Auditorium Theatre 2018-19 Issue 1 Deeply Rooted

DEEPLY ROOTED DANCE THEATER/VISCERAL DANCE CHICAGO/ATE9 DANCE COMPANY | NOVEMBER 16, 2018 | 3 DEEPLY ROOTED DANCE THEATER About Deeply Rooted Dance Theater Deeply Rooted Dance Theater (DRDT) is rooted in traditions of American and African American dance, storytelling, and universal themes that spark a visceral experience and ignite an emotional response in diverse audiences worldwide. DRDT collaborates with nationally-renowned choreographers across the spectrum of modern, ballet, and African dance to reflect contemporary voices. In Chicago, the company has performed at numerous venues, including the Auditorium Theatre, the Shubert Theatre, the Dance Center of Columbia College, the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, and the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts. Kevin Iega Jeff (Co-founder, Artistic Director, Choreographer) Kevin Iega Jeff began studying dance formally at age 13. He trained at the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center, New York City’s High School for the Performing Arts, Darvash Ballet School, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center before matriculating into The Juilliard School. As a dancer, he has been praised for his technical brilliance and rigor, his dramatic power, and the singular ability to perform and bridge different dance forms (ballet, modern, contemporary, and African American dance) in a seamless manner. At the age of 21, Jeff founded his first company, JUBILATION! Dance Company in New York City. JUBILATION! was created out of a need to provide a forum for African American artists to be nurtured holistically through the arts. For 10 years, the company toured nationally and internationally, helping to bring the stories, histories, and art of the African American people, as well as Jeff’s unique approach to contemporary dance, to a global audience. In 1995, Jeff co-founded Deeply Rooted Dance Theater in Chicago, where he continues to serve today as Artistic Director. As a choreographer, Jeff has created more than 50 works, ranging from solos to large-scale company dances, where he pushes contemporary dance to take cognizance of different voices and aesthetics. He primarily creates for Deeply Rooted, but has also created commissioned works for other companies, such as such as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, River North Dance Company, Dallas Black Dance Theater, the Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theater, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, and the Wylliams/Henry Danse Theatre. In 2005, Jeff was named as one of The Juilliard School’s 100 Outstanding Alumni in celebration of the school’s centenary anniversary. He has also received awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Council for Culture and Arts, and the Black Theater Alliance Awards (Best Choreography award for Church of Nations ). His work has been featured in several films, including Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It , and in the Broadway shows Comin’ Uptown and The Wiz . Gary Abbott (Co-founder, Associate Artistic Director, Choreographer) Gary Abbott began his career as a dancer in Atlanta, GA, with Barbara Sullivan’s Atlanta Dance Theatre, where he developed his interest in choreography and created works for musicals presented by Jomandi Productions and The Clark College Players. In 1979, Abbott received a scholarship to attend California Institute of the Arts, where he studied with dance legends Crystine Lawson, Nicholas Gunn, and Mia Slavenska. Abbott later moved to Los Angeles, where he danced with Lula Washington Dance Theatre and Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Theatre. In 1985, Abbott was invited to dance with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble of Denver, CO, where he created several dances that are still a part of the company’s repertoire. His career there allowed him to study with many great luminaries of the dance world, including Katherine Dunham, Donald McKayle, Eleo Pomare, Donald Byrd, and Kevin Iega Jeff. Abbott and Jeff — along with Linda Spriggs, Diane Shober, and LaVerne Alaphaire Jeff — founded Deeply Rooted Dance Theater in 1995. The company’s mission enables Abbott to continue to serve and grow as an artist. From 2001-2003, Abbott served as choreographer and Jeff served as director for Black Nativity , presented by the Penumbra Theatre. In 2008, Abbott choreographed Ballad of Emmet Till , directed by Oz Scott, for the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, and in 2010, he shared choreographic duties with Jeff for Aida at Bailiwick Chicago. Abbott has been fortunate to choreograph works for Deeply Rooted Dance Theater; Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Theater of Kansas City, MO; Dallas Black Dance Theater of Dallas, TX; Cleo Parker Robinson Dance of Denver, CO; David Taylor Dance Theater of Denver, CO; and others. Along with his duties as Associate Artistic Director for DRDT, Abbott also serves as Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Nicole Clarke-Springer (Dance Education Director, Choreographer) Nicole Clarke-Springer began her 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 Bachelor of Science in arts administration and dance from Butler University in Indianapolis, IN, where she received the award as Butler Ballet’s Outstanding Performer. Shortly after graduating from Butler, Clarke-Springer found her dance home within the Deeply Rooted Dance Theater family, first as an apprentice and later as company member. As a member of DRDT, she had the opportunity to perform with artists such as Roberta Flack in Kevin Iega Jeff’s Flack and Jennifer Holiday in the world-renowned Penumbra Theatre’s Black Nativity . During a brief departure from the company in 2007, she served as an adjunct professor in Western Kentucky University’s dance department. There, she was asked to join the Clifton Brown Dance Company to perform with the company on its tour to Istanbul, Turkey. The same year, Clarke-Springer returned to the DRDT family as Summer Intensive Program Director. During this time, she began deepening her choreographic voice, creating and later setting works such as Nine, Dounia , and Femme for both the first and second company. She also served as Assistant Choreographer to Jeff for Congo Square Theatre’s Nativity for two years. In 2013, Clarke-Springer joined Jeff and Gary Abbott as the newest member of the DRDT artistic team and was named Deeply Rooted Dance Theater’s Emerging Choreographer for the program Generations . In 2015, she had the honor of traveling with Deeply Rooted to participate in the Jomba! Dance Festival, hosted by Flatfoot Dance Company, where she had the pleasure of setting her ballet Until Lambs Become Lions on the host company. More recently, Clarke-Springer choreographed the opening number for the nationally syndicated The Steve Harvey Show ’s Halloween celebration.