Chicago Tap Theatre (CTT) concludes its 20th Anniversary season with the world premiere of “Synesthete,” at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., June 8 - 11 with the press opening June 8 at 8 p.m. The production will feature a full program of new work featuring live music and choreographed and curated by CTT Artistic Associate Sterling Harris. The performance schedule is Thursday, June 8 - Saturday, June 10 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 11 at 3 p.m. Tickets for “Synesthete” are currently on sale and begin at $35. For more information, visit ChicagoTapTheatre.com.
Chicago Tap Theatre's Artistic Associate Sterling Harris curates an evening-length production of new work for the conclusion of CTT’s 20th Anniversary season. Tap dance lies at the intersection of dance and music; tap dancers are both dancers and musicians simultaneously. What you see is what you hear, what you hear is what you see. Instead of just dancing to music, tap requires that one also becomes the music – opening the door to deeper expression, connection and exploration.
“Synesthete” explores the inherently cross-sensory nature of tap dance. A synesthete is a person whose sensory perceptions are intertwined. What would usually stimulate one sense instead stimulates multiple. Imagine being able to hear colors, or actually see music that you listen to, or feel the sensation of a touch when you hear a specific note. Positioning tap dance as the inducer or trigger experience, “Synesthete” invites audiences into a world that is a blend of music, dance, motion, emotion, sensation and perception.
Dancers performing in “Synesthete” include Mark Yonally, Sterling Harris, Molly Smith, Heather Latakas, Sara Anderson, Chris Matthews, Molly Eder, Abby Cooper, Michelle Haskell, Liora Lahav, Amber Buchanan, and Case Prime. The audience will hear an arrangement of live music featuring songs by Ahmad Jamal, Wynton Marsalis, Makaya McCraven, Herbie Hancock, and more.
ABOUT STERLING HARRIS, ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE
Sterling Harris, a Chicago native, fell in love with tap at the age of seven and hasn’t stopped dancing since. He began training with Lee Howard and Martin “Tre” Dumas at age 11 and studying jazz theory and improvisation at age 14. After enrolling at Northwestern University, Harris joined the campus’s premier tap company, Tonik Tap, where he went on to serve as the artistic director his senior year. During this time, he also studied Jump Rhythm Technique under the mentorship of Billy Siegenfeld. He graduated from Northwestern with a B.A. in Neuroscience but has been focused on following his passion for dance. Currently, Harris is the artistic associate with Chicago Tap Theatre and is in his fifth season performing with the company. He is also a company member with M.A.D.D. Rhythms and has performed with Dorrance Dance, Music From The Sole, YellowShed and is an alumnus of the Tap Program at The School at Jacob’s Pillow. Off the wood, Harris is a research study coordinator in the Feinberg School of Medicine and looks forward to the day when he can connect his artistic endeavors to scientific knowledge.
ABOUT CHICAGO TAP THEATRE
Founded in 2002, Chicago Tap Theatre is a growing and vibrant dance company dedicated to preserving the quintessentially American dance form of tap while taking it to the next level of creativity, innovation and quality. CTT performs exclusively with live music provided by some of Chicago’s finest musicians playing everything from Duke Ellington to David Bowie and many artists in between. Under the dynamic direction of master teacher and performer Mark Yonally, CTT has gained a loyal and sizable following in Chicago and continues to tour both nationally and internationally. Having pioneered the “tap opera” format, which tells stories with compelling characters and intriguing plots, CTT has used the language of tap dance, live music and narration to move audiences for over 20 years.
Chicago Tap Theatre (CTT) concludes its 20th Anniversary season with the world premiere of “Synesthete,” at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., June 8 - 11 with the press opening June 8 at 8 p.m. The production will feature a full program of new work featuring live music and choreographed and curated by CTT Artistic Associate Sterling Harris. The performance schedule is Thursday, June 8 - Saturday, June 10 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 11 at 3 p.m. Tickets for “Synesthete” are currently on sale and begin at $35. For more information, visit ChicagoTapTheatre.com.