The stage lights dim, the curtain closes and in the glare of intermission brightness two dancegoers blink at each other in confusion. They’ve just seen the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago perform a modern ballet, danced in toe shoes but incorporating unconventional movement — all to a largely incomprehensible score.
“Well, the dancing was nice,” one woman says tentatively to the other.
“Yes, very nice,” her companion replies. They stir uncomfortably.
Their wide eyes say: “But what does it all mean?”
The 13th annual Spring Festival of Dance (details below) features the Joffrey and other troupes doing a wide variety programs. And while we can’t explain what “it all” means, we can offer a few pointers.
Like it? Got it!
To the uninitiated, a trip to the dance is fraught with the worry that something is going on onstage that ordinary people can’t understand. Because dance is, by its very nature, abstract and non-literal, people worry that they aren’t “getting it.”
So here’s the word from dancers, choreographers and serious dance lovers: if you like it, you “got it.”
Although many choreographers do labor to infuse their dances with fascinating themes, melanges of different dance styles and sometimes even social commentary, they aren’t hurt if you don’t catch it all. Dance is, after all, visual and emotional. Any deep thoughts it might conjure up are purely ancillary.
The dance our two ladies have just viewed was actually based on Flamenco traditions. Some of the music featured Flamenco canto vocals, which sound rather like muezzins crying from minarets in the Mideast. This is confusing to those who don’t know flamenco from flamingos. However, the choreographer probably doesn’t care much if you understand the theme or not. It’s just a backdrop for great dance.
With the active dance scene in Chicago, it’s good to get brave and face the great dance unknown. There’s so much out there, ranging from classical ballet (tutus and “Swan Lake”) to post-modern dance (black leotards and angst), that there’s something that will speak to your inner dancer. Or at least something that looks pretty darn cool.
If you’re going to try out a dance concert … or if you are being dragged to a concert by a willful partner, you might need some tips on how to enjoy the terpsichorean experience.
Common stereotypes
Lie No. 1: Dancers are all wimps.
If you could see a dancer close up, you’d see muscles beyond belief. These performers are lean and toned as any Olympic athlete. They have to be, because the effort involved in dancing is equal to that of sports. (Choreographer Gus Giordano calls his dancers “artistic athletes.”) Dancers also don’t know the meaning of pain. When a professional athlete would sit out a game for tendonitis, pulled ligaments, back trouble or another injury, a dancer with the same ailment will generally insist on performing. Call it artistic devotion or egotism, dancers rarely sit on the bench.
Lie No. 2: Dance involves a complex system of movements that only dancers can understand.
This lie should have been put to rest when modern dance challenged classical ballet in the 1920s. Sure, classical ballet has a codified series of movements that take a lifetime to learn. But only dancers need know them. You are free to watch ballet not knowing a jete from a jet-ski. As for modern dance (and post-modern styles), “freedom” is the byword. Whatever works, works.
Lie No. 3: Dance is for women.
Tell that to the rest of the world. America — that is, middle-class white America — is perhaps the only nation on earth where male dancing is demeaned. In Africa and Latin America, male dancers are esteemed and often powerful members of their community. In Ireland, step-dancing is a proud male tradition. Russians hold dear the male Cossack dance tradition. Martial artists, usually men, regularly perform beautiful and dancing sword dances in China and Japan.
Lie No. 4: Dance concerts go on forever.
Dance concerts usually clock in under two hours. Plus, they are big on intermissions, often allowing two per show. Most modern-dance performances are over in 1 1/2 hours.
Lie No. 5: Dance doesn’t tell a story.
Then what do you call “Swan Lake”? There are many story ballets, which usually relate familiar fairy tales. It doesn’t take any special skill to understand what’s going on. Even modern dance now often incorporates plot and speech into performances, giving performances a story line.
Lie No. 6: Dance doesn’t connect with the common person.
Go to a modern dance show sometime and look at hip-hip and street dance incorporated into the mix. Today’s choreographers regularly
draw from real life.
Lie No. 7: There’s no point to dance.
Well, not if you consider moving a ball over the 20-yard line to be the only important goal in life. Dance, like all other arts, strives to make audiences react emotionally, to discover something new and perhaps beautiful within themselves. That’s always worth pursuing.
Hidden truths
Truth No. 1: Dance appeals to any age.
Kids — including boys — love it. I took my son regularly to dance concerts starting at age 8, and he always enjoyed it. Now he’s one of the best (social) dancers in middle school.
Truth No. 2: If you read the stage notes, you’ll know what to expect.
This little tip saved me many times when reviewing unfamiliar dance companies. You’ll see if the dance is about childhood or falling in love. Even a list of the musical selections will help enormously. (Beethoven’s “Pathetique”? This will surely be a sad dance.)
Truth No. 3: If you like theater (or opera), you will appreciate dance. Take away the words and the set-up is often the same: costumes, scenery, acting, characterizations.
Truth No. 4: If all else fails, there are beautiful bodies to look at. These people are young, toned and gorgeous. Compare this to opera, if you dare.
The next step
Ready to go? Here are some particulars on the 13th annual Spring Festival of Dance, running through May 9.
Programs include: the Joffrey Ballet (March 18-28); Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (April 13-May 2) at the Shubert Theatre, 55 W. Monroe St.; Margaret Jenkins Dance Company (March 24-27) at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave.; and Performing Arts Chicago’s CineDance Festival, featuring Pina Bausch and the Tanztheater Wuppertal (April 30-May 9) at Facets Multimedia, 1517 W. Fullerton Ave.
You can save as much as 20 percent on tickets by obtaining the Dance Card. Call the Music and Dance Theater Chicago at 312-629-8696. If you present your card at the box office, or phone the box office and mention the Dance Card, you’ll receive discounts and special bonuses like dance lessons.
