Happy Black History Month, Chicago!
Happy Black History Month to all! February is a wonderful month to celebrate and honor the history of African Americans and their influence on our overall culture! As a dance company, we are especially excited as we have the privilege of traveling throughout the Chicagoland area and performing our Black History Month show entitled "Dancing Through the Great Migration" in Chicago Public Schools!
As a child, I never experienced a dance company touring to my school. Exposure to the arts were little if any and most of our assemblies were lectures rather than interactive performances. To share such an important topic through dance with children throughout our local area is so important and so special. We've already had multiple students approach us after the performance asking where they can take class with us and expressing their admiration for dance and what they experienced! That is the most rewarding thing to hear.
In "Dancing Through the Great Migration" students ages preschool through high school are able to hear important topics related to black history and black artists displayed through a dance performance. We begin with a break-down of each style of dance used throughout the show. A black pioneer of each dance genre is introduced followed by a brief demonstration of the style - whether that be ballet, jazz, modern, West African, improvisation, tap, or hip-hop. This way students are introduced to a variety of styles and can depict what styles they are seeing throughout the show!
Next up, students learn about the Black National Anthem ("Lift Every Voice and Sing") and view a dance using the three colors of the African American flag (red, green, and black). Students then hear about the Great Migration, learn about the Rainbow Coalition, and hear about the African American's toils in Chicago.
Where the performance is interactive is when the students get to stand up and join in by learning 5 jazz steps utilized in the 1920's - the Charleston, sugars, bee's knees, jazz hands, and a basic slide step. We combine these movements to create a simple dance for the children to learn and participate with. It's a hit at every school we've been in!!
Finally, the performance is wrapped up with a demonstration of jazz dance, an exposure to black poetry through Maya Angelou's "Still I Rise" poem, and a dance to Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech.
The children learn a lot in a short period of time in such a fun way. Watching dance is stimulating and drives focus. It's amazing to me how chatty the kids can be at the start of the assembly and ten minutes later they are completely mesmerized by the dancing. PLUS, so many kids at the schools we've been to have had tremendous questions during our Q&A section at the end! We've been blown away by these kids' perceptions of dance and their curiosity!
What a privilege it's been to share this performance and this bit of education with so many schools in our area. A special thank you and shout out to the wonderful principals and staff at each of these Chicago Public Schools that took the time out of their day to have us and expose their students to something so critical to our culture!
Happy Black History Month! Do something to educate yourself and celebrate!
14 people we LOVE this Valentine's Day
Happy Valentine’s Day, SCDT fans! Whether you celebrate it or consider it a Hallmark holiday, we never mind spreading more love around and contributing to a positive and nurturing environment! This Valentine’s Day I want to highlight 14 people (or groups of people) that we are sending big love to this February and always!!
- Our Board AND Administrative Staff…you have no idea how much they do for us! From serving as promotion throughout our community to assisting with grant writing, budget, payroll…the list is never-ending. Without them, there would be no South Chicago Dance Theatre. We appreciate you all!
- Hyde Park School of Dance staff. Without the fabulous staff and directors of HPSD, we would not have a space to rehearse each day. If dancers don’t have a studio, there is no show. We love your generosity and willingness to have us around each week!
- Ethan Kirschbaum. The most feel good of all feel good contemporary classes we’ve ever taken. We look forward to having you and continuing our training with you each and every week!
- Sarah Schaefer. We’ve had Sarah as our ballet mistress for two years running and can we talk about our technical improvement in ballet? She’s a magician and we love her dearly.
- Jessica Miller Tomlinson. Talk about the most impressive Rehearsal Director you’ve ever met. Jessica has been so busy prepping us for our Harris Theater debut and we could not be more thankful.
- My fellow dancers! Kim, Hayley, Heather, Taylor, Sydney, JD, Tori, Amaya, Louis, Lourdes, Elijah, Mauricio, Ricky…I wouldn’t be the dancer I am without growing and learning from you all. Much love!
- Joseph Kim & Choomna Art Center. We had the most wonderful time with you in Chicago in the fall and simply cannot wait to see you in the Netherlands in a short month!
- Our Black History Month School coordinators! The Chicago Public Schools’ principals, coordinators, and staff have been wonderful to us this month. We love your support of the arts & SCDT!
