Joffrey Ballet Artists Activate 150 Media Stream With Dynamic New Video Installation

The Joffrey Ballet has announced that a dynamic video installation featuring members of the company will animate the acclaimed 150 Media Stream public art exhibition at 150 N. Riverside Plaza as the inaugural output of Action Lines, a new production company formed here by a pair of Joffrey Ballet Company Artists, Xavier Núñez and Dylan Gutierrez, and writer and film producer Eric Grant.

Established in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, Action Lines was created as a company by and for independent performing artists. Its goals are to bring new perspectives to dance films, and to provide opportunities to strengthen the bonds between the performing arts and digital media.

Its inaugural work, Interim Avoidance, is a seven-minute piece featuring six members of The Joffrey Ballet: Edson Barbosa, Olivia Duryea, Dylan Gutierrez, Dara Holmes, Hyuma Kiyosawa, and Jeraldine Mendoza. It will be on view at 150 N. Riverside Plaza from Feb. 1 - April 30.

As described by Gutierrez and Núñez: "Interim Avoidance seeks to provide a sense of closeness during the waning days of the pandemic. The dancers of The Joffrey Ballet have found themselves all dressed up with nowhere to perform. Six dancers emerge in a void, unsure of their purpose. A beam of red light beckons them like a stage manager on opening night, offering a moment of respite from their collective solitude. Never ones to give up an opportunity, they launch into the movements and shapes for which they have trained so long. A determination to bring joy, to excite, to spark inspiration with dance,

the performers urge us all to remember that even in the darkest times, loneliness is nothing more than an Interim Avoidance."

"The Joffrey was founded with the intention of being more than a dance company," said Ashley Wheater MBE, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director of the Joffrey. "This collaboration speaks to that. As difficult as it has been to get through the pandemic, several of our artists are putting creative energy toward different passions and interests-from education to graphic design to film. Action Lines and 150 Media Stream have created a brilliant installation that highlights the beauty of our company. It is a thrill to support it and to see it come to life."

"An important part of our mission is to provide a platform for Chicago artists and organizations," said Yuge Zhou, Curator of 150 Media Stream. "We are excited to open our 2021 arts program with this mesmerizing video installation that merges performing arts and technology on a unique stage."

Interim Avoidance showings will take place Feb. 1 - April 30 at 150 N. Riverside Plaza, Monday - Friday: 8:00 - 9:30 AM, and 4:30 - 8:00 PM, and Saturdays: 1:00-7:00 PM. All attendees are required to wear a face covering.