All stories by Lauren Warnecke on BroadwayStars

Friday, May 26, 2023

Dance top 10 for summer 2023: A free Joffrey Ballet performance and a world premiere at Rhythm World by Lauren Warnecke

An abundance of opportunities to see dance outdoors lies ahead, in some cases, with the expectation of joining in.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:30AM
Friday, May 19, 2023

Review: ‘Facets’ at the Harris Theater puts the ‘Chicago’ in Hubbard Street Dance Chicago by Lauren Warnecke

The “Facets” lineup is one of legends, whose wide-ranging aesthetics are rooted in dance traditions birthed primarily in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:18PM
Thursday, April 20, 2023

Review: Enchanting ‘Little Mermaid’ is one of Joffrey Ballet’s most ambitious projects yet by Lauren Warnecke

Victoria Jaiani "swims" through a magical undersea world in the Chicago premiere of John Neumeier’s story ballet. Just don't expect the Disney story.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:15PM
Monday, April 17, 2023

‘This is tap dance’: Jumaane Taylor’s masterwork ‘Supreme Love’ returns for 2 nights at the Dance Center by Lauren Warnecke

“Supreme Love” was Jumaane Taylor’s first major, full-length project and it remains a talking point in the dance world.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Saturday, April 1, 2023

Review: Giordano Dance Chicago celebrates 60 with style old and new at the Harris by Lauren Warnecke

This storied jazz dance company knows how to mark a milestone, and it’s had more chances than most.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:50PM
Friday, March 24, 2023

Review: Coltrane, Edgar Allen Poe and a ‘show pony’ in Hubbard Street’s excellent ‘Elements’ at the MCA by Lauren Warnecke

Kyle Abraham’s short solo “Show Pony" is the choreographer at his best, delivered by a dancer at the pinnacle of her career. And I could watch “Busk” again and again.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:46PM
Thursday, March 9, 2023

Review: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is back at the Auditorium, timely and timeless by Lauren Warnecke

This is the New York-based company's annual pilgrimage to Chicago, a tradition that stems back 55 years. Chicago is woven into its fabric.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:07PM
Thursday, February 16, 2023

Review: With both angry protests and great artistry, Joffrey Ballet brings back ‘Anna Karenina’ by Lauren Warnecke

On arriving at the Lyric Opera House, Joffrey Ballet audiences encountered about 50 protesters standing beneath the Lyric’s portico on Wednesday, forming a circle around the lobby doors.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 02:11PM
Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Chicago Tap Theatre celebrates with a 20th anniversary show in a ‘golden age of tap’ by Lauren Warnecke

"Some of the best tap dance that’s ever been tap danced is being tap danced right now," said Mark Yonally, artistic director of CTT.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:45AM
Thursday, January 26, 2023

Aszure Barton will be Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s next resident choreographer by Lauren Warnecke

Aszure Barton’s appointment follows a long vacancy after resident choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo’s departure in 2018.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:09PM
Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Dance for winter 2023: Rarely seen tours and some big swings from Chicago companies by Lauren Warnecke

Highlights include shows by Step Afrika!, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo and Hamburg Ballet’s “The Glass Menagerie.”

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:45AM
Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Chicagoan of the Year for Dance: Michael McStraw is leading Giordano Dance Chicago to a strong future by Lauren Warnecke

The results of his efforts are not simply an organization spared by the pandemic, but one that emerged stronger than ever, revitalized and ready for the next 60 years.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:40AM
Thursday, December 8, 2022

Best dance of 2022: Local companies bounce back from pandemic while big tours finally land in Chicago by Lauren Warnecke

Highlights include Pina Bausch’s “Rite of Spring” and Germaine Acogny and Malou Airaudo in “common ground[s]."

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:15AM
Sunday, December 4, 2022

Review: ‘The Nutcracker’ by the Joffrey Ballet delivers its annual dose of magic by Lauren Warnecke

“The Nutcracker” is so much more than a series of steps. It’s about the dancing, sure. It’s also children dressed in their holiday finest seeing ballet for the first time.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:30PM
Thursday, November 17, 2022

40 holiday concerts and shows for 2022: From ‘Cirque Dreams’ to ‘Nutcracker’ and ‘Messiah,’ we have the best performances to celebrate the by Lauren Warnecke

If your seasonal favorites run to classics like “A Christmas Carol” and “Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins” or something more like 93XRT’S Holiday Jam, we've got your list.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:45AM
Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Mozart, dancing frogs and a message of inclusion in rare Joffrey Ballet/CSO collaboration by Lauren Warnecke

