Laura Chiuve, Jennifer Colvin, Rachel Cortes, Andrea Deline, Kate Dempsey, Evan Howard, Maxey Koch, Marc Macaranas, Madison Suffredini, and Raphaelle Ziemba

Created for the MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL and premiered by Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre at the Auditorium Theatre’s Katten/Landau Studio on March 2, 2013.

DANCEWORKS CHICAGO

WITH PAUL WERTICO

From Here to There

Choreography: Francisco Aviña

Music composed and performed by: Paul Wertico

Costumes: Vin

Lighting: Todd L. Clark

Assistants to the choreographer: Odbayar Batsuuri and Shauna Zambelli

Music editing: Christopher Perricelli/New Realm Studios

Dancers

Greg Blackmon, Steffi Cheong, Marissa Horton, Demetrius McClendon, Angela Dice Nguyen, and Matt Wenckowski

Commissioned by the Auditorium Theatre as part of their MUSIC + MOVEMENT FESTIVAL and premiered by DanceWorks Chicago at the Katten/Landau Studio in Chicago, IL, on April 7, 2013.Generously underwritten by Trudy and Jim Westerman.

GIORDANO DANCE CHICAGO

WITH EVAN BIVINS AND KEVIN O’DONNELL

JOLT

Choreography: Autumn Eckman with concept and structure by Nan Giordano

Original Music: Evan Bivins

Music performed by: Evan Bivins, Kevin O’Donnell

Costumes: Nina G

Lighting: Kam Hobbs

Dancers

Devin Buchanan, Joshua Blake Carter, Zachary Heller, Lindsey LaFountain, Lindsey Leduc, Maeghan McHale, Ashley Rockwood, Sean Rozanski, Meredith Schultz, Martin Ortiz Tapia

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) 

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