November 29, 2010 | Arts

Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak to Perform at Northwestern

Contemporary dance company to premiere newest work Dec. 2 to 5

By Judy Moore

Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak, critically acclaimed contemporary dance company based in Chicago, will unveil a new work titled “Sharks Before Drowning” from Dec. 2 through 5 at the Ballroom Theater of Northwestern University’s Marjorie Ward Marshall Dance Center. Tickets range from $10 to $20.

EVANSTON, Ill. --- A new ensemble work by choreographer and artistic director Molly Shanahan will be premiered at Northwestern University in early December.

Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak -- the critically acclaimed Chicago-based contemporary dance company -- will perform “Sharks Before Drowning” from Thursday, Dec. 2 through Sunday, Dec. 5. All four 8 p.m. performances are open to the public and will be held at the Ballroom Theatre in the Marjorie Ward Marshall Dance Center, 10 Arts Circle Drive, on the University’s Evanston campus. The program is presented by the School of Communication’s dance program.

“Sharks Before Drowning” explores themes of ferocity and fragility, hunger and survival and the tension between the drive to succeed and the need to adapt to a shifting environment. Directed by Shanahan, the new dance will feature current ensemble members Kristina Fluty, Benjamin Law, Jessie Marasa and Shanahan.

The ensemble piece is the latest installment of the dance company’s multi-year project, “Stamina of Curiosity,” an undertaking that includes solo and ensemble movement research and multiple performance iterations. “Stamina of Curiosity” is a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation Fund project co-commissioned by Alverno Presents, Denison University and NPN. To view an excerpt from “Stamina of Curiosity” visit www.vimeo.com/14684593.

A native of Canada, Shanahan has been creating dances in Chicago since 1994 when she formed Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak. Her dances have been performed in Chicago and throughout North America.

Shanahan -- who recently received The Helen Coburn Meier and Tim Meier Arts Achievement Award -- received an Illinois Arts Council Artist Fellowship Award in choreography in 2008. A lecturer in the Northwestern University School of Communication’s dance program, she also teaches at the Lou Conte Dance Studio and conducts workshops and teaching residencies in Chicago and nationally.

General seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis. Tickets for “Sharks Before Drowning” are $20 for the general public; $15 for Northwestern faculty and staff; and $10 for students with IDs and seniors 65 and older. For tickets, photos and more information, visit www.madshak.com/events.