Fancy footwork takes on romantic airs
Forget the chocolates and champagne and all the many things wrapped in heart-shaped boxes. The most romantic way to celebrate the preValentine’s Day weekend is to either go dancing yourself, or see dance.
A top choice is the bravura River North Dance Chicago, performing at 8 p.m. Feb. 10-11 and 3 p.m. Feb. 12 at the Harris Theater formusic and Dance, 20 E. Randolph.
This company’s repertoire is sensational, as are its dancers, and the program will feature two world premieres, along with a slew of favorite works, including the impossibly steamy tango suite, “Al Sur del Sur” (“South of the South”), by Argentinean stars Sabrina and Ruben Veliz, and “Sentir em Nos” (“Even for Us”), artistic director Frank Chaves’ searing duet set to recordings by Italy’s Andrea Bocelli and Portugal’s Dulce Pontes.
Chaves’ new work, “The Good Goodbyes,” is set to an original piano suite by Josephine Lee, artistic director and conductor of the acclaimed Chicago Children’s Choir.
“Josephine and I realized we were creative soulmates when she led members of her choir in composer Evan Solot’s score formy 2007 piece, ‘Underground Movements,’ and we’ve wanted to work together ever since,” Chaves said. “I was dying to do a piano piece, and she is an accomplished pianist as well as a composer and conductor. We’ve had an amazing time on this collaboration.
“At one point I went to her house and she just sat down at the piano and let this beautiful thing pour out of her head,” Chaves recalled. “It’s in three movements, which I would describe as classicismmeets-contemporary [Lee will play the score live on Feb. 10 and 12, with the recorded version on Feb. 11]. And when I first heard it I thought: This suggests beautiful memories and makes me think of the wonderful relationships I’ve forged withmy dancers over the years. We’ve had a lot of transitions from veteran dancers to new ones lately, and I wanted to celebrate the incredibly intimate, intense, and— because of the nature of the dance profession— relatively short-lived connections I’ve made, and bid goodbye.”
Chaves has set the work for seven dancers— five women and two men. Ever the master of the duet, he also has choreographed his first male duet, which forms the central section of the piece.
The other world premiere to be presented is “ContactMe,” choreographed by Mauro Astolfi, artistic director of Italy’s Spellbound Dance Company, in his first U.S. commission. It is set to the music of London-based electronic composer Jon Hopkins and Italian composer-cellist Giovanni Sollima.
The River North program also will include revivals of Sidra Bell’s “Risoluta,” set to a jazzy score by her father, Dennis Bell, and the solo from Robert Battle’s “Ella,” in which dancer Lauren Kias moves to the scat vocals of Ella Fitzgerald. For tickets ($30-$70), call (312) 334-7777 or visit
Thodos Dance Chicago and Luna Negra Dance Theater (8 p.m. Feb. 11 and 3 p.m. Feb. 12 at the North Shore Center for the Per- forming Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie), in a unique collaboration in which Luna Negra dancers will premiere Thodos’ work, “oneconnect,” while Thodos’ dancers will dance Luna Negra artistic director Gustavo Ramirez Sansano’s new piece, “4 + 4.” Also on the program will be a series of each company’s “greatest hits.” Tickets: (847) 673-6300 or visit
Dance Chicago’s “Dances from the Heart” (7:30 p.m. Feb. 14 at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport), a wide-ranging showcase of everything from ballroom dancing, tap, contemporary dance, hip-hop, aerial dance, Irish step, Mexican dance and more, all curated by John Schmitz, the force behind the annual Dance Chicago marathon. Tickets: (773) 935-6860 or visit