Displaying items by tag: Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre (CRDT), the Chicago-based dance company, is proud to announce its 2026 - 2027 season. In the coming year, CRDT will join the historic Ruth Page Center for the Arts as an in-resident company. The season will also include welcoming back Chicago dance icon Sherry Zunker for the first of a three-year residency, as well as featuring award-winning choreographer Omár Román de Jesús and broadening opportunities for a diverse pipeline of emerging choreographers even further - not only with its 2nd Annual Chicago Latinx/e Contemporary Movement Festival but also with the Inaugural New Voices Festival.

With resident choreographers Sherry Zunker and Omar Román de Jesús, CRDT will again create new dance and music work to inspire audiences across Chicagoland and beyond. The 2026-27 season includes free performances of The Heart of the Story, Friday, July 24 at 10 a.m., Friday, July 31 at 5:30 p.m. and Friday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. as part of the City of Chicago's Night Out in the Parks; another free performance as part of Navy Pier's Chicago Live!, Saturday, Sept. 20 at 5 p.m.; the 2nd Annual Latinx/e Contemporary Movement Festival, Friday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 3 10:15 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.; the launch of its New Voices Festival, Thursday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m.; and the season culminates with the 2027 Spring Concert Series, April 29 - May 1.

In addition to a full season of dance performance, there will be a Season Kickoff Celebration, Saturday, Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m. to celebrate CRDT's new creative home and start the 2026-27 season with a celebration of dance and artistry.

The full 2026-2027 season details are listed below with more information on the latest company updates and the 28th season atCerquaRivera.org or@CerquaRivera on social media.

"This season, we are taking even bolder steps to serve our community, celebrate the many voices that define our city and create meaningful opportunities for artists whose stories deserve to be seen and heard," said Co-founder and Artistic Director of Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, Wilfredo Rivera. "We are thrilled to welcome back Chicago dance icon Sherry Zunker for the beginning of a three-year artistic residency and to welcome award-winning choreographer Omar Román de Jesús, to create a new work examining how our personal and collective histories continue to shape who we become."

Rivera continued, "And there's even more! We are incredibly proud to become a resident company at Chicago's historic Ruth Page Center for the Arts and to launch our New Voices Festival, which joins the 2nd Annual Chicago Latinx/e Contemporary Movement Festival as another much-needed new platform for emerging movement artists from diverse backgrounds."

The 2026-2027 Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre season includes:

Night Out in the Parks: The Heart of the Story

Friday, July 24 at 10 a.m.

Galewood Park, 5729 W Bloomingdale Ave., Chicago

Friday, July 31 at 5:30 p.m.

Fuller (Melville) Park, 331 W 45th St., Chicago

Friday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m.

Douglass Park, 1401 S. Sacramento Dr., Chicago

Ticket Price: FREE

The Heart of the Story is a semi-interactive concert dance program featuring dance and music artists from Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre performing several pieces from the company's repertoire. Each performance will be customized based on the interests and identity of the community, tapping into Cerqua Rivera's rich repertoire to celebrate the complexity of the human experience. This company brings people together with choreography that highlights the dualities found within each of us–confidence and doubt, strength and vulnerability, grace and intensity. These energetic and interactive events will draw you in and fill your soul.

SEASON 28 OPENER

Season Kickoff Celebration

Saturday, Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St., Chicago

Ticket Price: $25 - $55 (discounts available)

CerquaRivera.org/schedule

Chicago's own Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre's debut as a resident company at the historic Ruth Page Center for the Arts features this year's dancers, including a new class of CRDT II, performance of excerpts from and behind the scenes info about this year's new works and an announcement of the full season schedule. A rare opportunity to celebrate at our new creative home with Chicago artists in an intimate atmosphere.

Chicago Live!

Saturday, Sept. 20 at 5 p.m.

Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago

Ticket Price: FREE

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre is proud to participate in the Midwest's largest free performing arts festival at Navy Pier again this year. The event welcomes more than 100 Chicago-grown performing groups in back-to-back performances across five stages on the Pier for thousands of enthusiastic fans.

