Turning points

Turn on to Quasar
Quasar may sound like an electronics brand or a name for a superhero, but for dance lovers the word refers to an exciting dance company from Brazil that’s been gaining international recognition over the past few years for its style of fluid, earthy, breathtaking dance. “They actually pronounce their name ‘kwa-za,’” says Phil Reynolds, executive director of the Dance Center of Columbia College, where Quasar will have its Midwest debut this weekend. “I first got wind of the company in the early ’90s and was really intrigued.” Reynolds has been instrumental in organizing Quasar’s Chicago premiere.

“?‘Quasar’ is a great energy concentration found in the extremities of the universe, the place in the cosmos where stars are formed,” writes choreographer and artistic director Henrique Rodovalho via e-mail from the company’s home base in the city of Goiânia, near the center of Brazil. “Almost 20 years ago, we became enchanted by this definition and we decided to adopt the name for our new dance group.”

The distance between Chicago and Goiânia may not be measured in light years, but it is still quite a ways, culturally speaking. How does Rodovalho anticipate the response of Chicago audiences? “First of all, I guess the audience will receive our work with a lot of curiosity,” he says. “I hope they are open to discussion and to exchange information. We believe it is an excellent occasion for us to grow together and learn about each other’s culture.”—AC

If you want to exchange information with Quasar, attend the Thursday 23 performance and stay afterward for a discussion with the artists. See listings.