Let’s take a look at Craig Hall who, like Jonathan Alsberry, studied at the Chicago Academy for the Arts. Originally from Maywood, IL, he’s now a soloist with New York City Ballet and will be performing with NYCB principal dancer Wendy Whelan at the Festival this year. Look for them at the Modern Masters program on August 20 at the Harris Theater where they will be performing a pas deux from Christopher Wheeldon’s “Liturgy”. Chicago audiences might be familiar with Wheeldon’s work as his “Carousel (A Dance)” was performed by the Joffrey Ballet for their Spring season earlier this year.

Check out this awesome article about Craig Hall to learn a little more about his start as a dancer – as well as interesting tidbit involving “Age of Innocence” choreographer Edwaard Liang’s hairdryer The Joffrey will perform Liang’s work, first premiered by the company last Fall, at the New Voices program on August 18.

Jessica Lang, whose “To Familiar Spaces in Dream” will be performed at New Voices by Richmond Ballet, follows suit with her homonym contemporary Ed Liang (and Ed’s NCYB compatriot Chris Wheeldon) — Lang is set to create a work on the Joffrey Ballet for their upcoming season.

Did you get all that?
Here’s the Cliff Notes version (don’t worry, you won’t be tested on any of this):

Craig Hall and Jonathan Alsberry – Chicago Academy for the Arts
Craig and Ed Liang, Wendy Whelan and Christopher Wheeldon – New York City Ballet
Ed Liang, Chris Wheeldon and Jessica Lang – Joffrey Ballet
Jonathan Alsberry – Luna Negra, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company and Aszure Barton & Artists
Aszure Barton – Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

And that’s just a quick look! To find out more about the dancers and the ties that bind them, meet them in person following each performance. Our hotel sponsor, the Palmer House Hilton, is helping us put together a series of fantastic parties to celebrate the festival events. We’ll see you there after the shows!

We sat down briefly this week with Trey McIntyre to discuss his piece, Just, that Oregon Ballet is performing at the New Voices concert, Tuesday, Aug. 18.

Chicago Dancing Festival: Most of your work seems to be created to popular music; was there a particular challenge, or different method in choreographing to Henry Cowell’s more classical composition?

Trey McIntyre: There is a different method and challenge to creating any piece. The difference isn’t so much in the musical choice as in the content and what the work finds itself to be about.

CDF: Are there relationships or stories within the couples or between the couples?

TM: Sure, but not in a linear sense like she loves him and he loves her.

CDF: You were resident choreographer in Portland, and Artur and Alison worked with Trey McIntyre Project. Did knowing these dancers influence the creation of Just? How was it different than creating work as a guest choreographer with other companies?

TM: It made a huge difference. The more I know a dancer, the further we can go. It’s one of the main reasons for starting Trey McIntyre Project. I’ve been working with companies all over the world for over 20 years and had truly reached a ceiling in terms of growth. There are basics we have established. Developed intuition. Trust. A deepening of ideas.

CDF: There are difficult ballet steps in Just. Is it your most challenging piece for dancers technically?

TM: No, but perhaps the most exposing technically. Not much to the costumes.

CDF: Any other behind-the-scenes points that may be of interest?

TM: The costumes were created by first time costume designer Patrick Long of Portland, Oregon.

Ever stopped to think about about how small the dance world really is?  You might be surprised to learn just how tightly knit the dance web is sewn.  Here’s the first of two blogs that look simply (or not so simply, as you’ll discover) at the artists performing in this year’s Chicago Dancing Festival. Read more »

The Chicago Dancing Festival has an amazing line up of dance companies that will perform in Chicago during a week-long festival this August 18-22, 2009. Did you know that many of the companies performing are celebrating milestone anniversaries this Season. Happy Anniversary and Congrats to the following companies:

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater- 50 years

 

Dayton Contemporary Dance Company- 40 years

Houston Ballet- 40 years

Lar Lubovitch Dance Company- 40 years

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago- 30 years

Richmond Ballet- 25 years

River North Chicago Dance Company- 20 years

Les Ballet Grandiva- 10 years

Luna Negra Dance Theater- 10 years

We wish you many more years of great performances!

I’ve read two great articles recently on Elliot Goldenthal, the composer of the current movie, Public Enemies (found here and here).  They caught my eye because Goldenthal also composed the music for the full-length dramatic ballet Othello, originally choreographed for American Ballet Theater and San Francisco Ballet by our very own Lar Lubovitch (Co-Artistic Director of CDF.)

from Joffrey.org

The San Francisco Chronicle called the ballet “a major new chapter in American ballet.”  Lar is now setting Othello on the Joffrey Ballet for its upcoming fall season.  You can see the Joffrey perform in two of the CDF 09 performances, New Voices (Aug. 18) and Modern Masters (Aug. 20).

Speaking of Othello-related things you’ll see at the festival - star-dancer Desmond Richardson performed in CDF 07 and danced the leading role in Othello both at American Ballet Theater and San Francisco Ballet.  And, I just recently learned, he also danced in Michael Jackson’s “Bad” video!  If anyone knows more about Desmond’s appearance in “Bad” and would like to share, please post your comments here.