Happy New Year from SCDT!
A silly picture for 2025 because it matches our vibe!
As of January 7, 2025 we are BACK in rehearsal and ready to accomplish all that the New Year has in store - and let me tell you it's a lot!
Just so I can fully depict how much it is...here's a list of all we are looking forward to in 2025 to close out Season 8 - trust me you'll hear more about each individual event through the blog soon!
- Black History Month Performances!
- Guest teachers for Company Class
- South Chicago Dance Festival
- Another residency with Kate Weare!
- A performance with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company!
- A performance at York High School
- Continuing to rehearse and put together our May 3 show
- Our May 3 show at the Auditorium Theatre
- Red Rock Dance Festival in Utah
- NEXT SEASON!!!!
WOW - ten amazing and wonderful things to look forward to and so much in between. Stay tuned for the blogs about each and everything...I can't wait to share!
Opera Laguna Premiere
On our final days before the Holiday Break, we had the privilege of escaping the cold and flying to sunny and 65 Laguna Beach, California! A few nights on the oceanfront made all of us leave insanely refreshed and happy to perform prior to visiting our families for break.
We arrived to California on Thursday, December 19 and have had a whirlwind of a time since we left on Saturday, December 21. After arriving and settling quickly at our hotel, we walked to our venue at a beautiful church location in Laguna. We had 90 minutes in the space to figure out how to make the choreography we had prepared in Chicago for the 6 songs we were performing to in the Opera. Adjustments had to be made especially since the space proved to be quite tight. It's nothing we are not used to - as professionals we are equipped to make quick changes and adjust to the space or stage we are utilizing. After the spacing rehearsal, we got dressed in our crimson red costumes and prepared for a Dress Rehearsal run of the full opera show with singers, musicians, and all of us dancers.
The show was titled "Handel's Messiah" and is considered the "Nutcracker of Operas" in the Opera world. It's a show patrons love to come see around the Holiday season. The dress rehearsal went off without a hitch, we had all of Friday to enjoy the city of Laguna, enjoy the crashing of the waves, and soak up the sunshine! Friday night's performance was packed with viewers and the audience seemed to love it. We are so happy to have worked with Opera Laguna and hope to have the privilege to see and work with them again.
Here's to a wonderful Holiday Break - enjoy the time with your loved ones and we will see you in 2025! Happy New Year!
Happy Holidays from SCDT!
A big HAPPY HOLIDAYS from SCDT at our annual Holiday Party that we had just yesterday, December 12.
Our end-of-year often times ends up being so busy that we struggle to find a time to pause in the dancing and celebrate a successful, healthy year with one another! So, yes, it's a bit early, but we enjoyed the celebration nonetheless.
With the Emerging and Associate artists' show this coming weekend, and the Main Company heading out to Laguna Beach, California for a performance of an Opera, we pinned down this mid-week party for us all to participate in!
What did we do? Eat, laugh, show up in our favorite holiday sweaters, relax, and play games! Each year we tend to watch back an old performance that most of us were involved in. This year, we snuggled up (shown above) on gymnastic mats to watch our Jacob's Pillow performance! Back in August we had the honor of showing 4 works in a 40-minute performance outside in Beckett, Massachusetts at the renowned Jacob's Pillow! Just yesterday, we watched it back and it's always a joy to watch with everyone. We make jokes, reminisce, and compliment each other on what a crazy amazing job we all did at that performance. For some of the new emerging artists, it's their first time seeing some of those pieces performed by us!
After the showing, we ate more and played a South Chicago Dance Theatre themed version of Guess Who? A couple of us Company Members dreamed this game up last year and I finally put it together and it was such a success!
My favorite part of being on this company is how it truly feels like a family. We all care for each other and genuinely enjoy hanging out together. Celebrating 2024 was a must and I'm so glad we got to do it together - even if it was a bit early!
Happy Holidays to you all, enjoy your time together whenever you have the chance to celebrate!!
Emerging/Associate Artist Showcase: What you can Expect
Our closest event upcoming is our first ever Emerging and Associate Artist Showcase on Saturday, December 13 at 3pm at The Dance Center at Columbia College. If you have not yet reserved tickets, below is the link to our FREE show!
