Theater Dance Music at the Edlis Neeson Theater Winter/Spring Manual Cinema International Contemporary Ensem- Mementos Mori ble (ICE): Anna Thorvaldsdottir Jan 15–18, 2015 In the Light of Air Apr 26, 2015 Stan’s Cafe The Cardinals Creative Music Summit Jan 22–24, 2015 Nicole Mitchell May 2, 2015 Sònia Sánchez Renée Baker Le Ça (The Id) May 3, 2015 Feb 13–15, 2015 Third Coast Percussion with Mariano Pensotti Glenn Kotche Cineastas (Filmmakers) Wild Sound Feb 26–Mar 1, 2015 May 21–22, 2015 Joffrey Academy of Dance Winning Works: Choreographers of Color Mar 7-8, 2015 The Seldoms Power Goes Mar 20–29, 2015 Ragamala Dance and Rudresh Mahanthappa Song of the Jasmine Apr 10–12, 2015 Sònia Sánchez Le Ça (The Id) Feb 13–15, 2015 Sònia Sánchez, dance David Soler, electric guitar Miguel Ángel "El Londro" Soto Peña, vocals Ander Agudo, live sound mix Presented as part of Sònia Sánchez Generous support the Chicago Flamenco Photo: Dani Alvarez for MCA Dance is Festival 2015. provided by David Herro and Jay Franke. The Chicago Flamenco Festival 2015 is a Sònia Sánchez: Le Ça collaboration of the is made possible by Instituto Cervantes, the Program for the Arte y Vida Chicago, Internationalization the Museum of of Spanish Culture Contemporary Art (PICE), under the Chicago, Old Town Mobility grants School of Folk awarded by the state Music, and the company Acción Flamenco Arts Cultural Española Center. It runs (A C/E). February 6 through March 7, 2015. The Festival programs span the wide-ranging world of flamenco music, dance, and films. They feature ascending as well as legendary performers. Over five weekends, more than ten distinctive performances take place in different venues, expanding the dedication of the Instituto Edlis Neeson Cervantes in Chicago to support the Theater presentation of today’s rich array of Spanish and Hispanic culture. For more informa- tion visit http:// chicago.cervantes.es. About the Program Artists Up Close Le Ça started with Sònia Sánchez MCA Stage’s series of artist-centered investigating the sound of shoes and talks, workshops, and open studios various kinds of wood. At first filtering allows the public to engage with artists them using different microphones, she in intimate settings and provides a eventually turned from experimentation closer look at the creative process. with recording technologies to the Join us today. surrounding sounds of a forest in Spain’s Catalunyan region, where she MCA Studio lived in solitude for a time. Discarding Earlier this week, as part of the Open everything except techniques for Doors program, museum visitors were generating sounds from her own feet, invited inside the theater to observe palms, fingers, and vocal cords, “as if the artists working on the final stage of facing an orchestra that has lost its production. score,” Sánchez began composing with her body. “The sounds of the forest MCA Talk: First Night came in, the sounds of darkness, of Feb 13 pain, of joy, which were my compan- Audience members are invited to stay ions for many years.” at the end of the performance for a conversation with Sònia Sánchez. Carrying this emotional charge into the Moderated by Yolanda Cesta Cursach, studio, Sanchez improvised over five Associate Director of Performance months with a series of collaborators Programs. including musicians and dancers of flamenco, jazz, and contemporary forms. MCA Studio: Workshop with Sònia Sánchez The result is a creative breakthrough in Sat, Feb 14, 1-4pm flamenco. By extolling technique and Sònia Sánchez teaches flamenco minimal scenery over the expected technique grounded in the form, flourish of ornate costumes and nar- musicality, and rhythm of the body, rative, Le Ça offers live composing for drawing from her formal training with the body through choreographed and La China and Butoh master Hisako improvised tapping, stamping, and Horikawa and with attention to her vocals, to live electronics and electric investigation into the sound of flamenco guitar. dance. Sánchez trains participants in composing sound with the body and improvisation that fuses flamenco dance and vocal technique with electronics. Sònia Sánchez Photo: Dani Alvarez Ragamala Dance and Rudresh Mahanthappa Song of the Jasmine Apr 10–12, 2015 Powerful jazz fuses with magnetic South Theater Indian music and dance in Song of the Jasmine. Thoroughly original, Aparna and Ranee Dance Ramaswamy and the Ragamala Dance ensemble Music are joined by acclaimed saxophonist and composer Rudresh Mahanthappa, who leads Buy tickets online at the a live South Indian music quintet. at mcachicago.org Edlis Song of the Jasmine Neeson Rudresh Mahanthappa Aparna Ramaswamy Photo: Alice Gebura Photo: Alice Gebura Theater About the Artists Sònia Sánchez completed her academic instruction at the Conservatory of Dance in Madrid, Spain, continuing her training in Barcelona where she was introduced to Butoh, and more specifically the technique of Hisako Horikawa. Born in 1974 in Sabadell, Catalunya’s second largest city, Sánchez has always been