Dance for Life Announces Updated 2019 Program of Chicago Dancers United

Dance for Life, which mobilizes Chicago’s dance community by raising funds through dance, announces updated program information for its annual benefit performance, taking place August 17 at 6 p.m. at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive, Chicago, followed by a gala reception at the Hilton Chicago.

Joining the Partner Dance Companies that perform each year—Giordano Dance Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and The Joffrey Ballet—are Chicago Dance Crash, Chicago Human Rhythm Project and Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater. The concert features a work in tribute to late dancer, choreographer and instructor Claire Bataille, choreographed by Robyn Mineko Williams, and concludes with a finale choreographed by Randy Duncan.

Co-chairs for the 28th annual Dance for Life are Tom Ferguson Gomez and Mark Ferguson Gomez.

Dance for Life showcases the city’s unique variety of dance traditions and styles by bringing together talented, world-renowned professional dancers from Chicago on the same stage. Dancers unite to support those facing critical health issues by generously donating their time, energy and artistry to the cause. Throughout its history, Dance for Life has presented 37 Chicago-based professional dance companies and numerous choreographers.

The program

Giordano Dance Chicago performs SOUL, choreographed by Ray Leeper, a high-energy contemporary work to music performed by Tina Turner, Gladys Knight and the Pips and Al Green.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago performs an excerpt from Decadance/Chicago, choreographed by Ohad Naharin, which has been called “spectacularly immersive” by the Chicago Tribune and “a journey you’ll want to experience over and over” by the New York Times.  

The Joffrey Ballet performs a pas de deux from Bells, choreographed by Yuri Possokhov for the Joffrey to music by Sergei Rachmaninov, which is based in classical ballet but is more contemporary, with hints of Russian folk dance. The second work, Lorelei, choreographed by Nicolas Blanc to music by Jessica Rose Weiss, is a haunting tale, based on the mythological title character, that explores the energy of longing and the movement of desire, as Lorelei and Henri dance a pas de deux quite literally to death.

Chicago Dance Crash performs Leap of Faith, choreographed by Artistic Director Jessica Deahr, which showcases its span of breakdance, acrobatics, hip hop and concert dance techniques with a celebration of movement in the most raw, pure form: a freestyle.

Chicago Human Rhythm Project performs MOVEMENT 11, choreographed by Dani Borak, who was inspired by the musical work of the same name by Bugge Wesseltoft, Henrik Schwarz and Dan Berglund. Borak fell in love with the music’s strong mystical tension and tantric groove, made even more powerful by its simplicity. The movements and rhythms evolved through a process of captured improvisation, music visualization and emotional response.

Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater performs an excerpt from Mar de Fuego/Sea of Fire, a flamenco contemporary ballet choreographed by Carlos Rodriguez, which he dedicates to the late Dame Libby Komaiko, Ensemble Español founder, for her love, passion and dedication to the art form of Spanish dance, music, arts, culture and education. Also on the program, former Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) dancer and award-winning choreographer Robyn Mineko Williams presents a “first look” at a work, performed by Robyn Mineko Williams and Artists, inspired by the late Claire Bataille, one of HSDC’s founding dancers, as well as a choreographer and director of the Lou Conte Dance Studio. Award-winning choreographer Randy Duncan is creating a finale using dancers from around Chicago to conclude the evening on a high note.

Dance for Life Chicago, which takes place Saturday, August 17, begins with the performance at 6 p.m. at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Dr., followed by a gala reception and Summer Bites at the Hilton Chicago Grand Ballroom, 720 S. Michigan Ave. Tickets—$300–650 for both the performance and gala reception and $15–75 for the performance only—are available by phone at 312.341.2300, online at chicagodancersunited.org or in person at the Auditorium Theatre Box Office. Group tickets (10 or more) are available by calling 312.341.2300. Dance for Life Dance for Life supports organizations and dance professionals facing critical health issues. Proceeds from Dance for Life benefit the Dancers’ Fund, which was established in response to the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the dance community, and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. The Dancers’ Fund now offers assistance in, but is not limited to, health matters, housing, utilities, insurance, medication and travel. As a unifier of Chicago’s dance community, Dance for Life supports a thriving dance community by focusing on its health and well-being through the Dancers’ Fund. For more information about Dance for Life, visit chicagodancersunited.org. ###

Photos top to bottom: Dancer: Ari Israel. Attire: Parker Dress provided by Neiman Marcus. Photo © Todd Rosenberg Photography. Giordano Dance Chicago in SOUL by Gorman Cook Photography. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in Decadance/Chicago by Todd Rosenberg. The Joffrey Ballet's Victoria Jaiani and Temur Suluashvili in Bells by Cheryl Mann. Chicago Dance Crash in Leap of Faith by Ashley Deran. Chicago Human Rhythm Project in Stone Soup Rhythm by CCC Chrisanti. Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater in Mar de Fuego by Dean Paul.