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RIVER NORTH DANCE COMPANY

October 10,1998

GOVERNORS STATE UNIVERSITY University Park, Illinois River North Dance Company

Dancers

Sara Ayers Mari Jo Irbe Michael Rioux Tina Brock Stephanie Martinez Lara Tinari Claire Hancock* Harrison McEldowney Robyn M. Williams Jeffery Hancock Mark Norris Gretchen Zweifel Kelly Tonge Hill Jeremy Plummer

Artistic Direction

Sherry Zunker Dow Frank Chaves Artistic Director Artistic Director

Claire Bataille Sara Ayers Ballet Mistress Rehearsal Director

*performing apprentice River North Dance Company Turning Tides Choreography: Randy Duncan Saturday, October 10,1998, 8:00pm Costume Design: Virgil Sanner Thief Lighting Design: Todd L. Clark Choreography: Frank Chaves Music: Lil' Louis & The World I. Adrift Lighting Design: Todd L. Clark Performed by: Jeffery Hancock Costume Design: Jordan Ross Music: Bruce Roberts and Gavin Dillard Performed by: Sam Performed by: Sara Ayers, Jeffery Hancock, Mari Jo Irbe, Harris Stephanie Martinez, Harrison McEldowney, Mark Norris, Jeremy Plummer, Robyn M. Williams II. Storm Performed by: The Company Perfidia Music Written and Performed by: Sam Harris Choreography: Harrison McEldowney Music: Alberto Dominguez Performed by: Linda Ronstadt Choreography underwritten by Tita and Gene Zeffren Lighting Design: Todd L. Clark Costume Design: Tommye Coyne INTERMISSION Performed by: Tina Brock, Harrison McEldowney, Mark Norris, Michael Rioux Temporal Trance Choreography: Frank Chaves Glimpse Music: Peter Gabriel, Vangelis, Gabrielle Roth and The Mirrors Choreography: Sherry Zunker Dow Costume Design: Jordon Ross Music: V. Tormis, performed by Womens' Choir of the Gori Lighting Design: Shelley Strasser Holland Music School, Performed by: Mari Jo Irbe, Jeremy Plummer, Tina Brock, Mark Georgia; Enigma, Herman/Ingraham, performed by Norris, Kelly Tonge Hill, Jeffery Hancock, Gretchen Zweifel Longhouse Lighting Design: Todd L. Clark So in Love Costume Design: Barry Doss Choreography: Sherry Zunker Dow Performed by: Tina Brock, Claire Hancock, Kelly Tonge Hill, Costume Design: Jordan Ross Mari Jo Irbe, Lara Tinari, Robyn Williams, Gretchen Zweifel Lighting Design: Todd L. Clark Music: Cole Porter Vent Music performed by: k.d. lang Choreography: Sherry Zunker Dow Performed by: Sara Ayers, Stephanie Martinez, Gretchen Zweifel Music: Buddy Johnson Performed by: Natalie Cole and Reba McEntire Lighting Design: Todd L. Clark Costume Design: Jordan Ross Performed by: Sara Ayers and Stephanie Martinez Care To Dance Artistic Directors Choreography: Tony Savino Music: Benny Goodman Sherry Zunker Dow (Manitowoc, WI) has been the Artistic Director of Lighting Design: Todd L. Clark River North Dance Company since 1990. In the past eight years, she has Costume Design: Jordan Ross choreographed eight pieces for the Company and has commissioned the work of 12 other talented choreographers to set 31 pieces on the Performed by: Sara Ayers, Tina Brock, Claire Hancock, Kelly Company. The result is a highly acclaimed repertoire that is innovative, Tonge Hill, Mari Jo Irbe, Harrison McEldowney, Mark Norris, diverse and thoroughly entertaining. Her work for River North includes Michael Rioux , Robyn M. Williams, Gretchen Zweifel Round (1990), Man That Got Away (1990), So In Love (1991), Too Darn Hot (1991), Reality of a Dreamer (1992), Glimpse (1994), ZIB WOHS (1996), and Vent (1998). Sherry's Reality of a Dreamer has become River Costumes underwritten by George & Celia Cheung, North's "signature piece" and was the finale of the company's television Karen Lunardi, Anne E. Liebowitz Youth Fund, and Joy performance documentary of the same name. The documentary has won Segal, Ph.D. numerous awards including a Chicago/Midwest Emmy for Outstanding Entertainment Special, another Emmy for Todd L. Clark's exquisite lighting design, and the Chicago International Film Festival Silver Plaque. Sherry Captain Tenacity set her Man That Got Away on the Jeffrey Ballet of Chicago as part of Choreography: Ashley Roland Legends, a work honoring five women entertainers by five women choreog- raphers. She has been proclaimed "a sophisticated choreographer" with a Costume Design: Ashley Roland "passion for dance" and a "clear artistic vision" by several Chicago dance Lighting Design: John Tomlinson / Recreated by Todd L. critics. Sherry has had extensive performing experience, as well. She Clark danced with Chicago Repertory Dance Ensemble, was a principal dancer Set Design: Tom Close with Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, was a soloist in the national touring Music: Theater of the Blood, Richard Wagner company of Bob Fosse's Dancin', and was in the Goodman Theater production of Pal Joey under Tony Award-winning choreographer Ann Performed by: Mark Norris Reinking. She has also danced in several films, commercials, television specials, and videos. In addition, Sherry has served on the faculty of Gus Charanga Giordano Jazz Dance Center, the Lou Conte Dance Studio, the River North Dance Studio, the Foundation, and she currently teaches master Choreography: Frank Chaves classes throughout the U.S. Sherry has also choreographed numerous Music: Yello musical productions, commercials, music videos, and live industrial shows Costume Design: Jordon Ross as well as choreographing several productions for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lighting Design: Todd L. Clark Lines.

