Chicago Dancemakers Forum
11/16 Break Out! A day of spontaneous performance in and around the Museum of Contemporary Art culminates with a ticketed performance featuring the ensemble Hedwig Dances and choreography by 2013 Bessie Award winner Darrell Jones, Kristina Isabell, and the ever-whimsical Julia Rhoads. Grant-making body Chicago Dancemakers Forum sponsors the affair. Free daytime program; performance $50. Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E Chicago. mca.org.
Dance Chicago
Through 11/30 Now in its 19th year, the annual festival dishes out a smorgasbord of movement via nightly performance showcases. Tap, jazz, contemporary, street, world, and ballet often share one bill, and—while there are generally an equal number of hits and misses—the sheer number of troupes means audiences always see something stunning. The must-see: the Choreography Showcase (11/23), featuring work from the enthusiastic, pop-driven Kate Jablonski, the 2012 choreographer of the year, plus the 2013 winner (to be announced during the fest). Other highlights include the event’s first late-night show: Tales of an Idiot (11/19 to 11/22), a one-man performance-poetry spectacle by Dmitri Peskov that intrigued at Rhino Fest earlier this year. Two suburban installations are on the calendar: 11/9 in Batavia and 10/26 in Orland Park. Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N Southport. For times and info: dancechicago.com.
Deeply Rooted Dance Theater
11/1 at 8 This respected African dance troupe, the subject of a new documentary film (Move!), is on a tear, with a world premiere that will have people talking—and not just in Chicago. Hadiya, by the emerging local choreographer Nicole Clarke Springer, pays tribute to the 15-year-old honor student Hadiya Pendleton, whose murder earlier this year here made national headlines. After Chicago, the company heads to the Mark Morris Center in New York City. $40–$65. A $150 VIP ticket includes a postperformance reception with the dancers. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E Randolph. harristheaterchicago.org.
Paige Cunningham Caldarella CDF Project
11/8–10 When it comes to choreography, this Columbia College dance prof delights in obfuscation: In this string of performances at Links Hall, she mixes vogueing with classical ballet moves. $5–$10. Links Hall, 3111 N Western. linkshall.org, ticketfly.com.
River North Dance Chicago
11/16–17 New dancers, new ballet master, new choreography: This athletic jazz troupe has a lot going on, to say the least. In a late summer performance, the energetic company earned rave reviews from the crowd; its fall engagement at the Harris Theater—with three premieres, by choreographers Kevin Iega Jeff, Ashley Roland, and Adam Barruch—kicks off a dizzying season of touring performances. $30–$75. River North Dance Company, 1016 N Dearborn. rivernorthchicago.org.