Reggie Wilson’s ‘Moses(es)’ in Chicago

The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago concludes its 40th season by presenting choreographer Reggie Wilson and his company Fist & Heel Performance Group in a work co-commissioned by The Dance Center. With performances on April 3–5, the company will also conclude The Dance Center’s 15th season of Family Dance Matinees, offering a 45-minute family-oriented performance preceded by a free workshop that encourages parents and children to move with the artists on Saturday, April 5.

Moses(es), an evening-length work, explores our relationship to leadership and the effects of migration on beliefs and customs. Grounded in Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Moses, Man of the Mountains and arising out of Wilson’s exploratory travels to Israel, Egypt, Turkey and Mali, the work looks at diasporic movement out of Africa and into the rest of the world through the lens of Moses stories in their various cross-cultural and cross-faith interpretations. 

“This is the second time my work has been presented at The Dance Center,” said Wilson. “I’ve also taught and set pieces on students, and The Dance Center was instrumental in supporting the early research and development of Moses(es). My relationship with The Dance Center feels deep and long; I trust that it will be there into the future.”

There will be a post-performance conversation with the artists on Thursday, April 3, and a pre-performance talk on Friday, April 4 at 7 p.m. with Moses(es) dramaturg Susan Manning, a professor of English, theatre and performance studies at Northwestern University and past president of the Society of Dance History Scholars. Both events are free to ticket holders.

Wilson also will participate in The Dance Center’s DanceMakers series, which features leading contemporary dance artists offering insight into their choreographic process. This will be held on Monday, March 31 from 6:30–8:30 p.m. at the Old Town School of Folk Music, located at 4544 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. In celebration of The Dance Center’s 40th season, DanceMakers sessions are free. Preregistration is required. 

Fist & Heel Performance Group blends contemporary dance with African traditions, creating performances from the rich spiritual traditions of the African Diaspora. To see the Fist & Heel Performance Group at The Dance Center, located at 1306 S. Michigan Ave., book tickets by calling 312-369-8330. For more information, visit colum.edu/dancecenter.

Photo by Julieta Cervantes.