Making a pointe
The Joffrey Ballet brings the heat with 10 performances at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Pkwy. This triple bill showcases three of the hottest contemporary ballet choreographers. Winter Fire performances are Wed.-Sunday, Feb. 15-26with evening shows at 7:30 p.m. and weekend matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25-$149; call 800-982-2787 or visit www.joffrey.org .
Internationally acclaimed Grigorovich Ballet comes all the way from Russia to dance the three-act ballet Spartacus ( Friday, Feb. 24 ) , as well as a Legends of Russian Ballet ( Saturday, Feb. 25 ) program at the Arie Crown Theater, 2301 S. Lake Shore Dr. Performances start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20-$250; call 800-745-3000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com .
Girl power
The Dance Center at Columbia College presents multiple show of works by female choreographers. San Francisco-based Margaret Jenkins Dance Company delves into a multimedia work inspired by light cycles in Light Moves Thursday-Sunday, Feb. 9-12, at 8 p.m. Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak continues to expand her three-year choreographic experiment with the new work, The Delicate Hour Thursday-Saturday, Feb 23-25, at 8 p.m. A triple bill explores dance and theatricality featuring The Space/Movement Project, Rachel Damon/Synapse Arts and Erica Mott Thursday, March 8-10, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $26-$30; call 312-369-8330 or visit www.colum.edu/dancecenter.
Dance Center alum, Atalee Judy's BONEdanse presents the '50s and '80s psychological mash-up This is a DAMAGE MANUAL at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 9-11, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 12, at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15-$24; call 773-975-8150 or visit www.bonedanse.com .
Collaborators Lauren Warnecke and Enid Smith pair again for a split bill Refill, revisiting works ( Grind and Pier ) they debuted in a combined show last August. The upcoming shows are Friday-Saturday, Feb. 10-11, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. at the Drucker Center, 1535 N. Dayton St. Tickets are $12; call 312-664-4631 x105 or visit www.menomoneeclub.org .
Love is in the air
Treat your sweetie to some dance for Valentine's Day. River North Dance Chicago takes the stage at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance at Millennium Park at 205 E. Randolph St., with two world premieres along with four audience favorites. Love is… runs Friday-Saturday, Feb. 10-11, at 3 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 12, at 3 p.m. Tickets are $30-$75; call 312-334-7777 or visit www.rivernorthchicago.com .
For another Valentine's Day option, head north to The Athenaeum Theatre in Lakeview ( 2936 N. Southport Ave. ) for Dance Chicago's Dances from the Heart. For this one-night-only show, 15 companies share the stage, including ballroom stars Tommye Giacchino and Gregory Day. The show will take place Tuesday, Feb. 14, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $17-$30; call 773-935-6860 or visit www.dancechicago.com .
Also at the Anthenaeum, the annual favorite Duets for My Valentine shows a slew of sizzling duets from across the dance spectrum. It's co-presented by Chicago Dance Crash and Bread & Roses Productions Saturday, Feb. 11, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20; call 773-935-6860 or visit www.duetsformyvalentinechicago.com .
Keep the fire burning with Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago's Passion & Fire mixed program featuring a world premiere by Autumn Eckman, also at the Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph St. Mar. 9-10. Tickets are $15-$60; call 312-334-7777 or visit www.giordanodance.org .
Happy anniversary!
Two companies are hitting milestones on the dance scene. Modern ensemble Same Planet Different World turns 15 and presents a mixed bill including two world premieres ( one by director Joanna Rosenthal ) at The Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Thursday-Saturday, March 8-10, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $24; call 773-871-3000 or visit www.spdwdance.org .
Thodos Dance Chicago celebrates its 20th anniversary with two performances at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St. The Winter Concert features last season's hit story ballet The White City: Chicago's Columbian Exposition of 1893 along with past works. It runs Friday-Saturday, March 2-3. Tickets are $25-$60; call 312-334-7777 or visit www.thodosdancechicago.org .
If you're up for a road trip, Thodos Dance Chicago is also performing a shared program with Luna Negra Dance Theater in Skokie. Besides multiple pieces from each company's repertories, the directors switch sides to set a work on the other company's dancers. Feb 11 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Tickets are $36-$46; call 847-673-6300 or visit www.northshorecenter.org .
Creative collaborations
Celebrate Mardi Gras early with some New Orleans jazz music and contemporary dance. The Trey McIntyre Project comes to town for one night, performing with The Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave. Friday, Feb. 17, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $22-$73; call 312-294-3000 or visit www.cso.org .
Artistic collaborations are nothing new to local troupe Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. At the Echo Effect Event, watch these world-class dancers amid the artwork in Griffin court of the Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave. The free event runs Thursday, Feb. 9, at 6 p.m.
On the screen
Documentaries on dance are all the rage. Chicagoan Bob Hercules directs a much-anticipated film on the history of the Joffrey Ballet. Joffrey Mavericks of Dance traces the small company's beginnings all the way to its current home in Chicago. The premiere is at the Gene Siskel Film Center on Saturday, Feb. 18, and Wed., Feb. 22, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $11. For more information visit www.joffreymovie.com or www.siskelfilmcenter.org .
If you haven't already seen it, Pinaa 3-D film on German choreographer Pina Bauschis a must. It's playing through Wed., Feb. 29. Visit AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois St;, AMC Northbrook Court 14, 1525 Lake Cook Rd., Northbrook; and Century 12 Evanston, 1715 Maple Ave., Evanston.
Emmy-Award winner Chris Olsen follows the making of Thodos Dance Chicago's 2011 dance hit The White City. Olsen's projections provided background for the dance and his half-hour documentary on the creative processBeneath the White City Lights: The Making of an American Story Balletpremieres on WTTW-11 Thursday, Feb. 23, at 10:30 p.m.
Vicki Crain also writes a Chicago-based dance blog at www.rogueballerina.com . Send dance-related news to Vic@VickiCrain.com and Andrew@WindyCityMediaGroup.com .