- Wade Schaaf. Our first resident choreographer for our 5th anniversary season - we love your piece and the energy you brought to our rehearsal!
- Ron De Jesus. Our powerhouse final piece that you choreographed for our entire company is unmatched. We love it!
- Stephanie Martinez. We are ecstatic to work with you and are excited to see what you have in store.
- Crystal Michelle Perkins. Our second season with your fabulous and dynamic choreography. We’re lucky to have you!
- Our guest teachers! Throughout the season we’ve experienced plenty of outside help. Our master classes with Samantha Dauer, Patti Eylar, ReginaArtD, and many more keep us exploring new styles and ways of approaching movement!
- Kia S. Smith - our lovely artistic and executive director! We never know how you do what you do, but we are forever grateful that you do it and keep us dancing! YOU are the epitome of energy, grace, and power!
Tell someone you love them today. Wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day and the best remainder of the month!
Dancer Spotlight: Hayley Midea
We can’t let too much of the season go by without giving you a dancer spotlight on our newest Company Member for the 2021-2022 SCDT Season!! Hayley Midea was an Emerging Artist last season and we are so proud to have her on as a Company Member this year! Learn more about her below…
Name: Hayley Midea
Age: 23
Hometown: Wixom, MI
Favorite Color: Pink
Favorite Style of Dance: Contemporary
Favorite Choreographer: I love working with Jackie Nowicki and Monique Haley! I love to watch Jessica Starr’s choreography as well!
When did you start dancing?: When I was 2 years old.
College: Western Michigan University!
Siblings: I have three siblings. I have two older brothers and a twin sister!
Why do you feel passionate about dance?: Dance has always been something that I loved and where I feel like I am most comfortable, can be myself, and express myself the most.
If you weren’t a dancer, what career would you choose?: I would probably be involved in fitness or personal training like my mom is!
If you could do a duet with one person, who would it be?: Alex Turner…I danced with him growing up and he was one of my best friends growing up. He now dances at University of Arizona!
Favorite place you’ve traveled: Honduras on a cruise!
Favorite food: Does ice cream count as food…?
One word to describe yourself: Compassionate
If you had a dance move that described you, what would it be?: Parallel Fourth Lunge
Fun Facts: My parents were bodybuilders in the 80s, I have really tiny ears, and I LOVE the tv show Friends.
Thanks for getting to know Hayley & look out for her shining on stage in May at our Harris Theatre debut!
So, you're a Dancer...
The question that isn't a question, though I do love to answer it! And I'm being completely serious when I say that - I absolutely LOVE explaining what I do. Multiple dancers may get annoyed by the lack of understanding for our profession, though I find it such a great window of opportunity to explain my career and my passion! Especially because that seems to be the biggest thing - not many people have what I do, a career that also is a passion. It's exciting, it's fun, but most people don't understand the toil it can be. I love diving into this topic because it intrigues most people and I feel that they leave having a better understanding of the hardship that is a career in the arts. In turn, they tend to respect what we do more and may leave with a deeper appreciation for dancers!
Each dancer's career looks different and each dance company operates in a different way. I tend to begin by saying this and then lead into my personal experience as a dance major at Western Michigan University as well as my experience as a Company Member with South Chicago Dance Theatre. I will do the same with you all in the blog today! By breaking it down into what we go through mentally, physically, and emotionally I feel that most people leave with a better understanding and overall respect of a dancer's profession.
Like any career, dancing is mentally taxing. Dancers must possess a strong sense of musical knowledge, overall timing, spatial knowledge, and ability to work with with others. Intelligence and creativity as a part of a team are especially important. I always have said that my dance friends are my best friends and that it's always been easier for me to get along with or understand other dancers points of view. I truly believe this is because of the trust and teamwork that dance requires. There is no doubt that a dancer must stand out while also respectfully engaging with a team of other creatives. We are also required to remember TONS of choreography at the drop of a hat. When I tell people that some of our pieces are upwards of 15 to 20 minutes long, they are impressed by the stamina. I'm further impressed by the ability to recall and perform the choreography after learning it so quickly. Dancers in technique class as well as in quick choreographic residencies are expected to learn long chunks of choreography in solely an instant. The brain is always active alongside the body. In addition, going to school for dance was no simple task. Our course load was heavy on top of rehearsals extending late into the night. Studying the history of various styles alongside kinesiology, music fundamentals, and choreographic skills made for a strenuous major to take on.
