Thodos Dance's Timeless Motion Saturday February 25th

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar: Timeless Motion Saturday, February 25, 7:30 p.m. at the  North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie 9501 N. Skokie Blvd. DON'T MISS TDC'S FINAL  COMPANY PERFORMANCE ON THE NORTH SHORE! With the announcement of a new chapter for Thodos Dance Chicago  after the conclusion of this season,Timeless Motion will be TDC's final performance at the North Shore Center as an ensemble-based company.  Program highlights include the world premieres of  Changing Strangers by Melissa Thodos  boasting her singular fluid, kinetic style, and Acid Reign  in which TDC guest choreographer Brian Enos answers the question  "what might a celebration look like on another planet in the future?"

THODOS DANCE CHICAGO'S TIMELESS MOTION CONCERT WITH WORLD PREMIERE WORKS 

BY MELISSA THODOS AND BRIAN ENOS 

IS FEBRUARY 25 

AT NORTH SHORE CENTER 

Near Light by Melissa Thodos 

Timeless Motion program, February 25, 2017 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. 
Photo credit: Cheryl Mann.

Thodos Dance Chicago makes its annual return to Skokie's North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie with a fun, fresh and electrifying concert titled Timeless Motion, Saturday, February 25, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.

Highlights of this unique program include the world premieres of Changing Strangers by Melissa Thodos boasting her singular fluid, kinetic style, and Acid Reign in which TDC guest choreographer Brian Enos answers the question "what might a celebration look like on another planet in the future?" 

Also on TDC's Timeless Motion program are Near Light, a very personal 2015 work by Melissa Thodos with glistening lighting and daunting lifts that combine for a memorable story of healing and support. 

Sunrise by Shannon Alvis

North Shore Thodos fans can also look forward to three more works that have emerged from the company's New Dances in-house choreography series: Flawed, a lovely 2014 duet by TDC ensemble member John Cartwright, and two works that premiered at New Dances 2016, now making their official debut in Skokie as part of Thodos Dance Chicago's repertoire, Uncovering by Thodos ensemble member Briana Robinson, and Sunrise by guest choreographer Shannon Alvis.

Timeless Motion will be performed at theNorth Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, Center Theatre; located at 9501 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie, Illinois. 

Tickets range from $28 to $58 and are available online HERE or by calling (847) 673-6300.

Flawed by John Cartwright and Uncovering by Briana Robinson. 

                                                         

Also on tap for Thodos Dance Chicago in 2017

In addition to Timeless Motion at North Shore Center, Thodos Dance Chicago will celebrate its 25th Anniversary Season Saturday, March 11, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. at Chicago's majestic Auditorium Theatre. 

The program, titled FULL CIRCLE, promises an exhilarating evening of dance celebrating a quarter century of the company's innovation and artistry. Highlights include the Chicago premiere of Nos Duraturi, a compelling and dramatic commentary on mankind's ability to endure by the legendary Bella Lewitzky, "the Grand Dame of West Coast modern dance" as part of the company's American Dance Legacy Project. 

The program will also boast Acid Reign by Brian Enos, a triumphant world premiere signature work by Melissa Thodos that will complete a trilogy by Thodos when paired with two signature works from the company's near and distant past. Note: this will be the only time this trilogy will be performed, ever. Single tickets are $29-$68. Purchase HERE or call (312) 341-2300 or buy in-person at Auditorium Theatre's Box Office, 50 E. Congress Parkway, Chicago.

A gala is also on tap to celebrate the company's 25 years as an integral part of Chicago's dance community, with Broadway legend and frequent Thodos collaborator Ann Reinking as Honorary Chair. 

On Saturday, February 4, 2017 at 6 p.m., hundreds of TDC friends and supporters will gather at the Chicago History Museum for the Thodos Dance Chicago FULL CIRCLE Silver Anniversary Gala. Tickets are $300; $2,500 for a table of 10. Purchase tickets HERE or call (312) 266-6255.

Proceeds will support Thodos Dance Chicago's popular New Dances in-house choreography series, building Chicago's future choreographers and new works. Always a highlight of Chicago's summer dance scene, New Dances 2017 will showcase the company's dancer's own, self-created works, Saturday and Sunday, July 15 and 16 at Chicago's Athenaeum Theatre.

