DCASE Launches SpinOff 2013 to Celebrate Midwest-Based Work, 10/6-11/3

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) has announced SpinOff 2013, a new annual dance series premiering October 6-November 3. This month-long celebration of contemporary dance will present work by emerging and mid-career, Midwest-based choreographers and dance companies. All performances are FREE and feature Chicago and world premieres as well as excerpts from works-in-progress as part of DCASE Theater and Dance programming.

Performance locations include the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington Street) and the Storefront Theater (66 E. Randolph Street). Due to limited capacity, reservations are strongly recommended. To reserve FREE admission seating and complete details, visit cityofchicago.org/dcase. *Notice to parents: Some performances contain material inappropriate for children and are for mature audiences only.

The Minneapolis, Minnesota Dance Company BodyCartography Project will present the Chicago premiere of Super Nature at the Storefront Theater. This ecological melodrama strives to present the distinctive difference between the wild and civilized aspects of human nature through eccentric movements drawn from bodily impulses and social interactions. Plus, it will include a live score performed by Bessie Award-winning composer Zeena Parkins. Performance dates and times are Thursday, October 10 through Saturday, October 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 13 at 2 p.m. *This performance is not recommended for children under the age of 15.

In addition to its premiere at the Storefront Theater, BodyCartography will present Super Nature Installation as a "performance for one" in conjunction with Shift: A New Media Exhibit by Luftwerk. In an empty gallery, one audience member will meet one performer and have a non-verbal interaction. Both will have agency to transform the energy of the space through their behavior and social interaction, sometimes very subtle and sometimes extreme. The exhibit is on display in the Chicago Rooms on the second floor of the Chicago Cultural Center. Performance dates and times are Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October, 12 from noon - 5 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended. To secure your 10-minute slot, visit https://dcasesupernature.eventbrite.com/.

Chicago-based Dance Company Every House Has a Door presents the world premiere of Testimonium at the Storefront Theater.The production is a response to poet Charles Reznikoff's unfinished masterwork Testimony, which is a compilation of rewritten court transcripts. Testimonium reimagines his court transcripts into fragmented texts infused with recitation, inventive movement sequences and a live performance by Chicago band Joan of Arc. Performance dates and times are Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 20 at 2 p.m., continuing Thursday, October 24 through Saturday, October 26 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 27 at 2 p.m. *This performance is not recommended for children under the age of 15.

Digging from Madison, Wisconsin's Kate Corby & Dancers is a world premiere production based on the notion of utilizing meditation as a tool for creative exploration. The discoveries were shaped and formed into the evening-length production of Digging at the Chicago Cultural Center Dance Studio located on the first floor. Performance dates and times are Thursday, October 24 through Saturday, October 27 at 7:30 p.m.and Sunday, October 27 at 2 p.m.

Directed and conceived by Chicago choreographer Neijla Yatkin, NY2Dance presents the Chicago premiere of Oasis at the Storefront Theater.The multi-media dance production pinpoints the contrast between the desert and the oasis by highlighting the real world conception of the Middle East presented in dance form. Performance dates and times are Thursday, October 31 through Saturday, November 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, November 3 at 2 p.m.

SpinOff 2013 - In the Works Presentations:

The In the Works residency program gives emerging and established performing artists the opportunity to test-drive new work in a public setting. Each residency is tailored to the needs of the artist or company and their project. Each showing is a unique opportunity for audiences to get a behind-the-scenes look at new work by Chicago artists. All presentations are FREE and will take place in the Chicago Cultural Center Dance Studio on the first floor.

The Transatlantic Project is a year-long collaboration between Red Clay Dance and the Keiga Dance Company from Uganda. Together they are creating a new dance work exploring the similarities and differences in the two companies' choreographic process. Don't miss this work in progress on October 6 at 2 p.m. This work-in-progress showing is part of the SpinOff dance series.

Three dance companies split the bill on October 13 at noon. Where Power Lies is a new dance theater work-in-progress from The Seldomsexploring the paradoxes surrounding political power, ethics and social change. Chiaroscuro, presented by the Esoteric Dance Project delves into the fascinating emotional contrast of light and dark and the ultimate affect that it has on a composition as a whole. Kristina Isabelle Dancewill present an excerpt of The Floating City, a multi-media production inspired by the writings of Haruki Murakami. This work-in-progress showing is part of the SpinOff dance series.

Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events:

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is dedicated to enriching Chicago's artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. This includes fostering the development of Chicago's non-profit arts sector, independent working artists and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the City's future cultural and economic growth, via the 2012 Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the City's cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors.

For information on all productions presented by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, visit our website at cityofchicago.org/dcase and join us on Facebook and Twitter @ChicagoDCASE.

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