UPTOWN — The Pivot Arts Festival plans to demonstrate in its second year how art and science — strange bedfellows to some — can form a captivating and innovative alliance.
The non-profit organization behind the dance, music and theater festival was founded in September 2012 with a mission to build an artistic nexus among Uptown, Andersonville and Edgewater.
The festival, scheduled from May 28-June 14, departs from its 2013 focus on re-igniting the area's vaudevillian roots. This year, it adopts the theme "Art Meets Science," said Pivot Arts Director Julienne Ehre.
Most folks don't show up at a Pivot Arts event expecting to see many acts they're familiar with, Ehre said.
"We're really about supporting work that might be something you don't have the opportunity to see in a traditional theater," she said.
That includes an event on June 7 and 8 called "Laws of Motion," featuring a chaos theory-inspired dance set by Ayako Kato, paired with a performance from dance troupe the Seldoms that explores climate change through dance. The performances will be held at Loyola University's Mundelein Center for the Fine and Performing Arts, 1020 W. Sheridan Road.
On May 31, a dance party at Uptown's FLATS studio, 1050 W. Wilson Ave., will explore the acoustics of house music with a couple DJ sets, a house-inspired dance set by Honey Pot Performance and a show by queer performance art group and band Baathhaus.
From May 30-June 1, the festival bill includes performance art pieces, storytelling and discussions about "the ecology of food" at Uptown youth development agency Alternatives Inc., 4730 N. Sheridan Road.
Pivot Arts starts May 28 with "The Big Bang," a kickoff celebration scheduled at Francesca's Restaurant, 1039 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. The bash will include "a special drink in beakers" and a silent auction to help raise money for the festival, according to the event description.
To see a full schedule of Pivot Arts events and buy tickets to the festival, click here.
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