We've had the Emerging Artist program since I started with South Chicago Dance Theatre in Season 4, but this year is the first year we've had this big of a program and enough dancers to put on their own show! It's extremely exciting because alongside the Main Company, the Emerging and Associate Artists have a show to work up to in the December month! For the past few months, while the Main Company has worked on the upcoming Opera debut in California, the Emerging and Associate Artists have had the opportunity to work on this Showcase! And let me tell you - they've been putting in WORK! The repertoire looks amazing and the dancers are thrilling to watch. Below is a sneak preview of what you can expect to see this Saturday...
Memoirs of Jazz in the Alley (an excerpt): did you miss our Season 6 home show? Or do you miss viewing one of our most upbeat, exciting, and performative crowd-pleasers? Well, you can get a taste of it from watching a duet from this fun piece!
An Opening: Choreographed by Terry Marling, this piece is a beautiful depiction of human nature and connecting to the people you interact with.
On a Lark: Another crowd favorite! A journey through familiar Hollywood songs and intense character work and partnering for all to enjoy!
Soul Power: Our most grounded and dynamic jazz piece. The Emerging and Associate Artists absolutely fill the stage with immense energy and focus!
A solo work by our own Kia S. Smith will be featured as well!
Hybrid Line: To top it all of, a well-known finale for our company, this piece is dark, full of constant-movement, and incredibly athletic.
Sound EXCITING? That's because it is! Support our company and come watch this Saturday!! It's only one click away, plus it's FREE! No excuses...we will see you there!
Have You Heard? (AKA don't miss it!!!)
Interrupting our regular scheduled Gratitude series to give you the most important announcement - our Associate and Emerging Artists are having a FREE show...yes, you heard that correctly, FREE! Which means, 0 excuse not to come and support our 8 favorites as they have worked for the past few months putting together this incredible showing.
Located at the dance center at Columbia College, these dancers are showing six pieces of repertoire from SCDT. While the Main Company was off touring for two weeks in Korea & Vietnam, our Emerging and Associate Artists were utilizing the studio space in Chicago, learning and rehearsing all six pieces for the show.
Most of the pieces you've seen before at previous Season 5, 6, or 7 home season shows. Some of these artists have even been involved in the original cast of the works! Of course they bring all the energy, power, and grace that SCDT always brings and we are so proud of them. As a Main Company dancer, I just have to say that the couple of pieces we've been able to view ahead of time look extraordinary and have an AMAZING energy to them. We are ultra supportive of our friends and peers and can't wait to watch them shine on December 14!
I mean it - don't miss it! It's free, it's at Columbia college, and it's another chance to see some of your favorite pieces from throughout the seasons!
Grateful for MOVEMENT
Gratitude series taking us through the month of November and it may seem completely simple, but today I am reflecting on my gratitude for movement itself.
Think about it - as I'm typing this, I'm mimicking the motion that most people do every single day for a job. Most people sit at a desk, stare at a computer, type or respond to emails, and spend practically 8 hours a day in this same format.
Don't get me wrong - my job is strenuous and physically exhausting, but I just can't picture a life in which I stay STILL for so much of it.
In addition to this, most people know their co-workers in a small-talk and brief conversation format. I know the depths of my co-workers, I trust them, I fall to them, I balance with their strength, and I spend most moments of my day interacting, problem-solving, and collaborating with them.
I simply can't imagine a life without deep connection and love for the people I work with.
Movement supersedes language and becomes our own intimate conversation. It helps me to meet someone faster, know who they are simply by HOW they move. I love it so much.
One of the best things we learned very young through dancing was that you get to let your emotions out through movement. Bad day? Focus on the movement and let it out. Good day? Jump high, soar through the sky, and continue to feel amped by dancing it out. Want to embody/act like a character completely unlike yourself? With dance, every day is like Halloween dress up and we get to play as characters.
Through movement we are allowed to play, explore, discover, and keep the child-like wonder of life alive.
Today, I'm thankful for a career that keeps me moving, happy, stimulated, active, healthy, and desiring to come back to "work" each day.
Thanksgiving Series: Our PEOPLE!
This November, we are in a state of process. Tons of work going on towards Kia Smith's new piece and it's truly wonderful watching everything to come together. Don't get me wrong - it's hard work. It's nice to take a step back and appreciate all that's going on big picture.
