Repertoire

Current Repertoire | Current Choreographers | Full Repertoire | Gallery

2009-2010 Repertoire

2009-2010 marks the 20th Anniversary Season for River North Chicago Dance Company. Five new world premieres will take the stage this season focusing on the essence of River North Chicago: brilliant artistry and robust performances that invite audiences to be energized, uplifted, and inspired.

This season opened with a world premiere by Artistic Director, Frank Chaves entitled Forbidden Boundaries, and, Co-Artistic Director Emerita Sherry Zunker premiered Evolution of a Dream, a new twist on the Company's classic signature piece, Reality of a Dreamer. These pieces debuted at the Chicago’s Harris Theater on November 7th, 2009 to rave reviews. At the company’s annual Valentine’s Weekend Engagement (February 12 & 13), Robert Battle will return to follow 2008’s exhilarating Train with a world premiere and his bravura solo, Ella, celebrating the scat vocals of Ella Fitzgerald. Former Hubbard Street Dance Chicago company member and ABT commissioned choreographer Lauri Stallings, (creator of 2006’s ahimsa), also returns to create a world premiere entitled suppose.

A Mi Manera (2001)
Choreography: Ginger Farley, Kevin Iega Jeff, and Sherry Zunker
Length of Piece: 4:20
Number of Dancers: 3
View Video

A collaborative piece by Ginger Farley, Kevin Iega Jeff, and Co-Artistic Director Emeritus Sherry Zunker. The piece is set to The Gipsy Kings’ “A Mi Manera,” their version of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” The piece features three dancers whose movements reflect the distinct styles of each choreographer: Zunker’s emotional jazz dance stylings, Farley’s athletic modern and post-modern influences, and Jeff’s soulful movement from a tradition of African American dance and music.

“This delightful trio seems a perfect fit, a blending of effortless style and solid technique.” Sid Smith, Chicago Tribune

A Mi Manera. 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

Evolution of a Dream (2009)
Choreography: Sherry Zunker
Length of Piece: 7:26
Number of Dancers: Full Company

In honor of the Company’s 20 th Anniversary, Co-Artistic Director Emerita Sherry Zunker returns to River North Chicago to re-envision the Company’s classic signature piece, Reality of a Dreamer which originally premiered in 1992. Set to the track “Sweet Dreams,” this rendition celebrates who the company is today and looks towards dreams yet to be realized. Evolution of a Dream premiered at River North Chicago’s first ever Fall engagement at the Harris Theater for Music & Dance in Chicago, and is one of 5 pieces premiering during RNCDC’s 20 th Anniversary Season.

“Zunker's remake of "Reality of a Dreamer," now called "Evolution of a Dream," replaces the original music- the Eurythmics' 1983 "Sweet Dreams" with cowriter Dave Stewart's new 2008 recording. …Zunker does know how to work the music's dramatic flourishes, and she has a gift for the well-placed neurotic tic.” Laura Molzahn, SeeChicagoDance.com

Forbidden Boundaries (2009)
Choreography: Frank Chaves
Length of Piece: 19:20
Number of Dancers: Full Company

Artistic Director Frank Chaves premiered his ground-breaking piece on November 7th, 2009 at River North Chicago’s first ever Fall engagement at the Harris Theater for Music & Dance in Chicago. Forbidden Boundaries is one of 5 pieces premiering during RNCDC’s 20 th Anniversary Season. Chaves initially conceptualized this piece when he was creating Underground Movements (2006), and the dancers utilize an unusual prop- a stretchy shirt- to portray internal struggle in 4 sections: Invitation, Hidden Truth, Confrontation, and Harmony.

“The shirts are stretchy, twisting easily into ropes that suggest straitjackets or leashes as the caught dancers strain to get away. Telling and crucial as these props are, they also add a wacky, difficult variable to the partnering equation, as one dancer holds another at a precipitously leaning angle or pulls his partner into an unwanted embrace. The most alarming and passionate of the dance's four sections- the trio "Hidden Truth," for two men holding a woman by her sleeves-heightens these challenges. And the dancers not only met but surpassed them.” Laura Molzahn, SeeChicagoDance.com

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).

