206 stories by "Lauren Warnecke"
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Chicago is like a phoenix rising from the ashes " then taking us to church with 'Mass' and 'Revelations'
Akram Khan's new ballet features Jeffrey Cirio as the central character Creature. It is unclear if Creature is a man, a monster or some hybrid of the two.
The Trinity Irish Dance Company officially formed in 1990. "This is still five years before 'Riverdance,'" associate artistic director Chelsea Hoy said, crediting founder Mark Howard with pi…
The Year of Chicago Dance will be new DCASE commissioner Erin Harkey's first major project.
Bronzeville's Lisa Beasley is riding the wave. Her raspy-voiced, disheveled impression as "Lory Litefoot" caught the eyes of Chicago last week and within hours Laugh Factory was on board for…
From visits from Alvin Ailey and the English National Ballet, to the homegrown talents of Hubbard Street, the Joffrey and Chicago Tap Theatre, don't miss these upcoming performances.
Ginger Farley spent this year and her career supporting dance artists when and how they needed. She retires Dec. 31.
Dancing in a pandemic brought digital delights, resilient ingenuity and bold returns to the stage.
Maybe it's the post-lockdown malaise lifting, but Joffrey's "Nutcracker" sparkles like never before: The colors seem brighter, the sets more immersive, the orchestrations richer, the story e…
Jermaine Maurice Spivey makes his Hubbard Street and Chicago debut with a world premiere, alongside "Jardà Tancat" by Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato, and the Hubbard Street premiere of…
Happy holidays! Live shows and events are back this year, and if you've missed celebrating " be it Scrooge or caroling at the Bean " we have a holiday list.
Joffrey's Lyric debut runs the emotional gamut, with "Birthday Variations" as the sweet icing on top of the cake.
Our list for October, including Halloween theater, family outings in the suburbs and a few in the category of truly horrifying.
The musical, which recently won multiple Tonys in its Broadway production, will launch the tour next February at the Nederlander Theatre in the Loop, starring Connor Ryan as Christian and El…
Dance companies have been managing their return to live performances in fits and starts, this fall including Deeply Rooted, the Joffrey finally at the Lyric and fan favorites by Ensemble Esp…
In the summer of 2002, I remember improvising with my Columbia College classmates at Links Hall. We were dressed in black jazz pants and white T-shirts " in hindsight, white T-shirts in July…
Perhaps I'll start at the end. In the post-performance Q&A for "The Internal Geometry," a world premiere by Natya Dance Theatre at Links Hall, artistic director Hema Rajagopalan spoke ab…
If Chicago Tap Theatre (CTT) is known for one thing outside the dance world, it's probably their Pride-themed extravaganzas. Tap dancing, beloved LGBT arts organizations like the Chicago Gay…
Dance offerings at Ravinia are not nearly as robust as they used to be, but the festival's long-standing kinship with Chicago legend Ruth Page and her legacy remains, 93 years after Page fir…
This was no ordinary night at the CSO. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has invited dancers to the stage at Orchestra Hall on a handful of occasions, but surprisingly, a collaborative concert …
Choreographer Stephanie Martinez is a chameleon. She spent much of her performance career at River North Dance Chicago, and upon retirement began creating dances for contemporary and hip-hop…
If, like me, your only knowledge of Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg is the company's 2017 trip to Chicago for "Red Giselle," the North American premiere of artistic director Boris Eifman's "…
"Considering this city's black thumb when applied to grass roots dance companies, I feel a compulsion to fly some zeppelin blimp over the Dance Troupe's home at 1725 N. Wells St." Given Chic…
In the summer of 2016, Alexei Kremnev and Anna Reznik formed A&A Ballet. The husband and wife team, originally from Russia, had just lost their positions as directors at the Joffrey Acad…
If you've ever watched the sun rise from the seat of a red-eye flight, then you have an idea of what Andrew McNicol's "Yonder Blue" looks and feels like. "Yonder Blue" opens the Joffrey Ball…
