Citywide Festival in October Elevates Chicago Dance

Chicago Dancemakers Forum announces Elevate Chicago Dance, a citywide dance festival featuring close to 40 Chicago choreographers and dance companies in public performances and studio showings at nine creative spaces around the city. Forty local, regional and national colleagues in the field of dance-professionals who support dance through presenting work, creating residencies and developing other artist resources-will also convene during Elevate Chicago Dance to engage directly with the featured artists. The performances, showings and other events will take place over three days, October 19-21. Visit the Elevate website to reserve tickets.

Elevate Chicago Dance marks the culmination of a multi-year Regional Dance Development Initiative (RDDI) produced by Chicago Dancemakers Forum and New England Foundation for the Arts designed to support professional development for Chicago-based dancemakers, build connections that will nourish dance artists, and develop the overall capacity and infrastructure of the Chicago dance community. Over the past three years, RDDI in Chicago has led to the curation of dynamic programming such as the Chicago Dance Lab and Presenter Exchange in Summer 2016 and choreographic workshops throughout 2016-17.

Ten programs of performances and studio showings are planned at nine venues, including the Chicago Cultural Center, two Chicago Park District sites, High Concept Labs, and Links Hall. A festival highlight of two evening programs at the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago features eight contemporary companies representing the breadth of Chicago dance today. More information about the public events can be found below and on the Elevate website at www.chicagodancemakers.org/elevate.

Says Ginger Farley, Executive Director of Chicago Dancemakers Forum: "Chicago Dancemakers Forum is so pleased to bring greater visibility and build strong connections for Chicago's dancemaking artists, who are experimenting and creating in ways that resonate deeply and that stretch the boundaries of the field."

Peter Taub, Curator of Elevate Chicago Dance, stated: "It's truly exciting to work with so many individual choreographers in one overarching project. The vitality of independent dance in our community is manifest in the cumulative power of their expressions."

The Elevate Chicago Dance programs are outlined below.

Chicago Cultural Center - Public Studio Showings

Thursday, October 19 at 1p.m., 78 E. Washington St, Chicago
The festival opens with four highly distinctive groups showing works and discussing their creative directions: Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre, Every house has a door, Anna Martine Whitehead, and Sara Zalek. Free admission. Reserve seats now.

South Shore Cultural Center - Performances

Thursday, October 19 at 7:30p.m., 7059 S South Shore Dr, Chicago

The festival's first program of performances is a varied showcase of Chicago dancemakers set in the South Shore Cultural Center ballroom: Red Clay Dance Company, Nico Rubio, Same Planet Performance Project, and more. Free admission. Reserve seats now.

Defibrillator Performance Art Gallery - Late Night Showcase

Thursday, October 19 at 10:00p.m., 1463 W Chicago Ave, Chicago

The artists in this program presented with Defibrillator are Khecari, Adam Rose & April Lynn/Antibody Corp, Darling Shear, and more.

Suggested donation $5.

Loyola Park Fieldhouse - Public Studio Showings

Friday, October 20 at 9:30a.m., 1230 W Greenleaf Ave, Chicago

The festival's second day begins with artistically diverse Chicago dancemakers showing short pieces and discussing their creative directions: Joanna Furnans, Ginger Krebs, Synapse Arts (in residency at Loyola Park), and more. Free admission. Limited capacity; reserve seats now.

Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago - Friday Performances

Friday, October 20 at 7:30p.m., 1306 Michigan Ave, Chicago

Elevate presents two evenings of performances at the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, featuring eight artists and companies that showcase the breadth of new dance in Chicago.

Four companies perform new works on Friday October 20: Anatomical Theatres of Mixed Reality (ATOM-r), BraveSoul Movement, The Seldoms, and Visceral Dance Chicago. Purchase tickets now.

Links Hall - Late Night Showcase

Friday, October 20 at 10:00p.m., 3111 N Western Ave, Chicago

This late night program features new and recent choreography by Rachel Bunting/The Humans and other companies to be announced.

Dance Center at Columbia College Chicago - Family Workshop & Matinee

Saturday, October 21 at 2:15 p.m., 1306 Michigan Ave, Chicago

Ayodele Drum & Dance's youth program, Sesa Wo Suban, leads a Workshop at 2:15p.m. then Performs at 3:00p.m. as part of the Dance Center's FamilyDance Matinee series. Purchase tickets now.

Dance Center at Columbia College Chicago - Saturday Performances

Saturday October 21 at 7:30p.m., 1306 Michigan Ave, Chicago

The second evening of Elevate at the Dance Center features Ayako Kato/Art Union Humanscape, Ayodele Drum & Dance, Hedwig Dances, and Lucky Plush Productions. Purchase tickets now.

Invited Studio Showings

Elevate creates a space for dancers, dancemakers and supporters of dance to experience a range of Chicago-based dance, have direct exchanges with each other, and discuss ways to contribute to a healthy dance field. Programs at Dorchester Artist + Housing Collaborative, High Concept Labs, and Old Town School are curated specifically for the convening of dance artists and invited colleagues and are not open to the public. The artists showing and discussing their work are: Jenn Freeman/ po'chop, HoneyPot Performance, Darrell Jones, NIC Kay, Erica Mott, Onye Ozuzu, Jamal "Litebulb" Oliver/ The ERA, Molly Shanahan/ Mad Shak, Benjamin Wardell/ The Cambrians, and Nejla Yatkin/ NY2 Dance. In addition, Kristina Isabelle Dance is creating a site-specific project for the invited audience.

Learn more about these invitation-only events on the Elevate website.

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