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.

Sentir em Nós (Even for Us)
Choreography: Frank Chaves
Lenght of Piece: 4:36
Number of Dancers: 2

This signature style duet by Frank Chaves explores a torrid affair between a man and a woman, and is set to the powerful music of Tuscan tenor Andrea Bocelli and Dulce Pontes. Sweeping red drapes and a flowing gown designed by Jordan Ross set the stage for this dramatic look inside a tumultuous relationship. As with the other duets Chaves has choreographed for the company, Sentir em Nós combines highly skilled and demanding partner work with an emotional story for a passionate performance.

"What a marvelous exciting piece." Alan Breslof, Steadystylechicago.com

Sentir em Nós (Even for Us). Dancers: Melanie Manale-Hortin and Michael Gross. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

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).

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.

Train (2008)
Choreography: Robert Battle
Length of Piece: 10:36
Number of Dancers: 6

New York choreographer Robert Battle premiered his powerful and bold work at River North Chicago’s Annual Harris Theatre Engagement in February 2008. Train is a look at an abstract ritual in 3 parts set to a percussive live recording. The ritual reflects the dancers’ life on stage. The beat and rhythm of the procession connects the dancers while the pulse acts as the heartbeat, flowing from one dancer to another. Train showcases the dancers as warriors, highlighting their constant rising and falling.

“…an innovative, seemingly harsh, but ultimately irresistible assault by six dancers to a metallic, percussive score, flush with all manner of clever choral lines and nifty, intricate footwork” Sid Smith, Chicago Tribune

Train. Dancer: Hanna Brictson. Photo courtesy of HMS Media.

Tuscan Rift (2009)
Choreography: Frank Chaves
Length of Piece: 9:17
Number of Dancers: 6

Utilizing the musical talents of French composer Rene Aubry and local Chicago composer/musician, Andrew Bird, Frank Chaves created a piece for three male and three female dancers that highlights dynamic contrasts. Chaves states "My goal was to create a piece that brings together the Company’s many different disciplines, explores the fusion and moods of different cultures, and challenges the performers technically and stylistically. My hope with the creation of this piece is to continue making vital contributions and advancements benefiting the dancers, the world of dance, and those who love it." Chaves was the recipient of a Choo-San Goh award for choreography from the Choo-San Goh & H. Robert Magee Foundation in 2008 for this piece.

“Artistic director Frank Chaves wowed the crowd…"Tuscan Rift" was a winner with its stunning choreography and alluring music” Eloise Marie Valadez, Northwest Indiana Times

Tuscan Rift. Dancers: Cassandra Porter, Christian Denice, and Hanna Brictson. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

Uhuru (2009)
Choreography: Monique Haley
Length of Piece: 6:08
Number of Dancers: Full Company

In alignment with the Company's mission to assist in the professional development of dancers and choreographers, RNCDC proudly offered Monique Haley the opportunity to make her choreographic debut with the Company in 2009. This debut spearheaded the Company’s "New Beginnings Artistic Fund" program. Haley, a company member of 8 years, titled her piece Uhuru, which means "Freedom" in Swahili. Uhuru is set to an Afro-beat style of music, which combines various rhythmic horns, percussion and vocals. "It's the kind of music that inspires joy, freedom and celebration in that warm place inside your soul”" describes Haley. This piece made its world premiere at the Company’s 2009 Valentine's Weekend Engagement at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago.

"Ensemble dancer Monique Haley turned choreographer and created an instant winner with her world premiere, "Uhuru" (the Swahili word for "Freedom"), set to the irresistible vibe of Akoya Afrobeat. Exuberant, playful, full of rapid-fire gestural moves and percussive energy, the fiendishly difficult piece reveals a wonderful sense of musicality and a dazzling use of space and patterning. The work, which culminates with a breathtaking sense of satisfaction, should become a company standard-bearer.”" Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times

Uhuru. Dancers: Christian Denice, Lizzie MacKenzie, and Michael Gross. Photo by Cheryl Mann.