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Dance for Life 2021: Celebrating 30 Years

August 3, 2021 by 4dancers

Stephanie Martinez’s kiss., with dancers Chris Bloom and Gabrielle Sprauve,
photo by PC Michelle Reid Photography

August is a special time in the Chicago dance community–because that is when Dance for Life takes place. This annual event is celebrating its 30th year in 2021, and now more than ever we’ll gather in true appreciation for the sense of community we have grown here over the three decades this performance has been running.

For those who don’t know what Dance for Life is, it’s a performance/benefit that takes place each year. Funds raised will benefit Chicago Dancers United, an organization that administers The Dancers’ Fund; premium bowl seating is available with a $300 minimum donation. The fund provides short-term financial assistance to Chicago dance professionals that have health and wellness needs. This year free seating will also be available in both the bowl and the lawn area.

Each year various dance artists/companies/groups are selected to perform at this event. Performers this year include: DanceWorks Chicago, Giordano Dance Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Joffrey Ballet, Movement Revolution Dance Crew, South Chicago Dance Theatre, Trinity Irish Dance Company, Visceral Dance Chicago, and a finale choreographed by Randy Duncan. The program also includes a film by Winifred Haun & Dancers.

Stephanie Martinez’s PARA.MAR has also been chosen to perform this year. We caught up with Stephanie to learn more about her choreography for the evening’s show, as well as her long-standing involvement with Chicago’s dance community.


Can you briefly share the basic history of PARA.MAR Dance Theatre?

While my vision for creating a platform that empowers and elevates diverse artistic voices in contemporary ballet had been growing in me since the moment I first stepped into a studio, the timing of PARA.MAR‘s inception was activated by the pandemic. I saw incredible artists without work, displaced, and some even leaving the field. I felt compelled to create art and employment at a time of such scarcity and deep insecurity. 

Would you also talk about how you became involved with this year’s Dance for Life program, and your ties to the Chicago dance community?

From training with Giordano and Lou Conte to becoming a founding member of River North, I’ve spent my life in this community. I’m pretty sure I was in the first Dance for Life! I’m humbled and honored that PARA.MAR was accepted into this year’s line-up alongside some of Chicago’s best. It’s really motivating to have such encouragement and to feel like we belong here. There truly couldn’t be a better way for P/M to round out our first year in existence than performing in such an iconic evening of Chicago dance. 

Stephanie Martinez, photo by Cheryl Mann

Your piece, kiss., explores intimacy. How would you describe it to someone who hasn’t seen it?

The piece was created while we were still coming to grips with quarantine, and was heavily influenced by it. There was more time in isolation and time for reflection that anyone could have been prepared for. 

The piece is an exploration of the human need for connection as we were grappling with what it meant and felt like to be without it.

You’ll see the characters go through the universal feelings of loneliness, loss, and love. Hopefully, watching the piece makes you realize that in any experience, you aren’t really alone. 

You chose the music of Johann Sebastian Bach to choreograph this to – what drew you to it?

Bach, Mozart, and Schubert were perfect companions to the new, more abstract compositions that are featured in the work – three of which were created by the excellent Chicago-based/NY-born composer Darryl J. Hoffman and one by our multifaceted rehearsal director and creative force, Noelle Kayser. Throughout the creation process, we explored the difference between our private and public self. Bach, Mozart, and Schubert are so delicious…luxurious and grand. They were the perfect soundtrack for who we outwardly project ourselves to be and provide an interesting contrast to the more isolated and intimate realities we may feel inside.

Can you shed a little light on your choreographic process for this?

It remains astounding to me that the entire first half of the process took place over Zoom. The way it went is that the dancers were taught various phrases that I created. Then the dancers used the phrases and a series of physical and emotional prompts to manipulate the material. When we were finally able to be in the studio together, I placed and expanded upon the puzzle pieces that were created over Zoom to support the narrative of the piece.

Dance for Life has always been a time of coming together for the Chicago dance community. What does it mean to you personally?

Dance for Life is always an evening of celebration and community. The support you feel in the wings extends well beyond the once a year performance. Over the years, I’ve seen Chicago Dancers United assist my friends and colleagues in times of crisis and feel lucky and grateful to have resources like these available to the dance community in our city.


