The Auditorium Theatre’s fall lineup is a standout in the dance scene, largely shaped by Marisa Santiago. As the producing director of artistic programming for this 135-year-old venue near the Loop’s southern edge, Santiago’s role is pivotal in bringing notable performances to the stage.
This season, the return of the Dance Theatre of Harlem highlights the schedule. The nearly 60-year-old historically Black ballet company performs in Chicago for the first time in a decade, scheduled for a single night in October. Following them, Ballets Jazz Montréal will make its Chicago debut in November with ‘Dance Me,’ a performance celebrating Leonard Cohen’s music, set to retire after this tour.
Last year, the Auditorium’s programming received attention for hosting the Martha Graham Dance Company during its centennial, along with the return of Parsons Dance Company and a project from New York City prima ballerina Tiler Peck titled ‘Tiler Peck and Friends.’ There’s also a notable, longstanding partnership with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, which has been a cornerstone of the Auditorium’s programming for over fifty years.
This season’s theme celebrates North American dance, featuring Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballets Jazz, and Alvin Ailey, plus the return of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo and Ballet Folklorico de Mexico in the spring. Santiago makes decisions aligned with both the audience’s expectations and the historic nature of the venue. ‘It feels like the aesthetic of the Auditorium,’ says Santiago.
Program decisions reflect an understanding of the dance audience: smaller, with expensive presentations, where breaking even is an achievement. The competition from Joffrey Ballet complicates this, as their quality and strategic program expansion at the Lyric Opera House challenge the Auditorium’s ballet offerings. The Joffrey, previously based in New York, had a prolonged presence at the Auditorium before eventually relocating to Chicago in 1995. Touring productions and notable ballet performances from American Ballet Theatre occurred here. However, the Joffrey shifted fully back to the Lyric in 2021, after a delay due to the pandemic, leaving a significant gap for the Auditorium team to manage.
Santiago, with experience from Hubbard Street 2 and other significant dance affiliations, has navigated these changes since joining in January 2019, around the same time CEO Rich Regan joined. Efforts have been focused on filling financial gaps, increasing concert offerings, adding more appealing shows, and reaching diverse audiences.
Even with challenges, abandoning dance has never been an option for Santiago, who insists, ‘Dance belongs here.’ Strategic choices include implementing a ‘curtain cap’ system to create a smaller, more intimate audience setting by closing off upper balconies. This approach enhances audience experience and facilitates more opportunities for sellouts, motivating audiences to purchase lower-level tickets.
Initiatives like Dance Partners, a group of dance supporters, have helped seal performances like ‘Dance Me’ in Chicago. They traveled with Santiago for a studio visit, reinforcing that this show was essential for Chicago. Santiago shifts away from former efforts concentrating on Chicago-only companies, adopting a balanced strategy for incorporating city talent with outside excellence.
A notable outcome of Santiago’s work is the agreement with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater to make the Auditorium its home for annual performances, garnering attention comparable to Ailey. ‘They’re doing it here,’ Santiago says, affirming their establishment in the Auditorium’s roots. This reflects Santiago’s balanced approach, ensuring artistic distinction while catering to audience preferences.
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