Archive for chicago
May 28, 2008 at 7:25 pm · Filed under dance, chicago, performance, LAUREN, joffrey
Wilkins and Shives final bow with Mr. Arpino and Artistic Director Ashley Wheater
On May 25th the Joffrey ended its 2007-2008 season at the Auditorium Theater with a farewell performance honoring Maia Wilkins, Michael Levine and Willy Shives. Three major dancers who have influenced and shaped the Joffrey as the company it is today. Shives will stay within the Joffrey family as a ballet master next season and Levine and Wilkins will continue their artistic endeavors guesting nationally and internationally. As a dancer, I feel so fortunate to have shared the stage with such incredible artists and will miss them immensely! It was such a memorable event watching their final performance amongst my peers…having seen numerous retirement performances as a student in new york it is quite a different feeling when experiencing firsthand. Levine and Wilkins performed Aprino’s “Sea Shadow”, Wilkins and Shives performed Arpino’s ” Ruth Ricordi per due”, and Shives surprised everyone with a solo choreographed by fellow dancer Brian McSween. Additional ballets from Joffrey’s spring season buttressed this special program; Twyla Tharp’s “Waterbaby Bagatelles”, Paul Taylor’s “Cloven Kingdom”, and Lar Lubovitch’s “…Smile with my heart”. Tears were shed, bouts of laughter, stories told…the incredible impact of Levine, Wilkins, and Shives will never vanish. Thanks for the memories, thanks for the lessons, thanks for the inspiration!
Levine and Wilkins after Arpino’s “Sea Shadow”.
Shives and Wilkins in Tudor’s “Lilac garden”
Wilkins and I at Joffrey’s 2008 Spring Gala
Recent Posts by lauren
April 12, 2008 at 9:49 pm · Filed under dance, DAVID, chicago, on the way to work
Yet another city, amidst the blur of travels.
This time the always enjoyable Chicago, Illinois. Part metropolis, part mid-western hospitality.
Does anyone know what movie this was featured in? One of my all time favorites. Think of a movie entirely filmed in Chicago…
From my hotel room window, the Sears Tower, third tallest building in the world
Does the architecture look familiar? Reminding me of a certain concert hall in LA.
Artist Anish Kapoor’s permanent installation in the Millennium Park.
Marquee for the Opera House
And lastly, at work. Attending the final dress rehearsal of Sleeping Beauty. You can see the invited audience members leaving the theater as the dancers get notes.
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February 28, 2008 at 4:22 am · Filed under dance, chicago, joffrey ballet, dress rehearsal, LAUREN
Valerie Robin and ensemble in the 1st song.
Joffrey is currently performing a trio of ballets by Anthony Tudor at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago; celebrating the centennial of Tudor’s birth. Our winter season opened February 20th and runs through March 2nd. The middle ballet on the program is Dark Elegies, a personal favorite of mine. Set to Gustav Mahler’s ‘’Kindertotenlieder'’ ('’Songs on the Death of Children'’), which are sung by Stephen Salters, the ballet depicts a community in mourning. Yet the nature of the disaster that has struck remains unspecified and one is free to speculate and imagine all sorts of catastrophes. The texts of the songs concern the deaths of children, cradling gestures recur and the dancers resemble devastated parents. It is such a powerful piece with so many opportunities to interpret and reflect upon one’s own life experiences. It is such a joy to watch my fellow peers bring an equal amount of skill and emotion to their dancing. As a dancer, it’s also an amazing experience to have live accompaniment on stage - whether it be vocal or instrumental.
1st song.
Stephen Salters and dancer Heather Aagard kneeling.
Victoria Jaini and Michel Levine in the 2nd song.
Erica Lynette Edwards in the 4th song.
Victoria Jaini and Michel Levine in 2nd song.
Recent Posts by lauren
November 19, 2007 at 5:11 am · Filed under dance, chicago, sab, contemporary dance, LAUREN
Program, ticket and advertising insert
Last night I attended ASFB’s debut in Chicago at the Harris Theater. Tom Mossbrucker and Jean-Philippe Malaty, who direct the company, are both former Joffrey dancers. The company comprised of ten dancers performed Jorma Elo’s “1st Flash,” set to Jean Sibelius’ Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Minor; Twyla Tharp’s rarely seen “Sweet Fields,” set to early American hymns by 19th-Century composer William Billings; and “Noir Blanc,” set to a New Age collage and created for the troupe by Moses Pendleton. Each piece showcased the versatility and strength of the dancers; they especially excelled in Elo’s “1st Flash” with its demanding choreography and non-stop movement. A former SAB roomate of mine, Samantha Klanac, is now dancing with ASFB in her sixth season. It was great to see her perform with such magnitude after not seeing her since the SAB summer program in 2000. Enjoy some photos I uncovered from that summer and you might notice a fellow winger in the bunch!
