Review: Giordano Dance Chicago—Exuberant, Urban and Avant Garde
When I think of modern or jazz-inspired dance, a few people come to mind. Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, and Katherine Dunham. Giordano Dance Chicago has established itself in my Hall […]
Review: Joffrey Ballet Shines with the Exuberance of Spain in Don Quixote
Don Quixote by the Joffrey Ballet
Preview: Joffrey Ballet to Premiere New Work Adapted from Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men
The Joffrey Ballet’s spring program will combine an iconic John Steinbeck story transformed into a modern ballet with Serenade, a classic George Balanchine ballet first performed in the 1930s. The program […]
Preview: Chicago Circus and Performing Arts Festival Premieres April 21-24
Life’s been a circus over the last two years, so we might as well lean into it. Welcome to the Chicago Circus & Performing Arts Festival, the Windy City’s newest multidisciplinary […]
Review: Doňa Perón: An Homage to a Legend by Ballet Hispánico
Eva Perón has had many names and titles. A saint, a first lady, a savior, and a dancehall girl–aka prostitute. There are more names and epithets than I can include […]
Review: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater—Passion and Grace Wrought from a World in Chaos
We are living in a time of chaos and war while—maybe—emerging from a plague. There is no better balm for my soul than an evening in meditation on movement by […]
Review: At Last, Akram Khan’s Apocalyptic Creature Comes to the Harris Theater
Creature, the English National Ballet’s new work by the brilliant choreographer Akram Khan, finally made it to the stage and audiences this week after being waylaid by the pandemic twice. […]
Review: Ballet Folklórico de México Is a Vivid and Entrancing Look at Mexican History
Spending time on the West Side of Chicago with my grandparents was an introduction to Mexican culture. They lived very close to 26th Street, which is part of Little Village. […]
Review: Classical Indian Story-Dances Honor Fires of Varanasi: Dance of the Eternal Pilgrim by Ragamala
Minneapolis-based Ragamala Dance Company performed Fires of Varanasi: Dance of the Eternal Pilgrim at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance last week. Mother Ranee Ramaswarmy, and her daughters Aparna and Ashwini […]
Review: A&A Ballet’s Striking The Art Deco Nutcracker Reimagines the Story in 1920s America
A & A Ballet’s production of The Art Deco Nutcracker lavishly illustrates that a dance company need not have a big name to have oversized talent, vision and creativity. The performance last weekend at Athenaeum Theatre featured impressive choreography, stunning costumes and clever reimagining of […]
Review: The Nutcracker, Joffrey Ballet’s Gorgeous Must-See Holiday Tradition
The Nutcracker is as much a part of me as chocolate, and I don’t think I have made it through a holiday season since I was 4 without seeing a […]
Review: Controlled Burn–Raks Inferno Makes a Safe but Sizzling Return to In Person Shows
It’s been a long while since things were “normal.” And the last time we set foot in the Newport Theater, it was over a year ago and cold out. Very […]