Dance for Life takes place Thursday, August 26th at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago. The gates will open at 5:00 p.m. and the performance runs from 6:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Premium seating benefiting Chicago Dancers United is available here for a donation of $300 or more. Please note that this year there will also be free seating available in both the bowl and the lawn area.

Filed Under: 4dancers Tagged With: Chicago Dancers United, dance for life, dance for life 2021, dance for life chicago, Dance Works Chicago, giordono dance chicago, hubbard street dance chicago, Movement Revloultion Dance Crew, PARA.MAR, randy duncan, South Chicago Dance Theatre, Stephanie Martinez, the joffrey ballet, Trinity Irish Dance Company, Visceral Dance Chicago, Winifred Haun & Dancers

Creating Dance in 2020: Hanna Brictson and Dance for Life

August 13, 2020 by 4dancers

Hanna Brictson, Photo by Nicolette Nunez

Dance for Life is a yearly fundraising event held in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre, but this year the gathering of dance professionals and supporters will take place in a virtual format. Choreographer Hanna Brictson was asked to choreograph a world premiere – a challenge under usual circumstances – made more difficult by COVID-19. We sent Hanna some questions about how she crafted this new work, and her answers were educational–but perhaps even more importantly–hopeful.

What was the path that led to you being asked to make a dance for Dance for Life 2020: United as One?
My path to creating the new piece for DFL 2020 happened in the heat of the pandemic. DFL contacted me and noted that they loved the piece I had submitted in early February, “Natural Women.” This was back when it would have been in the show. Having seen my works over the last few years, they asked if I could create a brand new piece to represent the current situation. It wasn’t clear at this point when or how we could do such a thing during a quarantine. Then the wheels started turning and the plan to create virtually and do a film was born.

Can you talk just for a moment about your background in Chicago dance and how this affected your approach regarding the World Premiere you have choreographed for the event? 
My background in Chicago starts from the beginning. I grew up in the suburbs and by the age of 15 was training very closely with River North Dance Chicago. At 18, after graduating high school, I joined River North as a company member, and that’s where I danced for 12 years, eventually choreographing on the company and being an assistant rehearsal director. During those years, I was brought into the DFL family, performing several years with RNDC at the performance each year—a definite highlight in my early career.  Following RNDC, I joined Visceral Dance Chicago. I was able to perform again in DFL with a different company. Two seasons later I submitted my own choreographic work to be in the show. Prompted by mentors and pushed to show what I could do choreographically, I did it. It was picked for 2018. It’s been a journey! To be on both sides of the Auditorium stage as both a dancer and choreographer is beyond emotional for me. That young passionate 12-year-old never would have guessed that, at 34 years old, I would have accomplished these things. It still is quite surreal, and I am extremely grateful and honored to create and have people actually enjoy it! DFL has given me such wonderful opportunities. 

“My Darling” – Choreographed by Hanna Brictson for Dance for Life 2018.
Photo by Todd Rosenburg.

Dance for Life has always been about community. Can you speak to the challenge of trying to bring that feeling into this year’s virtual event?
 The community aspect was a challenge for this creation!  We never were able to rehearse in person. We had only communication through emails, YouTube videos, and a few Zoom calls. I actually did note sessions talking to my camera and uploading it online to send! Completely different than the normal. Many dancers in Chicago had traveled home, taken breaks, and so much more during their own journey through a quarantine and worldwide pandemic. When I first started reaching out to people, it seemed like this was exactly what people needed in their life. Dancers are hungry to feel and share. These dancers are the most generous and humble humans. They really came together in a rough time for us all. Community is a tie that we will always have together. Sometimes it may seem thinner, but Chicago’s dance ties are a bond that will continue to stay strong and collected. We felt distanced at first but quickly realized we actually were capable of anything. That day, that ONE and ONLY day we came all together to film, we felt so strongly about our Chicago Dance Community, and so happy to finally be together!

What did you learn from this unusual approach to creating a work under these circumstances?
I learned through this process that a lot is possible going forward in this new world approaching us. I can still create under intense circumstances. It’s actually a very optimistic view for me to look forward to. We have a great community of dancers that are eager to create and share with the world. We need to keep dancing and creating as much as we can right now.  


Those who are interested in participating in Dance for Life 2020: United as One can find information at Chicago Dancers United. It begins Saturday evening at 6:30 pm, CST.