Blast from the past: summer 2000 roomates-(left to right) Me, Ashley Dawkins, and Samantha Klanac
Matt Murphy and I with our friend, Danielle Welch, that same summer course at SAB
Recent Posts by lauren
November 17, 2007 at 4:21 am · Filed under dance, chicago, Nutcracker, joffrey ballet, contemporary dance, LAUREN
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LAUREN STEWART
Joffrey Ballet
Chicago, Illinois USA
BIO | POSTS |
After a two week layoff following the closing of Giselle in Chicago, Joffrey returned to work this past Monday to start rehearsals of Nutcracker and Tudor’s Dark Elegies. We will tour to St. Louis to first perform Nutcracker, December 3rd-9th and return to Chicago for our Auditorium Theater season until the 30th of December. It has certainly been a busy week for us, to say the least! The first few days after layoff are always rough and our demanding schedule this week made it especially challenging. Over the layoff, I visited my family back home in New Hampshire and Boston, got a chance to rest, and guest taught at my home studio, Southern NH Dance Theater in Bedford, NH. I returned to Chicago a week ago, and got a chance to see Complexions perform at the Auditorium Theater. This was my first time seeing them dance as a member of the audience, the last time they were in Chicago, Joffrey dancers appeared with them on the same bill for the Chicago Dancing Festival in August at the Pritzker Pavillon. Their energy and obvious talent was much inspiring and their demanding program made it even more so exhilarating to watch. I especially enjoyed Rhoden’s Solo danced by Desmond Richardson, his movement quality is so expansive and unique. Following the performance, a few friends and I celebrated Jonathan Dummar’s birthday. Jonathan is a fellow dancer at the Joffrey. It was great to see everyone rested from their break and ready to start Nutcracker! Tis’ the season!
A program page from Complexions performance at the Auditorium Theater
Happy Birthday:from left to right-Katherine Selig, Jonathan Dummar, Michael Smith, David Gombert, Jessica Wyatt, and myself.
Recent Posts by lauren
October 30, 2007 at 11:47 am · Filed under dance, chicago, joffrey ballet, LAUREN
Greetings from Chicago! I wanted to quickly introduce myself and share some important details about my life in Chicago. Thank you Kristin for allowing me to join the winger family–I have always enjoyed reading it and am excited about officially becoming a winger and being part of this global comprehensive dance forum. In the spirit of the “Late Night Show” a la David Letterman, I present a top ten:
10. I love Chicago- This is my fourth season dancing for the Joffrey and living in Chicago and I’m continually exploring the city year after year. With so many unique neighborhoods to explore, there is always something new to experience.
9. Seeing Double? I’m a fraternal twin. My twin sister Liza is my only sibling. A non-dancer, she works for Fidelity Investments in Boston and is a grad student at Northeastern University.
8. Crossword Puzzles- I can’t live without doing the daily crossword from the Chicago Red Eye newspaper. It often accompanies me on my commute to the studio.
7. Guilty Pleasures- After a long day of rehearsals or performances, I often relax with a favorite tv show–usually your typical ‘mindless’ broadcast. I find myself lately obsessed with the ever-popular Grey’s Anatomy and Mtv’s The Hills, any show on The Foodnetwork, and Project Runway.
6. Traveling-I love to travel-explore new places, experience different cultures, etc. With the Joffrey, I have been fortunate to tour quite often during each season. Amsterdam has been most enjoyable thus far in my travels.
5. Bookworm- I will always be reading something–whether it be a novel, a New York Times, or a book on Diaghilev. Favorite authors include Austen, Murakami, Coelho, Capote, and Burroughs.
4. The Green Table- One of my favorite ballets-I performed it last season with Joffrey. A ballet in eight scenes that comments on the futility of war and the horror it causes. Choreographed by Kurt Jooss, it has a chilling yet beautiful piano score by Fritz Cohen. It is well known for its table scenes–the gentlemen in black–who discuss hypocritical negotiations around the green table.
3. What’ cha Listening to? As a dancer, music is a vital ingredient to performance or daily class. Many genres of music interest me, obviously classical, and I’m constantly exploring new artists. Whether it be on the train, cleaning my apt, or working out , I always surround myself with a good beat appropriate for the time of day or activity. A few of my favorite artists would include The Stars, The Decemberists, Lily Allen, The Beatles, Arvo Part, Dashboard Confessional, John Legend, Broken Social Scene and Radiohead.
2. Match point- As a child I always enjoyed playing tennis and ever since I have maintained this hobby. Usually during a layoff or the summer months (when the rehearsal schedule is not so rigorous) I like to take advantage of the public courts Chicago has to offer.
1. The Granite State-I was born in Boston, MA and resided in Manchester, NH until my graduation from Central High School. A smaller state in the Northeast, I’m proud of my upbringing in NH. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine. Known politically for its primary elections, the state rock is granite, lilac is the state flower, and its motto is “live free or die”. It boasts beaches, mountains-great for skiing and winter sports, and the fall foliage there is globally renowned.
Recent Posts by lauren
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