Frank Chaves (Miami, FL) is known to audiences throughout the world for Section I: Sara Ayers, Tina Brock, Jeffery Hancock, Kelly his work as a six-year company member with Hubbard Street Dance Tonge Hill, Jeremy Plummer Chicago, and as an international choreographer and teacher. He began his relationship with River North Dance Company in 1992 as a choreographer, Section II: The Company which quickly led to the position of Associate Artistic Director in 1993. Working with founding director Sherry Zunker Dow to develop a new breed of jazz company, the relationship was a success, and led to his current position of Co-Artistic Director. Frank has performed in television, musical theater, live industrial shows, and with numerous companies including ballet concerto of Miami, Ballet Hispanico of New York, Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. As resident choreographer, he has created seven pieces for River North Dance Company — In the Still of the Night (1991 ), Thief (1993), Passion (1993) Grandma's Hands (1994) Fixe (1994), Charanga (1995) and Grusin Suite (1996). Frank has also choreographed pieces for Spectrum Dance Theatre (Seattle), Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Point Park College for the Performing Arts (Pittsburgh), Barat Repertory Dance Company (Lake Forest, IL), Kaleidoscope Dancers (Oklahoma Central University), and Liisa Nojonen Dance Company (Finland). He has also staged ballets for choreographer Daniel Ezralow on Atlanta Ballet, Ballet Florida (West Palm Beach, FL), and Ballet Lirico di Verona (Verona, Italy). His theatrical commissions include work for Steppenwolf Theatre (Chicago) and The Cleveland Playhouse (Cleveland, OH). Frank's teaching has taken him throughout the country and the world to such places as Switzerland, Japan, Germany and Finland.