About Thodos Dance Chicago

Twenty five years ago, in 1992, Melissa Thodos, a young Evanston-born, Chicago-based dancer and choreographer, was frustrated with the lack of opportunities for dancers to work in what in her mind was the obvious environment for a well-rounded dance professional: A place to perform. A place to create. And a place to educate.

Fast-forward 25 years, and Thodos is the only Chicago-based female choreographer and director to have helmed her own mid-sized, contemporary dance company with this unique mission for a quarter century. 

True to her original idea, Thodos Dance Chicago has been performing, creating and teaching dance in Chicago, across the country in 27 states, and around the world on six continents ever since. The company's unique mission of inspiring expression through dance education, dance creation and dance performance has established Thodos Dance Chicago as an innovative, internationally known presence in American contemporary dance.

Today, Thodos Dance Chicago (TDC) is an ensemble of 14 versatile dance artists with a captivating style that uses a variety of dance forms. In addition to performing works by Melissa Thodos, TDC performs works created by guest and other renowned choreographers. Notably, Melissa Thodos has collaborated on several new works with Broadway legend Ann Reinking, resulting in some of the company's most high-profile, critically acclaimed, full-length "story ballets" including The White City: Chicago's Columbian Exposition of 1893 ("Best dance of 2011" - Chicago Sun-Times) and their equally acclaimed A Light in the Dark: The Story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan in 2013. 

Through its American Dance Legacy Project, dedicated to keeping the creative voice on stage of renowned American dance artists no long visible to the public, Thodos Dance Chicago has presented Fosse Trilogy, a trio of rarely performed works by Bob Fosse, a suite of choreography originally created by iconic modern dance legend Sybil Shearer, last season's highly successful Sono's Journey, a tribute to legendary Japanese-American dance artist, Sono Osato, conceived and choreographed by Melissa Thodos, and this season's Nos Duraturi by West Coast modern dance legend Bella Lewitzky.

Numerous guest choreographers from the national dance landscape have set works on the company as well, including Ann Reinking, Lar Lubovitch, Shapiro & Smith, Jon Lehrer, Garfield Lemonius, Zachary Whittenburg, Lucas Crandall, Brian Enos, Amy Ernst, Ron De Jesús, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, Ahmad Simmons, KT Nelson, Robyn Mineko Williams and Kevin Iega Jeff.

TDC's ensemble for the current 25th Anniversary season, who each teach, choreograph and perform for the company, include John Cartwright, Abby Ellison, Marchetta Genis, Alex Gordon, Hattie Haggard, Thomas Jacobson, Jessica Miller Tomlinson, Shelby Moran, Melissa Panetta, Richard Peña, Brennen Renteria, Briana Robinson and Luis Vasquez, plus performing trainee Tyler Ring. 

In addition to performing the work of others, these talented young dancers have the opportunity to create their own works via the company's annual New Dances initiative. Ensemble dancers also teach a full roster of dance classes for adults and children year round at the company's rehearsal home, the Drucker Center Menomonee Club in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. Thodos Dance also teaches after school dance classes for 50 at-risk youth at the Barreto Club in Humboldt Park and Club One in Pilsen. Both are branches of the Union League Boys and Girls Club improving the lives of children in underserved Chicago neighborhoods.                                                                

Thodos Dance Chicago continues to expand its artistic and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Founder and Artistic Director Melissa Thodos, Executive Director Gail Ford, Booking Director Rick Johnston, Artistic Associate Laura Gates, Resident Lighting Designer Nathan Tomlinson, Education Outreach and Operations Manager Kate Weatherly, Board President Sharon Lear, a dedicated board of directors and the support of thousands of contemporary dance enthusiasts both in Chicago and nationwide. 

The company is supported by The Sono and Victor Elmaleh Foundation, The Garden of the Phoenix Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council-a state agency, Target, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Arts Work Fund, The Morrison-Shearer Foundation, The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Service Club of Chicago, Project 120, The Garden of the Phoenix Foundation, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events and many individual and corporate sponsors. 

For more information, visit the main Thodos Dance Chicago site here. 

SAVE THE DATES: THODOS DANCE CHICAGO'S NEW DANCES 2016 IS JULY 16 &17

AT THE ATHENAEUM, 

TRADITION OF SELF-CREATED 

NEW WORKS PAVES WAY FOR 

POST-PERFORMANCE DANCE CAREERS

Every year, Thodos Dance Chicago cultivates new dance creation through its nationally renowned New Dances series, Chicago's earliest and most extensive in-house choreography project, and always a highlight of the city's summer dance season.

