Off Broadway In Chicago

DARING AND
ATHLETIC CEDAR LAKE CONTEMPORARY BALLET

THRILLS AT THE
AUDITORIUM THEATRE NOVEMBER 14 AND 15

Under the Artistic
Direction of former Alvin Ailey Dancer Benoit-Swan Pouffer,

Mixed
Repertory Program Features Cutting-Edge Works by Hot Choreographers

Crystal Pite,
Didy Veldman and Jo Strømgren

Chicago
-- The Auditorium Theatre of
Roosevelt University (ATRU, 50 E. Congress Parkway) proudly presents
the internationally acclaimed Cedar
Lake Contemporary Ballet  for
two shows only, Saturday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are now on sale.

Founded
in 2003 by Nancy Laurie and currently under the artistic direction of former
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater member Benoit-Swan Pouffer,
Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet boasts an exceptionally talented ensemble of
sixteen dancers from around the world. The company focuses on acquiring and
commissioning new works by the world's most sought-after emerging
choreographers.

Through
their daring, athletic movement and integration of ballet into contemporary and
popular dance forms, the dancers of Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet take
audiences on a choreographic journey that explores the infinite possibilities
of movement and multimedia. According to The New York Times, "the troupe
has drawn a dance-savvy audience and created a team of wonderful performers,
adept at picking up different styles and always impressive in their
articulation and intensity." For their exclusive Chicago engagement at
the Auditorium Theatre, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet will perform Crystal
Pite's "Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue," Didy Veldman's
"frame of view" (sic) and Jo Strømgren's "Sunday,
Again."

According
to choreographer Crystal Pite, "Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue"
(Cedar Lake world premiere 2008) is an act of excavation in which fragments of
narrative are rescued from the choreography, and exposed for brief
contemplation before dissolving back into dance. By using choreography to
extend, distort or suspend these fragments of narrative, ordinary human
movements become extraordinary through the framework of the theater and through
the virtuosity of the performers.

Choreographer
Didy Veldman describes "frame of view" (Cedar Lake world
premiere 2009) as an investigation of the physical movement a particular
emotion may take, how it manifests itself in the body, how long that
physicality may last and the energy that it creates. By creating different
interior and exterior scenes, and utilizing a varied musical landscape, Veldman
creates an accessible work with a touch of irony and humor. "frame of
view" features an eclectic score that includes the music of Nina Simone,
Pink Martini, Offenbach, Dean Martin and the Kronos Quartet.

"Sunday,
Again," choreographed by Jo Strømgren (Cedar Lake world premiere
2008), is a piece that reflects the diversity of Johann Sebastian Bach's
music. Abstract movement patterns are woven together in fugal ways, not unlike
the baroque way of assembling melodic phrases and ornamentations. On an
associative level, "Sunday, Again" thematically treats the domestic
jungle of luxury problems and gender frictions. "As the title suggests,
there is always the irritating and inevitable Sunday which forces couples to
test their coexistence abilities. Leisure time is not good for certain types of
relationships," says Strømgren.

Cedar
Lake Artistic Director Benoit-Swan Pouffer joined the company in 2005 following
an extensive career as a dancer, teacher and choreographer.  He began his
dance studies at the prestigious Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et
de Danse, where he performed works by renowned French choreographers such as
Claude Brumachon, Daniel Larrieu and Angelin Preljocaj. Pouffer's distinguished
career as a professional dancer includes a seven year tenure with Alvin Ailey
American Dance Theater (from 1997 - 2004) in addition to seasons with
Philadanco, Donald Byrd/The Group and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Pouffer
has also offered outreach programs in South Africa and taught master classes
throughout Europe and the United States. Pouffer's role as curator of one
of the most ambitious world-class repertoires in America today furthers Cedar
Lake's mission to provide choreographers with a comprehensive environment for
creation and presentation.