General Manager

Joan Gress Stevens (Olympia Fields, IL) received a Bachelor's degree from Purdue University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois School of Law. Joan practiced as a litigation attorney for six years with the Chicago law America, and the Virginia School of the Arts where she was honored to be firm of Pedersen & Houpt. It was during this time that she was asked by the the commencement speaker at the 1998 graduation ceremony. Along with founding directors of River North to incorporate the company and act as its River North Dance Company, Sara enjoys performing with Kaye Produc- part-time general manager, primarily writing grants. A few years later, Joan tions, the Chicago Apparel Center and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. decided to dedicate herself to River North as its full-time general manager. In There is laughter and love in her life and her cup overflows thanks to her addition to being a "jack of all trades" for the company, Joan is currently a wonderful husband, Jeff Bibik . member of the Lawyers for the Creative Arts Committee of the Chicago Bar Association, the National Center for Non-profit Boards, is the secretary of the Tina Brock, (Rochester, NY) studied dance on scholarship with the Chicago Dance Coalition Board and recently served on the City Arts Review schools of the Boston, Jeffrey, Cleveland, and Rochester City Ballets and at Panel for the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. Having danced in a Steps on Broadway in NYC. She performed with the Rochester City Ballet variety of performing groups throughout high school and college, Joan is a 15- from 1992-94 under the direction of Timothy Draper and Sally Stepnes. Ms. year veteran dance judge and past judging coordinator for the Illinois Drill Brock danced throughout the U.S. and Europe with Hubbard Street Dance Team Association (IDTA) judging high school dance team performances Chicago in works by choreographers such as Twyla Tharp, Nacho Duato, throughout Illinois. and Daniel Ezralow from 1995-97. In July 1997, Tina began her first season with River North Dance Company. Her other credits include Disney's Pocahontas NYC premiere in Central Park, the Hercules premiere in Company Members Chicago and the Chicago Tribune Charities production of The Nutcracker. She would like to thank her family and fiancee, Eron, for their continual Sara Ayers, a founding member of River North Dance Company, is in her 9th love, support, and encouragement, and is especially grateful to the Lord for season as a performer and rehearsal assistant. She is honored to have received making it all possible. a prestigious Ruth Page Award for "A Season of Outstanding Dancing" with River North in 1996. Sara began her training in Manitowoc, WI and continued in Champaign, IL at the National Academy of Arts. She traveled north to Claire Hancock* studied dance throughout high school at the Univer- Chicago to work professionally with Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, the sity of Arizona in Tucson. As a member of the dance ensemble there, she Lynda Martha Dance Company and as a guest artist with Chicago Repertory performed in Chicago, Amsterdam, Nagoya (Japan), and at the Kennedy Dance Ensemble. Sara is developing her teaching career and is on faculty at Center. Formative years of study included scholarships to the Houston numerous studios in and around the Chicago area as well as the nationally Ballet Academy, Scottish American Ballet, Gus Giordano Dance Center and recognized Ruth Page Foundation, Lou Conte Dance Studio, Dance Masters of River North Dance Company. Major influences in her career have been Susan Quinn and Michael Williams. Claire is excited to begin her first season Company member. Stephanie received a full scholarship and apprenticeship with River North as a performing apprentice. with Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago and a full scholarship with the Lou Conte Dance Studio, where she serves as a faculty member. Aside from her Jeffery Hancock began his dance training in Canton, MI with Mary Helen ongoing work with River North, Stephanie's freelance performances include The James Kelly Choreography Project, the PBS Great Performances Special Stewart. He danced with Susan Quinn and Michael Williams at First City "Love in Four Acts" choreographed by Claire Bataille, and projects with Dance Theater and Indianapolis Dance Kaleidoscope. In Chicago, he worked choreographers Ron De Jesus, Ginger Farley and Harrison McEldowney. at Candlelight Dinner Theatre and Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre. He has Stephanie was nominated in 1994 for a Ruth Page Award. danced with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Jan Erkert and Dancers, The James Kelly Choreography Project and Wats On DANCE. He has performed the works of Twyla Tharp, Daniel Ezralow, William Soleau, Paul Taylor, Harrison McEldowney has had the privilege of dancing around the Ginger Farley, Shapiro and Smith, and others. Jeffery has begun teaching world in Spain, Japan, Australia, Canada and the U.K. He has danced on the internationally, and his choreography has been performed by RNDC, Hubbard stage of Carnegie Hall and at the Barcelona Olympics Closing Ceremonies. Street Dance Chicago's Trainee Company, Same Planet Different World, and He comes from a musical theater background that has taken him from Off- many others. Broadway to regional theater and touring. Harrison also spent six months on the road with Heart Strings, a fund-raiser to benefit people living with HIV and AIDS. He has had the privilege of dancing with Chita Rivera, Sammy Kelly Tonge Hill is a founding member of the River North Dance Davis Jr., Van Johnson, Gregg Burge, Salt-N-Pepa, and Dorothy Lamour. He Company. She began her dance training in Elgin, IL, where she was the choreographs for Chicago's Shakespeare Repertory, the Baton Show Lounge, recipient of the Elgin-area Performing Arts Dance Scholarship. She continued Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and a recent episode of CBS's "Early Edition". her studies in full scholarship with the Lou Conte Dance Studio in Chicago. In addition to her ongoing work with River North, Kelly has toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada in various industrials. She has commercial Mark Norris began his training in Cincinnati, Ohio with Nancy Norrick. credits and has most recently appeared in "Early Edition" on CBS. Kelly has He joined River North last season after 41/2 years of world travel with Royal also been developing her teaching career. She has taught for 12 years at Gould Caribbean International, where he was a dancer / dance captain and assistant Academy in Elgin and has taught extensively throughout the Chicagoland area. choreographer under the direction of Mark Dow and Sherry Zunker Dow. Kelly is currently choreographing her first musical, Guys and Dolls, for the Mark has also choreographed for Paramount Parks, Kings Productions, the Fox Valley Theatre. Department of Defense "USO" tours, and Royal Caribbean. Mark is excited to be dancing with River North for a second season.

