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Valentine's Weekend: Love is...
Contact-Me by Mauro Astolfi
WORLD PREMIERE
Astolfi’s athletic, emotive and contemporary style is illustrated in his new work created specifically for RNDC. Contact-Me is Astolfi’s first U.S. commission and displays his distinct vision of developing works that equally embody pure gestural expressiveness, masterfully combined with classical and contemporary techniques. Astolfi utilizes the dancer’s lithe bodies to create shifting geometries through space with equal amounts of athleticism, sensuality and elegance – perfectly aligned with RNDC’s signature characteristics. The piece features four men and four women relying on immense physical contact and the fluid intertwining of bodies as well as a unique and innovative vocabulary of movement.
The Good Goodbyes by Frank Chaves
WORLD PREMIERE
This RNDC world premiere partners Chaves’ original choreography with heralded conductor, classical pianist and Artistic Director of the Chicago Children’s Choir, Josephine Lee, who composed an original piano suite for his new work. The Good Goodbyes is comprised of three movements designed for five women and two men. Inspired by the classical-meets-contemporary music Lee scored, this piece portrays the intimate but often short-lived relationships that often blossom within the dance community – whether dancer and dancer, dancer and choreographer or dancer and audience. There are always goodbyes as careers in this profession do not last forever, and this piece celebrates those relationships and the many "good goodbyes" experienced. Audiences experience the lighter side of these goodbyes in the first and third movements illustrated through the playful and joyful ensembles, trios and quartets. The differentiating theme of the dynamic male duet is that there is a somewhat mysterious sadness in this particular goodbye.
Additional selections from RNDC’s acclaimed repertoire include:
Lauren Kias will revive her critically acclaimed performance from Ella – the bravura solo which celebrates the scat vocals of Ella Fitzgerald choreographed by Robert Battle, Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. S
The revival of Risoluta by sought-after contemporary choreographer Sidra Bell. Characterized by her signature movement vocabulary and sensuous duets, Bell's “Risoluta” illustrates an enigmatic world filled with personas that engage in an atmosphere resembling a subterranean ball.
Sentir em Nós (Even for Us) is a signature style duet by Frank Chaves, which explores a torrid affair set to the powerful music of Tuscan tenor Andrea Bocelli and Dulce Pontes. The duet sets the stage for a dramatic look inside a tumultuous relationship between a man and a woman, with sweeping red drapes and a flowing gown designed by Jordan Ross. 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.
Al Sur Del Sur (South of the South) features a sexy and sizzling suite of tangos showcasing 11 dancers in five movements choreographed by internationally celebrated Argentinean tango stars Sabrina and Ruben Veliz.
"LOVE IS… CELEBRATION" – SATURDAY NIGHT 2.11
Indulge yourself and your sweetheart this Valentine's Day! Whether you are sharing this special weekend with your loved one, friends, family or treating yourself to something sweet, you can enjoy it with River North Dance Chicago Immediately following Saturday, February 10th performance, enjoy a festive post-show party with the RNDC Dancers at the Harris Theater with delicious artisan dessert and drink pairings to make your heart and taste buds soar.