GRATITUDE is one of my favorite seasons of the year - you all know if you've been following the blog for years and years. This year I've decided we need MORE gratitude and it's a whole series.
Today, I start by being grateful for the people in the picture above and so many more not pictured. Each dancer on SCDT brings a little bit of light into my day and I'm extremely thankful for it. Below is a sentence or two about each person. Hopefully it helps you get to know them a bit more, and selfishly it allows me to reflect and sparks some joy in my day :)
Keeley: For one, Keeley makes me dance taller and makes me want to get my leg up higher!! But in all seriousness, she is sweet and always serves a smile and her youthful energy keeps us going!
Kelsi: Our quiet and quippy queen. You have to listen close, but she is quick-witted while staying completely focused and determined whenever it comes to class or rehearsal.
Lauryn: A serious powerhouse. She may be new this year, but her dancing is far from timid. I'm inspired by her hunger and tenacity in her dancing and as a person!
Reid: He's young but oh so professional! Reid is the first to treat everyone with kindness and has a work ethic that is top notch.
Mary: She's so silly and fun and keeps the long rehearsal days so light-hearted. It's what we need every time we step into the studio - more JOY!
Maddie: Maddie is insanely focused and has a constant desire to get better. She takes feedback and improves upon it unlike any dancer I've seen and it's so inspiring!
Faith: She has such an ease to her movement. She challenges me to explore and think about movement in a different way and is such a powerful force and presence when she dances!
Ben: Ben is the type of person you become friends with from the first moment you meet - he's so easy-going, funny, and doesn't take things so seriously. And then you watch him dance and his flexibility and realize he's serious about that...:)
Elijah: The company's all-time grandpa! Such an old soul, but so incredibly creative. The way Elijah approaches movement is from a leveling up mindset. He'll never settle and constantly pushes me to do more!
Brodie: Brodie is sometimes my needed reminder to chill out - he's a calming spirit and so collected especially when learning choreography quickly. My FAVORITE Brodie moments, though, are when he spews out in uncontrollable laughter!
Valerie: Our newest company member, but so eloquent, well-spoken, adaptable, and mature. I don't love hugs, but I'd take a Valerie hug any day :)
Trey: Trey's presence is always known and they constantly inspire me to take up space, dance taller, and level up. Plus, I'm 100% thankful for their shoulder massages!!!
Chloe: Chloe girl is fun, chatty, and so easy to get along with. She's gorgeous to watch as a dancer and has such fluid transitions!
Jack: His energy is infectious and fills the whole entire room. He's a natural leader, a fun friend, and so athletic as a dancer it constantly challenges me to push my stamina and strength.
Marissa: Poised, graceful, organized, on top of it ALWAYS! Marissa is calm and confident energy, she's so intelligent, and she balances out all of our crazy energy so well.
Mya: Never a dull moment around Mya - her personality is bright and silly and she keeps me laughing 800% of the time. She is the POWER in SCDT no doubt!
SCDT is full of great dancers, but more than that it's full of great PEOPLE. Thanks for always sharing your energy with me each day.
What is the "Artistic Process"?
It's process time around here at South Chicago Dance Theatre! And from right now until perhaps the end of 2024, we are diving in to a new artistic process with our own Director of Vision and Strategy, Kia S. Smith! You may be wondering - what is process? It could be something you've heard of before in the artistic world but you may not know how it directly correlates to dance and HOW we make or choreograph a piece.
Well - I'm here to give you the inside scoop...
Every choreographer and person's process is totally different, just as everyone's approach to learning or creating tends to be different. Some artists prefer to work in a linear fashion, whilst others jump from middle to beginning to end to middle all over again. Some choreographers prefer to set things in stone right away, whilst others prefer to change things constantly and let the first time something is set to be a mold that can shift and develop over time.
When it comes to working with Kia, the ladder is typically more true. Kia is a true creative, and after working in her process for the past five years, I've come to know that things with change, develop, get scrapped, get enhanced, and move around over time. It's exciting to watch something start as a seed and form into a beautiful piece.