Mari Jo Irbe is from LaGrange, IL. Before joining River North, she danced with the and toured the US, Europe and Jeremy Plumnier is originally from Warsaw, IN where he has been Mexico with Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre under the direction of studying dance for ten years. In 1998, he was the recipient of the Mr. Chicago Randy Duncan. Along with a modern and jazz background, Mari Jo has been a National Association of Dance Masters scholarship. After one year as a guest artist with "Especially Tap Co." under the direction of Bruce Stegmann. scholarship student with Gus Giordano Dance Center in Evanston, Jeremy In 1995 - 96, she toured nationally with the DIFFA Fashion Show of Collection became an apprentice with Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago. He has also Rouge and performed with Wats On DANCE. Mari Jo serves the dance done numerous industrial and fashion shows throughout Chicago. He community of Chicago as a volunteer, dancer, and committee chair for Dance currently teaches at the Dance Factory in Mundelein, IL. For Life. She also does various commercial and industrial dance jobs throughout the city. Mari Jo received her dance training at the Academy of Michael Rioux (St. Charles, IL) began his training under the direction of Movement & Music, Jo's Footwork Dance Studio, Salt Creek School of Ballet Ellen Copeland and Marie Bolson. He joined River North in '97 as an and Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre. She choreographs and teaches apprentice and continues now in '98 as a company member. Michael has also extensively throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. Mari Jo would like to performed with The James Kelly Choreography Project and Jump Rhythm thank her family and friends for their love and support. Jazz. He has choreographed productions of Anything Goes and The Music Man, and recently appeared in an episode of "Early Edition". Michael would Stephanie Martinez is a native of El Paso, TX and is an original like to dedicate this season to the memory of Ellen Copeland. Lara Tinari began dancing at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet and River North Dance Company continued her training with Milton Meyers, Faye Snow, Barbara Sandanto and Peter McCoy. She received dance scholarships from the Alvin Ailey American Chicago-based River North Dance Company was founded in 1989 by several Dance Theatre and Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre. She has performed of the city's well-known dancers and choreographers for the purpose of with the Judith Jameson Project, the Opus I Contemporary Dance Company, cultivating and promoting Chicago's unique wealth of jazz dance talent. Under Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Ensemble and Winifred Haun and Dancers. the leadership of Artistic Directors Sherry Zunker Dow and Frank Chaves, She has also worked commercially, dancing in the motion picture Mannequin RNDC takes jazz dance to unprecedented creative heights with fourteen highly II and with Diana Ross at the 1994 World Cup Opening Ceremonies. trained, professional dancers who perform with grace, humor, technical ability and a "sheer passion for dance" (Chicago Sun-Times). Critics hail an evening Robyn M. Williams is from Lombard, IL and began dancing at an early with RNDC as "(an) 'everything for everyone' program, the kind that keeps age under the direction of Yvonne Brown Collodi with whom she toured you on the edge of your seat from the moment the curtain goes up..." (Chicago Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. She continued her dance studies on full Tribune). The company constantly challenges and enriches its dancers and scholarship at the Lou Conte Dance Studio. Directly after high school audiences with varied, eclectic and entertaining repertory featuring the graduation in 1995, Robyn received an apprenticeship with River North. choreography of Zunker Dow and Chaves, as well as established and emerging Robyn has performed in industrial and commercial shows throughout the choreographers, including Randy Duncan, Ashley Roland, Sam Watson and Chicago area and performed in Disney's Hercules premiere at the Chicago Harrison McEldowney. RNDC also strives to instill an appreciation and love of jazz dance to school-age audiences through their critically acclaimed Theatre. This marks her third season as a company member with RNDC. educational program, Street Beat, which demonstrates the development of popular jazz dance in a social, historical and artistic context from the 20s to the Gretchen Zweifel began her dance training in Wisconsin with Jean present. River North Dance Company has performed extensively in Chicago Wolfmeyer. In 1993, she graduated from the Virginia School of the Arts under since 1991 with additional performances throughout the Midwest. In 1992 and the direction of Petrus Bosman with both dance and academic honors. In 1996, 1993, River North's home engagements were held at the 380-seat Harold Gretchen finished her second season as a company member of Gus Giordano Washington Library Theatre. Audience demand quickly required the burgeon- Jazz Dance Chicago which included international tours to Japan and Switzer- ing company to move its home engagement to the larger 925-seat Athenaeum land. Gretchen had the opportunity to perform in Disney's Hercules and Theatre in 1994. In 1995, River North was an inaugural member company of Pocahontas premieres in Chicago and the Pocohontas premiere which brought the new Dance Chicago '95 festival presented by the Athenaeum Theatre. her to Rome, Italy. She has taught at the Gus Giordano Dance Center and the River North drew the largest attendance of the festival, performing for nearly Virginia School of the Arts. She is excited to continue her dance career with 2,400 people — more than doubling the company's attendance figures of the River North Dance Company. previous year. Also in 1995, PBS began to broadcast River North's Emmy- award winning television documentary, Reality of a Dreamer, to a nationwide audience. Reality of a Dreamer, produced by HMS Media, has now been aired 12 times in Chicago and in 320 cities across the country. As a result of this *performing apprentice remarkable documentary, River North Dance Company has been seen by over one million viewers across the United States. RNDC's tremendous growth in popularity has catapulted them from a local dance "group" to the status of one of the country's most dynamic, nationally recognized, professional companies. RNDC continues to prove itself as one of the best and busiest companies touring the U.S. today, having performed in 47 cities across the United States, in the same venues as some of the most famous ensembles in the world, including the Paul Taylor Dance Company, the Martha Graham Dance Company, the Parsons Dance Company, and The Jeffrey Ballet of Chicago. The company's 1998-99 season includes engagements in fifteen states bringing "energetic, marvelously trained performers and a gutsy, entertaining reper- toire..." (Chicago Sun-Times), as well as a bit of "Chicago style", to hundreds of thousands of new fans. 1998-1999 River North Dance Company ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS SERIES FEATURING 1016 N. Dearborn Parkway, Chicago, IL 60610 phone 312-944-2888 / fax 312-944-2581 Email: [email protected]

