Valentine Dances

Dance Chicago presents the second annual Valentine Dances, featuring new works as well as the best romantic selections from Dance Chicago 2005. This year also boasts the premiere of ValenTEEN Dances, a new program designed for younger audiences.

Curator John Schmitz has woven the Feb. 11 and 12 program for Valentine Dances from the most beguiling works of the Dance Chicago festival along with new works to Dance Chicago from some of the city’s most eclectic companies and choreographers.

The new works on the program include: River North Chicago Dance Company; choreography by Altin Naska featuring Derrick Angoletti and Deanne Brown of The Joffrey Ballet; the grand return of champion ballroom dancers Gregory Day and Tommye Giacchino; The Lavender Cabaret’s Michelle “Toots” L’amour; Jump Rhythm Jazz Project; Mucca Pazza movement based brass and percussion ensemble; Choreography by Raphaelle Ziemba and Victor Alexander and Cerqua Rivera. Encore presentations from the best of Dance Chicago 2005 include: Thodos Dance Chicago; Culture Shock Chicago; choreography by Eddy Ocampo; Valerie Alpert Dance Company; SurTaal Dance Company; Descarga Caribe; InAside Chicago Dance; Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre; live music by Stone; DanceLoop Chicago/Dimitri Peskov; the 2005 Romantic choreography winners and more. Following the Saturday evening performance, a free Valentine celebration with champagne, chocolate and a lingerie show from G Boutique will be held in the Athenaeum’s Curtain Call Club.

In conjunction with Valentine Dances, Dance Chicago presents a new program for Chicago’s young performers and audiences, Friday, Feb. 10. The ValenTEEN Dances program is not only an audience expansion initiative, but it also fosters new talent by providing young dancers and choreographers from The Best of Dance Slam 2005 an opportunity to perform alongside seasoned veterans. This program will offer a safe and culturally enriching Valentine alternative for less than the price of dinner and a movie.

ValenTEEN Dances features River North Chicago Dance Company; Gregory Day and Tommye Giacchino; Jump Rhythm Jazz Project; American Dance Center; On Broadway Dancers; SurTaal Dance Company; Footprints Tap Ensemble; Fusion Dance Company; Hip Hop ConnXion; Mucca Pazza; Danceforce; Diane Rawlinson and Wheeling High School Orchesis with choreography by Eddy Ocampo; Descarga Caribe; Xtreme Dance Force; Dance Gallery; State Street Dance Company; Highland Park High School; Forum Jazz Dance Theatre; Curie Advanced Dance Touring Company; Dance 2XS; Stage Door Dance Academy and more.