Heralding the Black Aesthete
Saturday, February 27, 2021 at 7:00 pm
In this captivating program, Ballet Chicago celebrates black voices, both in music and the spoken word.
In the first part of the program, Ballet Chicago teams up with the Merit School of Music to bring audiences six exciting works by an esteemed group of choreographers. Created at-home during quarantine, Heralding the Black Aesthete features composers and artists Billy Strayhorn, Herbie Hancock, Florence Price, and Maya Angelou. The second section highlights Artistic Director Daniel Duell’s highly acclaimed Ellington Suite, an evocative and jazzy suite of dances that ranges in mood from the serene and romantic to swirling, high-octane energy. Filmed from the stage of the Harris Theater, Duell’s suite suggests a seasonal, or life, cycle, starting with a haunting invocation and ending with a lively, finger-snapping finale. It’s 16 minutes make a captivating journey for audiences.
​
Chevalier (2020)
Choreography by Durante Verzola
Music by Joseph Boulogne, Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges
Emily Hain with Mia Thompson and Madeline Coulter
In a Sentimental Mood (2020)
Choreography by Dominique Atwood
Music by Florence Price, Bella Berman on Piano
Lauren Batterbee, Emily Hain, Ella Newgarden, Lillie Rose Reddy, Claire Schaefer
Lotus Flower (2020)
Choreography by Ted Seymour
Music by Billy Strayhorn: Piano duet-Aleko Lionikis & Devin Shaw
Poem by Maya Angelou: Spoken word by Kristian Chavez
​
Quinn Andrew Myers, Tru Annafi, Lauren Batterbee, Sofia Davies,
Moira Ewig Barta, Lillian Hundley, Gabriella Joew, Alyssa Kantner, Claudia Kantner,
Emma Kapetyn, Claire Kellar, Rebecca McCain, Mimi McKelly, Izaeblla Rauch,
Lillie Rose Reddy, Skylar Rutman, Asha San Juan, Claire Schaefer,
Russell Schmidt, Deshawn Townsend, Nora Winans
​
Ella Bates, Madeline Coulter, Kennedy Luce-Burke, Brianna Moose,
Kaleigh Muller, Liliana Pfeifer, Allison Yusim, Sophie Zaldeja
​
Fall (2020)
Choreography by Elyse Jost
Music by Wayne Shorter: Alum jazz trio -Garret Munz, Miles Richey & Leo Buczkowski
​
Ella Bates, Emma Kapetyn, Liliana Pfeifer
​
Three Fours ‘Adante’ (2020)
Choreography by Julie Niekrasz
Music by Coleridge-Taylor: Joshuah Mhoon on Piano
​
Dana Coons
​
Reflections in D (2020)
Choreography by Johnathon Hart
Music by Duke Ellington and ‘ I Thought it was You’, Herbie Hancock: Recorded Music
​
Gabriel Moreno Jiminez, Russell Schmidt, Deshawn Townsend
​
​
......
​
​
Ellington Suite (1987)
Choreography by Daniel Duell
Music by Duke Ellington
Costume Design by Patricia Blair
Lighting Design by Margaret L. Nelson
Invocation
EMILY FUGETT
Katherine Alvarado, Tiffany Cichanowicz, Emily Eisel, Gabrielle Foley, Zoe Jacob, Hayley Lampariello, Kyra Lin, Naomi Lindquist, Rebecca McCain, Morgan Moose, Sydney-Rose Smith, Lexi Sullivan,
Anna Tworzyanski, Grace Wiechart, Mary Wielgos, Brooklyn Winter
Hats off!
DAVID RILEY
Ivan Aguayo, Lee Borowski, James Heeney, Brenton Taft, Kahlyl Wrather
Vortex
Kelsey Ann Calhoun, Jade Eitner, Morgan Jankowski, Devin Johnson,
Lilly Leech, Nina Montalbano, Olivia Smith, Jasmine Wheeler
Delta Duet
GRECIA REYES DELGADO and DAVID RILEY
Riba
Full Company