Filed Under: 4dancers Tagged With: Chicago Dancers United, covid-19, dance for life, Dance for Life 2020, Hanna Brictson, Todd Rosenburg

Dance For Life Chicago 2017

August 16, 2017 by 4dancers

On August 19th, Dance for Life Chicago will once again take place at the Auditorium Theatre, and anyone who has attended in the past knows that this performance isn’t one to be missed. The atmosphere is always highly charged, as an enthusiastic audience comes together to support the dance community in our city. It’s a night like none other in terms of the variety of Chicago dance talent gathered together on stage.

Each year the performance is preceded by a Gala Celebration at Hilton Chicago, located nearby at 720 South Michigan Avenue. The show itself begins at 7:30, featuring performances from Giordano Dance Chicago, Joffrey Ballet, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, as well as Visceral Dance Chicago and Jessica Miller Tomlinson Choreography. Add to that a collaboration between Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater, and Trinity Irish Dance, and you have a full evening of dance – topped off by a finale choreographed by Randy Duncan. Carisa Barreca and Kevin Sciretta of The Second City will be the emcees for the night, adding a lighthearted touch to the festivities.

As if such a gathering of Chicago dance companies isn’t enough in and of itself, the proceeds from Dance for Life Chicago 2017’s benefit performance will be contributed to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and Chicago Dancers United’s Dancers’ Fund, which provides financial support to dance professionals experiencing critical health and life issues. This yearly event has raised more than 5.5 million dollars since it began in 1992.

Visit Chicago Dancers United to learn more about the performance, the Dancers’ Fund, or to get tickets for this special event.


4dancers is a media sponsor for this event. We have supported Dance for Life for many years, and are proud to stand behind this cause and do our part to give back to the Chicago dance community.

Filed Under: 4dancers Tagged With: aids foundation of chicago, chicago dance, Chicago Dancers United, chicago human rhythm dance project, dance for life, Dane for Life Chicago, Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater, Giordano Dance Chicago, hubbard street dance chicago, Jessica Miller Tomlinson Choreography, joffrey ballet, randy duncan, Trinity Irish Dance, Visceral Dance Chicago

Making The Most Of Chance: Choreographer Greg Blackmon

November 6, 2014 by Rachel Hellwig

 

Greg Blackmon. Photograph by by Cheryl Mann.
Greg Blackmon. Photograph by by Cheryl Mann.

Greg Blackmon is a new choreographer and DanceWorks Chicago alum. DanceWorks Chicago was founded in 2007 and gives early career artists an environment where they can build a foundation and hone their artistry through training, collaboration, performances and mentoring opportunities. They also showcase work from established choreographers.

Greg recently choreographed “PACK: And for All the Lost Ones” for DanceChance, a showcase which features choreographers chosen by chance. Afterwards, his piece was taken into the DWC repertoire – marking the first time that DWC dancer has become a DWC choreographer.

“PACK: And for All the Lost Ones” will make its premiere with DWC on Sunday, November 16 at DanceMoves.

 

What inspired your piece “Pack: And for All the Lost Ones”?

The piece is actually about a friend of mine and former DWC dancer, Marco Antonio Huicochea Gonzalez, who passed away during his time with us. It was a really rough loss for all of us, and after a few months of reflection I decided I would like to honor him through the art form we got to share with one another. So I dropped my name into the fishbowl at Dance Chance and wound up getting selected, which allowed this idea to come to fruition.

 

What music did you chose for this piece?

I chose a song by an Icelandic band called Sigúr Ros, “All Alright.” I’d heard it when a friend of mine used it years before for a piece of his own and I’ve always been in love with the juxtaposition of the music’s reflective, emotional tone and its instrumental minimalism.

 

What style is “Pack: And for All the Lost Ones”?

I would consider the piece to be contemporary. I’ve implemented some ballet principles, but re-imagined and reconfigured them to fit more organic movement.

 

What is your choreographic process like?

Since I’m just starting out, I think I’ll say my process from piece to piece will be different every time. I like to believe every task– not just in dance, but in life in general– has a formula specific to itself that will breed the most success in terms of what your goals are. This piece started with me taking a lot of note from the emotional displays of animals, mainly dogs/wolves, and fusing that honesty and the body language with styles of contemporary movement that I love.

