In 2017, Chicago got a taste of Danielle Agami’s choreography when Nick Pupillo, artistic director of Visceral Dance Chicago, commissioned Pick a Chair in 2017 to music by composer and Wilco percussionist Glenn Kotche. This Friday, November 16, Agami returns with her own company, Ate9, to present Calling Glenn, her first collaboration with Kotche, on a shared bill with Visceral and Chicago stalwart Deeply Rooted Dance Theater as part of the Auditorium Theatre’s “Made in Chicago” 312 series.
Born in Israel, Agami, a former dancer and rehearsal director with Batsheva Dance Company, founded Ate9 in 2012 in Seattle. The company rapidly made waves with Agami’s interpretation of Ohad Naharin’s movement language, Gaga. Agami began working with Kotche long-distance when a donor, Catharine Soros, suggested the two collaborate. Kotche plays his compositions live in Calling Glenn.
“We wanted to showcase the great dance that Chicago has to offer, in addition to the amazing international dance companies that we bring to town,” explains the Auditorium’s chief programming officer, C.J. Dillon, noting that other companies the theater will feature in the “Made in Chicago” series include Milwaukee- and Chicago-based Trinity Irish Dance Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Cuba’s Malpaso Dance Company. “These companies embody the diversity of the dance landscape in Chicago. Each of the companies is of the highest caliber of dance and innovation. The artistic vision of these amazing companies is how they achieve their success.” v