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Danceworks 2020

March 4 – 8, 2020
Josephine Louis Theater

Northwestern’s annual showcase of dance featuring new works by acclaimed and nationally recognized guest choreographers and faculty.

Artistic Direction by Joel Valentín-Martínez
Danceworks 2020 Choreographers:
Nicole Clarke-Springer, Artistic Director of Chicago’s Deeply Rooted Dance Theater
Miguel Angel Gamero Ortega, Dancer/Choreographer of Mexico City’s Compañía Barro Rojo Arte Escénico
Jeff Hancock, Northwestern Dance Faculty
Joel Valentín-Martínez, Northwestern Dance Faculty & Dance Program Director

Performances

Wednesday, March 4 –  7:30 pm
Thursday, March 5 –  7:30 pm
Friday, March 6 –  7:30 pm
Saturday, March 7 –  2:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, March 8 –  2:00 pm

Ticket Pricing

General Public $25
Seniors (62+)/Area Educator   $22
NU Faculty/Staff/Emeriti $20
Full Time Student/Kids    $12
NU Student  $6/Adv. $12/Door

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Guest Artists

Miguel Angel Gamero Ortega was born in Pachuca Hidalgo, Mexico. He studied dance, with an emphasis in contemporary dance, at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo (UAEH). He has performed with Ballet Folclórico Aztlán, where he made several national and international tours with the troup. He is currently director of dance at Centro Morelense de las Artes (CMA), in Cuernavaca. Mr. Gamero Ortega is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer for Mexico City’s Barro Rojo Arte Escénico. His work has been presented at El Teatro de la Ciudad Esperanza Iris, Salón de Danza de la Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Sala Miguel Covarrubias, Auditorio Gota De Plata, Festival Lila López, and in 2017 he received the Artes Escénicas Itinerantes Award for choreography.

Nicole Clarke-Springer (NU Dance Faculty) began formal training under the guidance of Claudette Soltis (Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and Joliet Ballet Society) and the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre under Dace Diodonis. She received her B.S. in Arts Administration-Dance from Butler University in Indianapolis, IN where she received the award as Butler Ballet’s Outstanding Performer.  Shortly after graduating from Butler, Nicole found her dance home within the Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre family- first as an apprentice, later as company member and now as a member of the artistic team as Emerging Choreographer for the program Generations.  Most recently Clarke-Springer choreographed the opening number for the nationally syndicated Steve Harvey Show- Halloween Celebration. Crediting the Deeply Rooted mission, Nicole works to create an environment that is challenging yet inspiring, helping each dancer find their spiritual connection within the work and most importantly themselves.

JEFFERY HANCOCK is a dancer, choreographer, costume designer and teacher. He has choreographed work for the River North Chicago Dance Company, Hubbard Street II, the Edinburgh Festival, Princess Cruise Lines, the Pegasus Players, Same Planet Different World Dance Theatre, Chicago’s Next Dance Festival, numerous regional companies, and Northwestern’s Theatre and Interpretation Center. He has choreographed and performed in numerous musical theater productions and danced with the Lyric Opera. A founding member and former principal dancer for the River North Chicago Dance Company and a former Hubbard Street Dance Chicago company member, Hancock has been nominated for Ruth Page Awards for performance and choreography and is a grant recipient from the Illinois Arts Council. He was a company member and co-artistic director of Same Planet Different World Dance Theatre. In addition, he has danced with Dance Kaleidoscope, Jan Erkert and Dancers, and guested with the Joe Goode Performance Group, among others. Hancock teaches master classes nationally and internationally.  Also, he has designed and constructed costumes for River North Dance Chicago, Robert Battle, Columbia College, Same Planet Different World Dance Theatre, Shirley Mordine, Ginger Farley, and many others.

JOEL VALENTÍN-MARTÍNEZ was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. He initiated his theater/dance training at American Conservatory Theater, Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, Rosa Montoya’s Bailes Flamencos, Oakland’s Dimensions Dance Theatre, and San Francisco State University. From 1990-2003, he was a member of Garth Fagan Dance (Tony Award Winner) and toured with the troupe throughout the United States, Canada, the Middle East, Europe, Australia, South America, and the Caribbean. Since 2003, Mr. Valentín-Martínez has devoted his time to teaching at the university level and developing his own choreography projects. His work with Fulcrum Point-New Music Project, Misplaced Flowers (2010) and Tlatelolco Revisited (2008) were both commissioned by Luna Negra Dance Theater and premiered at the Harris Theater in Chicago. He choreographed the musical adaptation of Sandra Cisneros’ THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET (2009) at the Steppenwolf Theatre. Valentín-Martínez earned a B.A. in Dance Studies from the State University of New York and an M.F.A. in Dance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.