Monday, 19 October 2026 14:32
Identity Performing Arts' Fifth Anniversary Gala: Movement That Keeps Becoming
Written by Wesley David
Five years is an important milestone for any arts organization, but for a contemporary dance company it also marks an artistic coming of age. Identity Performing Arts celebrated its fifth anniversary at the Edlis Neeson Theater at the Museum of Contemporary Art with a program of three works - Enliven,…
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Dance in Review
Sunday, 18 October 2026 15:46
Dance Theatre of Harlem fills Auditorium Theatre with fire and funk
Susan Lieberman
Projecting a vibe that felt more homecoming party than ballet presentation, Dance Theatre of Harlem returned to Chicago on October 17th after a 10-year absence. The Auditorium Theatre audience took a while to assemble itself largely because people were having so much fun. DTH devotees and newbies, ballet connoisseurs and…
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Dance in Review
Friday, 18 September 2026 17:15
Layered, Lovely, and Lasting; The Joffrey Ballet's Liliom Lights up The Lyric Opera
Written by Kendall Royzen
Sometimes when we reach into the past to resurrect or revive an old story, we find it doesn’t age well. The subject matter could be problematic, the material divisive, the cultural context lost through the fabric of time. Without proper context we tend to view these historical pieces through a…
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Dance in Review
Tuesday, 01 September 2026 13:55
Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project Gala: Radiant & Sumptuous at the Harris
Written by Mitchell Oldham
The first thing you notice about the meticulously curated Black dance performance held at the Harris Theater over the weekend is language. The eloquence and weight of the words used to explain why the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project (CBDLP) exists and what it hopes to achieve. Organized in 2019,…
Published in
Dance in Review
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Sunday, 23 August 2026 16:37
35th Annual Dance for Life Saturated with Excellence
Written by Mitchell Oldham
From its beginning in 1992 on the tiny stage of a modest theater, Dance for Life (DFL) has grown and grown over the decades into something glorious. Its purpose over the last 35 years, as conceived by DFL’s creator, Keith Elliott, then with the Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre, has…
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Dance in Review
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- Dance for Life
- DFL
- Keith Elliott
- Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Company
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- Nicole Clarke-Springer
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Saturday, 09 May 2026 12:33
Chicago Danztheatre's Architecture of Memory Turns Personal Reflection Into Collective Catharsis
Written by Wesley David
At first glance, the performance space for Architecture of Memory feels less like a theater and more like a living museum of human experience. Before a single performer moves, the audience is invited into an art installation featuring the work of three artists whose visions quietly prepare us for the…
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Dance in Review
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Monday, 13 April 2026 11:52
Giordano’s Ignite the Soul Dance Concert a Study in Topflight Versatility
Written by Mitchell Oldham
It’s no secret every new dance season is filled with its own undercurrent of anticipation. Regardless of the company, audiences who follow them silently wonder what will be the prevailing theme that will dominate a troupe’s next major performance. What attributes will signal growth and maturity. What kind of insights…
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Dance in Review
Friday, 13 March 2026 20:57
A Winning Combination: Winning Works at the Museum of Contemporary Art
Written by Kendall Royzen
It was the flippant statement heard round the humanities. An errant comment, a sweeping generalization, and another dismissive remark towards the arts. While the internet might have lambasted the commentator, the commentary at its core is the erroneous belief or misunderstanding that the arts are a relic of a bygone…
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Dance in Review
Tagged under
- Winning Works
- Joffrey Ballet
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Friday, 20 February 2026 13:57
Seventy Years in Motion: The Joffrey Ballet’s American Icons
Written by Bree Samani
Marking 70 years of bold, expressive movement, American Icons from The Joffrey Ballet shines as a vibrant salute to the choreographers who shaped American ballet and helped define the company’s enduring legacy. Presented at the stunning Lyric Opera House in the heart of downtown Chicago, the program unfolds under the…
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Dance in Review
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Sunday, 25 January 2026 13:58
A Century in Motion: Martha Graham’s Legacy Reborn
Written by Wesley David
At the Auditorium Theatre, a building that itself carries the muscle memory of American performance history, the Martha Graham Dance Company marked its 100th anniversary with an evening that felt less like a retrospective than a living argument for why Graham still matters. This was not modern dance preserved in…
Published in
Dance in Review
Saturday, 06 December 2025 11:19
Chicago Christmas Magic: The Nutcracker Celebrates 10 years of Magic at The Lyric Opera
Written by Kendall Royzen
At this time of year, when Christmas lights begin to twinkle and colors of green and red illuminate throughout the city, I am nostalgically drawn to the ballet. To me, there is nothing so quintessentially magical as The Nutcracker ballet at Christmas time. I can hum, and chair compose the…
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Dance in Review
Sunday, 16 November 2025 13:31
Review: Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater’s 50th Anniversary Celebration at Auditorium Theatre
Written by Bree Samani
The Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater’s 50th Anniversary Celebration was a gorgeous tribute to the history, culture and romance of Spanish dance. From the moment the dancers stepped onstage I was immediately drawn in by the burst of color, the pulse of the music and the intricate, lightning-fast footwork. The…
Published in
Dance in Review
Sunday, 09 November 2025 14:24
Review: Chicago Repertory Ballet's The Capulets at Ruth Page Center for the Arts
Sarz Maxwell
I’ll cut right to the chase and say THE CAPULETS by Chicago Repertory Ballet may be the finest dance show I’ve seen since I saw the Joffrey dance Christopher Wheeldon’s iconic adaptation of Nutcracker. I had the delight of speaking both before & after the show with Wade Schaaf, founder…
Published in
Dance in Review
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Latest Articles
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Identity Performing Arts' Fifth Anniversary Gala: Movement That Keeps Becoming
Written by Wesley DavidFive years is an important milestone for any arts organization, but for a contemporary dance company it also marks an artistic coming of age. Identity Performing Arts celebrated its fifth anniversary at the Edlis Neeson Theater at the Museum of… -
Overshadowed Theatrical Productions Brings Beloved Holiday Classic It’s a Wonderful Life to the Stage
Written by Buzz Center StageThis holiday season, Overshadowed Theatrical Productions is thrilled to present the timeless holiday classic, It’s a Wonderful Life, live on stage. As Frank Capra’s legendary film celebrates its 80th anniversary, this stage adaptation offers the perfect way for families and… -
Dance Theatre of Harlem fills Auditorium Theatre with fire and funk
Written by Susan LiebermanProjecting a vibe that felt more homecoming party than ballet presentation, Dance Theatre of Harlem returned to Chicago on October 17th after a 10-year absence. The Auditorium Theatre audience took a while to assemble itself largely because people were having… -
“A Strange Loop” Lets the Intrusive Thoughts Win at Raven Theatre in partnership with About Face Theatre
Written by John AccroccoA musical, but it’s just the voices in your head. Sounds just crazy enough to win the 2020 Pulitzer for Drama. “A Strange Loop” by Michael R. Jackson finally makes its Chicago premiere at Raven Theatre in a co-production with…
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