CheekyChicago

When I think of dance, I’m more the So You Think You Can Dance type of gal. That is to say that, when I witnessed River North Dance Chicago’s offering of Love Is… at The Harris Theatre this past weekend, I had relatively no clue what I was in for. The annual weekend engagement featured six numbers from 11 members of RNDC.

Opening number “Risoluta” reverberated throughout the audience, with its pounding drums and exact movements from the dancers. Each step carefully choreographed, with lights alternating red, then slightly dimmed but not completely black, it symbolized that love is a force to be reckoned with.

Two world premieres debuted: “Contact-Me” by Mauro Astolfi and “The Good Goodbyes” by RNDC’s Artistic Director Frank Chaves. The former stood out: twice, the only sound you heard was not a musical motif; rather, it was the sounds of the dancers as they moved, slapped, heaved organically, longing to be touched and held onto, knowing it couldn’t last. The latter, featuring a gorgeous live score by pianist Josephine Lee, flowed beautifully and echoed sentiments of love and longing.

Only one number didn’t take on such a heavy tone. “Ella” – a solo performance by Lauren Kias choreographed by Robert Battle – was about as whimsical as it gets. Truth be told, I wish I would have seen more of this type of emotion. As they say, love is many a splendored thing.