dance writer

Twyla Tharp celebrates the monumental 60th anniversary of her love affair with choreography in Diamond Jubilee, a concert pairing of dense ensemble pieces currently touring the US. After a weekend-long run in Chicago, Madison, Wisconsin's Overture Hall received the lite version last night. Nearly two hours of non-stop dance was all there in the choreographic offerings, a look back re-staging of her Diabelli (1998), and the unveiling of newly-minted Slacktide (2025), but the latter lacked the live music that Chicago audiences enjoyed days ago. For ten dancers and a pianist, Diabelli tackles Beethoven's 33 Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli, Op. 120 in a 60-minute-long party of wit, elegance and frivolity. An accumulation of movement styles, Tharp pokes at formality by shifting from ballroom waltz to jitterbug to Laurel and Hardy-like slapstick, including almost everything but the kitchen sink. The exquisite dancers shuffle, leap, and try to outrun each other. Clad in uniform G...

 Side Effects and Smoking Meat Project Bound Dance and Kelly Anderson Dance Theatre On a mid February evening in Chicago, the Color Club brought warmth to the up-and-coming arts corridor on northwest side. At the brand new Joy Machine Gallery next door, a new and popular art show opened, and the Color Club Tavern filled up with early patrons. But the highlight was up the narrow staircase to the Color Club's second floor ballroom where Project Bound Dance (Bound) and Kelly Anderson Dance Theatre (KADT) presented their shared concert Side Effects and Smoking Meat to a full house and enthusiastic audience. The show opened with Faded Billboards (Relatable) (2024), a playful duet created and performed by Emily Loar and Ali Lorenz. Filled with tension and release, the piece serves well as a light introduction to the Bound style and sensibility. Simplicity and repetition unveil a language blending dextrous virtuosity and strong partnering with pedestrian movement. The pair perform strang...

In Li Chiao-Ping Dance's I Ching 20 concert at the Margaret H'Doubler Performance Space, dance takes a back seat to voiceover text and giant video projections. With soft atmospheric music accompanying most of the concert, the ten pieces presented fell a bit short on variety, save for a few of Li's works and two lively stand-alone screendances created by guest artist, Omari 'Motion' Carter. In EASE ON DOWN , Carter guides a percussive video duet down a dirt road. What starts as a playful walk in the country, evolves into a beat banter between Carter and partner, Rhona Ashwood. Kicking up rocks in rhythm and hopping down the road in a handstand--upside down and spring-loaded—the pair's light-hearted footwork builds until with a wry humor, they encounter a dead end. Brief and pure fun. Carter's other fine contribution, IN PURSUIT OF JOY: A SCREENDANCE BBQ , allows the camera's eye to flit and cut from one group or person to another in a lively backyard par...

Solidifying its identity as a midwest repertory ballet company, in its varied and well-balanced concert, Madison Ballet's LOVE  spanned history and style in a concise evening of dances highlighted by its bookends—the opening re-staging of Paquita (first performed in 1846) and a rousing 2021 contemporary closer brought in by guest, Stephanie Martinez. Sandwiched between came three brief and light dances contributed by Madison Ballet Artistic/Executive Director, Ja' Malik, and an earthy duet from Richard Walters. Traditional in every sense of the word, Paquita , opened the program, exhibiting the companies classical bravura abilities. Staged by Andrea Long (after the original Makarova and Petipa choreographies), this dance-for-dance-sake for ten was tightly done with a stiff, presentational beauty matching the customary tutu costumes. After a bit of a shaky start with the old-school vocabulary, the corps grew into the demands of speed and dexterity as the piece evolved. Solo sec...

In an evening of diverse works inspired by avant-garde choreographer Merce Cunningham, Zephyr Dance's S45 presented risk, danger and surprise in a celebration of the mature dancer. Opening with Cunningham's Suite for Five and closing with a chance improvisation by the five seasoned choreographers who participated in the evening, the concert took place in Chicago's intimate and intriguing SITE/less space. The program also featured a grouping of new Cunningham-inspired works. A home for the exploration of architecture and dance, SITE/less functioned as a colorful unique play space for both dancers and audience. Levels of bright green, red and blue wood platforms designed and built by architect David Sundry, created a patchwork quilt-like floor that extended into all areas of the oddly shaped room. Like a giant Alice-in-Wonderland staircase, the performance area angles and edges looked to pose challenges beyond a traditional stage space, especially a few spots where the desi...

Visceral Dance Company opened their Winter Engagement program of four dances at the Ann Barzel Theatre with Minor Threat , a work they first presented in 2017. Despite the title and dark corset costumes, there is nothing threatening nor dark about this piece. Mark Golden's choreography is straight up music visualization with ten dancers physicalizing the nuances and details of a Mozart piano concerto score. Hunched over, hands behind their knees, they slowly advance upstage like injured ducks. Leaping into lifts, dancers' chests slam together then, legs swing back arching away from their partner. Patterns repeat in cannon to mesmerizing effect. In a highlight moment, one dancer runs at another full force and catapults herself into the air to be caught facing backwards in a side split. The movement seems impossible, but the effort appears minimal. Meredith Harrill stands out in a brief solo, smiling softly and playfully articulating the music with command and clarity. The only ...