Find an event

Dance

But wait, there's more…

The Waking Room
September 10–13
Jonathan Meyer of Khecari Dance Theatre has used his lab artist grant from the Chicago Dancemakers Forum to create a darkly visceral trio for himself and two other dancers, premiering at a Bridgeport art space. Philip Elson dances the role of a smug, deprecating martinet whose psychological wrestlings with a tall, twitchy Meyer and the lithe and wiry Michel Rodgriguez seem to take place within the crazed mind of a pervading, invisible presence. Composer Christopher Preissing’s score for the work adds to the grim undertow. Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219 S Morgan St; $15; khecari.org.

Dance for the Camera 2009
October 13, 14
This free two-evening program presents innovative dance films from the Midwest and around the world. The Tuesday screening explores themes of character, gender and personality; it features works by two recently departed geniuses, German tanztheater goddess Pina Bausch and pop icon Michael Jackson. On Thursday, catch a preview of local choreographer Jan Bartoszek’s dance-film project Arch of Repose, shown with live performance by Hedwig Dances. Both programs are at 6pm. Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E Washington; free; explorechicago.org.

MCA Performances
October 1–4, 15–17 and November 5–8
Dance fans, prepare to spend a lot of time in the Museum of Contemporary Art’s theater this fall. The lineup is so exciting we can barely contain ourselves: October starts out with Zimbabwean choreographer Nora Chipaumire (now a New Yorker) sharing the stage with musical magician Thomas Mapfumo and his band Blacks Unlimited in a work with the evocative name lions will roar, swans will fly, angels will wrestle heaven, rains will break: gukurahundi. A couple of weeks later, revel in the patterns, repetitions and forms woven together in DANCE by Lucinda Childs with composer Philip Glass and visual artist Sol LeWitt. In November, retrospect with parades & changes, replays—a full scale re-creation of a 1965 masterpiece by American postmodern dance legend Anna Halprin. Museum of Contemporary Art Theater, 220 E Chicago Ave; single tickets $25–$40; mcachicago.org.

Mikhail Baryshnikov
September 25–27
Misha! Need we say more? The most famous male dancer in recent history sustains and deepens his long career with this transparently titled program, Three solos and a duet, which is exactly that. Baryshnikov and partner Ana Laguna perform works by Mats Ek, Alexei Ratmansky and Benjamin Millepied. Harris Theater, 205 E Randolph St; $55–$75; harristheaterchicago.org.

NEXT>>

Check out the other sections in our 2009 Fall Preview: