2014

Artistic Feats As a prelude to Hedwig Dances’ international artistic collaboration with the celebrated, Havana-based DanzAbierta, Jan Bartoszek’s work-in-progress, Drift deep, loose, was presented on the Links Hall stage as part of, MARKINGS, its Spring Showcase. The three-year contemporary dance exchange with DanzAbierta’s Artistic Director Guido Gali and resident choreographer Susana Pous culminated in the companies’ world premiere performance of Trade Winds/Aires de Cambio at The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago in October.

Dancebeats

Trade Winds

Clockwise from top: Trade Winds/Aires de Cambio premiere at The Dance Center; Art Encounter’s Joanna Pinsky leading participants in Hedwig Dances’ Touch Tour to Cuba; the company sharing a post-performance meal; Jan Bartoszek with Board President Kay Burnett at Hedwignites 2014 at The Arts Club of Chicago; Hedwig Dances company Insert: MARKINGS postcard

Photos by: William Frederking, Jeffrey Usow

spotlight 29 Founder/Artistic Director Jan Bartoszek and Hedwig Dances were granted the prestigious, and the company’s first, National performance Network - NPN creation Fund Award. This rare, research and development award, commissioned the choreography and debut of Trade Winds. Tantamount in importance to this critical funding support are the inherent partnership opportunities with NPN presenters, raising the curtain for future touring and residencies.

Footlights In March, Hedwig Dances returned to Havana for its third, person-to-person touch tour cuba – a dance, music and art journey – this time with four dancers from its ensemble, harmonizing creative and rehearsal time with DanzAbierta. Next stop –touch tour germany in May. Inspired by Deutschland’s expressionist dance movement, Jan Bartoszek and Maray Gutierrez led travel patrons in an exploration of Berlin’s beguiling, avant-garde art scene. Perhaps the most memorable, was their participation, a pinnacle experience, in Pina40, the 40th anniversary events and performance, honoring the legendary pina Bausch and tanztheater Wuppertal.