Choreographers Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Cathy Marston headline this Joffrey Ballet and Chicago Symphony Orchestra collaboration.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:45AM
Friday, October 28, 2022

Review: ‘Rite of Spring’ and ‘common ground[s]’ unearth beauty and tragedy, danced at the Harris on a stage of dirt by Lauren Warnecke

In a way, the evening is about cultural exchange, as dancers from 14 African nations perform a German choreographer’s dance about a Russian pagan ritual.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:25PM
Monday, October 17, 2022

From the brink of closure, Giordano Dance Chicago roars back for 60th season celebration at the Harris by Lauren Warnecke

This longtime Chicago company's fall program is specifically curated to highlight works from the past two decades.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Thursday, October 13, 2022

Review: Joffrey Ballet’s fall opener ‘Beyond Borders’ has bold moves and an Arpino tribute by Lauren Warnecke

The theme is not about physical borders. Rather, the creative voices here are thought to be boundary-breakers.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 12:55PM
Friday, September 30, 2022

Review: Hubbard Street Dance opens the fall with new faces, fresh versatility and ‘Refraction’ by Lauren Warnecke

If you’re a Hubbard Street fan you’ll notice more new faces than familiar ones — just five of the 15 dancers on the roster have more than a season under their belt.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 01:10PM
Thursday, September 8, 2022

Dance for fall 2022: Ballet, out-of-town visitors and a milestone season for Seldoms, Hubbard Street and Giordano Dance by Lauren Warnecke

Kyiv City Ballet from Ukraine is coming to the Auditorium this fall, the Joffrey plans some stunning revivals and Giordano celebrates a big 60 years in Chicago.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:45AM
Monday, August 22, 2022

‘Reclamation: Spirit of Black Dance in Chicago’ will be a Year of Dance event in Millennium Park you won’t want to miss by Lauren Warnecke

The Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project will present a free night of dance with standout companies including Muntu Dance Theatre, Red Clay and Deeply Rooted.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Joffrey Ballet launches first-of-its-kind contemporary ballet training program by Lauren Warnecke

This fall, approximately 10 dancers will be the first cohort of contemporary ballet trainees with the Joffrey Ballet.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 08:00AM
Wednesday, August 10, 2022

In the Year of Chicago Dance, the city marks 30 years of Dancing for Life by Lauren Warnecke

Chicago Dancers United's Dance for Life is back at the Auditorium Theatre, raising money to help Chicago's dance community stay healthy.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:30AM
Sunday, July 3, 2022

Respect tradition, go forward: Tap dance in Chicago doesn’t want to stay still, and Rhythm World is the place to see it this summer by Lauren Warnecke

Chicago has long been a breeding ground for tap dance, and the city’s flagship summer festival, Rhythm World, is back.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:45AM
Wednesday, June 8, 2022

‘Flamenco Passion’: Ensemble Español shows how Spain is the middle, not the beginning, of flamenco’s story by Lauren Warnecke

Ensemble Español is preparing for “Flamenco Passion,” part of a week-long Spanish dance and music festival.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Friday, June 3, 2022

With ‘Don Quixote’ at the Lyric, Joffrey makes good on a 2-year-old promise by Lauren Warnecke

It took a while to get here, but this wonderfully gaudy ballet is finally open and getting its due.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 02:00PM
Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Dance Top 10 for summer 2022: Joffrey to tap, flamenco to Dance for Life, and a few of our top picks are free by Lauren Warnecke

DanceAfrica returns, plus Rhythm World, Dance for Life and a new Joffrey ballet on Navy Pier.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:00AM
Friday, May 13, 2022

South Chicago Dance Theatre will debut at the Harris: Ambition, grit and grace are this company’s special sauce by Lauren Warnecke

Kia Smith's South Chicago Dance Theatre celebrates its fifth anniversary with five world premieres at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 06:15AM
Thursday, April 28, 2022

Review: The Joffrey brings ‘Of Mice and Men’ to the ballet stage in a world premiere; plus Balanchine’s ‘Serenade’ by Lauren Warnecke

Both dating to the Great Depression, “Serenade” is still a curious overture for “Of Mice and Men,” British choreographer Cathy Marston’s story ballet based on the John Steinbeck no…

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 02:00PM

‘How does this thing fly?’ For ‘Wired’ at the MCA, disability arts company creates a wheelchair aerial dance that touches on race, gender and by Lauren Warnecke

Throughout the piece, the dancers wrestle with this unwieldy, unforgiving object, their bodies enclosed by a tangle of wires and barbs.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune Subscription at 10:40AM

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