Now in its 16th year, New Dances is an annual opportunity for Thodos's dancers to take off their dance shoes, step off the stage and call their own shots as choreographers. 

(top, from left) Thodos Dance Ensemble members John Cartwright, Tenley Dorrill, Abby Ellison, Alex Gordon, (bottom) Hattie Haggard, Jessica Miller Tomlinson, Brennen Renteria, Briana Robinson and guest choreographer Shannon Alvis are creating world premiere works for Thodos Dance Chicago's New Dances 2016, July 16 and 17 at the Athenaeum Theatre. 

  

New works that debuted at last summer's New Dances 2015 included (top, from left) 

Jessica Miller Tomlinson's Something To Do With Five, Tenley Dorrill's Waiting For What, (bottom, from left) Taylor Mitchell's All You Need Is and Kevin McGinnis's Miriam. 

TDC 2015-2016 Excerpts from Thodos Dance Chicago on Vimeo.

Collectively, New Dances has spawned more than 140 world premieres, launched the choreographic careers of more than 75 Chicago-based dance artists, and created a platform for 300+ dance artists to showcase their skills and build their reputations. 

Past New Dances works have subsequently entered the Thodos Dance repertory, been showcased at festivals including Jacob's Pillow and Dance Chicago, and been remounted by the Joffrey Ballet and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.

As always, Thodos Dance Chicago's New Dances 2016 promises to be another wildly diverse program boasting nine, fresh, homegrown world premiere works created by the ensemble's own dancers. Performances are Saturday, July 16 at 

7:30 pm, and Sunday, July 17 at 3 p.m., at the Athenaeum Theatre, 

2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. Tickets are $14-$40. For tickets, visit athenaeum.org or call the Athenaeum box office, (773) 935-6875.

                                                                          

New Dances 2016 will feature world premieres by TDC company members John Cartwright, Tenley Dorrill, Abby Ellison, Alex Gordon, Hattie Haggard, Jessica Miller Tomlinson, Brennen Renteria and Briana Robinson. 

Each is already making all production decisions about his or her work, from submitting written creative proposals, to developing budgets, casting their works from within and outside the company, collaborating with costume and lighting designers, contributing to marketing plans and scheduling their own rehearsal time.

"Members of Thodos Dance Chicago are far more than performers - they are creative artists selected to join the company based on their passion and talent for choreography," explains TDC Founder and Artistic Director Melissa Thodos. 

"We are unique in our strong commitment to support dance creation as no other dance organization offers as comprehensive of an in-house choreography initiative to its artists as ours, in part to help assure they are fully equipped to pursue a post-performance career in dance."

In total, each dancer/choreographer is given a three-month development period with more than 30 hours of studio time - unprecedented in the field - to bring their choreographic vision to life with their hand-picked ensemble of dancers.

Thanks to their New Dances experiences, past TDC dancer/choreographers have gone on to set works on the Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street, River North, Goodman Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Dutch National Ballet Project, Dance Kaleidoscope, Atlanta Ballet, Dance Works Chicago, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Idaho Dance Theatre, Grand Rapids Ballet, Giordano Dance Chicago, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble and the second companies of Alvin Ailey and American Ballet Theater.

Likewise, Thodos' artists are mentored throughout the process by a panel of high-profile Chicago dance professionals who gather for two private showings of each work to provide feedback, clarity, ideas and encouragement. New Dances 2016 panelists are:

Jeff Hancock, founding member of River North Dance Chicago and former Hubbard Street Dance Chicago dancer; 

Kristina Isabelle, artistic director of Kristina Isabelle Dance Company and director of HighJinks Productions;

Kristina Fluty, former dancer with Mad Shak, founder of Kinespark Consulting and a professor at Columbia College Chicago; 

Zachary Whittenburg, Manager of Communication at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and former dancer with Hubbard Street, BJM Danse Montréal and Pacific Northwest Ballet.

                                                                         

In addition to eight exciting and diverse brand new works created from within the ensemble, each year Melissa Thodos selects a guest choreographer to create a new work for the project. The New Dances 2016 guest choreographer is Shannon Alvis, former dancer with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Nederlands Dans Theater, currently on the faculty of Joffrey Academy.

