by Catherine L. Tully
Wendy Whelan is here in Chicago. And after waiting nearly a year for her to heal from a hip injury and re-schedule her tour, Restless Creature is on the schedule at the Harris Theater tonight.
The dance community is buzzing…
Whelan retired from New York City Ballet near the end of last year, and she is transitioning to the next phase of her career. Restless Creature is a unique dance offering that takes four young choreographers and challenges each to create a duet for one of the greatest ballerinas of our time.
But there’s a twist–they also dance these pieces with her.
Here’s a quick peek at each of the pairings that will be on stage this evening:
Cerrudo
In Chicago Alejandro Cerrudo needs no introduction. This Spanish-born dancer became Hubbard Street‘s resident choreographer in 2009. His duet with Whelan, Ego et Tu is the first of the four to be performed.
Beamish
Also on the program is Joshua Beamish with Conditional Sentences*. Beamish is the force behind MOVE: the company, which he founded in 2005.
Abraham
Choreographer Kyle Abraham has his own company, Abraham.In.Motion, and his duet, The Serpent and the Smoke is the next offering on the program.
Brooks
The final pairing for Restless Creature was created by Brian Brooks, and is titled First Fall. He is the choreographer at Brian Brooks Moving Company.
The program runs approximately 55 minutes and is only here for one night. It should be a thrilling one.
For more information about upcoming tour dates, visit Wendy Whelan’s website.
*4dancers originally had the name of this piece incorrect and it has been updated.