Most people understand that dance is physically demanding although they often are shocked to find out HOW physical it can be. If you need reference, just look at my feet on any given day - they are the definition of beat up! For us, we begin each day with a challenging 90-minute class followed by a 3-hour long rehearsal of our dances. Personally, I enjoy cross-training for injury prevention and will workout by taking barre classes, running, or doing HIIT workouts anywhere from 3-5 times a week in addition to my dance training. Our dancing is extremely athletic and burns out our leg muscles and challenges our balance and core strength all while making it look graceful and seamless. It's no easy task. Performing a 20-minute piece doesn't even begin to compare to 20-minutes of any other type of exercise. Professional contemporary dance requires the utmost endurance and strength. You won't know it 'til you see it - better yet EXPERIENCE it.
Lastly, there's quite a big emotional aspect to being a dancer. Rather than getting an interview for a position, we audition amongst hundreds of other dancers. We hear "no" far too often and must be resilient and bounce right back into the next audition. Confidence can easily get shot down by a bad audition, a comment from a teacher or choreographer, and constant strife to improve and "fix" what you're working with. In other careers you are judged by your brain's capacity. As a dancer, we are judged by our brain AND our body's capability. It can be tough - dancers are some of the most emotionally strong people I know.
Through all of the mental, physical, and emotional toughness one thing stands true - I LOVE WHAT I DO. No one can ever take that away from me. At the end of the day, it's SO different from other careers and it is truly difficult, but nothing compares to the feeling of waking up each day and fulfilling a dream I had for myself. I'm thankful that my passion is my career and I'm more than happy to help others understand what I do!
Hopefully this was a helpful insight into our daily life/our career. South Chicago Dance Theatre has been my home base for dance for almost two years and I'm proud of what it has done for me in so many ways.
Refresh & Renew - Looking forward to 2022!
Happy New Year! Out with the old and in with the new...as a company, we are SO ready for 2022!!
All of us dancers are currently on break from rehearsal, but we are eager to get back to it come January 4. The break offers us some time to let our bodies rest, travel home to see family and loved ones, and to recharge and gear up for the second half of the season. You've heard a lot about what we have already done this season, but here's a look ahead...plenty of the reasons that we are excited for 2022 and what it has in store for South Chicago Dance Theatre.
- Stephanie Martinez's Residency is approaching!! It's been a jam-packed past couple of months kicking off our residencies for our 5th season's show in May, but we are particularly looking forward to our first residency of 2022 with Stephanie Martinez herself. It'll be amazing to get some female choreographic energy in our space & explore a new style with her the last week in January!
- Black History Month! Always a joy to share with local schools our choreographed production for Black History Month, but this year we are especially excited as we return to in-person showings!
- Our Company's trip to Amsterdam! Change of plans, but still an exciting adventure ahead. Due to quarantine requirements, we have shifted our meeting and performance with Choomna Arts Center from South Korea to be in Amsterdam. I for one am insanely excited to explore a new city and dance with our Korean Seoul-mates again!
- Crystal Perkins' Residency! It will be year two working with Crystal on this piece and as she's been awarded with the Princess Grace honor, we cannot wait to congratulate her and continue to work on her choreography!
- The BIGGEST of them all - OUR HARRIS THEATER SHOW ON MAY 20, 2022! It's going to be huge and I've already told everyone I know about it, so make sure you snag your tickets before my fan club buys them all out...! I'm thrilled to be performing at such a big theater in Chicago and to finish the season by showcasing all of our hard work to the public. After some strange and virtual years, this is going to be a blast.
Lots in store and very thankful to be experiencing it all. Per usual, we wouldn't be here without the support and generosity of our audiences, donors, families, and friends. From all of South Chicago Dance Theatre...Happy New Year! We hope 2022 brings you as much joy as we know ours will. And hey - come to our show! It's sure to make your year at least a little bit brighter!!
Residency Recap: Ron de Jesus
Another choreographic residency in the books, folks! With each new dance completed, it feels like our May 20th show at the Harris Theatre is inching up closer and closer!! (P.s. our tickets are LIVE, check it out at https://my.harristheaterchicago.org/9805/9806 !)
