Dance COLEctive and Peter Carpenter Premiere Set for 5/1-2

Two award-winning Chicago choreographers-Margi Cole, founder and director of The Dance COLEctive (TDC), and Peter Carpenter of Peter Carpenter Performance Project-collaborate for Rituals of Abundance for Lean Times #14: Curious Reinventions, an evening-length premiere May 1 and 2 at the Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph Street, Chicago, presented in association with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE).

Carpenter and Cole join forces to co-choreograph a dance that considers the importance of mimicry and imitation. How do imitations of others shape our sense of self? How can imperfect copies shed light on the excesses of the original? Can mimicry terrorize the status quo? Carpenter and Cole scheme to address these questions in a promenade-style dance-theatre hybrid that asks audience members to leave the comfort of their seats and traverse the onstage, backstage and lobby areas of the DCASE Storefront Theater. The performance showcases high-velocity dancing, irreverent theatricality and unorthodox compositional devices.

Collaborating on the new work are TDC company members Julie Boruff, Madelyn Doyle, Shannon Edwards, Olivia May and Katie Petrunich; guest artist Matthew McMunn; TDC apprentices Liz Conway and Jamie Corliss; and contributing artists including musician/composer Michael Caskey, costume designer Jeff Hancock and lighting designer Richard Norwood.

The Dance COLEctive and Peter Carpenter Performance Project present Rituals of Abundance for Lean Times #14: Curious Reinventions May 1 and 2, 7 and 9 p.m. each night, at the Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph Street, Chicago. General admission is $15. To purchase tickets, visit brownpapertickets.com/event/1126399. For more information, call 773-604-8452 or visit dancecolective.com.