We are done with our first week of residency with Joshua Blake Carter! Former Chicagoan, JBC was a part of the Chicago Dance Community for years before recently assuming his new role with Dance Kaleidoscope in Indianapolis. We are SO excited to welcome him back to the Windy City and have thoroughly all enjoyed being a part of his process.

This one is really special because it is, in fact, all 16 of us dancers involved with South Chicago Dance Theatre on stage. JBC was commissioned to make our grand finale for the Season 7 show. He’s done a brilliant job in doing so as, though the piece is not finished yet, it is one of the most high-energy, fast, stimulating, and (I’ll say it…) exhausting pieces we’ve done!

Josh came in with music, a plan, and got right to work on Monday. The piece has three section and by today (Friday), we have moved on to start section 3. Truly, JBC has been the best to work with. He’s so incredibly kind and patient and fits in with our company’s spunk and energy. He has a zest for spatial reasoning in dance, utilizing spacing and transitions to weave together beautiful passings and a gorgeous accumulation of energy! The piece builds and I’m sure will keep viewers locked in. What I have most admired about Josh in his process is how patient he is with his thoughts. He works quickly while still taking his time and not judging the movement as he sets it. I’ve never worked with a choreography who is more calm and lacks any sense of pressure while creating a piece. Of course, it’s a stressful thing to have to do, but Josh has approached it with such collected energy that it makes the environment feel so welcoming and peaceful.

So far, I’m incredibly proud to be a part of this process and I can’t wait to see what this piece grows to be. It’s got me on my toes, moving quickly, and feeling all sorts of happiness to be dancing on stage with 15 of my favorite people!