Harris Theater in Chicago Names Brian Brooks as Its Choreographer

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Brian Brooks and Wendy Whelan at Jacob’s Pillow in 2013.Credit Nancy Palmieri for The New York Times

It is not unusual for dance companies to appoint choreographers in residence. But the program announced Wednesday by the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago is a bit different: The theater named Brian Brooks its first choreographer in residence, and will spend $600,000 over three years to allow him to create works for several different dance companies.

Half of the money will be used to pay Mr. Brooks $100,000 a year, while the other half will be used to help dance companies produce and mount his works — which will all either receive their premieres at the Harris, or be presented at the Harris after originating elsewhere.

The first fruits of the residency will be seen next season when Mr. Brooks creates a new work for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, a resident company at the Harris. The following season, he plans to create one new work for Miami City Ballet and another for his own company, Brian Brooks Moving Company. Works for other companies will be announced later.

The Harris, a 1,525-seat theater that opened in 2003 in Millennium Park, is used by many of Chicago’s midsize music and dance companies, and has increasingly been a destination for touring performers from around the world. Michael Tiknis, its president and managing director, said that the residency was designed to help an emerging choreographer develop his voice, and to help the Harris, which he called “the newest kid on the block trying to have a voice in the dance world,” extend its reach beyond Chicago.

Mr. Brooks, 41, who received a 2013 Guggenheim fellowship, formed his dance company, which is based in New York, in 2002. This summer, he will team up again with Wendy Whelan, rekindling their collaboration from “Restless Creature” in 2013, at Jacob’s Pillow for new dances set to the music of Brooklyn Rider.

The residency is being supported by the Jay Franke and David Herro Choreographer in Residence Fund. Mr. Franke, a trustee at the theater, was a dancer who appeared with the companies of Twyla Tharp and Lar Lubovitch and Hubbard Street Dance Company, and who helped found and lead Chicago Dancing Festival with Mr. Lubovitch.