BareFace at the Athenaeum The Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture, Chicago

“BareFace” is an innovative and captivating Ballet that breaks away from traditional conventions. Choreographed by Rubio Slager, the focus is placed on dance as the primary means of storytelling, creating a cinematic experience with its pacing and physicality. The production employs sweeping stage pictures, gliding sets, and a futuristic setting called Glome, inspired by the myth of Cupid and Psyche. The narrative revolves around themes of love, jealousy, and a critique of the gods, particularly from a female perspective. The story encourages introspection into our own desires for love and challenges us to understand the true nature of our hearts. The ballet’s performers from Ballet 5:8 exhibit impressive athleticism, while the costumes by Lorianne Robertson, sets by Sarah L. Freeman and Graham Loutham, and projections by Sarah L. Freeman and Julianna Rubio Slager bring the story to life in a post-apocalyptic Grecian world.

Tickets $10-$70