2nd Annual Latinx/e Contemporary Movement Festival

Friday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. (festival concert) and Saturday, Oct. 3 at 10:15 a.m. (workshop) and 12 noon (panel discussion).

Dance Center of Columbia College, 1306 S Michigan Ave., Chicago

Concert Ticket Price: $10 - $30 (discounts available), Columbia students and staff are FREE

CerquaRivera.org/schedule

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre meets the need to platform and celebrate Latinx/e contemporary movement artists with the return of this groundbreaking festival. With returning and new artists as well as performance by its own company, CRDT will celebrate the vitality, talents and diversity of the Latinx/e community - inspiring pride, hope and joy. With this new once-a-year festival, CRDT brings Chicago into the national movement to lift up the fullness of the Latinx/e community and bring audiences an evening of timely and thrilling artistry.

This year the festival will also feature a dance workshop and panel discussion centering the Latinx/e dance community. All events open to the public. We are grateful to The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the presenting sponsor.

NEW PROGRAM

Inaugural New Voices Festival

Thursday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N Dearborn St., Chicago

Ticket Price: $30 (discounts available)

CerquaRivera.org/schedule

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre launches a SECOND festival to meet the Chicago community's needs for more paid opportunities for emerging artists to develop their work and for audiences to be inspired by the depth and diversity of Chicago's artistic community. A diverse pool of three artists will be selected through an open call to share their work with audiences in a preview and discussion format.

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre 2027 Spring Concert Series

Thursday, April 29 and Friday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 1 at 2 p.m.

Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N Dearborn St., Chicago

Ticket Price: $30+ (discounts available)

CerquaRivera.org/schedule

The capstone of CRDT's season is the only opportunity all year to see the full company perform the year's new work in full production alongside repertoire favorites - a "powerful mix of dance and live music" (Columbia College Chicago). Don't miss this chance to join hometown "movers and shakers who dazzled audiences" (Chicago Tribune) for "hope and joy that resonates long after the curtain has closed." (Buzz Center Stage).

The Spring Concert program is scheduled to include:

• WORLD PREMIERE: "Torcer el Horizonte," by Omar Román de Jesús (Princess Grace Award winner, Jacob's Pillow alum, Boca Tuya founder) and original music by Joe Cerqua (CRDT Cofounder, American Players Theatre). The piece will explore how collective memory is formed, transformed and preserved.
• REVIVAL: "Between Us," choreographed by Sherry Zunker (River North Dance Chicago, Bemoved) with original music and arrangements by Joe Cerqua. Sherry is reviving and reinterpreting this sultry piece that explores intimacy and our closest personal relationships in the first of her three-year residency with CRDT.

ABOUT CERQUA RIVERA DANCE THEATRE

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre was born to explore and celebrate the American identity. These artists are fearless storytellers who inspire people to understand and engage with themselves and the world around them. Each piece the company makes centers on a specific experience and they use research and radical collaboration to convey that narrative through a diverse group of artists. Cerqua Rivera engages with its community through local and national touring, workshops, festivals and full concerts. See Chicago Dance says Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre "possesses a blended magic that is difficult to come by" and "creates a deeper sense of commitment and intimacy." New City Stage raves that Cerqua Rivera "speaks straight to the heart, feeding a hunger [you] may not even realize."

This performance by Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre (CRDT) at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts directly addressed and refuted the declarations hurled at us since January 2025, e.g.: “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.’, followed by a flurry of executive orders related to racial equality, climate, immigration and gender policy.… but why am I telling you things we’d all rather forget?

Why? To celebrate Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre’s eloquent exegesis of these assertions. CRDT’s Spring Concert celebrates freedom, diversity and individuality. The final piece, American Catracho, explored the immigrant’s journey, moving through themes of dislocation, assimilation, renewal and, finally and joyously, hope.  Wilfredo Rivera has been perfecting American Catracho for four years, furthered by Joe Cerqua’s music. Other collaborators in this all-encompassing project included several actors, a painter and a theatre artist, two movement consultants, a psychologist, and an immigration activist for a truly inclusive, ecumenical, diversified, and mutual enterprise. ¡Viva Cerqua Rivera!

