“It’s been a great journey so far,” said Wilfredo Rivera, artistic director of Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre (CRDT). Rivera, who lives in Little Village with his partner of more than two decades, grew up in Honduras in an artistic family. “My parents are musicians,” he said. “They sing, dance. My grandfather was a poetry writer and photographer and painter. I always felt like I was going to be in the performing arts, I just didn’t know what it would be.” He began doing folkloric dance locally, but didn’t start officially studying dance until after his family moved to the States.
He began taking jazz classes in New Orleans under the tutelage of a former American Ballet Theatre dancer at 15. When she opened her own school, he trained in ballet, flamenco, jazz and modern, as well as taking summer intensive courses. He graduated from high school as valedictorian and entered New Orleans University as a pre-med student. “After about three semesters, one night I sat my parents down and said we needed to talk,” said Rivera. “I told them I really need to focus on dance and this is the time to do it. I was 18.” His teacher recommended coming to Chicago instead of New York or Los Angeles for more training.
Once here, he landed an apprenticeship with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. “It was really an amazing journey for me,” Rivera said. “Coming from Honduras, living in New Orleans and now in rehearsals with Twyla Tharp and Lou Conte. It gives me goosebumps when I think about it. I was starstruck. It’s the kind of training you can’t put a figure on. It was amazing.” One of his instructors, Sherry Zunker, was taking over a commercial dance company she ran with her then husband and wanted to turn it into a concert dance company. She invited Rivera to join and he became one of the founding members of River North Dance Chicago.
With growing choreographic opportunities and the company changing directors, Rivera eventually decided to try his hand at being an independent artist, while continuing to teach and do commercial work. His long-time partner Joe Cerqua, a musical composer, had a successful career writing music for local theater and his recording studio was in their home. “I’d hear all of these great musicians coming over,” said Rivera. “I told Joe I’d love to use some of his compositions, so I started using his music and thought it would sound better if we got the musicians to play it live.” That collaboration became CRDT, which also incorporated the work and mind of the artist Matt Lamb, fusing art with original music and choreography. Lamb passed away last year.
The company has grown since those early days. Cerqua served as the original artistic director, with Rivera taking over duties as things got busier. CRDT now has an expanding infrastructure with a development consultant, and administrative manager, a marketing director, a grant writer, a graphic designer, two rehearsal directors and is celebrating its 15th anniversary season.
CRDT is also one of the companies chosen by a panel of dance experts to perform in the Music + Movement Festival Showcase performance later this month at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. The festival paired select local dance companies with area musicians for a three-month-long, multiple-performance event. Of those companies, only a few will perform in a one-night-only showcase performance.
“We received a letter from Brett Batterson [executive director of the Auditorium Theatre] asking us to be part of the festival,” Rivera said. “The whole idea was to bring together diverse types of dance organizations and pair the companies with musicians. Obviously, we already have in-house musicians, so I talked with Brett and he was OK with us using our own.” According to Batterson, “It was their energy, their understanding of the project, their ability to integrate live music with dance and their diversity” that landed them a spot in the showcase.
Other dance companies in the showcase include the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Kuumba Lynx, Mexican Dance Ensemble, DanceWorks Chicago, Thodos Dance Chicago and Giordano Dance Chicago. “It’s a great place to be,” said Rivera. “Becoming partners in the American Rhythm Center, participating in the Music + Movement Festival, celebrating our 15th year, getting more people into the office; it’s all kind of falling together. I think that this festival and the idea that originated it is fantastic. We’re all hoping it will be successful enough that the directors will want to do it again.”
Music + Movement Festival Showcase at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Pkwy., Wed., May 15, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20; call 800-982-2787 or visit www.auditoriumtheatre.org/musicandmovement.
Additional May performances:
Mordine & Co. presents NEXT 2013 at the Hamlin Park Fieldhouse, 3035 N. Hoyne Ave., Thursday-Friday, May 16-17, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $14; visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/370074.
St. Petersburg’s Eifman Ballet comes to town for three performances of Eifman’s full-length ballet Rodin at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress Pkwy., Friday, May 17, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 18 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 19 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $30-$90; call 800-982-2787.
Ballet Chicago presents Balanchine + Beyond at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St., Saturday, May 18, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 19 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25-$50; call 312-334-7777 or visit www.harristheaterchicago.org.
Striding Lion presents Dada Gert, part performance art, part three-dimensional architectural environment at the Hamlin Park Fieldhouse Theater, 3035 N. Hoyne Ave., Thursday-Friday, May 23-24, and Thursday-Friday, May 30-31, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20; visit www.brownpapertickets.com.