Deeply Rooted Dance Theater 11.5.22 Performance at Auditorium Theatre

This powerhouse company is a magnificent display of soul stirring raw power and grace.  Pure delight the moment the curtain lifts.  Blending modern, classical, American, and African-American traditions in dance and storytelling, the artistry and beauty of performance is on full display.

Three programs, an intermission and then Q After Dark, a celebration of Chicago’s Quincy Jones by Sam Thousand and Ensemble is a truly captivating performance.  The raw power of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, acclaimed member of the Chicago Black Dance Legacy project, is an emotional engagement at its finest and is simply captivating entertainment.

The first program, Vespers, performed to the intense beats of Mike Rouse’s Quorum music, showcases 6 dancers. It is a frenzied display of conformance and compliance, at times feels almost puppetry, and is conquering, dramatic, raw, stunning, and profound.

Next, Aisatnaf, performed by Ahmad Hill, a ballet fantasy of strings and harp, is contemplative and celebratory. Ahmad’s performance is simply magnificent, a display of pure gracefulness, whimsy, and talent.

And then, the audience is simply blown away by the universal and soul-stirring themes of the Excerpt of Madonna Anno Domini, starting with Obama’s voice of unity and then Aretha Franklin’s sweet song.  This program provokes an emotional response, ranging from hope through the long and winding road for unity, then turning dismal to the dark realities of pain and suffering in the world.  Curiosity, fear, resistance, uprising, strength, defeat, reunification, power in the people, resilience and then amazing strength and power to overcome, all portrayed beautifully through movement and artistry.

Q After Dark, performed by Sam Thousand and Ensemble and Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre, features stunning vocalists Tina Jenkins Crawley and Ameerah Tatum.  Sam Thousand, a multi-instrumentalist, producer, vocalist, renaissance soul man, and the entire performance has you on the edge of your seat!  Take a journey through the familiar songs of Quincy Jones to witness the breadth and scope of his creative history.  A joyous celebration of music and dance. The only way I can think to describe this music, choreography and live ensemble is AWESOME!  Truly soul satisfying. I leave wishing it would simply go on.

Highly recommended.

Judy Nathan

Chicago Theatre Review