This past week, immediately prior to our 2-week holiday break as a company, we had the privilege of having Ron de Jesus and his beautiful assistant, Kiri, join us in studio! After a year of virtual residencies and performances, it is always refreshing to have new energy in our dance space. Ron had five short days of rehearsal to put together our finale piece for the show in May. Ron had the biggest challenge of working with a cast of thirteen dancers. The cast is made up of all of SCDT's company members, all of our emerging artists, our wonderful trainee, and four of our guest artists!
Each choreographer's approach is quite different, and it's always a joy and a learning experience to see how people like to create dance. Ron was very collaborative with us as dancers and referred to each of us as "different precious gems of a crown". Kicking off the week with this analogy helped us all to feel valued and in a safe space to experiment with choreography. And it is so true - without each one of us and our creative minds, there wouldn't be a dance or a company! We all have such a special contribution to this dance and to this company as a whole.
After spending the first day constructing some of our own material as well as duet/trio material with various partners, Ron began to construct his piece. Ron had already chosen some intense, dark music to compliment the dancing we had been working on thus far. It wasn't until day three when we really got into the core of creating the dance. We tried some big lifts with Elijah, Hayley, and Kim that are quite frankly show-stopping spectacles. Safety is always our top priority, but these lifts are impressive and difficult if I do say so myself! Ron also choreographed a giant group section for the last minute of the piece that is extremely grounded and athletic. This dance ends with a true bang to close our fifth anniversary show, that's for certain!
We were pressed for time with such a big cast and only one week to make a highly-intricate ten minute piece. Our last day of rehearsal for the year (Friday, December 17) was a sweaty one - but that just goes to show the hard work that we put into it! Day five was intense to say the least as we quickly worked to string together all of the sections of the piece. Transitions were clarified, entrances and exits were set, and extra choreography was executed in order to make the piece as brilliant as it could be.
About an hour before the end of rehearsal, board members, mentors, other choreographers, and SCDT supporters came to watch an open showing of Ron's work. We ran the piece full out twice from top to bottom, which was a physical toil. I'm proud of where the piece is at and truly believe that it will be a tremendous way to end our Harris Theatre show as well as our 5th anniversary season.
It's always a privilege getting to work with new choreographers, and Ron was no exception. His desire and passion to create a high-energy, thrilling, and all-around virtuous work was evident this week. He's a choreographer I look up to and his intensity made us all push ourselves to our dancing limits which always makes for a cutting-edge performance.
May 20 - save the date! You won't want to miss it. What a way to end 2021. We can't wait to begin 2022 with more residency fun. Next up...Stephanie Martinez!
Residency #1: DONE!
We did it! Residency number one of our 5th season is complete! This year is big because we have four separate week-long residencies with choreographers who are contributing pieces towards our May 20 show at the Harris Theater (look out for a ticket link soon!)
Our first residency was such a wonderful note to start on! Wade Schaaf, of Chicago Repertory Ballet, was with us for the entire week creating a beautiful piece to a score of Bach. We were beyond lucky to work with Wade and their positive energy, attention to detail, and willingness to truly collaborate with us dancers to create a dance we were all proud of. Very thankful this Thanksgiving season (see: last blog post!)
Day one began as a sort of "workshop" day/audition as we learned a 2-minute long phrase that Wade envisioned as a unison section during the first section of the piece. Wade then crafted the first section with seven dancers, featuring solo moments while also considering desired lighting design for the full outcome. I get so excited when a choreographer has a full vision for the piece and Wade came in with music, some choreography to explore, a costume idea, AND a lighting idea. I can't reveal too much as I want you to buy a ticket to come see the live show, but just trust me...it's going to be a production!
Day two came along and we somehow worked so quickly that we were advancing into section two of the piece that is much more quirky, upbeat, and fast-paced. I love adding some personality to my dancing so day two was probably my favorite day of working with Wade. Blending theatre and dance is something I truly love and don't get to do too much of, so when I do - I'm all out!
Finally, days three and four were spent crafting a somber and personal trio that illustrates somewhat of a family portrait dynamic. The partnering and lifts weave in and out so seamlessly and it's gorgeous to watch...I promise! We finished day four by cleaning and noting details prior to Wade's departure from us (and our departure to Thanksgiving break!!)
