The Dance COLEctive Announces 16th Season

The Dance COLEctive (TDC), under the direction of award-winning choreographer and teacher Margi Cole, is preparing for its 16th season of performances and residencies.

This fall, TDC participates in The OTHER Dance Festival's 10th anniversary, performing September 29 and 30 at Hamlin Park Fieldhouse Theater in Chicago on a program with Cindy Brandle Dance Company, Ayako Kato/Art Union Humanscape, Jonathan Meyer and Mordine & Company Dance Theater.

TDC's annual winter concert series takes place January 26-28 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago. The program will include the world premiere of I Think Not, a solo work performed by Cole and choreographed by Deborah Hay. To commission this piece, Cole raised the necessary funds to spend 11 days in Scotland working with Hay through the Solo Performance Commissioning Project.

The January concert series also includes a premiere by Cole exploring these questions: "How do you define home? Is it a place? Is it about the things you have with you? Is it about the people who are there? Is it geographic? Is it spiritual? How it is defined physically, mentally and emotionally?" The third work on the program is Pull Taut, Cole's 2011 work inspired by Malcolm Gladwell's ideas about "the power of thinking without really thinking."

The season concludes with the return of "COLEctive Notions" May 18-20 at the Fassaes White Box Theatre at the Drucker Center in Chicago. Now in its third season, this program showcases new works, including those created by company members through the choreographic mentoring process.

In addition to these Chicago performances, Cole will conduct a Chicago workshop with students from Knox College (Galesburg, Illinois) in December, and TDC will hold its annual summer workshops in Chattanooga, Tennessee (June 2012); Birmingham, Alabama (June 2012); and Chicago (August 2012).

Formed in March 1996, The Dance COLEctive aspires to challenge assumptions about how dance is presented, through the use of cutting-edge choreography, innovative collaborations and inspired creative site-specific-works. TDC's vision is to become one of Chicago's premier dance ensembles, recognized for its compelling, socially relevant and inspiring choreography. In fulfilling its mission and vision, TDC embraces collaboration as a core element of its creative process; values the athleticism, grace, power and strength of its dancers; and nurtures and promotes the creativity of emerging artists. During the past 15 years, TDC has contributed to the support of 16 choreographers, 56 dancers and 60 collaborators, many of them Illinois artists. TDC performs at traditional venues as well as creating site-specific work as part of its annual repertoire. The company also conducts residencies annually, including performances, workshops, master classes and lecture demonstrations.

Artistic Director Margi Cole has received recognition for her contribution to the field of modern dance through awards including the Illinois Arts Council's Individual Artist Fellowship, a Chicago Dancemakers Forum grant and the American Marshall Memorial Fellowship, which selects leaders in their respective fields to represent the United States on a month-long tour of European countries.

The Dance COLEctive's 2011-12 season is supported by The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Illinois Arts Council, The Alphawood Foundation, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, a CityArts 1 Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and many generous individuals.

For information about TDC, visit dancecolective.com or call 773-604-8452.

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