Art on THE MART to highlight Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project starting Thursday

CBS News Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) --  A new, brilliant exhibit by ART on THE MART highlights the work of a stunning, local dance troupe showcasing innovative dance from the city.

The Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project will light up the Merchandise Mart starting Thursday night, starting at 9:00.

"It's an honor...to provide a stage for the remarkable dance companies that constitute the Black Dance Legacy Project. At once celebrating the power of design, dance, and their impact on our community, we continue our legacy of commissioning works that uplift the creatives shaping our city," said Cynthia Noble, executive director of ART on THE MART.  

It'll be on display through September 13.  

"The Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project, developed through a partnership between the Logan Center for the Arts and the Joyce Foundation's Culture Program, is a multi-year project that seeks to celebrate and strengthen the impact of Black dance in Chicago and beyond," according to the art collective.

It's called "The Big Bang: Movement Theory + the Black Dancing Body" and it's produced by Princess Mhoon, Director of the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project, new media artist Liviu Pasare, and artists from 10 dance companies.

"We relish the opportunity to explore how the dancing body, technology, and history can collide to create a big bang of ideas and inspiration in the heart of Chicago," said Mhoon.

"We are excited to celebrate the practice of these ten phenomenal companies who are integral to the arts landscape in Chicago and whose incredible work is sure to light up ART on THE MART and all who experience it," Bill Michel, Executive Director of the Logan Center

According to the company, it's to feature original choreography and it'll be told in three acts to take "audiences on a journey through the Black experience in America by way of dance. Juxtaposing forms ranging from ballet, modern, tap, traditional African dance, Chicago-born footwork, and more, the commission will deliver an incomparable demonstration of the depth and breadth of Chicago's Black dance community."

Some of the companies featured include the Chicago Multicultural Dance Center & Hiplet Ballerinas; Deeply Rooted Dance Theater; The Era Footwork Collective; Forward Momentum Chicago; Joel Hall Dancers & Center; M.A.D.D. Rhythms; Move Me Soul; Muntu Dance Theatre; NAJWA Dance Corps; and Praize Productions.

It's free to see and according to ART on THE MART, the best place to experience it is from the jetty section of the Chicago Riverwalk on Wacker Drive between Wells Street and Franklin Street.

For more, check out artonthemart.com.

 

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