For us as dancers, the development of a piece usually starts with what we call "phrases" or snippets of movement strung together. Sometimes Kia will attach these phrases to movement, other times not. We as her dancers have to be very flexible and also remember as much as we can when it comes to all of the phrases. We have what I like to call, "Big Brains".
Kia is just this week starting to work on her piece for our May 3rd show at the Auditorium Theatre. The piece titled "Limitless" will likely include all of us dancers and is a half-evening length work. Just this week, we've been working on phrases. Sometimes as a group, duets, solos, etc. but it is solely the preliminary part of the process. We are excited to continue to work on this process and, of course, I will be here to update you on it throughout the various stages.
Hopefully this gives you a small window into what process looks like! Onward and upward to more process in the coming weeks!!
Tour Part 2: Vietnam!
Back for more on our amazing tour of Asia, 2024.
After seven wonderful days abroad in South Korea, the 12 of us dancers (Choomna and South Chicago Dance Theatre) boarded a plane to travel directly to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The best part about this leg of the tour was our wonderful guide and host, Sam Jeong. Kia and Sam are long-time friends and Sam is responsible for bringing us to a festival in Vietnam come 2025. This years' trip was all about meeting the dance company in Vietnam (Lyricist) and getting to know each others' styles so that our collaboration next season can be successful.
We only spent three short days in Vietnam, but they were impactful, jam-packed, and so well-organized. After exploring a whole new country and switching time zones, it was so great to have Sam host us - and WOW did he HOST us. Lunches were delivered right to the dance studio each day - even coffees one of the days (Vietnamese coffee is no joke, it's strong and delicious!). Family dinner was reserved at various restaurants each night precisely at 6:30pm. Night one we went to a rooftop Vietnamese restaurant called "Secret Garden". There I tried full shrimp and other family-style passed dishes while soaking up the humidity of Vietnam. I LOVE the heat and I felt so good arriving to 90 degree weather.
Other nights we indulged in Vegetarian cuisine along with a Japanese fusion pizza place. Everything was amazing and I can't wait to go back to try more of their cuisine. As far as the dancing goes, it was the best feeling to create, learn, and explore each others' genres of dance without any pressure. Typically when we collaborate with a group, we have to hit the ground running. For these two days we were able to learn each country's traditional style, take class from each company's director, and explore some collaborative movement with one another. Dancing with everyone felt so natural and we had only just met. That's the magic of Choreographic Diplomacy.
A beautiful trip, a beautiful collaboration of dance, and such an appreciation for where South Chicago Dance Theatre has taken me!
Tour Part 1: South Korea!
We've just returned from our AMAZING international tour of 2024. This tour had two legs - reason why you haven't heard from me in quite some time! We were gone for a total of 12 days and had the privilege of exploring and dancing in both South Korea AND Vietnam! I have so much to tell you, but we will start with Part 1 - South Korea!
We embarked on a 12 hour flight from Chicago to Seoul, South Korea on Sunday, September 29, 2024. The nine of us company members plus Kia adjusted to the 14-hour time difference and were right on to rehearsal with our Seoul-mates from Choomna Dance Company on Tuesday, October 1! You may remember Choomna as we've had a long-lasting relationship with the dancers and their director, Joseph Kim, for seven years running. Joseph and Kia met on Facebook and formed a connection that has led us to dancing with them and collaborating on choreography throughout the past few seasons. It's wonderful to have a beautiful relationship with a company so far away.
The 12 of us dancers collaborated on a new piece that premiered at the Seoul International Dance Festival in Tank! Our movement surpassed language barriers and we had the most beautiful outdoor stage venue to premiere our work on. In addition to rehearsing and performing, Joseph and his dancers showed us such a fun time in Korea. One of my favorite nights was when Joseph reserved a Korean barbecue restaurant for us. He ordered us his favorite meats, we chatted non-stop, laughing from across the tables. After dinner, we went to Karaoke in which we sang our favorite songs from both countries. It was the most fun night eating Korean food, exploring the city, and having the most fun with our Korean friends!
Between dancing and exploring, laughing and rehearsing, we appreciated a new culture and learned so much about collaboration. We love our Choreographic Diplomacy program and we are privileged to have kept such an amazing relationship with Choomna!
Stay tuned for PART TWO of our wonderful tour!