DNA Gallery Presents THE CHICAGO PROJECT, 2/9

Dance New Amsterdam (DNA), NYC's foremost progressive dance education and performance center, announces the opening of The Chicago Project, a new photojournalism exhibition by dancer and photographer Jake Laub with an opening reception Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 7:00 p.m., in DNA's Gallery at 280 Broadway, 2nd Floor. The work will be on view free to the public through March 8. The opening of DNA's RAW Directions performance at 8:00 p.m. will follow the reception.
In this exhibit Laub's candid photos offer a glimpse of dancers who are in their authentic creative element and expressing a wide range of emotions: from moments of polished performance to spontaneous movement and joy. Each location and group of dancers captured in the exhibit contributes their own individual story and energy to the overall project.

"Every city has its own dance vibe, a blend of its professional, student and amateur dance communities. To capture a small piece of Chicago's unique movement mosaic I visited inner city schools, professional performances, student rehearsals, nightclubs, fitness centers and anywhere else I could find people dancing," Laub says. "All the photos in this project are strictly journalistic – none were posed or manipulated. My goal was to capture not just form and motion, but also the emotion of what it means to dance and be a dancer."

Jacob Laub is a dancer and photographer based in New York City. He is starting his third season with Jessica Gaynor Dance and has danced with Ballet Chicago, Luna Negra Dance Theater, St. Louis Ballet and choreographers such as Wallie Wolfgruber, Julia Gleich and Yung-li Chen, among others. He is a committed DNA artist rehearsing and taking classes regularly.

Jake is also the co-founder of Primal Rekinetix™, a movement therapy system that enhances athletic performance, relieves pain and prevents injury through brain plasticity. He holds a B.S. in Journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

DNA's Gallery hours are 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., Monday – Sunday.