I loved Identity City, a four-part project inspired by non-binary/gender queer and trans Chicago dance artists exploring the rapidly evolving definitions of gender identity, questioning traditional roles and navigating conflicting crossroads. Its fourth chapter, Flight, garbed the entire troupe of dancers in a flowing spectrum of blues and lavenders. The billows of chiffon made the dancers indeed take flight, soaring among the clouds that were their fellow dancers.

Costume Designer Jordan Ross has attired dancers from the Joffrey, Hubbard Street, Giordano Dance, and other dance companies, as well as performers for theatre, opera, and film. She arrayed dancers of CRDT’s Spring 2025 in hues from unadorned black to subtle colors for a variety of sleek or flowing, encompassing or skimpy designs. Nathan Tomlinson’s technical direction and lighting design enhanced this and all other visuals. Tomlinson has worked in lighting, scenic, and production management for performance events across North America, Asia and Europe. Catherine Painter, the Managing Director, is a nonprofit leader specializing in audience building and financial management.

Who is Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre? I was not familiar with CRDT (I’m no doyen of dance) and in fact I was drawn to this performance specifically because of that nescience (celebrate diversity of experiences!). CRDT’s Mission Statement declares: our diverse company uses dance and music to convey intense personal narratives. We are proudly multicultural, exploring the intersection of heritage, culture, and identity through art, opening paths for empathy and understanding. Our culture of collaboration and diversity fosters magnetic connections between artists and audiences.

How can I resist a company whose mission statement includes diversity, equity, and inclusion as its key values? We need to watch CRDT during the next years – they may need our help.

Cerqua Rivera’s work – called “blended magic” by See Chicago Dance and “immersive alchemy” by New City Stage – is created and performed by a multicultural company. It is rooted in research, inquiry and collaboration and brought to life by fusing dance with other art forms. Wilfredo Rivera, the theater’s co-founder and artistic director, said the grant money they usually receive from NEA is a small amount of their annual budget, and they are not compelled to change its approach to DEI (yay!). “It’s part of the DNA of the organization to celebrate and unpack the complexities of American identity,” Rivera said. “So we will continue to move on our pathway of immersive, inclusive, explorative work.

This ever-evolving contemporary troupe is dedicated to presenting dance that is carefully curated and designed to facilitate dialogue, push boundaries, and build community. The Dance Ensemble skillfully combines contemporary, jazz, and unique Latin techniques to spin tales of universal human experiences.

A sophisticated Jazz Orchestra performed live, original music from the rear stage; a violin and a flute occasionally rose to stroll among the dancers onstage as they played – that was so effective! Musicians included Musical Director Stu Greenspan, violinist James Sanders, Millie Ahearn on trumpet, Timothy Archbold on Cello, percussionist Paul Cotton, Darius Hampton (woodwinds), Kevin O’Connell on keyboard, José Ormaza (Drums), Felipe Tobar playing Violin, and Composer/vocalist/saxophone Juli Wood. Joe Cerqua (cofounder) performed vocals in his sweetly nasal, softly scratchy voice, occasionally accompanied by Margaret Murphy-Webb.

The diverse collective of dancers included: Brennan Renteria, who joined CRDT in 2017 is now Rehearsal Director. Lilia Ambler Castillo Gomez describes herself as ‘a movement artist’ and has just joined CRDT. Ruben Andres Castillo Gomez, Caitlin Clark, Yui Nakatani and Bruno Salgado are also joining CRDT for the 2024/25 season; Bennett Cullen is moving into his second season with CRDT. David Anthony Scheuerman-Saucedo has performed for five years with CRDT and several other Chicago companies. Caitlin Yatsuhashi is a company member of Moonwater Dance Project as well as Cerqua Rivera. Joining the company for American Catracho from CRDT II were Alyssa Alber and Brianna Samuda-Walker.

Cerqua Rivera’s artists stimulate hope and joy that resonates long after the curtain has closed.

¡Recomendada!   

Though there are no further performances at Ruth Page, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre is a local company and performs in local venues – check them out at www. https://www.cerquarivera.org/

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!