Repertoire

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2007-2008 Repertoire

Train - World Premiere by Robert Battle, artistic director of New York’s Battleworks Dance Company
To premiere at River North Chicago Dance Company’s February 15-16, 2008 engagement at Chicago’s Harris Theater

Between Three - World Premiere by Julia Rhoads, artistic director of Chicago’s Lucky Plush Productions and choreographer of 2002’s In the Oasis
To premiere at River North Chicago Dance Company’s February 15-16, 2008 engagement at Chicago’s Harris Theater

ahimsa (2005)
Choreography: Lauri Stallings
Length of Piece: 7:14
Number of Dancers: Full Company

ahimsa, choreographed by cutting-edge independent choreographer Lauri Stallings, premiered to a rave review at Dance Chicago in November of 2005 as part of the festival’s Choreography Project; it is now a permanent part of River North Chicago’s repertoire. In ahimsa, Stallings’ first work for the Company, she fuses classical and contemporary aesthetics and adds a distinct new style to River North Chicago’s already varied repertoire.

“Stallings…has created a powerfully enigmatic ensemble work (with) moments of intense silence, all dramatically heightened by (Christopher Ash’s) brilliant lighting. And she has devised a hugely complex and mysterious stage geometry that keeps you watching...” Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times

ahimsa. Dancer: Brittany Blumer. Photo by William Frederking.

At Last (excerpt from Mission) (1999)
Choreography: Frank Chaves
Length of Piece: 3:03
Number of Dancers: 2

This excerpt from Mission (1999) features a tiny female dancing up, down, and around her sturdy male counterpart, who deftly partners her throughout. This charming, playful duet about a couple’s first meeting is always an audience favorite.

“River North Chicago…possesses an ensemble of the first rank, and all you had to see was a duet danced spectacularly by a tiny firecracker…and her partner…” Chicago Sun-Times

Beat (Company Premiere 2001)
Structured Improvisation Shaped by: Ashley Roland
Length of Piece: 3:02
Number of Dancers: 1

Choreographed by Ashley Roland, creator of River North Chicago favorite Captain Tenacity, Beat is a percussive, spirited solo for a woman, born out of and shaped by Roland’s own improvisations. The piece is a structured improvisation, combining the dancer’s own movement with segments shaped or choreographed by Roland.

“…Beat, set to Evan Solot’s pounding score, featured the…gymnastically brilliant (dancer)…pulling out all the stops in a semi-improvised solo…” Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times

BLOWN AWAY
Images of the Dust Bowl (2006)
Choreography: Lynne Taylor-Corbett
Length of Piece: 14:49
Number of Dancers: 8

Known for her work for Broadway and dance companies alike, Taylor-Corbett’s resume includes two Tony nominations for her direction and choreography of Broadway’s “Swing!” BLOWN AWAY – Images of the Dust Bowl presents several characters living in the 1930s Dust Bowl era, and takes the audience on a journey through the experiences of each.

“A simply marvelous piece of theatrical dance, and an instant classic.” Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times

BLOWN AWAY: Images of the Dust Bowl. Dancers: Jessica Wolfrum and Sean Hilton. Photo by William Frederking.

Grusin Suite (Company Premiere 1996)
Choreography: Frank Chaves
Length of Piece: 12:40
Number of Dancers: 8

A combination of classic jazz and quirky comedy, Grusin Suite grooves, slinks, and slides through the music. Chaves uses seamless movement and striking staging to give traditional jazz a unique spin.

“Frank Chaves’ Grusin Suite…is beautifully married to its music…” Sid Smith, Chicago Tribune

Habaneras, the Music of Cuba (2005)
Choreography: Frank Chaves
Length of Piece: 23:28
Number of Dancers: Full Company

Artistic Director Frank Chaves presents a tribute to his native Cuba – a vibrant, full-company celebration of the country’s legacy of music and dance. Commissioned by the Wharton Center at Michigan State University, Habaneras celebrates the music of Cuba's most popular composers, including Ernesto Lecuona, Carlos Puebla, and Silvio Rodríguez - music that has been a part of Chaves’ life since he was a child.

