Chicago's Harris Theater Presents Akram Khan's GISELLE,

The Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance will present the exclusive U.S. presentation of Akram Khan's Giselle, English National Ballet's 2017 Olivier Award winner, running for four performances, February 28 - March 2, 2019 at the Harris Theater in Chicago.

 

Britain's premier touring company, led by Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, returns to the U.S. for the first time in three decades with a compelling new take on one of ballet's most cherished stories. One of the greatest romantic ballets of all time, Giselle is Akram Khan's first full-length ballet. The iconic story of love, betrayal and redemption has been given a haunting reinterpretation with a newly commissioned score by Vincenzo Lamagna adapted from the original Adolphe Adam work, and performed by Chicago Philharmonic Society.

 

Giselle features sets and costumes by Academy Award-winning designer Tim Yip (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), dramaturgy from Ruth Little, and lighting design from Tony Award-winner Mark Henderson.

 

Akram Khan is one of the most celebrated and respected dance artists today. In just over a decade he has created a body of work that has contributed significantly to the arts in the UK and abroad. His reputation has been built on the success of imaginative, highly accessible and relevant productions such as DESH, iTMOi, Vertical Road, Gnosis and zero degrees.

 

An instinctive and natural collaborator, Khan has been a magnet to world-class artists from other cultures and disciplines. His previous collaborators include the National Ballet of China, actress Juliette Binoche, ballerina Sylvie Guillem, choreographer/dancer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, singer Kylie Minogue, composer Steve Reich, and many more. Khan has been the recipient of numerous awards throughout his career including the Laurence Olivier Award, the prestigious ISPA (International Society for the Performing Arts) Distinguished Artist Award, the South Bank Sky Arts Award and the Critics' Circle National Dance Award.

 

English National Ballet is a world-class ballet company, renowned for creative excellence, innovative collaboration, engaging ways of honoring and enhancing traditional ballet, and evolving the art form for future generations. Established in 1950 by former Ballets Russes dancers Anton Dolin and Alicia Markova and impresario Julian Braunsweg, and led by Artistic Director Tamara Rojo since 2012, it exists to bring ballet to the widest possible audience by touring throughout the UK and around the world. www.ballet.org.uk

 

Giselle is co-produced by Manchester International Festival and Sadler's Wells, London, and supported by the Giselle Production Syndicate and Arts Council England.

 

The Harris Theater's presentation of English National Ballet is made possible with leadership support from the Harris Family Foundation, Caryn and King Harris; Abby McCormick O'Neil and D. Carroll Joynes; and ITW.

 

Akram Khan's Giselle will be presented at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Thursday, February 28 and Friday, March 1, 2019 at 7:30 pm; and Saturday, March 2 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm. The Harris is located at 205 E. Randolph Street, Chicago, Ill. For further information, visit www.HarrisTheaterChicago.org

 

The Harris Theater is Chicago's primary residence for music and dance, connecting diverse audiences with outstanding artists from across the city, the nation, and the world. The Theater's activities fall under three central strategies: support for local music and dance companies, presentation of national and International Artists, and community engagement and educational programs. Now in its 15th anniversary season, the Theater has earned national recognition as a distinctive model for collaboration, performance, and artistic advancement.

 

Today, the Harris Theater's original group of 12 resident companies has grown to include 30 diverse music and dance companies, and its Harris Theater Presents series has featured world-renowned artists and ensembles including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Batsheva Dance, Joshua Bell, Renée Fleming, Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir, Hamburg Ballet, Angélique Kidjo, Paris Opéra Ballet, and Stephen Sondheim. The Harris Theater's community engagement initiatives build bridges between artists and community members, providing master classes, artist talks, and free tickets for more than 35 partner organizations throughout Chicago.

 

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