Shawn Harper Getty Images/iStockphoto
Kanopy's Stormy Gaylord and guest choreographer Tadej Brdnik demonstrate Shades of Light.
Dance, like all the art forms, keenly felt the impact of the COVID pandemic. Training became challenging, lonely and makeshift, and the development of new pieces was put on hold. So it’s heartening to see dance companies in Madison offering a resilient and robust selection of performances this fall.
The UW-Madison Dance Department opens its 2023-24 performance season with Professor Jin-Wen Yu’s Digging (Sept. 28-30). Yu is always a thoughtful and elegant dancemaker who brings out the best in his dancers. Next up is the Faculty Concert for fall (Nov. 16-18 and Nov. 30-Dec. 2), which offers an excellent opportunity to see choreography from Kate Corby, Karen McShane-Hellenbrand, Liz Sexe, Yu, and guest artist Taryn Vander Hoop (a UW alum who has gone on to have an impressive career in dance and yoga) performed by the current crop of gifted dance students. All performances are held at Lathrop Hall’s Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space.
Overture Center’s Promenade Hall serves as the nexus for an abundance of interesting performances. First up is The Gratitude Project from Madison Contemporary Dance (Sept. 30-Oct. 1). The company’s roster of contemporary and street-style dancers will perform original works inspired by stories of gratitude — the theme of all its performances this season has been gratitude, with the group adding pieces at each performance. Collectively, they will make up this final performance at Overture.
Dance Wisconsin, led by dynamic artistic director JoJean Retrum — who has helped shape so many dancers — will perform Sonder at Overture (Oct. 7-8). The original contemporary ballet pieces in this production are inspired by the definition of sonder (from the aptly named Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows): the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own. Dance Wisconsin’s Nutcracker will be performed at UW’s Shannon Hall Dec. 16-17.
Two Overture resident companies have performances in Promenade Hall. Kanopy Dance Company’s Shades of Light (Oct. 20-22) will debut two premieres from renowned dancer and choreographer Tadej Brdnik, former principal dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company. Brdnik will perform in a piece called “A Solo for Two and a Chair,” exploring a retired dancer’s return to the stage. Also on the program are restaged versions of well-regarded works from company co-artistic directors Robert E. Cleary and Lisa Thurrell.
Take note, too, of Kanopy’s LabWorks series, which offers an inside view of the creative process and evolution of performances (free admission but reservations are required by emailing susivoeltzpr@gmail.com). The LabWorks session for Shades of Light is Oct. 7 at the Kanopy Center for Modern and Contemporary Dance, 329 W. Mifflin St. This year, the group’s yearly Winter Fantasia: Reimagined (Nov. 30-Dec. 3) includes dance inspired by Scandinavian legends and an ode to the Hindu festival Sharad Navratri.
Prior to mounting their popular Nutcracker (in Overture Hall Dec. 15-24), Madison Ballet will present Innovation (Oct. 26-Nov. 5) which boasts four world premieres. Artistic director Ja’ Malik challenged each of the choreographers to examine the concept of innovation. Contributing new works and underscoring the company’s efforts to commission works by more artists of color and female-identifying artists, are Alia Kache, a cast member of The Lion King and a choreographer for Ailey 2; Richard Walters, the company’s rehearsal director; and company members Eric Stith, Charlotte Junge and Sarah Minton.
