Evanston Dance Ensemble Presents ‘American Portrait’ March 14-17

Evanston, Ill. — Evanston Dance Ensemble — a pre-professional dance company in residence at Dance Center Evanston — is pleased to present “American Portrait,” a collection of world premiere pieces by nine different choreographers inspired by the theme of what it means to be an American, at the Josephine Louis Theater at Northwestern University from March 14 through 17. Tickets for the preview show on March 14 are $15, and tickets for the shows on March 15 through 17 are $15 for children and seniors and $25 for adults.

Under the artistic direction of Enid Smith and Allison Kurtz Volkers, who are both serving as the co-artistic directors of Evanston Dance Ensemble for the first time, this program features new work that considers the unique, multi-faceted, and interconnected ways we share our American identity.

“With this being an election year and an Olympic year, I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be an American, and we thought that this could really be something that could be interesting to look at through dance,” said Volkers, who has been a choreographing pieces Evanston Dance Ensemble since 2008 and who served as the artistic director of ede2, the company’s junior ensemble, from 2011 to 2021. “We wanted a theme that would inspire our artists yet would be broad enough to let each choreographer interpret it the way they wanted to. And we ended up getting a wide range of pieces that I think audiences will really love.”

For example, the piece that Volkers created is about how Americans are usually very driven and achievement oriented. “That interested me physically because it meant trying to keep all of the dancers facing forward, and then I have one dancer turn around and look back, so it’s sort of about what happens when one person in our society looks back, rather than always pushing ahead.”

Smith’s piece is about migration. “The first thing I thought of was the tendency to really be on the move,” said Smith, who danced professionally in New York before moving to Chicago where she has been dancing with various companies and doing choreography since 2007. “My piece has dancers all going the same direction across the stage,” adding that it is set to a Yo-Yo Ma recording of the American folk song “Shenandoah.”

The other choreographers interpreted the theme in other ways. Braeden Barnes and Michelle Meltzer have created a contemporary ballet piece that recreates famous American paintings, such as “American Gothic” and “Washington Crossing the Delaware,” and uses a large picture frame as a prop on the stage.

Eduardo Zambrana, who is a dancer with Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, has created a piece for four dancers set to jazzy swing music, one of the most uniquely American styles of music. And choreographer Imani English has created a contemporary dance piece about the Trail of Tears, which is a nod to her own Cherokee heritage, while Béa Rashid, founder of the Evanston Dance Ensemble, has created a modern dance piece that tells the immigration stories of the dancers in the ensemble.

Other choreographers whose work will be included in the show are Olivia Mitchell, who is creating a ballet duet en pointe, and Pfifer Spruill, who is a student member of the Evanston Dance Ensemble whose piece was originally presented in December.

In addition to the eight main dance pieces, the show will also consist of short interstitials that will showcase other iconic American dance styles such as tap and hip hop and will serve as transitions between the larger pieces.

The dancers are made up of 24 high school students, hailing from Evanston Township High School, New Trier High School, Senn High School, Niles West High School, Beacon Academy, and Northside College Prep.

“I’m so proud of these dancers. They all are exceptionally talented and they are able to elevate the work of these exciting young choreographers to create dance pieces that are dynamic, powerful and professional in caliber,” Volkers said.

Tickets are on sale now at the Louis Theater box office. They can be purchased through the box office, over the phone at 847-491-7282 or online at https://ci.ovationtix.com/1771/production/1189529.

EVENT DETAILS

American Portrait

The Evanston Dance Ensemble presents eight original contemporary dance pieces by a dynamic slate of choreographers in this show about what it means to be an American. Under the artistic direction of Enid Smith and Allison Kurtz Volkers, this program features new work that considers the unique, multi-faceted, and interconnected ways we share our American identity.

When: March 14 at 7:30 p.m. (Preview), March 15 at 7:30 p.m., March 16 at 1 and 4 p.m., March 17 at 1 p.m.

Where: Josephine Louis Theater, Northwestern University, 20 Arts Circle Dr., Evanston, IL 60208

Info: (847) 491-7282 or https://ci.ovationtix.com/1771/production/1189529

Tickets: $15 for the preview show on March 14. Other shows are $25 for adults, $15 for children and seniors.