Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, “one of the best known companies in the world” (The Associated Press) that “never fails to inspire and delight” (Chicago Tonight), returns to its Chicago home of more than 50 years as a Visiting Resident Company. Presenting premieres, new productions, timeless classics, and audience favorites, the “extraordinary Ailey dancers” (Chicago Tribune) are known for their incredible artistry and mastery of modern, ballet, hip-hop, and a variety of dance techniques. “If you haven’t seen a performance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in a while, you might forget just how accomplished the company’s dancers are. You know they can do anything, but the visible evidence can leave you reeling” (The New Yorker).

American Ballet Theatre (ABT) returns to Chicago as an Auditorium Theatre Visiting Resident Company! Experience the full breadth of ABT’s acclaimed artists in this mixed repertory program, featuring both classical and contemporary ballet. ABT performs the Chicago premiere of A Gathering of Ghosts, a brand-new work by celebrated choreographer Twyla Tharp created for Principal Dancer Herman Cornejo as he celebrates his 20^th anniversary with the company. The program opens with the breathtaking “Kingdom of the Shades” from the second act of Natalia Makarova’s landmark production of Marius Petipa’s La Bayadère, “one of the most famous and poetic expressions in all of classical ballet” (The Washington Post), and also features Antony Tudor’s one-act ballet Jardin aux Lilas, considered “a masterwork of contemporary ballet” (The New York Times).

Considered “the world’s greatest dance company” (The Independent), Russia’s premier ballet company makes a triumphant return to Chicago and to the historic Auditorium Theatre after 16 years. Yuri Grigorovich’s Swan Lake, set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic score (performed by the Chicago Philharmonic), incorporates choreography from masters Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, and Alexander Gorsky. Called “dazzling” and “immensely rewarding” (The Telegraph), Swan Lake highlights the “world’s greatest dancers” (BBC) and the “emotional, athletic, and theatrical style” (The Washington Post) that earned the company its international acclaim. Chicago is one of only two US cities to host the Bolshoi in 2020, and the exclusive presenter of Swan Lake.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, “one of the best known companies in the world” (The Associated Press) that “never fails to inspire and delight” (Chicago Tonight), returns to its Chicago home of more than 50 years as a Visiting Resident Company. Presenting premieres, new productions, timeless classics, and audience favorites, the “extraordinary Ailey dancers” (Chicago Tribune) are known for their incredible artistry and mastery of modern, ballet, hip-hop, and a variety of dance techniques. “If you haven’t seen a performance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in a while, you might forget just how accomplished the company’s dancers are. You know they can do anything, but the visible evidence can leave you reeling” (The New Yorker).

American Ballet Theatre (ABT) returns to Chicago as an Auditorium Theatre Visiting Resident Company! Experience the full breadth of ABT’s acclaimed artists in this mixed repertory program, featuring both classical and contemporary ballet. ABT performs the Chicago premiere of A Gathering of Ghosts, a brand-new work by celebrated choreographer Twyla Tharp created for Principal Dancer Herman Cornejo as he celebrates his 20^th anniversary with the company. The program opens with the breathtaking “Kingdom of the Shades” from the second act of Natalia Makarova’s landmark production of Marius Petipa’s La Bayadère, “one of the most famous and poetic expressions in all of classical ballet” (The Washington Post), and also features Antony Tudor’s one-act ballet Jardin aux Lilas, considered “a masterwork of contemporary ballet” (The New York Times).

Considered “the world’s greatest dance company” (The Independent), Russia’s premier ballet company makes a triumphant return to Chicago and to the historic Auditorium Theatre after 16 years. Yuri Grigorovich’s Swan Lake, set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic score (performed by the Chicago Philharmonic), incorporates choreography from masters Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, and Alexander Gorsky. Called “dazzling” and “immensely rewarding” (The Telegraph), Swan Lake highlights the “world’s greatest dancers” (BBC) and the “emotional, athletic, and theatrical style” (The Washington Post) that earned the company its international acclaim. Chicago is one of only two US cities to host the Bolshoi in 2020, and the exclusive presenter of Swan Lake.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, “one of the best known companies in the world” (The Associated Press) that “never fails to inspire and delight” (Chicago Tonight), returns to its Chicago home of more than 50 years as a Visiting Resident Company. Presenting premieres, new productions, timeless classics, and audience favorites, the “extraordinary Ailey dancers” (Chicago Tribune) are known for their incredible artistry and mastery of modern, ballet, hip-hop, and a variety of dance techniques. “If you haven’t seen a performance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in a while, you might forget just how accomplished the company’s dancers are. You know they can do anything, but the visible evidence can leave you reeling” (The New Yorker).