Check out the behind the scenes sizzle reel for

TDC's Tenley Dorrill's New Dances 2015 new work Waiting for What.

Choreographer Spotlight: Tenley Dorrill from Thodos Dance Chicago on Vimeo.

About Thodos Dance Chicago

In 1992, Melissa Thodos, a young Evanston-born, Chicago-based dancer and choreographer, was frustrated with the lack of opportunities for dancers to work in what in her mind was the obvious environment for a well-rounded dance professional: A place to perform. A place to create. And a place to educate. Fast-forward 24 years, and Thodos is the only female choreographer and director to have helmed her own mid-sized, contemporary dance company in Chicago for more than two decades with this unique mission.

Today, Thodos Dance Chicago (TDC) is an ensemble of twelve versatile dance artists with a captivating style that uses a variety of dance forms. The company's unique mission of inspiring expression through dance education, dance creation and dance performance has established TDC as an innovative presence in American contemporary dance.

In addition to performing works by Melissa Thodos and resident artists, TDC performs works created by other renowned choreographers: Bob Fosse, Ann Reinking, Sybil Shearer, Lar Lubovitch, Shapiro & Smith, Jon Lehrer, Garfield Lemonius, Zachary Whittenburg, Lucas Crandall, Brian Enos, Amy Ernst, Ron De Jesús, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, Ahmad Simmons, KT Nelson, Kevin Iega Jeff and Robyn Mineko Williams.

Thodos Dance Chicago's 12 ensemble members, who each teach, choreograph and perform for the company, include Caitrin Bellavance, John Cartwright, Tenley Dorrill, Abby Ellison, Alex Gordon, Hattie Haggard, Thomas Jacobson, Jessica Miller Tomlinson, Shelby Moran, Brennen Renteria, Briana Robinson and Luis Vasquez, plus performing trainee Richard Peña.

Thodos Dance Chicago continues to expand its artistic and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Founder and Artistic Director Melissa Thodos, Executive Director Gail Ford, Booking Director Rick Johnston, Artistic Associate Laura Gates, Resident Lighting Designer Nathan Tomlinson, Education and Outreach Associate

Kate Weatherly, Board President Sharon Lear, a dedicated board of directors and the support of thousands of contemporary dance enthusiasts both in Chicago and nationwide. 

The company is supported by the The Sono and Victor Elmaleh Foundation, The Garden of the Phoenix Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council-a state agency,

Target, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Arts Work Fund, The Morrison-Shearer Foundation, The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, The Service Club of Chicago, Project 120, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events and many individual and corporate sponsors. 

For more information, visit thodosdancechicago.org.

