Through Grief and Frustration, Joy: A Review of Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre by Sharon Hoyer

Known for dances made alongside original music, CRDT presents an evening of work by choreographer Monique Haley. The program, centered around the world premiere of the now-complete “Soul R…

Dance Top 5: June 2023 by Sharon Hoyer

Dance puts a toe into the great outdoors this month

Favorites, New and Newer: A Preview of Hubbard Street Dance’s “Facets” at the Harris Theater by Sharon Hoyer

Rennie Harris’ new piece, a tribute to Chicago House music and legendary DJ Frankie Knuckles, will appear alongside recent commissions from Hope Boykin, Randy Duncan, and a world premiere …

Spring Eternal: Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble Finds Renewal in The Wasteland by Sharon Hoyer

For Ellyzabeth Adler, founder and artistic director, T.S. Eliot’s heap of broken images is a longtime literary favorite and the source material for the first dance theater piece she create…

Dance Top 5: May 2023 by Sharon Hoyer

From Frank Lloyd Wright to T.S. Eliot, dance shows its range in May.

Desire Undenied: A Preview of American Ballet Theatre’s “Touché” at Auditorium Theatre by Sharon Hoyer

"I get to see gay love in a way I’ve yearned for most of my life and never believed I would see in a ballet context."

Existential Geometries: A Preview of “META | MOR | PHOS” and “SYZYGY” at the Ruth Page Center by Sharon Hoyer

Hedwig Dances' sequel to Oskar Schlemmer's 1922 avant-garde ballet is fascinating, playful and downright trippy. Figures parade toward the audience like a Kandinsky come to life.

Season of Abundance: Chicago Repertory Ballet Presents Four New Works by Founder Wade Schaaf by Sharon Hoyer

I wanted to put what I’m into on stage. I’ve been very into an exploration of meditation and my own spiritually. And I’m very into disco.

Dance Top 5: April 2023 by Sharon Hoyer

April features ABT and an array of leading Chicago companies in full bloom.

Opening Doors: A Preview of “Somewhere Between” at the Dance Center of Columbia College by Sharon Hoyer

"What would it feel like if we did this every day, working with your best friend, laughing and having fun and seeing it as a joy?"

By Way of Party: A Preview of SPRUNG at Sleeping Village by Sharon Hoyer

This Saturday, Sleeping Village will become a petri dish for the femme and queer-led performance extravaganza the Fly Honey Show. In the lab will be three mad geniuses of party chemistry.

Widening the Circle: Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project Announces A New Cycle by Sharon Hoyer

The ten companies in the new edition of the CBDLP will perform March 25 and 26 in a program entitled “Sans Pareil,” celebrating the past and the present of the city.

Dance Top 5: March 2023 by Sharon Hoyer

Hubbard Street Dance, Alvin Ailey and much more pack March's dance calendar.

New Challenges, Old Joy: A Preview of Chicago Tap Theatre at 20—Tempo, Rhythm and Time by Sharon Hoyer

“When I saw the finished piece, I texted Tre and was like ‘are you trying to kill my dancers?’" Yonally says. "It’s six minutes of athletic, virtuosic go go go, and it’s in five. A…

Lightness and Longevity: A Preview of “ON GO ING” at Links Hall by Sharon Hoyer

“I want people to not be sitting there thinking ‘I could have stayed home and read this book or watched this movie.’ I just want people to have a good time. It always been sort of tong…

Dance Top 5: February 2023 by Sharon Hoyer

Whether you're looking for story ballet or experimental play, dance in February will keep you warm.

Invitations: Steppenwolf Makes Space for Process in “Work Around” Series by Sharon Hoyer

Kara Brody never intended to be a curator, but when the opportunity to hand the Steppenwolf 1700 black box theater over to dance makers of her choosing came up, she couldn’t say no.

Object Lessons: Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival Returns by Sharon Hoyer

The festival—the only one of its kind in the United States—is in its fifth iteration and has already put Chicago on the map as a destination for the most inventive live performance on th…

Constant Flux: A Preview of “Things Hidden and Left Unsaid” by Same Planet Performance Project by Sharon Hoyer

Like ocean waves, the moods in “Things Hidden” are ever-shifting, a kaleidoscope of ideas that remain stuck on the tip of the tongue.

One Recommendation: Step Afrika! by Sharon Hoyer

Polyrhythmic percussive dance!

Expecting the Best: Black Girls Dance Opens Doors for Overlooked Talent by Sharon Hoyer

Black Girls Dance is a project designed to open doors for talented, hard-working, and often overlooked young women of color to pursue dance careers.

Dance Top 5: December 2022 by Sharon Hoyer

Dance reaches new audiences, and sometimes new heights, during the holidays.

Dance Top 5: November 2022 by Sharon Hoyer

Long-running choreographers and dance companies dominate November stages

Keeping On: Winifred Haun & Dancers Celebrate Season Twenty-Five at the Athenaeum Center by Sharon Hoyer

The season opener, which runs one night only at the Athenaeum, will feature a spectrum of works throughout the company’s history.

Close Reading: A Review of The Seldoms’ Toolbox @ Twenty at Hyde Park Art Center by Sharon Hoyer

Carrie Hanson, along with company members Damon Green, Dee Alba and Sarah Gonsiorowski developed dances inspired by the creative practices of sculptor Edra Soto, sound artist Sadie Woods, pa…

Meeting the Moment: Elevate Chicago Dance 2022 Returns to New and Old Spaces by Sharon Hoyer

“Elevate Chicago Dance” reboots October 13-15, spreading again across the city, with work by thirty artists presented in six venues.

Dance Top 5: October 2022 by Sharon Hoyer

October brings out the big guns: Joffrey, Hubbard Street and Elevate, plus major shows at Harris and the Auditorium

Extremely Gentle and Incredibly Close: Khecari Plays with Proximity and Scale in Vicinity Diptych by Sharon Hoyer

Can’t-Miss Dance Events (Fall Arts Preview 2022) by Sharon Hoyer

Fall dance highlights

The Necessity of Joy: Chicago Performs Debuts at the MCA by Sharon Hoyer

"It is clear that artists need time, flexibility, process to be supported and not just the end product. I wanted to create a series that took that into account.”

Monumental Moving Canvas: A Preview of the Fall Season of Art on theMART by Sharon Hoyer

Two new pieces open this week on the world's largest canvas for digital art.