Happy February AND Happy Black History Month! Here at South Chicago Dance Theatre, we celebrate and honor Black History throughout the entire month by performing in Chicago Public Schools. We present a program of dances and narration that includes education elements for the children as well as performative elements to entertain and provide an artistic view for the kids.

For a lot of these children, this is one of the first times they’ve seen professional dance live and in-person. The way we are able to inspire these kids is the most rewarding part. At one school, we received thank-you letters from the kids post-performance and it was the sweetest things! At others, we’ve received praise from the kids who will come up to us so excited about what they just saw and asking how they can get involved in dance or where they can take dance classes in the area! We’ve performed for pre-K kids all the way up to sophomores in high school. It’s been a real treat to share our love for dance while celebrating such an important month!

Our program includes a break down of the styles of dance we use throughout the show. It’s our preview of the types of dance the students will see. Following this, the kids get to learn about the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and see a dance choreographed to this piece of music. We then inform students on the Great Migration, the Civil Rights Era, and the fight for freedom of African Americans. Dances are integrated throughout these informative speeches. Following this, we look into the creation of jazz music, influential Black artists such as Maya Angelou and her poetry, and finish out the program with an uplifting dance to Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Following the program, kids are able to ask questions about Black History month, dance, our lives, etc.

This month has been so fun between the 12 schools we’ve presented to. Thank you to the schools and teachers for having us…we love watching your kids light up! Happy Black History Month to all!