Blog Family! This is my final blog to you from season 4! (Have no fear – season 5 is about to be a BLAST and I’ll still be here throughout it all to update you!) You’ve been with us through virtual shows, choreographic residencies, meeting our team, and supporting us in every way! As always, we are so thankful and can’t wait to bring more dance to you in our 2021-2022 season!

Here’s a brief recap of each month with SCDT so you (and I) can remember what an impactful season it was, even amidst a global pandemic!

 

September: Our season starts! We welcomed new board members, new company members, new administrators, and new emerging artists! We were thrilled to be able to spend time in the studio together learning Monique Haley and August Tye’s repetoire.

October: We continued to prepared for South Chicago Dance Theatre while we also had our very first virtual residency with Crystal Perkins! We loved having her and can’t wait to meet her in person soon!!

November: South Chicago Dance Festival VIRTUAL EDITION 2020. What an adventure. Our annual festival turned virtual and we rolled with the punches! Our first filming and lots of virtual panels and community classes. What a time to remember!

December: We got straight to work with our Quad City Arts partnership! We filmed a demonstration video that was formed into a documentary of all the styles we train in as professional dancers. Then…we celebrated with a big holiday rehearsal party!!

January: 2021, a fresh start to the year AND a fresh start on two brand new pieces choreographed by Kia for Black History Month. It was a ton of work, but we really made it happen! (P.s. we were in DANCE MAGAZINE!)

February: The filming of our Black History show proved to be tiring but SO worth it. We were thrilled with the hundreds of viewers who turned in and gave us such positive feedback!!

March: A short break after a big show and then, you guessed it, right back to it!! We started rehearsals and the creative process for our evening length work for the home season – “Cartography of Peace”. March was a lot of experimentation and creation.

April: Rehearsal after rehearsal!! April was an intense month of stringing together our newest work.

May: Rehearsal, but also a LIVE performance for Christine Porter’s Homegoing Celebration! It was pure talent in one room and such a special thing to be a part of!

June: Filming week! We filmed AND premiered “Cartography of Peace” by Kia Smith with our lovely collaborators Alexandria Hill (violinist) and Joelle Lamarre (soprano). We also performed live at a Juneteenth event at Athleta on Weed St! Such a fun month overall.

 

This summer, you can catch us at Dance for Life as well as Night Out in the Parks events!! Stay tuned friends, season 5 is just around the corner!

 

Thanks for following us along through this crazy year!