 

When did you find out that “Pack: And for All the Lost Ones” was going to be added to the DWC rep?

A few weeks after Julie saw the piece at Dance Chance, she asked if Matt (the other original dancer and a current DWC company member) and I would like to perform “Pack…” at the Dance for Life kickoff gala this summer, which was exciting in itself because so many people that I admire in the dance world got to see it. And then about 3 or 4 weeks after that, Julie asked if we could meet to discuss how it would work its way into the DWC repertoire.

 

How did you feel when found this out?

I was absolutely ecstatic! This was my first creation as a professional choreographer, and I didn’t even aspire for it to be anything more than what it was– a short, sweet dedication to a very dear friend and to the family that I’ve found in DanceWorks Chicago, as well as a sort of memorial for everyone who’s ever been lost from this world (because everyone means something to someone. And everyone is loved very dearly by someone.). And it’s grown into something that a ton of other people will get to see and hold dear to their hearts because of one idea that I had.

 

What did you learn during your time at DanceWorks Chicago and how has it helped you?

I could write a book on everything that I’ve learned here. One of the most important things is that you really are a person first and THEN an artist. I think a lot of dancers can get really caught up in the idea of this art form we dedicate our lives to and all of the prestige surrounding the mental and physical dedication it takes, and we forget that we have to be people inside of the movement. Otherwise, you’re just someone else who can throw a leg up or point your foot and pretend to say something, or imply an idea, but never really say anything…never really give it meaning.

I’ve also learned to be more patient and a bit less of a perfectionist. I’ll never forget Julie Nakagawa pulling me aside one day while we were on your and telling me “Just do the work. Don’t fuss or obsess about the mistakes. Just… do… the work. That’s really all anyone can ask of you. But you have to really do it.”

 

Greg Blackmon. Photograph by by Vin Reed.
Greg Blackmon. Photograph by by Vin Reed.

What are some of your dance goals and dreams for the future?

I think my biggest dream for the future is to continue exploring movement and manifesting both my own ideas and the ideas of others through dance. It’s so much fun translating something as abstract as a simple thought into something as tangible as dance. And I love knowing that the things I can put on a stage will touch each audience member in a way that’s unique to them and their experience, because that’s what art does. It stirs people in a multitude of ways and the beauty of it lies in the undeniable sincerity of their response.

Filed Under: Dancer Spotlight, Making Dances Tagged With: choreographer, choreography, Dance Chance, dance for life, danceworks chicago, Greg Blackmon, Greg Blackmon choreography, Julie Nakagawa, making dances, Pack: And for All the Lost Ones

Dance For Life Chicago 2012

August 13, 2012 by 4dancers

by Catherine L. Tully

On August 18th the Chicago dance community will come together at the Auditorium Theatre to support one another and raise money for HIV/AIDS AIDS care, education, and prevention–and for The Dancers’ Fund.

Dance For Life Chicago is a dance performance that first came to the stage at Chicago’s Organic Theater. Since its founding in 1992 it has sold out every single year. To date, close to $4 million dollars has been raised for the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The organization has partnered with some of Chicago’s best companies, including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Joffrey Ballet, River North Dance Chicago and Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago. Those who attend the performance are in for a lovely evening of dance at one of the best venues in the city. In addition, this year’s show will feature two World Premiere performances choreographed by Chicago’s own Randy Duncan and Harrison McEldowney.

Before the curtain rises, those who purchase tickets for the Gala Reception will get to enjoy conversation and complimentary Absolut martinis in the Hilton Chicago Grand Ballroom. You can purchase tickets for the Gala and/or the August 18th performance here.

Those hoping to learn more about this  event can watch Dance for Life: The Documentary airing Tuesday, August, 14th at 10 p.m. on Chicago’s public television station, WTTW 11.

4dancers is proud to be a sponsor for this year’s Dance For Life Chicago event–hope to see you there!

Here is a video from last year’s show–just a little visual for you:

Filed Under: 4dancers Tagged With: auditorium theatre, dance for life, dance for life chicago, dance for life chicago 2012, dance for life: the documentary, giordano jazz dance chicago, harrison mceldowney, hilton chicago grand ballroom, hubbard street dance chicago, randy duncan, river north dance chicago, the dancers fund, the joffrey ballet

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