We’ve spent the last two weeks oh so thankful as we’ve been learning and restaging River North’s iconic piece by Frank Chavez, “Temporal Trance”. It’s been an insane couple of weeks learning the piece as it’s highly physical, athletic, detailed, and involves a ton of flexibility and partnering. 

As a company, we are generally used to new works being created for us, though this year we have the privilege of working virtually with Frank Chavez and in person with Jessica Wolfrum who is staging this existing piece on SCDT! River North as a dance company was an integral part of the Chicago Dance scene. Since the end of the company in 2015, dancers and choreographers alike have referenced and talked about the sheer talent and beauty of the company. Personally, I’ve had countless instructors, mentors, and people who I look up to in the dance world come from River North. 

One of the best parts of this process has truly been learning from Jessica and Frank. The history runs deep. We’ve heard stories of the past dancers that are in the archival video of “Temporal Trance”. We’ve learned steps that many former dancers in Chicago DREAMED of performing onstage. It’s such a special few weeks to dive deep in Chicago dance’s history and to be a part of carrying it on. We are so thankful to Frank Chavez for trusting us with this piece and allowing us to dive deeper into some of the choreography that made Chicago dance what it is today.

We can’t wait for you to see this piece in May at the Auditorium Theatre. Season 8 has started, and we just know it’s going to be great!