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Creating a platform for artistic development from scratch is a monumental task requiring earned respect and trust from your community. To gain that esteem takes hard work and dedication, and there is no better organization in the Chicago dance community to do so than Trifecta Dance Collective. 

Chicago is fortunate to have a vast dance scene, with various companies encompassing a wide variety of genres that audiences can enjoy. However, this access to professional dance is not a universal experience. Boykin Dance Project is trying to bridge this gap between a city-centric dance world and rural areas not yet acquainted with the true potential of live professional dance.

Those who have experienced a fever dream can tell you that it is often a bizarre, vivid, or unpleasant experience. Those who wake up from these dreams are often discombobulated, unsure of whether what they encountered was fact or fiction, and some may even have a change of perspective from the ordeal—popular culture examples being “The Wizard Of Oz” or “Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland.”

The phrase “work in progress” can take on many meanings within the context of dance. It may indicate previewing a performance’s rehearsal process months before the polished premiere. Or, seeing a work that will eventually be extended, adapted and performed again in a new light. What it certainly means is meeting movement with an open, flexible mind; whatever you see in the “now,” may shift.

If a dance company receives too many good proposals for new works to fit into one show, what can they do? Why, put on two shows, of course!

When I hear the word Ouroboros, I imagine myself at the beach. Rotating in the breeze as I carve endless circles in the sand with a stick or my finger. Listening to waves return and go endlessly.

Ouroboros, a word that commands the entire mouth, is an ancient Greek and Egyptian symbol of a serpent eating its own tail. Possessing a meaning as fluid and complex as its pronunciation, it is a fitting title for Nejla Yatkin’s latest theatrical solo performance premiering at Links Hall March 8-10.

If Alice (from Wonderland, of course), were to create her own world, she says, “Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn’t.” The concepts of nonsense, contradiction and mystery, like dreams or illusions, can be playful and keep us on our toes.

Chicago is home to many dance companies, but none of them are quite like RE|dance group. The close-knit cohort returns with the premiere of Michael Estanich’s “A Delicate Hand” at Hamlin Park Fieldhouse March 7-15, a work that delves into the company’s philosophical process of dance creation.

New Zealand contemporary dance company Black Grace makes their Chicago debut on March 1st at the Harris Theater at Millenium Park including a family matinee on March 2nd. The group will present “Paradise Rumour” (2023), choreographed by director Neil Ieremia. Both performances will transport audiences to the Pacific Islands in what promises to be a culturally rich and dynamic tour.

Running and maintaining a professional dance company is no easy feat. Many come and many go. That’s why we celebrate those companies who, through quality of work, dedication and business savvy, have managed to stay in operation against economic hardships, global Pandemics and shifting politics— companies like Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre.