CheekyChicago

If there were dry eyes in the house by the end of Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago’s world premiere of “Brand New Day” at the Harris Theater last weekend, mine certainly weren’t among them. The piece began with gasps of surprise from the crowd as ten white-clad dancers sprang up from behind various house seats into bright pools of light. There they moved with what can only be called pure joy as an unseen choir sang. The company made its way to the stage and joined hands against a sunrise-orange backdrop before breaking out into energetic dance, at which point the tear-jerk factor kicked into high gear: A live choir of 30 students, parents and friends of Chicago’s Sacred Heart Schools emerged from the wings to belt out the title song.

Written by Ira Antelis, with lyrics such as “To find a better day / With one voice we can tell the world / Our voices must be heard,” the catchy “Brand New Day,” is what inspired the Giordano troupe to collaborate on the piece. If concepts like, say, “hope” and “change” seem tired lately, trust me – world class dancers and a stage full of kids chanting “Reach!” will kick you back into believing.

So, how the heck do you follow an opener like that? It helps to go back to a work by the late company founder and jazz dance pioneer, Gus Giordano himself. In Giordano’s “Wings”, the powerful male soloist (Cesar Salinas on the night I attended) soared to Joan Baez’s live rendition of “Sweet Chariot.” Then the complex group piece “Ritual Dynamic”, set to rhythmic Egyptian disco, concluded the first half of the program with an exotic bang.

The second half opened with another world premiere, Brock Clawson’s “Give and Take.” True to the title, this piece had the dancers pushing and falling into one another, sometimes landing in open arms and sometimes hitting the ground. This eerie look at human nature was followed up with some bittersweet comic relief in the form of “The Man That Got Away.” On the night I attended, Giordano’s outgoing Executive Director, Ben Hodge, participated in the dance as his last act with the Company, standing stoic in his tuxedo as passionate soloist, Meaghan McHale, fell all over him to big laughs (afterwards she gave him flowers and an extra curtain call).

The night’s finale, “Pyrokinesis”, made the perfect bookend for the dawn-themed opener. It began with a twilight-blue stage, sparse piano notes and bold, abstract choreography such as running women getting “stuck” in mid air. But after a few interludes of this tense mood, the lights went red and the piece gave way to sexy moves and relentless, frenzied jazz. Dancers personified instruments, spinning to sax solos and jumping to drums, forming cohesive groups and soloing in spotlights. We left tapping our feet and fully energized.

“A New Day” was only a two-night engagement in Chicago, but be sure to keep up with the company’s calendar here. For a taste of the event, you can purchase “Brand New Day” at Amazon.com for 99 cents – all proceeds go toward scholarships and financial aid at Sacred Heart Schools.