All in all, I was thoroughly impressed at Wade's ability to work so quickly while keeping the work environment silly, upbeat, fun, but also productive. It's a joy to see choreographers to bring their authentic personality to a process - I believe it makes for the best work!
May 20 - mark your calendars! That's when you can see Wade's amazing work alongside four other riveting works. I'm excited to continue to update you on the rest of our residencies, but happy to report that we started the first one off on the right foot!
10 Things I'm Thankful For: Year 2
I’m back for year two of my favorite time of the year: THANKSGIVING! There’s something about the closing out of the Fall season, feeling the togetherness of family (whether that be by blood, dance, or friendship), and the act of giving thanks that makes me the happiest! I still practice this each day – I sit down in the morning and list 10 things I’m thankful for. It has a way of starting my day right and allowing me to see the good in the day right off the bat!
Last year, this was my favorite blog I wrote! I managed to easily book through ten things I loved and was thankful for with SCDT and it lifted my spirits greatly. I am so excited to do it again this year, but with a bit of a twist! Instead of 10 things I’m grateful for overall (which you can see in last years’ blog, not much has changed!!), I’ve decided to do 10 things that I’m grateful for so far this season. As we move towards more in person performances, I have quite a few things that have brought me an overwhelming sense of gratitude in the past couple of months. Season 5…you’ve already outdone yourself! Here are a few of the best things so far:
- DANCE FOR LIFE 2021! So many things I could say about this event, but I felt nothing but love for my people after performing on that stage in front of hundreds of people. One of the best memories I’ll hold for quite some time.
- Our new guest artists and Emerging Artists! Y’all…you have NO clue how well everyone jumped right into being a family this season. I could right a whole other gratitude list for each new member of our SCDT family. They push me to be better each day and make me laugh when I’m at my deepest point of exhaustion. All in all – everyone keeps me going!!
- Our dance circle with Giordano Dance Chicago! The energy in the room the day we took class from Nan Giordano was AMAZING! Reminded me exactly why I do what I do!
- Performing at Navy Pier – what a gorgeous backdrop we had to perform our two pieces by Kia S. Smith. I’m also a little bias about this performance – my family came and saw me perform live for the first time since college…the best memory FOR SURE!
- Our added Friday contemporary company classes with Ethan Kirschbaum! Most people look at Friday as a day to get through, but let me tell you – if you were to kick off your morning with a class from Ethan, you’d look forward to Friday’s at work, too! We are so thankful for Ethan’s guidance and amazing instruction. Plus, we LOVE having contemporary as a part of our class training this year!
- Harvest Festival Chicago! What a great opportunity to be in this show next to so many talented companies! We also got to bring back Crystal Michelle Perkins’ “Lit-Anies” which was a joy in itself.
- Our South Korean friends from Choomna Art Center visiting and joining us in such a good time! Everything from the choreographic process, to dancing and improvising together, to hanging out as a group was such an amazing time. We can hardly wait to see them all again!
- Our Korean Traditional Dance master classes. We were introduced to a new style of dance which of course presented its own challenges, but was such an honor and cool opportunity to learn!
- Getting to participate in school shows as a part of South Chicago Dance Festival! Sharing dance with kids in local high schools was so much fun and allowed us an intimate performance setting that we haven’t experienced in quite some time!
- Lastly, I’m thankful for our most recent residency with Wade Schaaf (stay tuned for more on this!). Their piece was such a privilege to learn and be a part of! It’s so different from our other repertoire and I already know it’ll be a great addition to our show at the Harris in May!!
Y’all, that was the easiest list to make. Ten things may seem like a lot for four months, but so much has happened so quickly and we are forever thankful! I hope you’ve enjoyed a wonderful holiday surrounded by whomever you consider family. Much love always and Happy Thanksgiving from South Chicago Dance Theatre!
Our Seoul-mates are Here!
No doubt, it has been a whirlwind of a month so far! We are well into November and the SCDT has been working tirelessly and performing more than we have since pre-pandemic! It has been such a blessing overall and we are so thankful.
