Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, a multicultural company that creates new dance and music to explore strong personal narratives, recently announced its new works and its 2021 season.
“SHIVER” – Nationally acclaimed choreographer Stephanie Martinez made “SHIVER” on Cerqua Rivera in 2016, exploring a woman’s journey. She returns this year to update the piece with several more years of perspective and experience as a Latina artist and arts leader. Company Cofounder Joe Cerqua creates a brand new soundtrack for this visceral and dramatic artwork.
“SOUL REMEDY” – Choreographer Monique Haley joins forces with Chicago jazz legend Pharez Whitted to launch “SOUL REMEDY.” Over two years they will explore the Aesthetic of the Cool, a culturally specific phenomenon rooted in the Black American experience that has shaped this country’s arts and culture and impacted the world. “SOUL REMEDY” will respect, reflect, and represent Black excellence as a central component of American culture.
“IDENTITY CITY” – Company Cofounder and Artistic Director Wilfredo Rivera leads this four-year project, launched in 2020. Through the lens of non-binary / gender queer and trans experiences, a growing team of collaborators will unpack the fast-evolving definition of gender and contemplate the current explosion of the queer and trans presence, as traditions are defied by a new generation.
“MOOD SWING” – We return to this suite of duets responding to the pandemic crisis and social justice movement with several more months of perspective and experience to add. As we continue to deal with a momentous year and its aftermath, we have more to say.
Although the schedule is subject to change, two events are scheduled to be live-streamed from Evanston’s Studio5: “Inside/Out” with “Soul Remedy” at 7 p.m. on June 17 and “Inside/Out” with “Identity City” at 5 p.m., on July 18. A third performance, “America/Americans” is scheduled for Oct. 1 and 2 at Studio 5.
Tickets and updated performance information are available at www.cerquarivera.org/schedule.