chicago – Page 2

Choreography & Following Directions

May 8, 2012 by Ashley David

Today we’re continuing our series on choreography, thanks to the dancers from The Dance COLEctive who are choreographing for a show that is coming up in May…

Alaina Murray’s trio is about following directions. “Everything comes with directions: driving, cooking, games, taxes, school, work. What is the outcome of following, or not following, directions? Can not following directions prove to be its own path altogether? Routine movement sequences layered with surprising detours will explore these questions.”

Alaina’s pieces is called “Please read carefully. Here’s more about it…

1. How did you decide on this idea for your piece?

Recently the concept of rules has been a point of interest in my life. I’ve been thinking a lot about how this affects my life and the decisions I make. The initial broader concept of rules seemed to narrow into following directions as I thought about it further. This idea seemed to naturally lend itself to movement, and I was excited to explore it.

2. How did the idea of following/not following directions inform your choreographic process?

We were able to generate movement from very literal directions. We used a bread recipe, directions for changing a tire, and directions for being a good housewife. I wanted to convey the sense of order and repetition that comes from following directions in the structure of the piece. I also asked the dancers to write about their own experiences with following directions early on in the process. I wanted to know if they see themselves as rule followers or not; this was helpful in creating their individual characters for the piece.

3. Do you think that the piece would have been the same if you worked with different dancers? Why or why not?

Absolutely not, the dancers invented most of the movement vocabulary in the rehearsal process. I then was able to piece it all together with the dancers’ writing in mind. The dancers were very creative and thoughtful throughout the process, allowing the dance to unfold naturally. It has been a very collaborative process.

4. Did exploring this idea leave you with any new ideas once the dance was created?

The movement that we generated started to take on a very feminine tone early on. This was not my initial intention, but I went with it. What evolved was a vintage feminine theme that naturally displays the order and uniformity of following directions.

5. What was the most enjoyable part of this process for you and why?

I have loved quirkiness in the piece. It was not my intention, but there are several humorous moments that evolved unexpectedly, and I love them.

BIO: This is Alaina Murray’s seventh season with TDC. Originally from Michigan, she received her BA in Dance from Western Michigan University. Alaina has also worked with Open House Dance Collective as a choreographer, dancer, and teacher for many years. She performed with Inaside Chicago Dance as a guest artist in 2006. Alaina shares her love of dance with little ballerinas every day at A Fairytale Ballet, a children’s ballet and creative movement program. She is the Chicago Regional Director of A Fairytale Ballet and Starbright Dance and manages four studios in the city.

The Joffrey: Spring Desire Affinity Night

April 12, 2012 by 4dancers

4dancers is delighted to announce a partnership with the Joffrey Ballet and Vicki Crain of Rogue Ballerina!

Spring Desire Affinity Night will take place at Joffrey Tower on Wednesday, May 2nd. This is a totally FREE evening where you will get to see the Joffrey perform excerpts from the Spring Desire program, followed by a Q&A session with Artistic Director Ashley Wheater. Stay for cocktails and hors d’ouervres, mingle with fellow dance lovers and get an inside look at the space that the Joffrey calls home.

This is the perfect opportunity to bring a friend and let them experience the Joffrey for the first time–and all attendees will receive 50% off on tickets* for the final weekend of Spring Desire at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.

*Offer not valid on previously purchased tickets. (Please note: attendees are NOT required to purchase tickets.)

Interested? There are still spots available, but be sure to act quickly–seating is going fast for this spectacular event–and you must RSVP to attend (see below).

Here’s the info:

Wednesday, May 2

Joffrey Tower — 10 East Randolph Street, Chicago
5:45 pm Registration
6:00 pm Program and Q&A
7:00 pm Cocktails and Hors d’ouevres

To RSVP, please email affinity@joffrey.org or call 312-784-4640. Provide your name and the number of people you will be bringing to the event no later than April 25th.

Both Vicki and I will be there–so if you can make it be sure to say hello!