American Ballet Theatre (ABT) returns to Chicago as an Auditorium Theatre Visiting Resident Company! Experience the full breadth of ABT’s acclaimed artists in this mixed repertory program, featuring both classical and contemporary ballet. ABT performs the Chicago premiere of A Gathering of Ghosts, a brand-new work by celebrated choreographer Twyla Tharp created for Principal Dancer Herman Cornejo as he celebrates his 20^th anniversary with the company. The program opens with the breathtaking “Kingdom of the Shades” from the second act of Natalia Makarova’s landmark production of Marius Petipa’s La Bayadère, “one of the most famous and poetic expressions in all of classical ballet” (The Washington Post), and also features Antony Tudor’s one-act ballet Jardin aux Lilas, considered “a masterwork of contemporary ballet” (The New York Times).

Considered “the world’s greatest dance company” (The Independent), Russia’s premier ballet company makes a triumphant return to Chicago and to the historic Auditorium Theatre after 16 years. Yuri Grigorovich’s Swan Lake, set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic score (performed by the Chicago Philharmonic), incorporates choreography from masters Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, and Alexander Gorsky. Called “dazzling” and “immensely rewarding” (The Telegraph), Swan Lake highlights the “world’s greatest dancers” (BBC) and the “emotional, athletic, and theatrical style” (The Washington Post) that earned the company its international acclaim. Chicago is one of only two US cities to host the Bolshoi in 2020, and the exclusive presenter of Swan Lake.

From trekking India’s Himalayas in search of rare snow leopards and tracking the elusive jaguar through Latin American jungles to pursuing the American cougar throughout Hollywood Hills, award-winning National Geographic photographer Steve Winter has ventured far and wide to come face-to-face with his subjects. This is no easy task – many of these species are endangered. Follow Winter into the wild and unpredictable world of these creatures as he reveals some of his most memorable experiences from working with big cats and discusses the work that is being done to protect them.

Husband-and-wife duo Tim Laman and Cheryl Knott have dedicated their lives to understanding and protecting orangutans, a threatened species that can only be observed a handful of places around the world. Together, biological anthropologist Knott and photojournalist Laman have combined innovative new techniques with traditional fieldwork to get a closer look at these incredible animals. In this presentation, the pair provides a closer look into the work that they’ve done with this intelligent, resourceful, and endangered species with whom we share 97% of our DNA, giving us insights not only into the animals’ world, but also our own.

National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry has captured the soul of the sea for more than 20 years, spending more than 10,000 hours underwater (often in extreme conditions beneath Arctic ice or in predator-infested waters). Journey with him from the North Atlantic, where harp seals face off with commercial hunters, to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in search of the endangered Bluefin tuna, to research facilities around the world to study dolphin intelligence. The images Skerry captures offer a mesmerizing glimpse into the soul of the sea and remind us of the beauty of our oceans.

Celebrate Leap Day with Trinity Irish Dance Company (TIDC) as they fly across the Auditorium Theatre’s stage! Helmed by founder and artistic director Mark Howard and associate artistic director Chelsea Hoy, the company effortlessly “[stretches] the limits of what Irish dance can do aesthetically and rhythmically” (Chicago Tribune). The program features world premieres, including American Traffic, a new work by acclaimed tap dancer and choreographer Michelle Dorrance and Melinda Sullivan commissioned by the Auditorium Theatre.

Giordano Dance Chicago, the “powerful tour de force of Chicago’s dance community that consistently brings us to our feet” (Chicago Tribune) comes to the Auditorium Theatre for its fifth full-length performance, celebrating its 57th season with exhilarating new pieces and classic repertory favorites. Led by Artistic Director Nan Giordano, named the Chicago Tribune’s 2018 Chicagoan of the Year in Dance, the mesmerizing performers of America’s original jazz dance company always bring down the house with “eye-popping, high-impact, aerobically fearsome pieces” (Chicago Tonight).

Celebrate Leap Day with Trinity Irish Dance Company (TIDC) as they fly across the Auditorium Theatre’s stage! Helmed by founder and artistic director Mark Howard and associate artistic director Chelsea Hoy, the company effortlessly “[stretches] the limits of what Irish dance can do aesthetically and rhythmically” (Chicago Tribune). The program features world premieres, including American Traffic, a new work by acclaimed tap dancer and choreographer Michelle Dorrance and Melinda Sullivan commissioned by the Auditorium Theatre.

Giordano Dance Chicago, the “powerful tour de force of Chicago’s dance community that consistently brings us to our feet” (Chicago Tribune) comes to the Auditorium Theatre for its fifth full-length performance, celebrating its 57th season with exhilarating new pieces and classic repertory favorites. Led by Artistic Director Nan Giordano, named the Chicago Tribune’s 2018 Chicagoan of the Year in Dance, the mesmerizing performers of America’s original jazz dance company always bring down the house with “eye-popping, high-impact, aerobically fearsome pieces” (Chicago Tonight).