Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:
All Photos by Ashley Deran
Evil&Good-(front to back) Kelsey Reiter, Porscha Spells, KC Bevis, and Kaitlin Webster
It was our great pleasure to catch opening night of Dance Crash's Evil & Good, and it was an exhilarating evening. New members were seamlessly introduced into the mix, and it was exciting to see this world premiere testing it's sea legs. Chicago Dance Crash now has a travel ready, full-length conceptual piece they can pack in a plane or take on the road. We're unbelievably lucky we got to see it first, since these innovative modern dancers call Chicago home. Evil & Good utilizes the company’s signature blend of concert dance and hip-hop in innovative ways, and I do believe Dance Crash's street dance aesthetic makes their shows more appealing and accessible to a diverse audience demographic.
With all the recent chaos, violence, and racial tension in the news this summer, Evil & Good is a welcome respite and an all too timely exploration of the world’s constant struggle between its angels and demons. If we have any chance of understanding the human condition, embracing beauty and strength, and healing as a society, I fully believe it will come through the arts. Evil & Good has an impressively talented cast with a range of genders, races, body types and skills. This production brings wisdom coupled with vital energy and youthful enthusiasm to the table, at a time when understanding and empathy are in short supply and desperately needed. We highly recommend checking out their work. They'll be performing in Chicago once again August 20th in Dance for Life, so save the dates.
Evil&Good-(L to R) Zak McMahon, Kaitlin Webster, Brian Humpherys, and Porscha Spells
Save the Dates:
Future Chicago Dance Crash Events
Dance For Life – August 20 – Chicago
General Auditions for 2017 company – November 6 - Chicago
Selected Repertory – September 13-15 – Milwaukee
Evil & Good – September 16 – St. Louis
Selected Repertory – September 25-27 – Boston.
Evil&Good-ChicagoDanceCrash_Evil&Good3- Humpherys)
Evil&Good-David Ingram
CHICAGO DANCE CRASH PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE HIP-HOP HEAVY
EVIL & GOOD AT THE VITTUM THEATRE,
JULY 8 – 16
Three Choreographers Team up to Tackle the Adrenaline Pumping Concept Show Inspired by the Struggle Between Right and Wrong
Chicago Dance Crash (CDC) and Artistic Director Jessica Deahr are proud to announce the world premiere of Evil & Good, fit for all ages, playing at The Vittum Theatre, 1012 N. Noble St., July 8 – 16. Evil & Good is choreographed and directed by Deahr with additional choreography by CDC Senior Company Kaitlin Webster and Culture Shock Chicago Artistic Director Christopher Courtney. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with a matinee performance Sunday, July 10 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased by calling 773.342.4141 or visiting www.chicagodancecrash.com.
Evil&Good-(left to right) Brian Humpherys, David Ingram, Kelsey Reiter, Kaitlin Webster, Zak McMahon, Porsche Spells
Inspired by a growing demand for Chicago Dance Crash’s street dance aesthetic, Evil & Good utilizes the company’s signature blend of concert dance and hip-hop, offering a boiled down alternative to its summer annual movement play: sheer, pulse-raising dance. Throwing CDC’s movement capacity into overdrive, Deahr, Webster and Courtney team up to choreograph this explosive full-length conceptual piece featuring a hip-hop blend and is inspired by the world’s constant struggle between its angels and demons.
The cast for Evil & Good includes: The Chicago Dance Crash 2016 Performance Ensemble of Kaitlin Webster, David Ingram, KC Bevis, Brian Humpherys, Zak McMahon, Kelsey Reiter, and Porscha Spells.
The artistic team for Evil & Good includes: Jessica Deahr (director & co-choreographer), Christopher Courtney (co-choreographer), Kaitlin Webster (co-choreographer) with Lighting Design by Erik Barry and original sound design by Johnny Nevin.
About Jessica Deahr, Chicago Dance Crash Artistic Director and Co-Choreographer
Jessica Deahr took over the creative reigns of Chicago Dance Crash in January 2012, shortly after the completion of the company’s 10th Anniversary Season, when she served as its resident choreographer. Graduating from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in sociology and a minor in dance, Deahr’s creative background is as diverse as the company she represents. A musical theatre-lover by day and hip hop “B-girl” by night, her eclectic movement background has contributed to performance credits ranging from Frank Chaves to Vanilla Ice. She has danced professionally across the Caribbean, both coasts of the United States, Mexico, Canada, Europe, South Korea and locally in Chicago. Outside of CDC, Deahr continues to choreograph Jazz, contemporary and tap works for local professional companies while preserving her undying affection for vintage 90’s hip-hop.
About Kaitlin Webster, Co-Choreographer
Kaitlin Webster is a CDC senior company member and rehearsal director. With Crash, she has performed in Duets for My Valentine. She graduated Cum Laude from Cornish College of the Arts with a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography and received both the Merce Cunningham and Kreielsheimer Scholarships. While in Colorado, she trained with the Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop at the University of Colorado and performed with Interweave Dance Theater. While in Seattle she worked with Iyun Harrison, Nancy Cranbourne, Deb Wolfe, Christy McNeil, Pat Hon and Wade Madsen.
About Christopher Courtney, Culture Shock Chicago Artistic Director and Co-Choreographer
Christopher Courtney has served as Culture Shock Chicago’s artistic director for nine years and is a long time artistic associate of Chicago Dance Crash. He boasts performances with Kanye West and Busta Rhymes, battles with Joel Hall, a record four KTF Championships and fifteen shows with Chicago Dance Crash. Courtney has emerged as one of the city’s premier break dancing talents, performing with Stick and Move and Five Star Boogie, as well as establishing himself as an accomplished drummer and choreographer.
About Chicago Dance Crash
Chicago Dance Crash is a multi-disciplined, contemporary dance company committed to both exploring and exploiting the potential of human response and athleticism through live performance. The company develops a wider appreciation within the community for dance as an influential art form and as an accessible form of entertainment.
Founded in 2002 by Marissa Moritz, Mark Hackman, and Charlie Cutler, CDC has emerged as a critical staple of the Chicago scene, engaging audiences and broadening the exposure of contemporary dance. With a unique union of styles both classic and contemporary, including ballet, capoeira, breakdance, acrobatics and contemporary dance, CDC burst onto the scene in its first season with the new and innovative movement play concept and has grown to receive critical acclaim throughout its 14 years of groundbreaking dance.
Founded in 2002 by Marissa Moritz, Mark Hackman, and Charlie Cutler, CDC has emerged as a critical staple of the Chicago scene, engaging audiences and broadening the exposure of contemporary dance. With a unique union of styles both classic and contemporary, including ballet, capoeira, breakdance, acrobatics and contemporary dance, CDC burst onto the scene in its first season with the new and innovative movement play concept and has grown to receive critical acclaim throughout its 14 years of groundbreaking dance.
No comments:
Post a Comment