Displaying items by tag: John Schmitz
Magical! Dances from the Heart at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts
I thoroughly adored Dance Chicago’s Dances from the Heart curated by Artistic Director John Schmitz, the highlight of the show, which featured Canadian guest artist Azalea Kaviani and Jordan Faye, was the premiere of “Of the Sun” from the program; Fish of the Sun. Fish of the Sun tells the story of a little fish who has lost her father and goes on a long, challenging journey to find him again. Children have an innate need to be near their parents or caregivers; their lives revolve around them much like the planets revolve around the sun. As the lost fish struggles to find her father, she recalls the importance of the physical connection. This dance shows the benefit of creating space for work that is for by and about the nuanced experiences and artistic expression of people with disabilities.
Azalea Kaviani, who is also one of the artistic directors, dressed in a blue and white unitard with lighting that appeared to make her and her partner appear underwater was a delight to behold. She danced with grace and sensitivity. They conveyed the inner experience of the delicate, lost fish looking for her father. Jordan Faye was a wonderful supportive and strong dancer and partner. When Faye carried his daughter, the little fish, off of the stage it was the most touching and meaningful moment of this wonderful evening of dance.
Having had two members of my immediate family, paralyzed by genetic ataxia, I sincerely hope that more artistic directors like Kaviani will get the support they need to utilize dancers in various stages of disability showing the world that beautiful interpretive dance is not limited.
Comedy Dance Chicago, with their opening number and titled “L – O – V – E,” brought out the light moments of comic relief and showed that anyone with any level of dance experience can still express themselves and the joy of dancing.
The two largest international dance troops, TRINITY Irish Dance ensemble with twenty-three dancers and Hromovytsia Ukrainian Dance Ensemble with fifty-one dancers, filled the stage with joy and tradition. These group dances, complete with wonderful, colorful costumes from each country, although completely different in style, conveyed how marvelous it is that young boys and girls together can dance together in freedom and safety, while in many parts of the world, this type of performance is either forbidden or impossible.
Gus Giordano Dance Company was fantastic with their numbers entitled “So Hot” and “Issa Vibe”.
Soloist Sophia DeLeon Sanchez with the premiere of the dance, entitled “Letting Go“ was a stand out with her sensual, hypnotic and mature grace.
I was also impressed by tap dancer and soloist Trey Dumas. The first portion of his solo was an improvography in silence, which allowed the audience to hear the intricate beats that this long time tap dance teacher was able to create on the spot. But the second half of his program, which was set to the song autumn leaves with the original French lyrics by Jacques Peurye and performed by Leslie Odom Junior, really brought the light of his tap genius into the romantic program that fit perfectly with Dances from the Heart.
Hip Hop ConnXion family with eleven dancers took over the stage with great energy and verve in their dance entitled “I miss you”. Other wonderful contributions were made by Visceral Studio Company, Christine Rich Dance Theatre, Flamenco, Ramya Ravi, Kalakriti bharatanatyam, Culture Shock Chicago, Tap Icon Tre Dumas, Footprints Tap Ensemble, Forum Dance Theatre, Elevation Studio Company, and Wheatland Dance Theater.
Dances from the Heart at the lovely North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie was a full-length program with a complete variety of highest quality dance troops curated from all over Chicago and the country was two hours of enchantment with a 15 minute intermission. I highly recommend this program in the future for audiences of all ages.