“…it was the finale, Habaneras, the Music of Cuba, that left the audience in a state of high exaltation, and is bound to become River North Chicago's signature piece.” Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times

Habaneras, the Music of Cuba. Dancer: Brittany Blumer. Photo by Marc Hauser (courtesy of Dance Chicago).

The Mourning (Company Premiere 2004)
Choreography: Frank Chaves
Length of Piece: 4:47
Number of Dancers: 2

Originally choreographed by Artistic Director Frank Chaves for another Chicago-based company, The Mourning was such a success that River North Chicago has added it to its repertoire. The piece is an intense, contemporary pas de deux inspired by and danced to a Russian composition with a haunting vocal performance.

"...the premiere of Frank Chaves' The Mourning ... was spectacular, intensely romantic, and more than worth the price of admission." Ken Trainor, Wednesday Journal (Oak Park/River Forest)

The Mourning. Dancers: Jessica Wolfrum & Joseph Caruana. Photo by William Frederking.

Pulse (2000)
Choreography: Daniel Ezralow
Length of Piece: 10:14
Number of Dancers: Full Company

This work by internationally renowned choreographer Daniel Ezralow is a hypnotic opus that has dazzled critics and audiences alike since its premiere. The piece is set to a spellbinding original score by David Lang of “Bang on a Can.”

“(The) visually stunning, minimalist Pulse found the company in an endless parade of dramatic foot slides, dashing from wing to wing in golden threads, now and then sharing an embrace…” Marc Shulgold, Denver Rocky Mountain News

Pulse. Photo by William Frederking.

Sky (2006)
Choreography: Kevin Iega Jeff
Length of Piece: 13:52
Number of Dancers: 12

Sky is Kevin Iega Jeff’s third piece for River North Chicago Dance Company. This full-company piece - a showcase for Jeff’s strong, emotional style - portrays a search for connection and compassion, ending in a sense of peace and hope.

“In Sky, Jeff…has created a beautifully abstract yet emotionally intense vision…in which 12 dancers look heavenward with a sense of fear and foreboding as well as hope. Jeff has a superb sense of group dynamics and patterning, and the River North Chicago dancers…brought to it the same fierce commitment and superb technique they demonstrated throughout (their) exceedingly taxing program.” Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times

Sky. Photo by William Frederking.

Take a Seat (2005)
Choreography: Frank Chaves
Length of Piece: 8:22
Number of Dancers: 5

Based mostly on improvisation sessions between Artistic Director Frank Chaves and the company men, Take a Seat offers a whimsical look at the relationship between people and chairs. According to Chaves, “One of the most intriguing discoveries was how we could fit into a chair in so many different ways, using our limbs in and around the chair’s limbs…and the way we least wanted to use the chair was for its intended purpose – to sit.”

“…Chaves’ new Take a Seat shines with inventiveness and humor.” Miriam Seidel, Philadelphia Inquirer

Take a Seat. Dancer: Clayton Cross. Photo by Marc Hauser (courtesy of Dance Chicago).

Temporal Trance (1998)
Choreography: Frank Chaves
Length of Piece: 12:16
Number of Dancers: 7

Set for seven dancers, Temporal Trance evolves in three sections from a slow motion beginning to a pulsating, rhythmic, fast-paced finish. Chaves has said, “I explored three very different qualities of movement to create a mesmerizing feast for the eyes, soul, and spirit.” Temporal Trance is dedicated to Chaves’ mother, Maria.

“Temporal Trance…features seven dancers…engaging in a series of striking extensions, lifts, and acrobatic contortions…skillfully danced…” Sid Smith, Chicago Tribune

Temporal Trance. Dancer: Monique Haley. Photo by Lois Greenfield.