Chicago Dance History Project Announces Interview Marathon Schedule

Chicago Dance History Project (CDHP) has confirmed the lineup and schedule for its Interview Marathon on January 31. Interviewees will appear live from international locations and around the U.S. CDHP Executive/Artistic Director Jenai Cutcher will conduct all the interviews from Chicago's historic Auditorium Theatre, which has donated its space for the event.

The seven-hour Interview Marathon represents decades of dance history personified in more than 40 interview subjects: artistic directors, choreographers, performers, presenters, administrators, and others who have worked and/or continue to work in Chicago. The 15-minute segments feature one-on-one interviews as well as small-group conversations on a specific theme, including dance presenting, artistic director legacies, dance education on the South Side, and more. CDHP also will present the inaugural Maurice Seymour Award for Vision and Service to HMS Media's Scott Silberstein. Clips of archival footage, some not seen publicly until this event, are interspersed between live interview segments. CDHP will record the live event and add the footage to its expanding archive of oral histories.

The schedule, to date, is as follows:

11 AM-12 noon

• Introduction: Mark Kelly, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
• Presenting Dance: Lori Dimun, Harris Theater of Music and Dance; Rich Regan, Auditorium Theatre; John Schmitz, Dance Chicago; Tara Willis, Museum of Contemporary Art
• Lar Lubovitch, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company and Chicago Dancing Festival
• Paige Fraser, The Paige Fraser Foundation and former dancer, Visceral Dance Chicago

12-1 PM

• Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater: Jorge Pérez and Irma Suárez Ruiz with Carmela Greco, flamenco dancer/choreographer
• Heather Hartley, Trillium Arts and former Executive Director, See Chicago Dance
• Cesar Salinas, Giordano Dance Chicago
• Trinity Irish Dance Company: Mark Howard and Chelsea Hoy

1-2 PM

• Ted Levy, tap dancer/choreographer
• Dance Education on the South Side: Cris Carole, Sammy Dyer School of the Theatre; Pierre Lockett, Forward Momentum Chicago; Peggy Sutton, Mayfair Academy of Fine Arts; August Tye, Hyde Park School of Dance
• Twyla Tharp, choreographer
• Lou Conte, founder, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago/Lou Conte Dance Studio

2-3 PM

• Julia Rhoads, Lucky Plush Productions
• Remembering Ann Reinking: Ron de Jesus, former Hubbard Street Dance Chicago dancer; Melissa Thodos, Thodos Dance Chicago; Sherry Zunker, BeMoved Dance
• Presentation of Maurice Seymour Award for Vision and Service to Scott Silberstein, producer and co-founder of HMS Media
• Wendy Perron, choreographer, Dance Magazine former editor

3-4 PM

• Street to Stage: Jessica Deahr, Chicago Dance Crash; Meida McNeal, Honey Pot Performance
• Regina Perry-Carr, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago
• Robert Battle, Artistic Director, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
• Artistic Director Legacies: Frank Chaves, River North Dance Chicago; Kevin Iega Jeff and Nicole Clarke-Springer, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater; Eduardo Vilaro, Ballet Hispanico and Luna Negra Dance Theater

4-5 PM

• Awilda Rodriguez Lora, performing artist/choreographer
• Onye Ozuzu, Dean, University of Florida College of the Arts and former Dean, School of Fine and Performing Arts, Columbia College Chicago
• Mark Morris, Mark Morris Dance Group
• Bril Barrett, M.A.D.D. Rhythms

5-6 PM

• John Neumeier, Artistic Director, Hamburg Ballet
• Carrie Hanson & Friends: Julie Ballard, Illinois Wesleyan University; Bob Faust, graphic designer; Carrie Hanson, The Seldoms; Faheem Majeed, Floating Museum
• Ashley Wheater, Artistic Director, The Joffrey Ballet
• The Future of Chicago Dance History Project: Jenai Cutcher

Co-chairs of the Interview Marathon are Pamela Crutchfield, Patti Eylar, and Sarah Solotaroff Mirkin. Gail Kalver serves as special consultant.

Chicago Dance History Project's Interview Marathon takes place
Sunday, January 31 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST.
All programming is subject to change.
All-day passes are available for a minimum donation of $20 at chicagodancehistory.org/events.
Registrants will receive a password-protected link to the event.

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