Holiday Hilarity! Paramount presents The Second City’s Nut-Cracking Holiday Revue at downtown Aurora’s Copley Theatre, Nov. 20-Dec. 23
21 October 2026 in Upcoming TheatreNeed something better than old reruns of Hallmark Movies this holiday season? Want to see some real nut-crackers? Then dash…
Mary, A Holiday Dansical Returns for one performance only at Logan Center December 13th
21 October 2026 in Upcoming DanceBlack Girls Dance®, which centers Black and Brown girls in joyful community, presents its sixth annual production of Mary, A…
The Gift Theatre's Hayward: A Floridian-Style Shiva
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Chicago Shakespeare Makes Winter’s Tale a Story Worth Telling
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Steppenwolf Theatre Presents JESSIE MUELLER WITH SETH RUDETSKY – December 18 & 19, 2026
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Remy Bumppo’s Mud Row: A Family Haunted by the Past
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A Joe & Melanie Thing Theatre Company announces The Hanukkah Humbug at Greenhouse Theater Center - December 3-6
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Identity Performing Arts' Fifth Anniversary Gala: Movement That Keeps Becoming
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Music Theater Works Pours a Beachy Cocktail with Escape to Margaritaville
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Overshadowed Theatrical Productions Brings Beloved Holiday Classic It’s a Wonderful Life to the Stage
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Dance Theatre of Harlem fills Auditorium Theatre with fire and funk
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“A Strange Loop” Lets the Intrusive Thoughts Win at Raven Theatre in partnership with About Face Theatre
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BTE Opens New Season with Gunderson's "Louisa May Alcott's Little Women" Nov. 12-Dec. 13
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Announcing Goodman's 22nd New Stages 2026 Festival Line-Up
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TIMELINE THEATRE’S 100TH PRODUCTION, THE CHICAGO PREMIERE OF LAURA WADE’S HOME, I’M DARLING, DIRECTED BY MECHELLE MOE, SATIRIZES THE SEDUCTIVE FANTASY OF A “SIMPLER PAST,” NOVEMBER 11 - DECEMBER 13
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Court Theatre announces America@250 - Now is the Time: Artists Go to Work
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JK Entertainment presents WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND UNAFRAID at Greenhouse Theater Center November 12 – 29, 2026
14 October 2026 in Upcoming TheatreJK Entertainment has released first look rehearsal photos for WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND UNAFRAID, the first production of the…
Trap Door Theatre Presents the World Premiere of OH, BUDDY, by Hal Cosentino. Opening November 12th, 2026
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Announcing the Cast of the 49th A CHRISTMAS CAROL
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NOVA ENTERTAINMENT CURRENT AND UPCOMING 2026 CIRCA PINTIG UPDATES
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14 October 2026 in Upcoming TheatreThe blurb is: hahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahaha hihihi hahahahahahaha hoho hahahhahaha hehe hahahahahahahahahaha. Julia Masli's award-winning solo phenomenon ha ha ha ha…
'Sanctuary Stories' Ventures Into Emotional Drama Behind the News on Immigration
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Inside Six Strange Worlds: Exquisite Corpse VI: LULLABIES
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PrideArts announces cast and production teams for Nick Payne's CONSTELLATIONS, performed by alternating same-sex casts, November 13- December 13
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Robert Falls Directs a Sinfully Satisfying Don Giovanni at Lyric Opera of Chicago
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Teatro Vista Productions in collaboration with Audible presents Cafecito & Loops: A Mexodus Listening Tour Headed South Sundays, through November 1st
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BrightSide’s Addams Family Musical Revives the Wonderfully Weird World of the Addams Clan
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Chicago City Opera Delivers a Rare Operatic Haunting with Der Vampyr
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Avalanche Theatre stages the world premiere of They Broke Up by Skyler Tarnas November 6–22, 2026
08 October 2026 in Upcoming TheatreAvalanche Theatre announces the world premiere production of They Broke Up by Chicago playwright Skyler Tarnas, November 6–22, 2026. Opening…
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08 October 2026 in Upcoming TheatreOil Lamp Theater is proud to announce the cast and creative team for its next production and the final production…
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Holiday Hilarity! Paramount presents The Second City’s Nut-Cracking Holiday Revue at downtown Aurora’s Copley Theatre, Nov. 20-Dec. 23
Written by Buzz Center StageNeed something better than old reruns of Hallmark Movies this holiday season? Want to see some real nut-crackers? Then dash on through the snow to catch The Second City’s Nut-Cracking Holiday Revue, November 20-December 23 at Paramount’s Copley Theatre, 8… -
Mary, A Holiday Dansical Returns for one performance only at Logan Center December 13th
Written by Buzz Center StageBlack Girls Dance®, which centers Black and Brown girls in joyful community, presents its sixth annual production of Mary, A Holiday Dansical, choreographed, written, and directed by Founder Erin Barnett. This fundraiser returns for one night only Sunday, December 13…
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The Gift Theatre's Hayward: A Floridian-Style Shiva
Written by Wesley DavidThere are funerals where grief brings a family together, and then there are funerals where grief opens the door to everything a family has spent years trying to keep buried. In Hayward, playwright Netta Walker turns a father’s funeral into… -
JK Entertainment presents WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND UNAFRAID at Greenhouse Theater Center November 12 – 29, 2026
Written by Buzz Center StageJK Entertainment has released first look rehearsal photos for WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND UNAFRAID, the first production of the company's second season. JK Entertainment's production brings this story to Chicago audiences November 12–29, inviting audiences to consider how far…
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