LaTasha Barnes’s The Jazz Continuum
Thursday - Saturday, March 7, 8, and 9, 7:30 p.m.
LaTasha Barnes’s The Jazz Continuum lands in Chicago after wowing audiences up and down the east coast with a powerhouse collective of: dance artists Imani Arrington, LaTasha Barnes, Ray F. Davis, Le’Andre “On point” Douglas, Melanie George, Tyedric Hill, Alain “Hurrikane” Lauture, Reyna Núñez, and Charlene “Chi-Chi” Smith along with Chicagoans Starinah “Star” Dixon, Donnetta “LilBit” Jackson, Charles “King Charles” Parks, and music artists: DJ/turntablist Porcia “MOON BABE” Lewis, vocalist and Columbia alum Imani Rousselle (‘19), and a four-piece Jazz combo: Errick Lewis (bass), Marcus E'Shadd Parker (drums), Idris Frederick (piano) led by Grammy Award-winning Illinois-native Christopher McBride (saxophone). Combining improvised personal expressions and multi-Bessie Award-winner LaTasha Barnes’ choreography, the work showcases the connections between 100 years of Black dance forms including Jazz, Lindy Hop, Hip Hop, House, and other social dances.
According to The New York Times’ review of the NYC world premiere, “LaTasha Barnes’s The Jazz Continuum passes from each artist, like an electrical pulse, emanating into the audience and unapologetically invites them into its joy-filled powerful and transformative space - an experience unlike any other and certainly not to be missed.”
Check out Sharon Hoyer’s interview with LaTasha Barnes in Newcity “A Powerful Marriage of All the Things: LaTasha Barnes’ The Jazz Continuum Comes to Chicago.”
photography by: Steven Pisano.
Support
The presentation of The Jazz Continuum is made possible by Alphawood Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
