Dance Center to Open Season with BalletX, 9/18-20

The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago presents the Chicago debut of Philadelphia's premier contemporary ballet company BalletX as the opening performance series of its 2014-15 season. Performances are September 18-20, 2014 at The Dance Center, 1306 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago.

Co-directed by Christine Cox and Matthew Neenan, the 10-member company performs two works by Joshua L. Peugh: Slump, a wild, aggressive dance about courtship and the instinctual rituals of mating, featuring Korean dance steps and set to Klezmer, jazz and mambo music, and Valentine's Day, a pas de deux commissioned by BalletX that deals with the ideas of giving and receiving, romance and obligation, support and struggle, inspired by the simplicity and purity of Japanese animation. Jodie Gates' Delicate Balance, lauded by the Philadelphia Inquirer as "a dreamscape of motion," is a physically and emotionally powerful piece that highlights the athleticism and artistry of the BalletX dancers, set to Arvo Pärt, Henryk Gorecki, Gavin Byers, David Lang and Max Richter. Named a "Dance Favorite for 2013" by the New York Times, Neenan's The Last Glass is a ballet that slowly awakens like a city, part mysterious pageant and part raucous celebration, featuring the wild street-parade sound of American indie-rock band Beirut.

A post-performance conversation with the artists takes place Thursday, September 18, and a pre-performance talk with Matthew Neenan takes place Friday, September 19 at 7 p.m. Both events are free to ticket holders. Neenan also will participate in The Dance Center's FREE DanceMakers series, which features contemporary dance artists offering insight into their choreographic process, Monday, September 15, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the American Rhythm Center, Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave. 3rd floor, Chicago. Preregistration is required.

Founded in 2005, BalletX, Philadelphia's premier contemporary ballet, unites distinguished choreographers with an outstanding company of world-class dancers to forge new works of athleticism, emotion and grace. Through the daring vision of its award-winning founders and artistic directors, Christine Cox and Matthew Neenan, BalletX challenges the boundaries of classical ballet by encouraging formal experimentation while preserving rigorous technique. The company is committed to producing new works of the highest quality and integrity that bring the combined visions of choreographers and dancers to life and cultivate in audiences a collective appetite for bold, new dance.

The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago is the city's leading presenter of contemporary dance, showcasing artists of regional, national and international significance. The Dance Center has been named "Chicago's Best Dance Theatre" by Chicago magazine and "Best Dance Venue" by the Chicago Reader, and Time Out Chicago cited it as "...consistently offering one of Chicago's strongest lineups of contemporary and experimental touring dance companies." Programs of The Dance Center are supported, in part, by Alphawood Foundation, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, New England Foundation for the Arts, the MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Irving Harris Foundation, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, National Performance Network (NPN) Performance Residency Program and the Arts Midwest Touring Fund. Additional funding is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Special thanks to Friends of The Dance Center. For information, call 312-369-8330 or visit colum.edu/dancecenterpresents

The Dance Center's 2014-15 season continues with Hedwig Dances with DanzAbierta (Oct. 9-11), Rosy Simas Danse (Oct. 16-18), Beijing Dance Theater (presented by the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in association with The Dance Center at the Harris Theater Oct. 28-29), Heidi Latsky Dance (Nov. 6-8), David Roussève/REALITY (Feb. 5-7), Chicago Dance Crash (Feb. 19-21), Shantala Shivalingappa (Mar. 5-7) and Urban Bush Women (Mar. 19-21).

The Dance Center presents BalletX September 18-20, Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m. at The Dance Center, 1306 S. Michigan Ave. Single tickets are $30. All programming is subject to change. The theatre is accessible to people with disabilities. For information, call 312-369-8330 or visit colum.edu/dancecenterpresents.