Administration and Production

Joan Gress Stevens, J.D. Ann Marie Beyers General Manager Assistant to the General Manager

Kendra D. Miller Shelley Strasser Holland JUNGLE BOOK PHANTOM OF THE Director of Development Stage Manager Oct. 17, 1998 OPERA February 20, 1999

Board of Directors

Frank Chaves Judy Mayer Joan Gross Stevens Sherry Zunker Dow Mark Reeves Megan Wilde Karen Frankel Jones Alyta Reicin Alan Wilson Jeffrey Kagan Pamela Sage Eugene Zeffren Julie Burman Kaplan Joy Segal Tita Zeffren

River North Dance Company appears by arrangement with Siegel Artist Management BLACK BEAUTY March 20, 1999

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 708.235.2222 APPEARING At The Center

Sunday, November 1, 3pm

ONDEKOZA DEMON DRUMMERS OF JAPAN

Hear the ""Taiko" (the big drums), a tradition and sound that origi- nates from festival drum routines and folk music. Hear nature's emo- tions of joy, love, anger, and sorrow. The music is played on bamboo flutes, string instruments, and drums varying in sound and size from tom-tom size to a 5,700 Ib. tree-trunk. "Ondekoza belongs in the rarefied company of Mummenschanz and PilobolusDance Theatre." ...Los Angeles Times

"You can hear the pulse of circulating blood in the body of their per- formance..." - Seiji Ozawa 1998 UPCOMING EVENTS

VIENNA CHOIR BOYS November 6,1998

CALL 708.235.2222 And visit our website www.govst.edu/center

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

Please, take note of the lighted red exit sign nearest to your seat. In the event of an emergency, please walk to that exit. Addi- tional lighted exit signs in each corridor will guide you to the nearest and safest route out of the building. The Center's staff will be happy to identify these signs for you.