By Judy Carmack Bross
When Nicole Clarke-Springer’s Deeply Rooted dancers perform “Flack” November 16 on the Auditorium Theatre stage, the
choreographer and Artistic Director will be remembering how she danced the same steps there in 1996 while the Billboard chart-
topping Roberta Flack sang behind her. “You don’t forget the steps, you don’t forget how you felt, you don’t forget what her voice sounded like,” Clarke-Springer said. “A very nice memory as Deeply Rooted grows and expands as we launch our 30th year
that night.”
Nicole Clarke-Springer.
“Flack,” choreographed by Co-Founder Kevin Iega Jeff, is one of five dances to be performed for one night only, all rooted in traditions of American and African-American dance and storytelling. The program features a world premiere by Clarke- Springer and a company premiere by Ulysses Dove, a work-in-progress by Jeffrey Page, as well as “Flack” and another classic, “Desire,” choreographed by Co-Founder Gary Abbott, from their repertoire. Deeply Rooted collaborates with nationally renowned
choreographers, across the spectrum of dance to reflect contemporary voices for audiences around the world.
Kevin Iega Jeff
Gary Abbott
“We rely very much on storytelling and find that the audiences find themselves invested in the company due to the stories we tell
through dance and music,” Clarke-Springer said. “The telling of a story can inspire the audience to be what they aspire to be. As the
dance reveals itself, you can discover more about yourself.”
Set to the gospel music by Mahalia Jackson, Bobby McFerrin, and the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Clarke-Springer’s “Sacred Spaces” is dedicated to her daughters and mother.
Clarke-Springer, who grew up in Joliet, said that her mother believes she began dancing “while still in the womb.” Her father was a musician, her mother was a singer, and her aunt, who was a professional dancer, was her first dance teacher. She went on to major in arts administration and dance at Butler University and moved to New York to start her professional dance career. Everything changed when she went to an audition and met Deeply Rooted’s Kevin Iega Jeff, its co-founder and artistic director, and
co-founder and associate artistic director Gary Abbott.
Clarke-Springer says that the philosophy “slow and steady wins the race” is the path to the positive in creating an enduring company. “Patience is key as we encourage the company to grow. We currently have 16 dancers, 14 company members and two
apprentices,” she said.
Dancer Sage Sarai
The program features three other emblematic dances in addition to Clarke-Springer’s “Sacred Spaces” and Jeff’s “Flack.”
“Urban Folk Dance” by Ulysses Dove, a company premiere, depicts two couples living side-by-side who search for connection as they engage in ferocious power struggles. Characterized by a seamless blend of expressive theatricality and heart-stopping athleticism, Dove’s choreography, set to music by Michael Torke, captures the raw complexity of modern relationships.
“Desire” from 1994, choreographed by Co-Founder Abbott, to music by Hans Zimmer, Geoff McCormack, and Simon Goldberg,
explores three types of attraction: love at first sight, love of physical beauty, and young love. When the company dances together, it depicts the primal urge of attraction.
Emmy-nominated director and choreographer Jeffrey Page.
“Lifted” is a work-in-progress created by Emmy-nominated director and choreographer Jeffrey Page, working with Deeply Rooted for the first time.
“When I saw this amazing story-driven dance it was like a thunderbolt,” Clarke-Springer said. “I told Jeffrey I couldn’t wait to give him a space to develop it further. In a way, ‘Lifted’ is like our company. We are 29—and it is hard to remember being 29—but you are becoming more of an adult at age 30. It’s a new chapter, this adulthood for our company, part of our journey to bliss.”
Dancer Mekeba Malik.
Clarke-Springer has been artistic director for five years after spending most of her career with the company, leading them
through the pandemic with growth and vision. With Executive Director Makeda Crayton, she is deeply leading the company into
the future.
How wonderful to share moments from her performance with Roberta Flack in the link below. She is the dancer in lavender.
Courtesy of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, 1999, Auditorium Theatre.
For information, visit deeplyrooteddancetheater.org.