Thodos Dance Winter Concert at Harris Theatre #dance

Winter Concert 2014 featuring A world premiere collaboration  by  Jeanne Gang Founder and Principal Studio Gang Architects  and  Melissa Thodos Founder and Artistic Director Thodos Dance Chicago  The return of A Light in the Dark, the story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan co-choreographed by  Melissa Thodos  and  Broadway legend  Ann Reinking The world premiere of Tsuru by Lucas Crandall  Ballet Master Hubbard Street Dance Chicago And TDC  New Dances 2013 standout  Panem Nostrum Quoditianum ("Our Daily Bread") by Ahmad Simmons River North Dance Chicago THODOS DANCE CHICAGO AND STUDIO GANG ARCHITECTS INVESTIGATE THE INTERSECTION OF ARCHITECTURE AND DANCE WITH WORLD PREMIERE COLLABORATION MAR. 8 & 9 AT CHICAGO'S HARRIS THEATRE      Thodos Dance ensemble members at one of Studio Gang's signature Chicago structures,   the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo (photos by Katie Graves.)        Melissa Thodos                                             Jeanne Gang  Photo by Cheryl Mann                                   © Sally Ryan Photography, Courtesy of Studio Gang Architects ALSO ON THE PROGRAM:   A REPRISE OF LAST YEAR'S SMASH HIT   A LIGHT IN THE DARK,  THE STORY OF HELEN KELLER AND ANNE SULLIVAN  BY MELISSA THODOS AND ANN REINKING       Pictured:  Thodos ensemble members Alissa Tollefson as Anne Sullivan and Jessica Miller Tomlinson as Helen Keller; Melissa Thodos with Ann Reinking.  Photos by Cheryl Mann A WORLD PREMIERE,  TSURU, BY HUBBARD STREET'S LUCAS CRANDALL  AND  PANEM NOSTRUM QUODITIANUM  ("OUR DAILY BREAD") BY AHMAD SIMMONS, RIVER NORTH DANCE CHICAGO Leading artists from Chicago's culture scene, Melissa Thodos and Jeanne Gang, have combined their singular talents to create a cross-disciplinary, world-premiere dance that explores the fascinating worlds of-and intersections among-dance, architecture and physics. The program also boasts the return of TDC's acclaimed story ballet A Light in the Dark, the story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan, co-choreographed by Melissa Thodos and Broadway legend Ann Reinking; Tsuru, a world premiere by Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's Lucas Crandall; and Panem Nostrum Quoditianum (Latin for "our daily bread") by Ahmad Simmons of River North Dance Chicago. Two shows only at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 East Randolph Street, Chicago, on Saturday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 9 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20-$60; half off for students, seniors and industry. Purchase tickets at the Harris by calling (312) 334-7777 or visiting harristheaterchicago.org. More about the Thodos Dance Chicago/Studio Gang Architects collaboration    (Photo on right, from left) Thodos Dance Chicago Artistic Director Melissa Thodos and Jeanne Gang at an initial meeting at Studio Gang Architects (photo on right, from left: Jeanne Gang and Melissa Thodos; photos by Claire Cahan).      Melissa Thodos, founder and artistic director of Thodos Dance Chicago, is the only female choreographer in Chicago to have helmed her own mid-sized, contemporary dance company for more than two decades with the unique mission of providing her ensemble dancers a platform to pursue dance as a performer, choreographer and educator.    Jeanne Gang is founder and principal of Studio Gang Architects, recognized as one of architecture's most innovative, well-regarded, and closely watched firms - and one uniquely interested in projects aimed at connecting, enhancing, and restoring urban and natural landscapes.  Studio Gang Architects is designing an interactive structure that combines art and science, tapping into cutting-edge research being performed by physicist Sidney Nagel and the Nagel Group at the University of Chicago.This new process, informally called "jamming," is being used to create vacuum-supported membrane structures with load-bearing properties. Responding to movement and other stimuli, the structure, stage set and dancers will transform into a live study of motion, material, shape, composition and light.  According to Gang, "Studio Gang Architects has long admired the work of Thodos Dance Chicago and its mission to inspire expression. As architects we are interested in how TDC uses the body's physicality and the mechanism of performance to catalyze community and creative discovery. We are thrilled to collaborate with Thodos Dance Chicago on this unique project exploring parallels between the worlds of audience and performer, art and science, movement and stasis." "Jeanne and her Studio Gang colleagues are true visionaries, and we've so enjoyed bringing our different but not altogether dissimilar creative worlds together with this project," Thodos added. "This collaboration reinforces many facets of Thodos Dance Chicago's mission of inspiring expression through performance, education and creation. This work will reflect the transformative power of dance and design as we blend our visions, fueled by cutting-edge science and the body, light and atmosphere, form and function, and create a brand new environment for our audiences to experience." More about A Light in the Dark, the story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan, back by popular demand Back by popular demand, Thodos Dance Chicago's Winter Concert 2014 will also boast a revival of the company's critically acclaimed smash hit A Light in the Dark, the story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. This full-length story ballet, co-choreographed by Melissa Thodos and Broadway legend Ann Reinking, tells the intimate family story of Helen Keller, the extraordinary woman who was deaf and blind yet went on to become a world-famous writer, political activist and inspiration to all, and her teacher Anne Sullivan, who led Helen into a world of education, activism and intellectual celebrity.     A Light in the Dark features original music by composer Bruce Wolosoff, and was created in collaboration with dance legend Gary Chryst, rehearsal and stage direction; Nathan Tomlinson, TDC's resident lighting designer; and Nathan Rohrer, TDC's resident costume designer.   Hedy Weiss, dance critic with the Chicago Sun-Times, named the 2013 debut of A Light in the Dark one of the "Top 10 Dances of 2013," calling it "a feast for the senses...a powerful portrait of the meaning of communication, movement, independence, freedom and love." The Chicago Tribune hailed it as "a visceral illustration of the power of dance to enlighten." Dance Magazine wrote "the choreography weaves a tale with an almost mythic tone that gives us great new insight into Helen Keller's world."  The making of A Light in the Dark was the subject of Shine, a half-hour documentary captured through the lens of Emmy Award-winning Chicago filmmaker Christopher Kai Olsen. The documentary, which debuted on WTTW-TV, Channel 11 last September, will be rebroadcast on Channel 11 on Sunday, February 2 at 2:30 p.m., less than three weeks before the dance is reprised in Skokie and again at the Harris in March.     