Visions of Spain

Chicago audiences are in for a treat this winter when Auditorium Theatre introduces them to the world renowned Madrid-based Compañía Nacional de Danza

The Auditorium Theatre has always been a strong beacon of cultural excellence and distinctive artistic experiences. For decades, it has striven to promote and showcase a uniquely disperate array of artistic performances, tapping into a wide spray of culturate tastes and interests and enlivening the inate curiosity that is ubiquitous to Chicago audiences. This very deliberate effort benefits audiences here in the Windy City in many ways, not the least of which is the instilling of a sharpened cultural palette and a wistful imagination for what comes next in arts and culture.

What comes next for Auditorium Theater audiences this winter is the highly anticipated Chicago premiere of the Madrid-based Compañía Nacional de Danza (CND) bringing a one-night-only mixed repertory program that showcases as disperate a span of styles as the programming the Auditorium Theater sees. From classical, neoclassical and contemporary to modern dance, CND promotes representative dance modes recognizable both inside and outside of Spain.

And the find came on the heels of a tour by Auditorium Theatre administrators to explore just such a cultural treasure for the purposes of showcasing it to Windy City audiences.

“The Auditorium Theatre is especially proud to host Compañía Nacional de Danza for their Chicago debut performance.” Said Auditorium Theatre CEO Rich Regan “A group of Auditorium Theatre donors and myself traveled to Spain last year. During this trip, we saw CND perform, and were all so blown away by the artistry and technical precision of the company that we immediately began planning how to bring them to the Auditorium. We are excited to be able to share this excellent company with Chicago audiences for the first time.”

Led by its relatively new artistic director, Joaquin De Luz, CND will offer Chicago audiences a look works spanning more than 20 years.

Himself a former soloist with American Ballet Theater and principal dancer with New York City Ballet, De luz fully understands the rigors of mastering an eclectic repertoire, mastering new work for modern audiences while keeping a foot firmly planted in the history and legacy of the art form. His own expansive dance career has placed him in such companies as the San Francisco Ballet, Moscow’s Stanivslasky Theatre, Ballet de Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, leaving the De Luz brimming over with such an ecclectic repertoire that he’d be the perfect fit for CDN in 2019 when the company made its search to replace outgoing artistic director Nacho Duato. De Luz’s and CND’s adroit artistic dexterity will be on full display this winter when the company makes its Chicago debut at the Auditorium Theatre. 

The program will feature Sad Case by choreographers Sol León and Paul Lightfoot. The scyntilating work fully embraces the pulsing syncopation of the Mexican manbo while beautifully balancing poignance and humor. Also on the program will be CND’s former artistic director Nacho Duato’s vibrant White Darkness. Designed as a requiem, the one-act ballet is heavily emotive and fiendishly virtuosic. Finally, there is De Luz’s own new work Passengers Within. Set to a score by Philip Glass, this performance should be a masterful exercise in modern expressionism in that it seeks to explore society’s additctive romance with modern technology.

The one-night-only performance takes place Saturday, February 10, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. And to share from the company’s bounty of talent and inspitation, Pino Alosa, the assistant crtistic director of Compañía Nacional de Danza, will lead a free 90-minute master class, giving local dancers at the advanced level the opportunity to learn from members of one of the great international dance companies. The class for dancers who have 4-5 years training is limited to 25 dancers, and will be filled on a first registered, first served basis, and are for dancers who have 4-5 years of training. Class will be held in the Auditorium Theatre’s Katten-Landau Studio and is free with advanced registration. Registration is available at auditoriumtheatre.org.

Tickets to Compañía Nacional de Danza’s Chicago debut performance at Auditorium Theatre start at $40 and are available at auditoriumtheatre.org.