Ravinia 2024 Issue 1

RUTH PAGE PROFESSIONAL DANCE TRAINING PROGRAM The Ruth Page Professional Dance Training Pro- gram was established by Artistic Director Victor Alexander to continue developing serious young dancers ages 17–25 years with advanced training and performance experience as a prelude to a professional career in dance. Today, it is the of- ficial training company of the Ruth Page Center for the Arts. Dancers are invited to take part in the Ruth Page Professional Dance Training Program by Alexander, who guides and mentors each aspiring young artist alongside Associate Director Dolores Long, Artistic Associate Maray Gutierrez, and Repertory Coach Emmanuel Ramirez. Through focused daily training, com- pany members will refine their ballet and con- temporary techniques in an international envi- ronment of performers and educators, with the opportunity to travel to Ruth Page’s Internation- al Sister Schools in Cuba, Italy, and Spain. The Program’s dancers are joined in performances by notable guest artists and choreographers, ex- panding their sphere of professional work. The aim of this program is to create lifelong ambas- sadors for the art of dance who embrace diverse cultures as a source of inspiration and human self-expression. STONE SOUP RHYTHMS Led by artistic director Jumaane Taylor, Chi- cago Human Rhythm Project builds commu- nity through American tap and contemporary percussive arts in innovative world-class per- formance, education, and outreach programs. Percussive dance is one of the oldest forms of human expression, and tap dance is America’s contribution to the evolution of this ancient art. The organization advocates for the art form and designs programs that empower artists and strengthen communities through sustained, in- tegrated, equitable cultural investments. Stone Soup Rhythms, the resident ensemble of the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, is a collective of emerging and established tap dance artists who bend time and space to make new work. The name Stone Soup Rhythms refers to a folk- tale in which a wayfaring stranger brings a small village together to create a communal feast by enticing each member to add a unique ingre- dient. Creating tap dance work that connects the sounds of tap and music of Midwest artists as well as selected musical compositions that attempt to heighten the art form of tap, Stone Soup Rhythms connects the ancient and sacred roots of percussive dance to the contemporary essence of personal expression and innovation, to create a feast of sound and movement. MOONWATER DANCE PROJECT Moonwater Dance Project is a contemporary repertory company founded by Artistic Director Mackenzie King in 2018. This all female-iden- tifying company is based in Chicago, IL. In the first stages of building her company, King strived to uncover what qualities she values most in a dancer: artistry, individuality and vul- nerability. King created a company that produc- es high-quality concert dance and compensates the dancers for the hard work they do. Artists are often taken advantage of, receiving little or no pay. Integral to the mission of Moonwater is to educate the next generation of artists to know their worth. The company strives to nurture a new generation of contemporary artists who have been trained at the highest level and have a honed sense of individuality. The aesthetic of Moonwater Dance Project is similar to water and has a captivating duality. Both are soft yet strong, both nurturing and destructive; a force to be reckoned with and unpredictable. RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS Led by Executive Director Sara Schumann, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts’ mission is to be a platform for developing great artists and con- necting them with audiences and community. More than just a building, it has been a hub for creative exploration, education, connection, and expression for over five decades. The Ruth Page Center is recognized as an integral part of the global dance community not only for its his- tory of artistic innovation through its founder, Ruth Page, but also for the progressive programs that are important to the cultural landscape of Chicago. ADRIAN MARCELO SAENZ Adrián Marcelo Sáenz is a Mexican dancer and choreographer who graduated from Cuba’s Na- tional Ballet School “Fernando Alonso.” He has danced in Europe, the United States, and Latin America and is currently a soloist with State Op- era Stara Zagora in Bulgaria. He has served as a director and producer of shows in Mexico and Cuba and has certifications in costume and set design, as well as in the development of scenic projects. Marcelo is a bronze and silver medal- ist at the Havana International Choreography Competition. His choreography Una Condición was also a choreographic selection for the Inter- national Arts Festival of the Institute of Higher Arts in Havana 2018. He has choreographed and developed multiple works for Barcelona City Ballet. In Bulgaria, Marcelo has created pieces for the Stara Zagora and Varna State Opera, as well as for productions and festivals across the country. In the summer of 2022, he created Out- fit for the dancers of the Boris Eifman Dance Academy, and it was presented at the Alexan- drinsky Theater in Saint Petersburg, Russia as part of the Global Values Festival. Marcelo has worked with the dancers of the Royale Conser- vatoire in The Hague, Holland during the first edition of ChoreoComp. Finally, Marcelo pre- miered Odon in August, his most recent com- plete ballet with live orchestra, performed by the artists of State Opera Stara Zagora. FRANCISCO AVIÑA Francisco Aviña is a performing artist and cho- reographer whose training and career spans over three decades. He is the recipient of the best male interpreter of contemporary dance in Mex- ico for the last two years. Francisco’s trajectory has been broad in its scope and reach, making its way to the big screen, stage, television, and concert dance at the highest levels. Francisco’s immersive training started at Orange County High School of The Performing Arts in Cali- fornia followed by the acclaimed Alvin Ailey School in New York City. He then moved on to Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, where he was a company member for three seasons. Francisco has created or shared the stage with artists such as Celine Dion, including her concert residency “A New Day” in Las Vegas for six years. He cho- reographed and managed 350 artists for Mex- ico’s 200th year anniversary Bicentennial cele- bration at the foot of the national palace in the historic center El Zocalo, which was viewed live by more than 1.5 million people. Francisco was the director of choreography and main choreog- rapher for The Masked Singer, Mexico . Francisco also choreographed for the motion picture Glit- ter and Doom , a musical featuring reimagined music of the Grammy award-winning duo the Indigo Girls. Most recently, he choreographed the upcoming Disney series Washington Black . RAVINIA.ORG  • RAVINIAMAGAZINE 73