Deeply Rooted Dance Theater Celebrates Past And Future At Logan Center

Deeply Rooted Dance Theater (DRDT) celebrates its successes and looks forward to what lies ahead with "An Inspired Past. A Jubilant Future" December 15 and 16 at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts on the University of Chicago campus, 915 E. 60th Street, Chicago.

The program's "Act 1: An Inspired Past" includes two works by Co-Founder and Artistic Director Kevin Iega Jeff. Nia Keii-A Gift of Life (1982), choreographed to celebrate the birth of Jeff's niece (Nia Keii), depicts nature's elements in joyous movement, set to music by Joe Sample. Flack (1984), set to the music of legendary performer Roberta Flack, is a portrait of strife and despair but ultimately triumph.

"Act 2: A Jubilant Future" features a world premiere by Co-Founder and Associate Artistic Director Gary Abbott. Parallel Lives is inspired by poor, working women who have shared life-changing events, both beautiful and tragic, with original music by Evangelos Spanos based on Vivaldi's "La Folia." Abbott's "Somewhere," an excerpt from his Sweet Ree (1992), is a dance of hope, longing and dreams, set to music performed by Aretha Franklin. The program concludes with Jeff and Abbott's 2004 work Heaven, which spotlights joy and humanity, clarity and resolve, with music by Janice Pendarvis, Anthony Moten and Raymond Jones, updated by Sam Trump.

A special performance for youth and senior audiences Wednesday, December 12 at noon features Abbott's Parallel Lives along with excerpts from Jeff's Flack and Nia Keii.

Deeply Rooted Dance Theater's "An Inspired Past. A Jubilant Future" takes place
Saturday, December 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 16 at 2 p.m.
at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts
on the University of Chicago campus, 915 E. 60th Street, Chicago.
Tickets are $35-55 for the December 15 performance;
visit deeplyrooted-jubilant-dec15.eventbrite.com.
Tickets for the December 16 performance only are $35-55,
$150 for the performance and post-performance VIP reception;
visit deeplyrooted-jubilant-dec16.eventbrite.com.
Tickets for the youth/senior performance Wednesday, December 12 at noon are $10;
visit https://deeplyrooted-jubilant-youthandsenior.eventbrite.com
All programming is subject to change.
For more information, visit deeplyrooteddancetheater.org.