Vancouver-based
choreographer and performer Crystal Pite has created works for Nederlands Dans
Theater, Ballett Frankfurt, Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal (including a term as
resident choreographer), Ballet British Columbia, the Alberta Ballet, Ballet
Jörgen and several independent dance artists. As a member of Ballett Frankfurt,
she was involved in the creation of William Forsythe's CD-ROM
"Improvisation Technologies" and participated in Forsythe's
works both as a performer and co-creator. Pite later formed her own company,
Kidd Pivot, and continues to create and perform her own work. Kidd Pivot tours
nationally and internationally with productions that include "Lost
Action," "Uncollected Work" and "Double Story,"
created with Richard Siegal. Pite is the recipient of the Banff Centre's
Clifford E. Lee Award, the Bonnie Bird North American Choreography Award and
the Isadora Award.

Dutch
choreographer Didy Veldman trained at Amsterdam's Scapino Academy, and
began choreographing in 1987. She co-founded the dance company Alias with
Guilherme Botelho in 1992. Its first work, "En Manqué," was
performed to acclaim in London, Glasgow, Zurich and Lausanne, and won the Dance
Exchange International and the Prix Romand du Spectacle Indépendant awards.
Veldman joined Rambert Dance Company in 1994, where she created three works for
its repertory including "7 DS" which won the Lindbury Prize for
Stage Design. Since leaving Rambert in 2000, Veldman has created and re-staged
works for Rambert, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Ballet Gulbenkian, Cullberg
Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre, New Zealand Ballet, the Komische Oper Berlin,
Scottish Dance Theatre, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Australia's Company Loaded
and Sweden's Skånes Dansteater.  Her Cedar Lake world premiere
"frame of view" is the first work Veldman has created for an
American company.

Jo
Strømgren began studying at the National College of Ballet and Dance in Norway
at the age of 20. After four years of training there, Carte Blanca Dance
Company in Bergen, Norway engaged him as a choreographer and dancer. Strømgren
gained artistic recognition with "Schizoid Stories," a 75-minute,
one-man show that combines distinctive body language with absurd humor and dark
psychology. Strømgren's choreography has been commissioned by Ballet de
l'Opera National du Rhin, the Royal Danish Ballet, New Danish Dance
Theatre, Ballett Nürnberg, Iceland Dance Company, Norwegian National Ballet,
Oslo Dance Ensemble, Repertory Dance Theatre Utah, Cloud Gate, IT Dansa Barcelona,
Helsinki Dance Company, Stadttheater Bern Ballett, Austria's
ABCDancecompany, Vienna State Opera Ballet, Sweden's Norrdans Dance
Company and Skånes Danseteater. In 2003, Strømgren made his debut as a feature
film director with colleague Runar Hodne.  

For
more information about Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, please visit cedarlakedance.com.

Cedar
Lake Contemporary Ballet Performance Schedule and Ticket Information

The Auditorium
Theatre of Roosevelt University proudly presents Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet
for two performances:

Saturday,
Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday,
Nov. 15 at 2 p.m.

Single
tickets are now on sale, and range in price from $30 - $65.  For single
tickets, visit the Auditorium Theatre Box Office at 50 E. Congress Parkway;
call Ticketmaster at (800) 982-ARTS (2787); or log on to ticketmaster.com/auditorium.

Subscriptions
for the Auditorium Theatre's 2009 - 2010 Dance Series are now on
sale. Subscribers to three or more shows receive 10% off full ticket prices.
Discounted tickets are also currently available for groups of 10 or more. For
subscription and group ticket information, call (312) 431-2357. 

 About
the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University

 The
Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, located at 50 E. Congress Parkway,
is an independent, not-for-profit organization committed to presenting the
finest in international, cultural and community programming to Chicago, and to
the continued restoration and preservation of the National Historic Landmark
Auditorium Theatre. This September, the Auditorium Theatre begins a year-long
celebration of its 120th Anniversary, and a number of special events will be
announced in the coming months. For more information about programming,
volunteer and donor opportunities or theater tours, call (312) 922-2110 or
visit www.auditoriumtheatre.org.