Giordano Dance Chicago (GDC) brings their first Chicago performances of their 60th Anniversary Season to the Harris Theater, Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 22. The program will include GDC’s first performance of Tony Powell’s “Impulse” in 13 years, a world premiere by newly-appointed Associate Artistic Director Cesar G. Salinas plus popular selections from GDC’s repertoire.
“It is a magical time for us,” says GDC Artistic Director Nan Giordano. “Our dancers are a dream on and off the stage and our administrative team has never been better. Beauty, Energy, Unity and Community are abundant.”
Pictured: Fernando Rodriguez and Katie Rafferty. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.
Highlights of the program include
• Tony Powell’s electrifying “Impulse” (2006). This will be the first time in more than 13 years GDC has performed this work.
• A world premiere work by former GDC company dancer and newly-appointed Associate Artistic Director Cesar G. Salinas. Salinas sets this new piece for five dancers to music by Travis Lake and Medwyn Goodall, connecting through the heartbeat and creating unification of driving rhythms.
The program will also include:
• “Giordano Moves” (2005), set to an original music score by George McRae, featuring the essence of the classic Giordano technique created by GDC founder Gus Giordano, remounted by Nan Giordano.
• Autumn Eckman’s “commonthread” (2009), performed to an eclectic original music composition by musician Dan Myers.
• “Groove, in formed” (2019) by international dancemaker Peter Chu. This fluid, contemporary full company work explores the rhythmic composition of jazz dance by examining many cultural and social dances that influenced and shaped the art form.
• “SOUL” (2018) by “So You Think You Can Dance” choreographer Ray Leeper, This rousing crowd-pleaser features music by Gladys Knight and the Pips, Al Green and Tina Turner. “The company pulls out all the stops, exalting each other in spectacular lifts, leaps, and general rejoicing” (SeeChicagoDance).
Tickets are $20-$90. For tickets or more information visit www.harristheaterchicago.org.
America’s original jazz dance company is celebrating 60 years of expanding jazz dance. Giordano Dance Chicago (GDC) is an iconic cultural organization and an integral part of Chicago’s vibrant performing arts community. From its origins in founder Gus Giordano’s original school in Evanston, Ill., to its current incarnation as a world-class dance company, GDC boasts over a half-century of worldwide performances (28 countries, 47 states, more than 1,300 cities) with an imprint on the art form of jazz dance that is far-reaching and significant. For 38 years GDC has been under the Artistic Leadership of Nan Giordano who is responsible for commissioning numerous groundbreaking works, the mentoring of hundreds of young dancers and choreographers, and the development of the Nan Giordano Certification Program®. The Program, which offers multi-level instruction and certification in the proprietary Giordano Technique, has certified dance educators in 36 states and seven countries, all integrating the Technique into their college, high school, and studio programs. Each Spring, GDC’s “Jazz Dance/Science & Health” program teaches elementary school anatomy and nutrition through a dance-centric program in CPS science classrooms. In 2022 the program brought 250 classes to 350 students in four under-resourced schools, all taught by GDC dancers. With the leadership of Artistic Director Nan Giordano, Executive Director Michael McStraw, and GDC’s dedicated Board of Directors, GDC is stronger than ever. For more information about GDC, visit www.giordanodance.org.
Giordano Dance Chicago is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation and is not affiliated with the Gus Giordano Dance School in Andersonville or the Gus Giordano Jazz Legacy Foundation.