Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Comes To The Auditorium Theatre Of Roosevelt University 11/14, 11/15

The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (ATRU, 50 E. Congress Parkway) proudly presents the internationally acclaimed Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet for two shows only, Saturday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. Tickets are now on sale.

Founded in 2003 by Nancy Laurie and currently under the artistic direction of former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater member Benoit-Swan Pouffer, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet boasts an exceptionally talented ensemble of sixteen dancers from around the world. The company focuses on acquiring and commissioning new works by the world's most sought-after emerging choreographers.

Through their daring, athletic movement and integration of ballet into contemporary and popular dance forms, the dancers of Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet take audiences on a choreographic journey that explores the infinite possibilities of movement and multimedia. According to The New York Times, "the troupe has drawn a dance-savvy audience and created a team of wonderful performers, adept at picking up different styles and always impressive in their articulation and intensity." For their exclusive Chicago engagement at the Auditorium Theatre, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet will perform Crystal Pite's "Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue," Didy Veldman's "frame of view" (sic) and Jo Strømgren's "Sunday, Again."

According to choreographer Crystal Pite, "Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue" (Cedar Lake world premiere 2008) is an act of excavation in which fragments of narrative are rescued from the choreography, and exposed for brief contemplation before dissolving back into dance. By using choreography to extend, distort or suspend these fragments of narrative, ordinary human movements become extraordinary through the framework of the theater and through the virtuosity of the performers.

Choreographer Didy Veldman describes "frame of view" (Cedar Lake world premiere 2009) as an investigation of the physical movement a particular emotion may take, how it manifests itself in the body, how long that physicality may last and the energy that it creates. By creating different interior and exterior scenes, and utilizing a varied musical landscape, Veldman creates an accessible work with a touch of irony and humor. "frame of view" features an eclectic score that includes the music of Nina Simone, Pink Martini, Offenbach, Dean Martin and the Kronos Quartet.

"Sunday, Again," choreographed by Jo Strømgren (Cedar Lake world premiere 2008), is a piece that reflects the diversity of Johann Sebastian Bach's music. Abstract movement patterns are woven together in fugal ways, not unlike the baroque way of assembling melodic phrases and ornamentations. On an associative level, "Sunday, Again" thematically treats the domestic jungle of luxury problems and gender frictions. "As the title suggests, there is always the irritating and inevitable Sunday which forces couples to test their coexistence abilities. Leisure time is not good for certain types of relationships," says Strømgren.

Cedar Lake Artistic Director Benoit-Swan Pouffer joined the company in 2005 following an extensive career as a dancer, teacher and choreographer. He began his dance studies at the prestigious Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse, where he performed works by renowned French choreographers such as Claude Brumachon, Daniel Larrieu and Angelin Preljocaj. Pouffer's distinguished career as a professional dancer includes a seven year tenure with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (from 1997 - 2004) in addition to seasons with Philadanco, Donald Byrd/The Group and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Pouffer has also offered outreach programs in South Africa and taught master classes throughout Europe and the United States. Pouffer's role as curator of one of the most ambitious world-class repertoires in America today furthers Cedar Lake's mission to provide choreographers with a comprehensive environment for creation and presentation.

Vancouver-based choreographer and performer Crystal Pite has created works for Nederlands Dans Theater, Ballett Frankfurt, Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal (including a term as resident choreographer), Ballet British Columbia, the Alberta Ballet, Ballet Jörgen and several independent dance artists. As a member of Ballett Frankfurt, she was involved in the creation of William Forsythe's CD-ROM "Improvisation Technologies" and participated in Forsythe's works both as a performer and co-creator. Pite later formed her own company, Kidd Pivot, and continues to create and perform her own work. Kidd Pivot tours nationally and internationally with productions that include "Lost Action," "Uncollected Work" and "Double Story," created with Richard Siegal. Pite is the recipient of the Banff Centre's Clifford E. Lee Award, the Bonnie Bird North American Choreography Award and the Isadora Award.

Dutch choreographer Didy Veldman trained at Amsterdam's Scapino Academy, and began choreographing in 1987. She co-founded the dance company Alias with Guilherme Botelho in 1992. Its first work, "En Manqué," was performed to acclaim in London, Glasgow, Zurich and Lausanne, and won the Dance Exchange International and the Prix Romand du Spectacle Indépendant awards. Veldman joined Rambert Dance Company in 1994, where she created three works for its repertory including "7 DS" which won the Lindbury Prize for Stage Design. Since leaving Rambert in 2000, Veldman has created and re-staged works for Rambert, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Ballet Gulbenkian, Cullberg Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre, New Zealand Ballet, the Komische Oper Berlin, Scottish Dance Theatre, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Australia's Company Loaded and Sweden's Skånes Dansteater. Her Cedar Lake world premiere "frame of view" is the first work Veldman has created for an American company.

Jo Strømgren began studying at the National College of Ballet and Dance in Norway at the age of 20. After four years of training there, Carte Blanca Dance Company in Bergen, Norway engaged him as a choreographer and dancer. Strømgren gained artistic recognition with "Schizoid Stories," a 75-minute, one-man show that combines distinctive body language with absurd humor and dark psychology. Strømgren's choreography has been commissioned by Ballet de l'Opera National du Rhin, the Royal Danish Ballet, New Danish Dance Theatre, Ballett Nürnberg, Iceland Dance Company, Norwegian National Ballet, Oslo Dance Ensemble, Repertory Dance Theatre Utah, Cloud Gate, IT Dansa Barcelona, Helsinki Dance Company, Stadttheater Bern Ballett, Austria's ABCDancecompany, Vienna State Opera Ballet, Sweden's Norrdans Dance Company and Skånes Danseteater. In 2003, Strømgren made his debut as a feature film director with colleague Runar Hodne.

For more information about Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, please visit cedarlakedance.com.

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