On November 1, our friends from Choomna Art Center in Seoul. South Korea arrived in Chicago!! If you haven’t heard about our cultural diplomacy program, look no further than our Choreographic Diplomacy tab on the website. We used the first four days of rehearsal to recreate the piece that Artistic Director of Choomna Art Center, Joseph Kim, and Artistic Director of SCDT, Kia S. Smith, began creating in Seoul in 2019. The piece is around thirty minutes in length and includes two duets, a trio, two solos as well as group interactions. The artistic directors split up to create separate chunks of choreography at the top of the week with us dancers and on the third day of rehearsal, we strung together the entire piece.
Joseph works deeply with connection and improvisational work. Each day we were led in improvisational exercises with Joseph to fuel our connection with the group, center our breathing, and foster each artist’s creativity in their natural movement. Using these improv techniques, Joseph crafted two brand new duets that occur during the piece and were specific to the dancers he worked with now in 2021. Working with Joseph led me to trust my instincts, be confident in my choices as a mover, and ultimately made me feel very calm and connected to my movement and my duet partner. One would assume that learning an entire 30 minute piece over four days would be a cause for stress, but for me it was just the opposite. I felt strangely at peace the entire week. Joseph didn’t rush the process, he sat with each decision, and made sure to breathe alongside his dancers. It made me feel comfortable with him from day one. He trusted me, I trusted him, and this allowed for magic to happen choreographically. Being a part of his process definitely encouraged my growth as a dancer. It’s always so fun and a great learning experience to work with new choreographers.
Kia worked with the trio while Joseph was crafting the duets. Her process was slightly different as she stuck with her original intricate choreography from 2019, cleaning and teaching it to three new trio dancers. The trio is extremely forward moving, quirky, and specific. It’s one of the most personality-driven sections of the piece for sure.
After two days of working on this choreographic material, all seven dancers joined together in the studio and we pieced the choreography together in chronological order. We figured out spacing, new group sections, transitions, etc.
Come week two of our South Korean friends being in town, we were already performing the full-length work! It began with an open rehearsal showing on Monday, November 8 and continued throughout the week with dance exchanges at Kenwood Academy High School and with Dyett Dance. We were thrilled to share our dance with high school students in the area as they shared their own choreography and dance routines as well. It is always such a pleasure to look at the young talent and potential around us. To know that the arts are alive and bring joy to kids throughout their school day is always amazing.
Just today we said a “see you later” to our South Korean Seoul-mates! We are counting down the days until we get to see them and dance with them again in February when South Chicago Dance Theatre goes international! Stay tuned for all of our fun adventures then!!
Spooks & Spirit Week
We have fun, yes we do! We have fun, how ’bout you??
South Chicago Dance Theatre – we work hard but we also know how to have a good time! One of my favorite things about our company is the environment we’ve created in rehearsal. We are each other’s family. Dance is difficult in so many ways…not only is it physically exhausting and strenuous on our bodies, but it also requires an abundance of mental effort to retain and perfect choreography and can tend to be emotionally draining at times. Our passion drives us through these hardships, but sometimes it’s the bonds and friendships that hold you together and keep you going as well. We’ve had a lot going on recently – between Harvest Festival performances, working on Kia S. Smith’s new piece for the Harris Theatre, prepping for South Chicago Dance Festival and reviewing repertoire…we were ready for a boost of extra energy.
Which brings us to….SPIRIT WEEK! Yes, we created it ourselves and forced the idea upon Kia, but we had a week full of spooky fun. Tuesday was orange & black, Wednesday was “black tie affair” (we had a photoshoot with Michelle Reid, stay tuned for some fabulous pictures!!) and we finished the week with our Halloween costumes and some trick-or-treat candy from Kia!! I love that our company finds ways to keep it exciting, keep up the moral and the energy, and of course – just have fun! We are 100% ourselves 100% of the time and let me tell you, I know some of the best personalities in the world because they are on this company!!
We hope you celebrated Halloween in your own special way this week and got to engage in your own spooky fun! Always a good time to feel like a kid again, and I thought we’d share a bit of the fun with you on the blog! Hope it made you smile. Lots to catch you all up on in the coming month – it’s going to be BIG! Between the Festival, our first residency for the 5th anniversary season, and some outreach with Chicago schools…you’re about to be hit with a lot of fun content!
As always STAY TUNED! And I suppose you can STAY SPOOKY as well! Happy Halloween, y’all!
