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Dance Chicago gets off to a delightful start
A big chunk of the delight found annually at Dance Chicago's opening festivities is carved right out of the program's rich variety.
Typically, ballet, contemporary and hip-hop get their spotlight moments, while arty postmodern (Lucky Plush Productions) follows sunburst ethnic splendor (the Mexican Dance Ensemble).
Friday's launch of the monthlong enterprise at the Athenaeum Theatre proved again how Dance Chicago teems with a diversity that underscores the art's universal appeal.
The quality of the pieces, it must be said, varies greatly, and the program is always too long. The 10 best selections would have made a better concert than Friday's lengthier lineup of 13 works.
But each is short, and one by one they fly by, offering frequent delight and discovery. Giordano protégé Jon Lehrer, for instance, returned with his small, enviable team of dynamite Buffalo, N.Y., dancers to perform his inventively comic "Loose Canon," true to its title by mixing Pachelbel's renowned canon with adventurous, feisty, acrobatically choice comic dance—one especially Puck-like performer repeatedly leaps in the air and then splats on the floor in a way that, only by some miracle, doesn't break every one of his bones.
Kate Skarpetowska's compelling, incandescent "Folk Tales" is an ingenious postmodern mix of contemporary dance and ethnic accents, brightened by stretches of step dancing and fueled by an intelligent, anxiety-tinged seriousness, all beautifully managed by the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company. Robert Battle's brief but brilliant "Etude" proved a marvelous, miniature showcase for the new, up-and-coming DanceWorks Chicago, evidence that artistic director Julie Nakagawa retains her keen eye for smart work and crisp onstage talent.
Disappointing entries include the two works from the Kim Geung Soo Ballet Company, which failed to make use of the unmistakable speed and strength of the dancers, qualities allowed to shine through only briefly. Contemporary works by Lucky Plush and CDI/Concert Dance, Inc. proved muddied and unfocused.
Meanwhile, the month of activities include such varied offerings as the Dance Slam competition (Wednesday and Nov. 19), the New Moves program (Thursday and Nov. 20), the Fringe Carnival of cutting-edge work (Nov. 21) and the Choreographers Showcase (Nov. 28).
For Dance Chicago tickets: 312-902-1500 or dancechicago.com.
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