Are We Human, or Are We Dancer?

DANCE REVIEW: River North Chicago Dance Co.

by Deni Kasrel

As River North Chicago Dance Co.'s opening number came to its end, an elderly man sitting behind me whispered to his wife, "Well, that wasn't boring." He seemed surprised; perhaps he'd seen a few tedious dance shows in his day. But River North is unabashed in its desire to entertain.

A nimble troupe of highly athletic performers who play to their audience, this corps is composed of real people with real bodies who also happen to be in fantastic physical shape. The upshot? They come off as fully human.

That's important to RNC artistic director Frank Chaves, whose works are eminently relatable. His choreography — a fluid fusion of jazz, ballroom, classical, modern, African and Hispanic styles — is visually pleasing and artistic, yet wholly accessible.

Forbidden Boundaries featured a cast in trios, with one performer attempting to break through unseen obstacles while two others pull on his stretchy-armed costume to either restrain forward motion or hoist the dancer up. Extreme flexibility in costume fabric enabled an intriguing array of metaphoric configurations ultimately intended to represent how we hold ourselves back from personal progress.

A rapturous duet set to an elegiac Russian song, The Mourning was an emotional triumph. The fate of the female is doomed; her lover portrays a man of intense passion overcome by sorrow.

Meanwhile, in nostalgic homage to Chaves' native Cuba, River North's signature Habaneras features performers in multicolored costumes, joyously swirling about the stage in grand sweeping steps. Often recalling Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Habaneras offered snappy unison dancing complemented by theatrical patterning.

River North's choreography has its share of nuance; even so, Chaves clearly favors bold, luxurious movement propelled by energetic enthusiasm. He and his ensemble are out to capture your rapt attention. In other words, they're not likely to be boring.

Jan. 16, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.