2011-2012 Season
Deeply Rooted just wrapped its 15th Anniversary Season with its finale performance Chicago Women of Song at the Harris Theater on December 9.
In Case You Missed It – From the VIP Invitation
I have always believed great art is born out of community. It fosters conversation between generations, showing audiences the artistic continuity – honoring predecessors, revitalizing our elders and empowering our youth. –Kevin Iega Jeff
Deeply Rooted Dance Theater’s 15th Anniversary Season Finale performance was a celebration of excellence and gift of thanks to the company’s Chicago “family.” It reflected Deeply Rooted’s mission to nurture a love for dance, develop professional opportunities within, and strengthen the community from which it derives inspiration.
The event also honored the diverse musical heritage behind the company’s soul stirring, technically dazzling, internationally acclaimed fusion of dance, storytelling, movement, and voice. The resulting work – in collaboration with renowned choreographers across the spectrum of modern, ballet and African dance – explores universal themes and contemporary life in a visceral way that touches diverse audiences worldwide.
The program pays particular tribute to seven women vocalists associated with Chicago – Mahalia Jackson, Dinah Washington, Mavis Staples, Minnie Riperton, Chaka Khan, Anita O’Day and Jennifer Hudson. In the words of Artistic Director Kevin Iega Jeff, “Their voices flow through the legacy of the African American experience, helping us connect to our shared values in humanity, to rejoice in those values, feel each other’s pain, laugh when we feel like crying and cry when we need to get it out.”