The University of Illinois has lots of music, dance, and culture to offer the community during the final month of 2014. Here are a dozen events happening on campus this month for you to check out.
WHAT: The Great War Closing Event: “All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914”
WHEN: December 2nd at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Foellinger Great Hall, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Goodwin Ave.
ABOUT: On Christmas Eve 1914, amid the unthinkable ravages of World War I’s Western Front, soldiers from Allied and German forces laid down arms and stepped forth to gather fallen comrades, break bread, and share a moment of humanity by joining in song. In this 100th anniversary year, the nine-member, all-male, a capella powerhouse Cantus joins forces with a trio of actors from Theater Latté Da, the Minneapolis-based company that combines music and story to illuminate the breadth and depth of the human experience. Together, they call upon patriotic tunes, trench songs, holiday carols, and a narrative woven from letters and war documents to conjure a dramatic rendering of this extraordinary night of camaraderie, music, and peace. Gather in the Lobby immediately following the performance to take part in the closing reception for the Great War Fall Initiative.
—————————————————————————————————————————
WHAT: Lecture: “Balancing Acts: After 50 Years of Civil Rights Laws, Are We Still on the Right Path to Justice and Equality?” by Charles Ogletree
WHEN: December 3rd at 3 p.m.
WHERE: Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory St.
ABOUT: As one of the leading civil rights lawyers in the U.S., and founding Executive Director of Harvard’s Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, Professor Ogletree has been involved in many noteworthy legal issues both here and abroad. He has served as a public defender in the District of Columbia, represented Anita Hill and Henry Louis Gates, among others, actively supported the movement for reparations, and campaigned for the abolition of the death penalty. Ogletree taught President Obama and Michelle Obama, and is a long-time friend of outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder. The University of Illinois continues to grapple with such issues as declining enrollment of under-represented students, curriculum and faculty diversity, faculty governance, and freedom of speech. Professor Ogletree will share his reflections on the past 50 years of civil rights activity, and his thoughts about the road ahead in 2015 and beyond.
—————————————————————————————————————————
WHAT: Lecture: “Lorado Taft: The Sculptor’s Legacy” by Robert La France and Wayne Pitard
WHEN: December 4th at 4 p.m.
WHERE: Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory St.
ABOUT: Lorado Taft is known to University of Illinois students and alumni worldwide for creating the revered Alma Mater statue. Learn about his American art legacy in presentations from experts Robert La France, co-editor of the new book Lorado Taft: The Chicago Years, and Wayne Pitard, Director of the Spurlock Museum. Dr. La France will highlight Taft’s great American works and the sculptor’s dedication to teaching underserved students of the era, especially women and minorities. Director Pitard’s discussion will focus on “The Plaster Taft” and the sculptor’s goal to create a museum of the history of sculpture that would have gathered copies of masterpieces from across cultures and centuries into a single location.
—————————————————————————————————————————
WHAT: VOICE Reading Series: New Poetry and Fiction from Creative Writing Students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
WHEN: December 4th at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Krannert Art Museum Gelvin Noel Gallery
ABOUT: The VOICE reading series showcases readings by fiction writers and poets from the Creative Writing MFA program.
—————————————————————————————————————————
WHAT: Great War Film Series: Joyeux Noël (2005)
WHEN: December 4th at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Krannert Art Museum Auditorium, 500 E. Peabody, Champaign
ABOUT: On Christmas Eve during World War I, the Germans, French, and Scottish fraternize and get to know the men who live on the opposite side of a brutal war, in what became a true lesson of humanity.
—————————————————————————————————————————
WHAT: Sinfonia Da Camera: Mendelssohn and Messiah
WHEN: December 5th at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Foellinger Great Hall, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Goodwin Ave.
ABOUT: Sinfonia inaugurates the holiday season with a performance of Mendelssohn’s exuberant “Reformation” Symphony, which memorializes the Augsburg Confession. Nothing will be modest about Sinfonia’s performance of what has become the most popular oratorio of all time. The Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah, with the added flutes, clarinets, horns, and trombones of Mozart’s orchestration, combined with nearly 200 voices will create an enormous and majestic sound in the Foellinger Great Hall and make this performance one for the ages.
—————————————————————————————————————————
WHAT: Fans and Dance: Cultural Traditions around the World
WHEN: December 6th at 2 p.m.
WHERE: Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory St.
ABOUT: Hand-held fans are a very important accompaniment to many dances, and they often tell stories, celebrate traditions, express religious beliefs, and pass on histories. During this presentation by “fan fancier” Robin Goettel, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the geography and cultural use of fans, as we explore ethnic dances incorporating fans in their tradition. Beautiful dance videos will be shown, including Flamenco, Balinese, Korean, Eskimo, and many others. After the presentation, the audience can view fans from Ms. Goettel’s collection.
—————————————————————————————————————————
WHAT: Tango at KAM
WHEN: December 6th at 1 p.m.
WHERE: Krannert Art Museum Gelvin Noel Gallery
ABOUT: Enjoy an afternoon of Tango dancing with live music by Tangotta (featuring Armand Beaudoin, Dorothy Martirano, Chris Reyman, and George Turner). Experienced dancers and newcomers to Tango are welcome to celebrate this vibrant art form.
—————————————————————————————————————————
WHAT: Latin Jazz Band
WHEN: December 6th at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Krannert Center for the Performing Arts Studio Theatre
ABOUT: Led by Tito Carrillo, the Latin Jazz Band will perform standards and new tunes at this end-of-the-semester concert.
—————————————————————————————————————————
WHAT: European Movie Night: Les Poupées Russes (Russian Dolls) – France, 2005
WHEN: December 8th at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Lucy Ellis Lounge, 1080 Foreign Language Building
ABOUT: A French writer finds his life is once again being turned sideways by his footloose European friends in this sequel to the international hit L’Auberge Espagnole. Five years after we last saw him, Xavier (Romain Duris) has given up his aspirations of a career in international finance, but his new path as a writer isn’t going as well as he hoped; his novel about his experiences in Spain has yet to be published, and lately he’s been writing scripts for a French soap opera. He reunites with his friends in unexpected ways in London, Paris, and Moscow.
—————————————————————————————————————————
WHAT: Champaign-Urbana Symphony Holiday Concert
WHEN: December 11th at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Krannert Center for the Performing Arts Foellinger Great Hall
ABOUT: The holiday concert’s theme, Holiday Splendor, will invite listeners on a journey through traditional Christmas carols and classical favorites like Ave Maria and the Hallelujah Chorus.
—————————————————————————————————————————
WHAT: Lyric Theatre @ Illinois Concert: KAM Chamber Music Series
WHEN: December 13th at 2 p.m.
WHERE: Krannert Art Museum Gelvin Noel Gallery
ABOUT: This performance will feature faculty and students from Lyric Theatre @ Illinois, including Sarah Wigley Johnson and Michael Tilley.
—————————————————————————————————————————
We live near a major university and a community college. There are smart people that come here every week to talk to the general public about interesting topics. Here’s a sampling of the talks and events you can find in the not-so-ivy-covered buildings near you. These events are free and will fill your brain with yummy knowledge (and sometimes will fill your stomach with free eats).