Giordano Dance Chicago Premieres RED & BLACK At The Harris Theater

Giordano Dance Chicago (GDC), America's original jazz dance company enters their 62nd season SOARING! with an exhilarating program at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25 and Saturday, Oct. 26.

Works include the world premiere of “Red & Black” by “Dancing with the Stars” choreographer Ray Leeper, an encore of the masterful one-act “Gershwin in B” by Emmy award-winning choreographer and GDC resident choreographer Al Blackstone, the stunningly dramatic and inspirational “Flickers,” by nationally acclaimed choreographer Marinda Davis, and more.

Says GDC Artistic Director Nan Giordano, “I enter my 40th year, with possibility, gratitude, energy & an untouchable source of energy. Today is the day!”

In this celebratory season, Giordano has been deliberate in choosing to work with choreographers with whom she has special relationships and who have been significant forces in the GDC legacy. Ray Leeper is one such choreographer, Leeper's connection with GDC began when company founder Gus Giordano pulled the young Ray up on stage at a dance convention. Since then, Leeper has choreographed three full company works for GDC: “Feelin' Good Sweet” (2014), “Soul” (2018) and now “Red & Black.”

The process has been a joy for Leeper and the dancers alike. As they have inspired each other along the way, the piece has grown into a one-act piece in five parts. It follows the ups and downs of show girls and the men who love them, culminating in a high-energy jazz finale filled with the company's trademark exhilaration and heart.

“This work could only happen with GDC,” says Leeper. It's because of their incredible dancers, but also the generous artistic latitude Nan provided that gave me the chance to stretch my choreography in new directions.”

Other works on the program include the following:

• Al Blackstone's one-act “Gershwin in B” (2024). This full company work had its world premiere in GDC's Spring 2024 Harris engagement. Third Coast Review calls it …” a rousing work” and Chicago City Pleasures hails it as “nothing less than breathtaking.”
• Marinda Davis stunningly dramatic “Flickers” (2019). This work celebrates Davis, her indomitable spirit and unrelenting quest for light amid her personal health darkness. Davis complements a jazz-based aesthetic with the momentary frenzy of ballet beats and frantic percussive shifts of focus. See Chicago Dance calls “Flickers,” “…practically a genre unto itself.”
• “unconditional” (2024) choreographed by GDC Company Dancer Adam Houston. This work was initially developed for “G on G,” GDC's choreography showcase and investment in its dancers' artistic expression.
• “Yes, And…” (2010), featuring all 15 GDC dancers and choreographed by former GDC Resident Choreographer Autumn Eckman. This company work draws from one of the most basic tenets of theatrical improv where improvisers build on a forward-moving statement to expand on characters and scenes.  “Exciting stuff,” says Chicago Stage and Cinema.  

Video interludes will be interspersed in the program to provide behind-the-scenes stories and context for the works.

GDC opens their “SEASON 62 | “SOARING!” at the Harris Theater at Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph, with performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25 and Saturday, Oct. 26. Tickets are $25-$95. For tickets or more information visit harristheaterchicago.org.

In advance of the Harris engagement, GDC Giordano Dance Chicago (GDC) hosts its 17th “Dancing With The Giordano Stars 2024” ballroom dance competition 7-11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10 at Park West, 322 W. Armitage Ave. This popular annual event, patterned after the hit ABC series "Dancing With The Stars,” benefits GDC's Jazz Dance/Science & Health outreach program, company operations and jazz dance advocacy and mentorship programs. For tickets or more information visit giordanodance.org

America's original jazz dance company soars into their 62nd season with energy and endless possibilities. Giordano Dance Chicago (GDC) is an iconic cultural institution with deep roots in Chicago and around the globe (28 countries, 47 states, and more than 1,300 cities). From founder Gus Giordano's vision, the company continues to honor the past while pushing the art form forward. Nan Giordano celebrates 40 years as an artistic leader responsible for commissioning innovative choreographic works and mentoring thousands of dancers. Alongside Nan, Associate Artistic Director, Cesar G. Salinas and the magnificent dancers are an integral part of the GDC legacy. With the appointment of Erica L. Edwards, Executive Director, it truly is a new day. Adding Al Blackstone as Resident Choreographer for the next three years is a testament that the art form of jazz dance is thriving. The company is one of the few in the world that has a foundational technique, Nan Giordano Certification Program with certified teachers in nine countries and 36 states. GDC is committed to youth arts education at home and on tour through mentorship, scholarship, and in free Chicago Public Schools and park programs. GDC is proud to be one of the longest running dance companies in the world, continuing to enrich lives through dance.

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