Thodos Dance Chicago is conducting extensive outreach to Chicago's vision- and hearing-impaired communities by offering complimentary tickets, discounted tickets, and special services including pre-show Touch Tours of the set, live audio description of the performance via two-way headsets, and braille and large-print programs. These services, piloted with great success last year, allow this critically important audience to experience contemporary dance, many for the first time, and in particular this creative retelling of the story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan through dance. In addition, Thodos Dance has created Connections, an experiential education outreach component targeting school and community groups that will link the story of Helen Keller, A Light in the Dark and contemporary dance to spur discussions about disability awareness. A LIGHT IN THE DARK - TRAILER from Kai Harding on Vimeo. Enjoy excerpts a performance of  A Light in the Dark, the story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Also on Thodos' Winter Concert 2014 program Internationally established choreographer Lucas Crandall, Rehearsal Director at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, was tapped by Thodos Dance Chicago to set a new work that also will premiere at Winter Concert 2014. Titled Tsuru, this new full-company work embodies the search to find inner freedom amidst an environment full of adversity, and embraces the idea of the liberation of the soul.  Crandall has been creating works since 1982, and his pieces have been performed in the United States and abroad. Prior to re-joining Hubbard Street earlier this year, Crandall most recently  served as a guest teacher for the Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve, guest Ballet Master for Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal and Rehearsal Director for Northwest Dance Project.   Making the jump from TDC's New Dances series last summer to the company's official repertoire at Winter Concert 2014 is Panem Nostrum Quoditianum (Latin for "our daily bread") by guest choreographer Ahmad Simmons, a dancer with River North Dance Chicago.  Simmons first caught Melissa Thodos's eye back in 2006 when he was her student at the Broadway Theatre Project in Florida, so they have enjoyed a special connection even prior to his arrival on Chicago's dance scene.  Panem Nostrum Quoditianum is a spiritual, lyrical piece which explores the roots of Ahmad's learning; the dancers experience trust, community and freedom as they challenge their bodies to move beyond the mind. The Chicago Tribune called it "robust in technique and thought-provoking in theme, a sincere, straightforward exploration of spiritual matters in dance, a recitation of 'The Lord's Prayer' boldly part of its accompaniment."    About Thodos Dance Chicago  In 1992, Melissa Thodos, a young Evanston-born, Chicago-based dancer and choreographer, was frustrated with the lack of opportunities for local dancers to work in what in her mind was the obvious environment for any well-rounded dance professional:  A place to perform.  A place to create. And a place to educate. Fast-forward 20 years, and Thodos is the only female choreographer to have helmed her own mid-sized, contemporary dance company in Chicago for two decades with this unique mission. Today, Thodos Dance Chicago (TDC) is an ensemble of twelve versatile dance artists with a captivating style that uses a variety of dance forms. The company's unique mission of inspiring expression through dance education, dance creation and dance performance has established Thodos Dance Chicago as an innovative presence in American contemporary dance.  Thodos Dance Chicago features the American voice in contemporary dance and has created two critically acclaimed story ballets.  In addition to performing works by Melissa Thodos and resident artists, TDC performs a diverse array of works created by other reputable choreographers: Bob Fosse, Ann Reinking, Lar Lubovitch, Shapiro & Smith, Jon Lehrer, Michael Anderson, Zachary Whittenburg, Amy Ernst, Ron De Jesús, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano and KT Nelson. TDC ensemble members themselves also create highly-charged, illuminating world premieres every year in the company's acclaimed New Dances choreography series.   Thodos Dance Chicago ensemble members, who each teach, choreograph and perform with innovative flair, include veterans John Cartwright, Annie Deutz, Elizabeth Dickson, Alissa Tollefson, Kyle Hadenfeldt, Joshua Manculich, Jessica Miller Tomlinson, Jon Sloven and Diana Winfree.  New ensemble members this season are Tenley Dorrill, Brandon Harneck and Laura Zimmerer. Laura Gates is the company's rehearsal director and ballet mistress.   Thodos Dance Chicago continues to expand its artistic and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Founder and Artistic Director Melissa Thodos, Executive Director Gail Ford, Grants and Booking Director Rick Johnston, Board President Elaine Rosenfeld Margulis, a dedicated board of directors and administrative staff, and the support of thousands of contemporary dance enthusiasts both in Chicago and nationwide.     The company is supported by the Illinois Arts Council-a state agency, Target, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Arts Work Fund, The Morrison-Scherer Foundation, The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, The Saints and many individual and corporate sponsors.       For more information, visit thodosdancechicago.org.  About Studio Gang Architects MacArthur Fellow Jeanne Gang is the founder of Studio Gang Architects, a Chicago-based collective of architects, designers, and thinkers practicing internationally. Jeanne uses architecture as a medium of active response to contemporary issues and their impact on human experience. Her work with Studio Gang is designed to resonate with its specific site and culture while addressing larger global themes such as reuse and sustainability. With this approach, Studio Gang has produced some of today's most innovative and visually compelling architecture. The firm's projects range from tall buildings like the Aqua Tower, whose façade encourages building community in the vertical dimension, to the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo, where fourteen acres of biodiverse habitat are designed to double as storm water infrastructure and engaging public space. Honored and published widely, Studio Gang's work has been exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale, the Museum of Modern Art, the National Building Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago. For more information, visit studiogang.net. Screen excerpts of Thodos Dance Chicago's 2013-2014 Repertoire

