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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

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

10 Questions With Kelsey Middleton

December 15, 2014 by Rachel Hellwig

 

Kelsey Middleton. Photograph by Todd Rosenberg.
Kelsey Middleton. Photograph by Todd Rosenberg.

Kelsey Middleton dances with the contemporary dance company Visceral Dance Chicago

1. How did you first become involved with dance?

I started dancing at the Academy of Movement in Music in Oak Park, IL at the age of 12. Both of my younger sisters were enrolled in ballet classes and I thought it looked like something I would enjoy.

2. What are you currently doing in the dance field?

I’m currently in my second season with Visceral Dance Chicago. We are busy preparing for our fall engagement at the Harris. When I’m not rehearsing with Visceral I also like to find time to collaborate on small projects with other dancers in the Chicago community.

3. What is the best advice you have received about dance?

The best piece of advice I’ve received about dance is to stay focused on myself and trust in my own journey. It’s so easy to compare your progress with your peers or covet the careers of dancers you admire. While it’s only natural to compare yourself to the other artists, the only way you’re going to grow and achieve your goals is by focusing on your own unique strengths and weaknesses.

4.What do you find most challenging about dance?

I’ve always been a highly self-critical person. This definitely presents its challenges as dance classes and rehearsals are largely centered around receiving corrections. I’m working to find some levity in my dancing and to simply not be so hard on myself. I also try to remember to hone in on my strengths just as much as I work to improve on my weaknesses.

5. What dance achievement are you most proud of so far?

Becoming a member of Visceral Dance Chicago has been my proudest dance achievement thus far. It was a dream come true.

6. What advice would you give to students who are considering majoring in dance in college? [Read more…]

Filed Under: 10 Questions With... Tagged With: 10 questions with, dance for life chicago, dancer life, Kelsey Middleton, Visceral Dance Chicago

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