“Accompanied by Stravinsky’s sparsely appointed “Dumbarton Oaks,” Martinez tries to excavate the guts of this multi-layered score which was, unlike the other Stravinsky, not originally intended for dancing. Martinez pulls, as per usual, from a grab bag of styles including ballet, jazz and even hip-hop, with some goofier moments giving the sense of a band of bumbling boys bro-ing out on a bright summer day. Not to be forgotten, the cast’s two women hold their own with a cute and sassy duet and extraordinary partnering as the group of men tangle them up and over themselves.”
“Furthermore, it is significant that Martinez was the choice for this world premiere, not just for joining a very small list of women who’ve made work for the Joffrey. The list of local choreographers is smaller still: By my count, she’s one of three in the last decade…”
“Utterly deserving of the finale, Dos Lados embraces the spectacular mood of the Spanish guitar and brings us the full power of this extraordinary 13-dancer ensemble. Creating literal toe-curling intensity coupled with a coy connection with the audience, this performance was a stunning showcase of sheer talent…”
“The performance emanated playful eroticism... What resulted, however, was less a battle of the sexes and more a harmonious coexisting, with the dancers coming together to play off of each other.”
“Stephanie Martinez’s “In Close Proximity” matched classical and street aesthetics, contrasting loose, shrugged shoulders with stylized gestures in individualized break-out solos and duets that were both intense and gentle.”
“...featuring the dancers often in pairs and the introduction of one hat, was subdued and lovely”
“Unsex Me Here” finished with a flourish courtesy of several carefully crafted and technically dazzling pas de deuxs between the various male-female character pairings that each ended with a voiceover line by the female protagonist; those ending pas de deuxs lifting the ballet’s energy and interest, giving rise to an enthusiastic standing ovation”
“Clocking in at an expansive 44+ minutes, Unsex Me Here was richly enjoyable and never struck me as an academic or PC rehab of these familiar men and women.”
“Stephanie Martinez’s Bliss! — an ebullient ballet by a rising Chicago dance maker — was notable for its adventurous partnering, particularly the daredevil lifts and flights of spangle-skirted women, replete with cartwheels and flips that seemed to owe as much to gymnastics as to ballet.”
“The women strut their stuff in bright, sequined tutus, shifting the balance of power.”
“...Bliss! ebbs and flows with a slightly different energy. One that keeps the door open to surprise and uses dramatic throws and other devices to show how strength can be grafted onto grace to produce something thrilling.”
“Next we have Stephanie Martinez’s Bliss! to another Stravinsky piece. The six bare-chested men and two women weave and combine and recombine in a complex geometry set off by a movement vocabulary that utilizes rippling spines and fast footwork. There is a sense of play and drama, and an appealing use of isolations that is completely balletic.”
“The well-named Bliss! features six male dancers... Ever undulating and repositioning, the non-linear three-section work earns every mood that its movements (musical and physical) make.”
“And in “Bliss!” Chicago choreographer Stephanie Martinez more than holds her own with the big-name dance creators on the program.”
“In tackling Stravinsky’s “Dumbarton Oaks Concerto,” Martinez takes on a very difficult score... She clearly took a deep dive with the music, pulling it apart and putting it back together again, adding the feel of flirtatious frat boys to a demanding dance with tons of ballet technique.”
“Stephanie Martinez’ “Taking Watch,” took a bolder approach, opening with a line of dancers seated, watching another. Judges? A wall? The tension was palpable until she broke through, scattering the dancers, whose varying energies somehow added up to a single, exciting image. The breaking out and reincorporating of the dancers into the whole made for a strong showcase for individuals as well as a reminder of how well the DK tribe works together.”
– IBJ