SAVE THE DATE: THODOS DANCE CHICAGO 13 TH NEW DANCES SERIES JULY 19-21 AT THE RUTH PAGE

THODOS DANCE CHICAGO DEVELOPS AND CELEBRATES ITS DANCERS' SKILLS AS CHOREOGRAPHERS AT  
13 TH NEW DANCES SERIES, JULY 19-21 AT THE RUTH PAGE

 
 
 
Thodos Dance Chicago will celebrate 13 years of dance creation with its annual New Dances performance series, July 19-21, 2013 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago.  Performances are Friday and Saturday, July 19 and 20 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, July 21 at 5 pm. Tickets are $35; $28 for students and seniors; $20 industry (dancers and teachers); $10 for children 12 and under and for groups of 10 or more. Tickets are on sale now at thodosdancechicago.org or by calling 312.266.6255.

Dovetailing this year's lucky 13 theme, 13 Thodos Dance Chicago ensemble members will create 10 world premieres including three collaborations for this year's festival of new work: Cara Carper and Brian Hare, John Cartwright, Caitlin Cucchiara and Diana Robertson, Annie Deutz, Ray Doñes and Jon Sloven, Kyle Hadenfeldt, Joshua Manculich, Jessica Miller Tomlinson, Alissa Tollefson and Carrie Patterson.

In addition to works created from within by TDC ensemble members, each year a guest choreographer is selected from the community to create a new work for the project. This year, Ahmad Simmons, a dancer with River North Dance Chicago, is guest choreographer for New Dances.

Through New Dances, TDC's company members are not only given the freedom to create their own new work, they are also put in a directive position to make all production decisions for their work. This includes casting their dance with dancers from within as well as outside the company in the greater Chicago dance community, scheduling rehearsal time, collaborating with lighting and costume designers, budgeting, marketing and even creating and executing a fundraiser for the project. By being nurtured and promoted within the organization, Thodos ensemble members gain much-needed hands-on experience as choreographers backed up with strong production skills. This experience will serve them well during and following their careers as performers.


