“Stardust” Reviewed by Jeffrey Leibham

**** Aerial Dance Chicago recently celebrated their 25th Anniversary season with a stunning evening comprised of a dozen works that the company originated and performed during the course of their artistic development. The gradual evolution of their bold, fluid and unique style is on full display here. Artistic Director Chloe Jensen, along with Assistant Director Karen Fisher Doyle, have meticulously curated this collection, which is titled “Stardust,” from over 300 works that Aerial Dance Chicago has created over the course of the last quarter century.

The program begins with “Hearth,” a solo performance from Jensen herself, which she not only choreographed but also designed its original rigging system. It is a lovely piece which perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the evening. Jensen proves that she is extremely well- conditioned physically as she twists, turns and wraps nearly her entire torso in the single bolt of fabric suspended from an iron beam in the ceiling. She climbs it, spirals dramatically and rapidly from the peak, only to return to the top so that she can fly in circles above the stage with the fabric gracefully flowing behind her like a swallow’s tail.

“Symbiotic” from 2007 is the oldest selection presented in this retrospective, and features dancers Erin Bates, Emily Horowitz, Cindy Johnson and Jennifer Sarsfield who collectively form a harmonious and interdependent bond which demurely but cleverly mimics the work’s title.

“Broken Compass” floods the stage with 11 dancers/aerial artists, which is a strikingly remarkable difference compared to the groupings found in the other works. Joined by the Youth Dance Ensemble consisting of Alexandra Boland, Olivia Conklin, Lila Conway, Clover Cooley, Lucy Kennedy, Zadie Reu and Amara Wagner, the supporting cast of Erin Bates, Hannah Johnson, Julianne Rice and Cindy Johnson lead this pioneering and energetic piece which was intended to make us “recalibrate our moral compass” (according to the program notes). However, the lone prop that is utilized at the end — a small golden disc which might represent the compass which is indicated by the title — could also be a compact mirror. As all of the youthful dancers surround the golden object, peering seductively into it as well as facing the audience en masse as the lights fade, could this also possibly be a warning against the perils of vanity?

The majority of the works presented in “Stardust” were choreographed by Jensen. “Blackbird,” which closes the first half, was a collaboration between Jensen and Fisher Doyle. That partnership helped to create one of the most complex and lengthy works of the program. “Blackbird” is at times whimsical, but mostly has a menacing and sinister undertone which feels in stark contrast to some of the more ethereal elements found in the five preceding offerings.

Highlights from the second half of “Stardust” include the haunting and highly effective “Caged” choreographed by Fisher Doyle. It is the first work of the entire program — but not the only one — to feature a large hoop suspended from the ceiling, which dancers Cindy Johnson and Jennifer Sarsfield use to great effect.
Both Katie Harmon and Cindy Johnson give highly athletic yet emotionally compelling performances in “Caught in Your Gravity” from 2023, the most recent of all of the twelve works presented here.

Perhaps the most entertaining work presented in “Stardust,” and the one that is most distinctly and visually quirky, is “Stacked,” which has Erin Bates, Emily Horowitz and Hannah Johnson all suspended by a single rope but with additional ropes to either side, clustered together at varying heights from the stage but in very close proximity to one another. The jaw-dropping formations that these three can achieve is truly remarkable.

Also exceptional, and illustrating their artistic ingenuity, is the seemingly endless creativity of choreographers Jensen and Fisher Doyle. None of their work seems static because they continually find innovative movements and props to bolster their vision, whether it be side-by-side trapeze bars, four- to six-foot long thick wooden dowel rods or even original curveboards designed by Jensen herself, which are predominantly featured in “Arc of the Heart.”

The company of Aerial Dance Chicago include Katie Harmon (Principal Dancer and Program Manager), Tatiana Castaneda, Julianne Rice, Jennifer Sarsfield, Erin Bates, Cindy Johnson, Hannah Johnson, Emily Horowitz and Zoey Dickensen.

Major credit must be given to company lighting designer Jacob Snodgrass as well. His exceptional work enhances all twelve of these pieces and he has painstakingly created a different mood and distinctive milieu for each one.

A huge debt of gratitude to Aerial Dance Chicago’s Production Manager Kip Conwell for his consummate professionalism and gentlemanly cordiality. Conwell is a co-founder of Aerial Dance Chicago along with Jensen. Happy 25th Anniversary to the entire company and wishing them all another 25 years of artistic prosperity.
Aerial Dance Chicago performs at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts. They also offer Solstice Term Classes (April 28-June 22) and an Aerial Dance Summer Camp (July 7-August 1). If you would like to take flight with them, or for more information about the company in general, please visit www.aerialdancechicago.org