Elements Contemporary Ballet 10th Anniversary Concert at historic Studebaker Theatre

Elements Contemporary Ballet 10th Anniversary Concert at historic Studebaker Theatre 1 Elements Contemporary Ballet presents a special 10th anniversary performance, November 20, 2016 at the newly refurbished Studebaker Theater in downtown Chicago’s historic Fine Arts Building. Commemorating Elements’ 10 years of performance in Chicago, the concert will showcase two of the company’s signature ballets, choreographed by co-founders Mike Gosney and Joseph Caruana. The first act of the program, The Sun King, is a lush one-act ballet choreographed by Elements’ Resident Choreographer Caruana. Based on the life of French monarch Louis XIV and his relationship with his official court composer, Jean-Baptiste Lully, The Sun King tells the story of ballet’s beginnings at Louis XIV’s court and features live music, including compositions by Lully, performed by period instrument orchestra Haymarket Opera Company. The Sun King premiered in 2014 at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. The second act of the program features Pathos, by Artistic Director Gosney. Set to Mozart's Requiem, Pathos is a starkly modern interpretation of the much-loved musical masterpiece, fusing classical ballet with a unique contemporary movement vocabulary. Thematically, Pathos is an affecting tale of love, loss, and redemption, harkening back to the supernatural and ethereal motifs of romantic period ballet. (A shorter version of Pathos premiered in 2012.)

Elements Contemporary Ballet presents a special 10th anniversary performance, November 20, 2016 at the newly refurbished Studebaker Theater in downtown Chicago’s historic Fine Arts Building. Commemorating Elements’ 10 years of performance in Chicago, the concert will showcase two of the company’s signature ballets, choreographed by co-founders Mike Gosney and Joseph Caruana. The first act of the program, The Sun King, is a lush one-act ballet choreographed by Elements’ Resident Choreographer Caruana. Based on the life of French monarch Louis XIV and his relationship with his official court composer, Jean-Baptiste Lully, The Sun King tells the story of ballet’s beginnings at Louis XIV’s court and features live music, including compositions by Lully, performed by period instrument orchestra Haymarket Opera Company. The Sun King premiered in 2014 at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. The second act of the program features Pathos, by Artistic Director Gosney. Set to Mozart’s Requiem, Pathos is a starkly modern interpretation of the much-loved musical masterpiece, fusing classical ballet with a unique contemporary movement vocabulary. Thematically, Pathos is an affecting tale of love, loss, and redemption, harkening back to the supernatural and ethereal motifs of romantic period ballet. (A shorter version of Pathos premiered in 2012.)

The Chicago Tribune has called Elements Contemporary Ballet’s previous choreography “[m]agnificent…a jam-packed visual wonder…[that is] seamlessly thrilling.”  The 10th anniversary concert will be Elements’ first appearance at the newly re-opened Studebaker Theatre, which was originally built in 1898 for vaudeville shows, featuring performers ranging from Bob Hope to Peter O’Toole and Vincent Price. The 1,000-seat Studebaker will now host music, dance, and theatrical performances, and is located in the Fine Arts Building at 410 S. Michigan Ave, an historic Chicago arts complex and architectural gem.

Elements Contemporary Ballet presents innovative new works of ballet using an original, distinctive style, and cultivates an appreciation for ballet by producing dynamic dance performances that are relevant and exciting to today’s audiences. Co-founders Mike Gosney and Joseph Caruana have built a repertory that includes work by choreographers from world-class companies such as Houston Ballet, BJM Danse, and Cullberg Ballet, in addition to original works.

WHO: Elements Contemporary Ballet, Chicago, IL

WHAT: Elements Contemporary Ballet 10th Anniversary Concert

WHERE: Studebaker Theater, Fine Arts Building, 401 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL

WHEN: Sunday, November 20, 2016, 3:00pm

CONTACT: Managing Director, Elements Contemporary Ballet, Joseph Caruana, joe@contemporaryballet.com; 773-704-9274

Hi resolution photos available upon request