 
 
Perhaps one of the most valuable aspects of New Dances for TDC's dancer/choreographers is the opportunity to be mentored during the creation process by some of Chicago's top dance professionals. This year's panel is comprised of Jeff Hancock, founding member of River North Dance Chicago, now a lecturer at Northwestern University's dance program; Kristina Fluty, movement collaborator with Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak; Willy Shives, former dancer with the Joffrey Ballet; and Meghann Wilkinson, collaborating ensemble member with Lucky Plush Productions. This diverse and knowledgeable group will come together for two extensive private showings of all ten dances. During these showings they will share their feedback, advice and expertise to help guide the choreographers as they prepare to debut their work for the public in July.                                                                                                                  
Last year's New Dances was hailed as "sharp, engaging and tightly produced" by the Chicago Tribune, boasting "top flight work...polished to a high shine" according to seechicagodance.com.  Since the series' debut 12 years ago, Thodos' New Dances has provided the framework for nearly 100 Chicago-based choreographers and more than 200 dance artists to develop and showcase their skills and build their reputations.  Many works from past New Dances series have entered the repertory of Thodos Dance and been showcased at festivals ranging from Dance Chicago to the prestigious Jacob's Pillow. Others were embraced and received subsequent productions by noted directors Gerald Arpino of the Joffrey and Jim Vincent of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.

New Dances choreographers have gone on to set works on Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, River North Dance Chicago, Dutch National Ballet Project, Dance Kaleidoscope, Atlanta Ballet, Dance Works Chicago, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Idaho Dance Theatre, Grand Rapids Ballet, Giordano Dance Chicago, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble and the second companies of Alvin Ailey and American Ballet Theater.  Likewise, Thodos New Dances choreographers have won many awards and top honors including the Ruth Page Award on two occasions, the Cliff Dwellers Award for Choreography, even a Top Chicagoan in the Arts by the Chicago Tribune. In 2009 and 2010 New Dances choreographers won the top prize in The A.W.A.R.D. Show! presented by The Joyce Theater Foundation in association with The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and On the Boards (Seattle).

About Thodos Dance Chicago   

According to Melissa Thodos, company founder, artistic director and creator of this nationally unique series, "New Dances embodies one of the many things we value so much at Thodos Dance Chicago - dance creation. It is a critical component of our mission - nurturing and supporting talented dance artists from within our own ensemble by creating a platform to express their own choreographic vision."

In 1992, Thodos, a young Evanston-born, Chicago-based dancer and choreographer, was frustrated with the lack of opportunities for local dancers to work in what in her mind was the obvious environment for any well-rounded dance professional:  A place to perform. A place to create. And a place to educate. Fast forward 20 years, and Thodos is the only female choreographer to have helmed her own mid-sized, contemporary dance company in Chicago for two decades with this unique mission, and perhaps the only local artistic director who offers her ensemble the honor and responsibility to pursue dance as a performer, choreographer and educator. 

In addition to dance creation and performance, dance education is the third critical focus of Thodos Dance Chicago's mission. As a teaching company, company members hold BAs and MFAs in dance, teach at the elementary, high school and university levels, and regularly lead workshops and master classes as part of company residencies around the country.  TDC also fulfills the education component of its mission by offering dance instruction for ages 3 to adult at its rehearsal space, Chicago's Menomonee Club for Boys and Girls, where it also trains its own Thodos Youth Ensemble.     

 

Thodos Dance Chicago continues to expand its artistic and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Founder and Artistic Director Melissa Thodos, Executive Director Gail Ford, Grants and Booking Director Rick Johnston, Board President Elaine Rosenfeld Margulis, a dedicated board of directors and administrative staff, and the support of thousands of contemporary dance enthusiasts both in Chicago and nationwide. 

 Current TDC ensemble members, who each teach, choreograph and perform with innovative flair, include Cara Carper, John Cartwright, Caitlin Cucchiara, Annie Deutz, Ray Dones, Alissa Tollefson, Kyle Hadenfeldt, Brian Hare, Joshua Manculich, Jessica Miller Tomlinson, Diana Robertson and Jon Sloven. Laura Gates is the company's rehearsal director and ballet mistress.  The company is supported by the Illinois Arts Council - a state agency, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs - City Arts Program II, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Saints and many individual and corporate sponsors.  For more information, visit thodosdancechicago.org.



All Photos by Cheryl Mann--Thodos Dance Chicago's 12th annual New Dances series in 2012: Cara Carper and Carrie Nicastro in Scaled Gray by Brian Hare; Caitlin Cucchiara in Two Too by John Cartwright; Ray Doñes and Cecilia Ferguson-Bell in Phylum by Jon Sloven; Brian Hare and Caitlin Cucchiara in Lullaby by 2012 guest choreographer Brian Enos.