Performances of all persuasions
When that first chill hits the air, it brings a wave of concert dance that’s been fairly dormant during the dog days of summer. Think not about “Nutcrackers”; now is the time to see dance.
Smaller spaces: Our larger venues have plenty of great things to offer this season, however, branching out to some of the city’s smaller spaces can pay off in spades for the more adventurous. Look for performances by Lucky Plush and The Seldoms in new black box spaces in Lincoln Park and Evanston. And Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre again embarks on a “Chicago tour,” visiting three venues between Hyde Park and Evanston. The evening includes the final section of director Wilfredo Rivera’s evening-length “American Contracho,” based on his experiences as an immigrant to the United States from Honduras, and easily his most promising work (www.cerquarivera.org).
Harvest Chicago: Now in year nine, the Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival is a stalwart, one of the few remaining festivals in the city committed to presenting underrepresented artists. There’s a different program each weekend, each equally well-appointed, but I’m slightly partial to the first after seeing powerful performances by solo artists Theresa Bautista and Eric Mullis last year in Michigan. Sept. 21-29 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St.; $25 at www.hccdf.com.
Hubbard Street Dance: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s fall series features a wholly new, full-company work by Lil Buck, Jon Boogz and Emma Portner, Portner an internet sensation for her work with Justin Bieber. Each choreographers’ hiphop influences merge with Hubbard Street’s liquid, low-to-the-ground style for a dance that is literally about the Earth — it’s inspired by “Mycelium Running,” a book about mushrooms. Sept. 27-30 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St.; $25-$110 at 312-635-3799 and www.hubbardstreetdance.com.
Dorothee Munyaneza at the MCA: For “Unwanted,” Dorothee Munyaneza interviewed women who stayed in her native Rwanda during the country’s brutal civil war, surviving mass genocide, rape and family separation. She uses dance, song and a striking corrugated metal totem created by muralist Bruce Clarke to reconcile her own experience with the war — as a child whose family fled to Britain — with theirs. Oct. 3-7 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E. Chicago Ave.; $30 at 312-280-2660 and www.mcachicago.org.
Ephrat Asherie at the Dance Center: Ephrat Asherie’s jubilant mix of hip-hop, vogue and contemporary forms is complimented by composer Ernesto Nazareth’s blend of samba and Afro-Brazilian beats, in a brilliant melting pot of street-meetsstage. She’ll perform her acclaimed 2018 work “Odeon” in her Chicago debut. Oct. 11-13 at the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, 1306 S. Michigan Ave.; Tickets $30 at 312-369-8330 and www.dance .colum.edu.
Joffrey Ballet: The Joffrey Ballet revives Christopher Wheeldon’s “Swan Lake,” giving the Tony Award-winning choreographer reign over the company’s entire fall. (Performances of his still-marinating “Nutcracker” begin Dec. 1.) Wheeldon’s “Swan Lake” is more cautious than recent recreations. He preserves many of the classic lakeside variations, viewed by some balletomanes as sacred. But those craving an update will appreciate the change of location to the Paris Opera’s studios, embodying Edgar Degas’ paintings of ballerinas. Oct. 17-28 at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive; $34-$205 at 312386-8905 and www.joffrey.org
Elevate Chicago Dance: Elevate Chicago Dance returns for a second year, taking over every nook and cranny of the Cultural Center for a funhouse of dance delights. Most of the day’s innovative performers were once Chicago Dancemakers Forum lab artists. Oct. 21 at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.; free, www.chicagodancemakers.org.
Giordano Dance: Giordano Dance Chicago introduces a new work by Ray Leeper, whose “Feelin’ Good Sweet” dazzled in 2014. The premiere will be complimented by works reaching back to 2004: Hubbard Street alum Mark Swanhart’s delightfully absurd “Sidecar” and Michael Rioux’s “Punk You Very Much.” But the highlight of the night for this critic is the revisiting of Peter Chu’s dark and enigmatic “Divided Against.” Oct. 26 and 27 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St.; $15-$75 at 312-334-7777 and www .harristheaterchicago.org.
Miami City Ballet: Miami City Ballet returns to the Harris Theater for the third of three commissions by resident choreographer Brian Brooks. “One Line Drawn” is his first for this extraordinary company, part of a program spanning 20th century ballet. “Concerto Barocco,” considered exhibit A of George Balanchine’s early work, is joined by a 1984 collaboration between Jerome Robbins and Twyla Tharp. Nov. 8 and 9 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St.; $15-$75 at 312-334-7777 and www.harris theaterchicago.org.
“Made in Chicago”: The “Made in Chicago” series kicks off with the first of three one-night-only programs, this one featuring Visceral Dance Chicago, Deeply Rooted Dance and Los Angeles-based Ate9 Dance Company. The “Chicago” hook for Ate9, which makes its Auditorium debut, is artistic director Danielle Agami’s collaborative partner Glenn Kotche, who’s been drumming for Wilco since 2001. Nov. 16 at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive; $29-$68 at 312-341-2300 or www .auditoriumtheatre.org.