rooted in flamenco, studying with the masters Ciro and La China, and Sònia Sánchez collaborating with Antonio Canales, David Soler Photo: Dani Alvarez Cristina Hoyos, Albert Pla, Núria Espert, is a prolific composer and guitarist, and J. M. Cañizares, Alfredo Kraus, has recorded and performed with Duquende, and Tomatito. avant-pop and jazz bands in Europe and the US for two decades. In addition Her exploration of flamenco’s essence to contemporary guitarists such as Bill and limits has led her to collaborations Frisell and Robert Fripp, he cites as with various artists outside the form, his greatest influences the twentieth- including Butoh dancer Jordi Mas, century composers Béla Bartók, Olivier trumpetist Julián Sánchez, and elec- Messiaen, and Frank Zappa. The tronics composer Joaquim Puigtió. Her recent release by his own instrumental free-jazz project, Sai Trio, is an ongoing electro-avant music project, Denga, collaboration with pianist Agustí titled Botanicas, is produced by Lee Fernández (National Prize for Culture; Townsend, legendary producer of Prize of Barcelona for Music) and the Frisell, Fred Hersch, and many others. acclaimed jazz drummer Ivo Sans. The recording features Soler’s collabo- rators for the past decade: pianist Sánchez dance work includes Retales Erik Deutsch, bassist Ben Rubin, and (2007); Rincones y claros de bosques percussionists Borja Barrueta and (Edges and clearings of the woods) Marc Pino. (2008); and 23 de Mayo (2009). Her solo, El pliegue (2012), toured to El Londro (Miguel Ángel Soto Peña) Dansmakers Amsterdam and is a native of Jerez de la Frontera Rencontres Choréographiques de Saint (Cádiz). He started singing in flamenco Denis. Le Ça premiered March 2014 groups at the age of twelve and at Mercat de Les Flors, Barcelona, and debuted as soloist in the Imperial has toured to Mexico City, for the FMX Theatre of Seville in 1992. In 1994 he International Festival; Dusseldorf, as was invited by guitarist/director Gerardo part of the Flamenco Festival at Núñez to perform in his production of Tanzhaus; and Paris, for Rencontres Amor Brujo at the Seville Biannual, and Choréographiques de Saint Denis. The toured nationally the next year with the MCA Stage presentation is its North company in Núñez’s production of American premiere. Yerma, directed by Nuria Espert. Sònia Sánchez El Londro completed his formal training He regularly collaborates and tours Photo: Dani Alvarez in canto with the national company with flamenco vocal innovators includ- Nuevo Ballet Español, based in Madrid, ing Miguel Poveda, Enrique Morente, as accompanist to classic flamenco Carmen Linares, Chano Lobato, and dance figures such as Joaquín Grilo, Remedios Amaya. He is featured in the Belén Maya, and Sara Baras and recordings Aroma by José Luís Montón, touring with the national company Sendero de lo Imposible by Santiago throughout Europe and the US with Lara, Rey by Antonio Rey, Diapasión by the productions El Cachorro, directed Chicuelo, and Corazón de Flamenco by Salvador Távora; Torero directed by which he coproduced with Juan Diego. and featuring choreographer/dancer His newest recording Luna de enero Antonio Canales; and The House of is a project with Miguel Poveda on his Bernarda Alba, featuring the bailaora label Carta Blanca Records, and Carmen Cortés. El Londro also produced by the celebrated guitarist tours internationally with leading Santiago Lara. contemporary flamenco dancers Israel Galván, Andrés Marín, Isabel Bayón, Pastora Galván, Mercedes Ruiz, and Hiniesta Cortés. Thank you Friends of the MCA Stage $500–999 Leslie Bodenstein and Lead support for the 2014–15 $10,000–24,999 Jason Pickleman season of MCA Stage is prov ided Shawn M. Donnelley and Julie and Shane Campbell by Elizabeth A. Liebman. Christopher M. Kelly Terri and Stephen Geifman Ginger Farley and Bob Shapiro Mark Light Additional generous support Andreas Walburg-Wolfegg Anonymous is provided by Caryn and King Harris, and Lois and Steve Eisen $5,000–9,999 $499 and under and the Eisen Family Foundation. Sara Albrecht Jane & Issi Ellen Stone Belic David Brown The MCA is a proud member of Patricia Cox Coleen Kealey Museums in the Park and Pamela Crutchfield MCA North Shore Affiliates receives major support from the Karen and Jim Frank Jane Mordini Chicago Park District. The Irving Harris Foundation Matthew F. O’Connor Susie Karkomi and Jacquelyn Paine and Marvin Leavitt Robert Barr The Martha Struthers Farley Richard Poston and Donald C. Farley Jr. Kazu Yamamoto Family Foundation Anonymous Maya Polsky Carol Prins and John Hart $1,000–4,999 Amphion Foundation, Inc. Leigh and Henry Bienen Sarai Hoffman and Stephen Pratt Cynthia Hunt and Philip Rudolph Maecenas Susan Manning and Doug Doetsch Herbert R. and Paula Molner Sharon Oberlander Elizabeth Price and Lou Yecies Cheryl and John Seder Ms. Patricia F. Sternberg As of January 2015 Chicago Downtown/ Magnificent Mile The MCA is a proud partner of the Foundation Season Sponsor Preferred Hotel Partner National Performance Network.