One thing I know is that if I ever have to come up with a name for a dance company, I will not include ‘theatre/theater’ in the title. Some people spell it with the ‘e’ before, some after the ‘t’ and it’s just confusing for writers.
Last night was such a great kick-off for the Spring To Dance Festival- where to even begin….
I could write an essay on almost all of the ten companies I saw perform, except for one because I was unable to actually watch due to a strong urge to laugh. There were pieces I liked and pieces I didn’t for various reasons but I will save my critical thinking until I write my official review after the entire showcase on Saturday. I will say (in apologetically vague tones for the moment) that after last night’s performance I have developed: a rejuvenated inspiration to stretch because of one dancer in particular, a new crush on a great dancer, and a new appreciation for the difficulty in handling humor in choreography (done well by some, not so much by others).
Performing Tonight Are: Missouri Contemporary Ballet, Dawn Karlovsky & Dancers, VADCO, Verb Ballets, Mordine and Co. Dance Theater, MADCO Natya Dance Theatre, Thodos Dance Chicago, The Joffrey Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s BAM!
I have friends in Thodos, Joffrey, and Mordine so I’m really interested in those and I’ve heard good things about Verb so
Chris, Me, and Jonah in 2002- Interlochen Arts Academy 'The Sleeping Beauty' (Chris is performing tonight with Mordine and Co. and danced last night with 'Same Planet Different World'- look how young we are!
I’m excited to see them as well. Natya is rooted in Bharata Natyam which is a dance theater form from India so I’m looking forward to that one. It looks like a great mix of top-notch ballet (hello Joffrey!) modern, ethnic, contemporary, and I think the last is tap, which should be really fun.
So far my favorite stage name that I’ve seen in the program is Crystal Brothers from Ballet Memphis. I also enjoy Emma Draves from Natya Dance Theater, but that is mostly because everyone else in the company has a name like Shobhana Gopalakrishnan (another dancer with the company- I didn’t make that up).
I feel so special with my little VIP pass which allows me a special seating section in the Lee Theatre (which is more like a blackbox, it’s smaller and the dancers are much closer to the audience) and free tickets to the mainstage shows. Did I say ticketS? Why, yes I did. unbeknownst to me, I have an extra comp ticket that’s up for grabs. Last night and tonight’s tickets are taken, but here is where it pays off to be my friend or blog follower….
I am offering the Saturday night comp ticket to the first person who indicates interest by sending me a text. If you are my friend, you already have my number. If you aren’t, sorry. I am not going with a stranger from the internet. That’s just weird.
The show begins at 6 in the Lee Theatre. If you aren’t tempted enough by a free evening out and the extreme joy of my company, here is the list of companies on the bill for the closing night show of Spring to Dance:
lee Theater: pH eXchange Dance Theatre/ GroundWorks Dance Theatre/ Owen/Cox Dance Group/ The Slaughter Project
Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall: James Sewell Ballet/ Paloma Gomez/ Brain Brooks Moving Company/ Kansas City Ballet/ Helios Dance Theater/ Dance Theatre of Harlem/ Paloma Gomez (again)/ Ballet Memphis
Get in touch with me if you are free and interested. The window of opportunity closes at 7 pm tonight. Good luck!
