If the prospect of sitting through a full-length ballet for the whole night is too daunting, here’s just the thing: a one-night-only all-star evening of major but shorter repertory pieces performed by one of the world’s top dance companies, the New York-based American Ballet Theater. In a program that will appeal to beginners and novices alike, landmark choreographers and dance pieces take the spotlight. “Afternoon of a Fawn” includes erotic choreography by Jerome Robbins (“West Side Story”) and features Debussy’s ethereal score, while “Rodeo” features dancing cowboys choreographed by Agnes de Mille, who would also go on to direct dancing cowboys in “Oklahoma!” all of which was decades before “Brokeback Mountain” and set to Aaron Copland’s bouncy folk score that climaxes in his famous, pulsating “Hoe Down.” Traditional ballet will be represented by the Black Swan pas de deux from “Swan Lake” featuring innovative choreography by Kenneth McKenzie and Tchaikovsky’s memorable score, while the legendary George Ballanchine will be represented by his “Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux.” (Dennis Polkow)
Civic Opera House, Wacker Drive at Madison, (312)902-1500. $20-$93. 7:30pm.
Complementary Opposites: A Preview of "Serenade" and "Of Mice and Men" by the Joffrey Ballet “Both [ballets] are trying to deal with a particular time: One by healing with the beauty of dance, the other by trying to create empathy for beaten-down humanity. Right now, we’re facing some of the same issues, such as huge migrations from the workplace. Steinbeck shone a light on his time, and I hope we’re able to do the same.”
