Infra. The Royal Ballet. Photo ROH, Bill Cooper

BTSCelebs attended Game Changers at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University today. Unfortunately, we arrived late because of traffic, but I was able to see two performances in their entirety and the end of the first dance.

Wayne McGregor’s INFRA was an emotional journey that seemed to express human sexuality more than anything else. I was taken aback by the adult theme used to convey the daily emotions that lies within humans. I would never discredit the dancers for their hard work. The performers were amazing as always! I just felt the choreography was too graphic for a general audience. His way of communicating the London subway bombings of 2005 was more modern dance than ballet.

Company members Jeraldine Mendoza and John M…Cheryl Mann..jpg

Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit explored the classical elements of ballet while incorporating fresh choreography. The majority of the performance  was bright, cheerful and anticipated a positive future. They used their bodies to imitate geographical figures and architecture. At times….. it seemed like a big celebration, while other moments were filled with uncertainty and yearning for tomorrow. I enjoyed Justin Peck’s positive outlook on a Chinese Zodiac year. I wonder if he will do a Year of the Rooster (2017) sequel.

Anastacia Holden and ensemble in Year of the Rabbit. Photo by Temur Suluashvili.

The end of Christopher Wheeldon’s Fool’s Paradise looked like a dance inspired by the desert and other natural landscapes. They were suppose to resemble sculptures, and I could definitely see the inspiration.

Fool’s Paradise_Photo by Cheryl Mann.

Game Changers is all about finding out which dance speaks to you.  It runs thru February 26th at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.

* A Special Thanks to The Silverman Group for allowing BTSCelebs to review the ballet*