Parson Dance to Return to The Auditorium After 30 Year Absence
The Auditorium is slated to present a special evening with Parsons Dance, the New York-based contemporary American dance company founded in 1985, and internationally renowned for its athletic ensemble work, boundary-pushing artistry and life-affirming joy. This performance will mark the company’s first in Chicago in thirty years and promises to be a dynamic evening showcasing the power of movement and music.
The mixed repertory program demonstrates the range and athleticism of company dancers featuring choreographic highlights from the company’s deep canon. It begins with Wolfgang (2005), a work for six dancers set to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart followed by a solo work Balance of Power (2020) set to a commissioned percussive score by Giancarlo de Trizio. Closing out the first half is Nascimento (1990), a full company work honoring five-time Grammy-Award winning Brazilian musician Milton Nascimento. After seeing the company perform during a tour in Brazil, Nascimento gifted the work’s musical score to the company and the resulting collaboration has become a fan-favorite of the Parsons repertory. Nascimento will be preceded by a new Milton Nascimento tribute video by videographer Joe Locorro.
The second half of the program begins with Juke (2024), the sole piece on the program not choreographed by Parsons Dance Founder and Artistic Director David Parsons. Juke, by Alvin Ailey American DanceTheater alum Jamar Roberts, is a jazzy full company number set to a score by Miles Davis. Next on the program is Parsons’ signature work Caught (1982), a solo featuring an extraordinary 150 jumps in five minutes! This iconic solo, a gravity-defying feat of strobe-light illusion, has remained a staple of modern dance for four decades. The energetic finale, Shining Star (2004), is a full company piece paying tribute to 1970’s power group Earth, Wind & Fire.
“The last time Parsons Dance performed in Chicago was in 1995, and I’m incredibly excited about returning to this city whose great artistic legacy helped establish our company’s position in the dance community during its early years,” said Parsons Dance Artistic Director David Parsons. “We are especially delighted to appear at the iconic Auditorium, where we will take the stage with some of our most favorite works.”
Said The Auditorium CEO Rich Regan, “We are thrilled to present Parsons Dance in its triumphant return to Chicago. Parsons’ unique blend of virtuosic, high-energy, and joyful dance creates such a fun atmosphere that must be experienced live.”
Internationally renowned for its energized, athletic ensemble work, Parson’s Dance was founded in 1985 by Artistic Director David Parsons and Tony Award-winning lighting designer Howell Binkley, the company has toured to more than 445 cities, 30 countries, and 5 continents and has performed at such notable venues as The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Sydney Opera House, Maison de la Danse, Teatro La Fenice, and Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro.
Heralded by The New York Times as “one of the great movers of modern dance,” David Parsons has received many accolades throughout his career, including three Choreography Fellowship Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts; the American Choreography Award; the Dance Magazine Award; a Howard Gilman Fellowship; the DanceMasters of America Annual Award, and the Capezio ACE Award. He has collaborated with iconic artists across all disciplines, including Dr. Billy Taylor, John Mackey, Kenji Bunch, Stephen Schwartz, Milton Nascimento, Allen Toussaint, Donna Karan, Annie Leibovitz, Ellsworth Kelly, and Alex Katz.
Parsons Dance performs at The Auditorium, 50 E Ida B. Wells Drive, one night only, Saturday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $30.00 and are available at auditoriumtheatre.org or by calling The Auditorium’s Ticket Service Center at 312.341.2300.
