Despite living more than 6,000 miles apart, Lin Batsheva Kahn and Miriam Engel have found ways to virtually bring their creative talents together each year. This month, they will be collaborating in person for the first time since 2019.
Kahn is Director of Dance at DePaul University's Theatre School and Founder and Artistic Director of MusicDance En-sem'-ble, and Engel is Artistic Director of Israel's Angela Dance Company, and Founder and Director of the Jerusalem International Solo Dance Festival. Since 2015, the choreographers have been creating and performing dances together as a joint Jerusalem and DePaul teaching/performance project-and this year, they will collaborate on campus.
This year's program is titled
Turning Toward the Other with Movement and Music
. Dancers will be accompanied by DePaul School of Music musicians, including violinist Ben Koenig and pianist Leo Radosavljevic; School of Music faculty member and cellist Stephen Balderston
;
and Anshe Emet Synagogue's Cantor Elizabeth Berke.
The concert also includes a premiere piece created by international composer Ilya Levinson, Columbia College professor and Music Director/Co-Founder of the New Budapest Orpheum Society, an ensemble-in-residence at University of Chicago.
"I'm looking forward to this visit, and to returning to create in Chicago in the vibrant space of DePaul University," Engel said. "This ongoing collaboration with Professor Kahn, built over many years of trust and shared artistic exploration, continues to inspire me."
"This is a great opportunity for dance minors to perform with professionals," Kahn added. "And now Miriam is coming to my classes, and working with my students in person again."
Beginning May 4, Engel will attend three of Kahn's classes to work with 65 students in various majors, who hail from around the world. The concert will culminate Engel's week on campus.
"It is a cherished opportunity to deepen the dialogue between music, movement, and human connection." Engel said. "Dance, as a universal language, holds a unique power to bridge cultures, transcend words, and bring people closer to one another, and with that, bring a sense of hope."
"Our ultimate goal is to sweeten our problems, to transform darkness into light, [and] to create a pure positive state of good and light," Kahn added, quoting Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh.
As with many of Kahn's works, the musicians will be onstage with the dancers. While Levinson, Kahn Engel, and Berke are Jewish, other performers come from diverse backgrounds. "In past performances, "it has been positive exposure to non-Jewish performers to be a part of a project that puts them in contact with Jewish professionals and content," Kahn noted.
Turning Toward the Other with Movement and Music is supported by DePaul Quality of Instruction Council and the Theatre School Diversity Office grants, JUF Israel Education Center, Academic Engagement Network, and individual patrons.
The free performance will take place at 2 p.m. on May 11 at DePaul University's Gannon Concert Hall, 2330 N. Halsted St. To learn more, visit:
tinyurl.com/TurningTowardtheOther
.