Please share this post with anyone you think would be interested — it really is a great opportunity to introduce someone to ballet–

Hope to see you there,

Catherine

Experiencing Ballet Hispanico

April 1, 2012 by 4dancers

by Catherine L. Tully

Asuka 3 (c) Paula Lobo — Ballet Hispanico Performing Asuka, Photo by Paula Lobo

I recently had the chance to see Ballet Hispanico for the first time at The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, and it was an interesting experience. The program for the evening included four pieces: Naci, Locked Up Laura, Espiritu Vivo and Asuka.

Unless something strikes me in a particularly strong way, I find I usually don’t say too much the first time I watch a company on stage–especially if they are performing works I have not seen before. Instead I prefer to let the evening wash over me a bit so I can get a feel for the style, the dances being presented and the overall dynamic that the company puts forth. What I was left with after walking out of the theatre here can be summed up in one word–honesty.

There is an earnestness and ease that the dancers had–and it felt very genuine. This was especially so during the more upbeat portions of the choreography; as if expressing joy came a bit more naturally than anything else. Indeed, the choreography took a back seat to the personalities of the dancers here. This is especially true of Jessica Alejandra Wyatt, who dazzled the audience with more than her sequined dress in Eduardo Vilaro’s Asuka – a tribute to salsa legend Celia Cruz.

Other images that stand out from the offerings here include Min-Tzu Li’s gorgeous extension during Locked Up Laura and company member Jamal Rashann Callender–who simply commands attention every time he steps onto the stage. The dancers in Ballet Hispanico are strong technicians with beautiful, athletic bodies–which adds another layer of visual appeal.

I’ll look forward to seeing them again the next time they come to Chicago.

Learn more about the company and the dances in their repertory.

Introducing Lizzie Leopold on “The Business of Making Dance”

July 27, 2011 by 4dancers

leopold group — Leopold Group by Matthew Gregory Hollis

by Lizzie Leopold

If this were real life I would shake your hand, say “nice to meet you” and maybe we would exchange phone numbers. But here we are in the vast spaces of the internet. So, think of this blog as a virtual hand shake.

I’m Lizzie Leopold, choreographer, writer, scholar and social media enthusiast and these are my thoughts on the “Business of Making Dance.” The intersection of dance and business is busy, fast-paced and highly dangerous, so fasten your seat-belts.

This past week I attended the annual Dance/USA Conference in Chicago, the largest gathering of dance professionals in the country. I attended as student (as a PhD candidate at Northwestern University), as an Artistic Director and choreographer (Leopold Group), as a part of a dance service organization (Audience Architects), a social media manger (SeeChicagoDance) and as an all-around dance nerd. I left inspired, confused, clarified and exhausted. [Read more…]

About Pointe Shoes

November 8, 2010 by 4dancers

Today I’m dedicating a post to pointe shoes.

Like all the other little girls out there, I couldn’t wait to get into a a pair.

And, as anyone who has had their feet in a pair knows–once you do–it becomes a whole other story…

My feet actually survived pretty well–I have little permanent damage from years of pointe work, unless you count the fact that my second toe used to be slightly longer than my big toe, and now they are the same length. I don’t feel it is particularly noteworthy…especially considering what could have happened to them.

After trying several brands, I wound up in Freed pointe shoes, which had an unusual, almost orange cast to the color of the satin. Very pretty. I can still remember going to buy them with my Mom. The place that sold the shoes was in an old building in downtown Chicago. If memory serves, you had to take a cage-style elevator up to the little store, and it always seemed like there was no one else on the floor when you got out. I remember it as a little spooky; but kind of exciting too.

I have always found it interesting, the different ways that ballet dancers prepare their pointe shoes. I didn’t have much of a special routine to break them in, although I always did wrap my ribbons nicely around the shoes after I took them off.

As for protecting the feet, after a while I didn’t bother with lamb’s wool or toe caps. Once in a while I would wind some paper towel around my toes if they were feeling particularly tender. My feet always felt sore to some degree, but you just learned to live with it, and oddly, it simply became normal to be in pain.

I was just telling this story the other day…after my feet toughened up, I was walking through the house without shoes or socks on and suddenly heard a clicking noise each time I took a step on my left foot. When I looked, a tack was stuck into the bottom. I felt nothing, and when I pulled it out, I didn’t bleed either. Kind of funny…

What about you? Any peculiar stories to share? Any preference in terms of pointe shoes? I’d love to hear from you…

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