10 Things I'm Grateful For
As it’s November, and gratitude goes hand in hand with this month of thanksgiving, I find it fitting to address the ten things I am most thankful for as a part of SCDT. Gratitude is one of my favorite practices - each morning I write down ten things in the past 24 hours that I am thankful for. Overall, it makes me happier and helps me to notice the small things that make huge impacts. So here it is, my official Gratitude List for South Chicago Dance Theatre:
- Friendships and bonds that have been created in the past three months. I can confidently say that I trust, respect, and love every member of our SCDT team.
- The importance of artistry. Kia values each artists’ personal voice as a mover and that is so fulfilling as a dancer to know that your own movement quality and quirks are seen as important.
- Kia herself. Seeing a strong and confident woman run her own company in such an organized, professional, and loving manner is inspiring.
- The challenge to be a better dancer. Everyone gives it their all in company class and in rehearsal. It constantly pushes me to grow.
- COMPANY CLASS! Can we talk about Sarah Schaefer’s ballet class every Tuesday? I have never felt more poised and like I’m actually DANCING in a ballet class than with her. And don’t even get me started on Kia’s modern - a challenge but a necessity!!
- Diverse repertoire. We are performing ballet, jazz, modern, Africanist influenced, and soulful choreography. It keeps me on my toes as a dancer and provides me the opportunity to be versatile.
- Our board!! We had a chance to invite them to our rehearsal over Zoom last month and the way they spoke about their appreciation for dance and SCDT made my heart so happy.
- The Youth Training Company! I’ve had the chance to substitute teach over Zoom for these kids and their dedication to dance reminds me why I started in the first place.
- The laughs and silliness that only dancers can understand. Being back in community with fellow dancers has made me the happiest I’ve been all year!
- The sense of belonging I feel with SCDT. We are all such a crucial part of the group. The studio is our home, we are each other’s support systems, and movement is our therapy.
South Chicago Dance Theatre is so much more than just a company to all of us dancers. We get to live out our passion, and for that I am forever thankful!
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
It’s South Chicago Dance Festival time!! October is coming to a close and we are SO looking forward because November means it is time for our second annual dance festival! As a company member, I am so thankful that we have an artistic director like Kia who is persistent in keeping us and our community performing. Even if it means virtually for the time being, SCDT is so lucky to keep this festival alive and well!
November 17-21, 2020 contains a whole lot of immersive dance experiences. You have the opportunity to join us for various classes, panel discussions, and both a youth and company concert. I am most looking forward to our two concerts as it gives an opportunity for multiple companies and organizations throughout Chicago to be seen and heard at a time where it feels so difficult to do so. Whether supporting in person or through a screen, we feel privileged to share all of our hard work with our audience. You keep us going.
This week in rehearsal, SCDT had the honor of showing one of our pieces to our board members. In speaking with the board, I made mention of how I’ve often looked at dance as a selfish art – something I want to get better at and a dream I’ve personally pursued. In recent years, and especially in working with Kia and our various choreographers, I’ve realized how giving dance truly is – to ourselves, to each other, and to the community. I think that’s something audience members will really connect to through viewing the concert online. Dance connects us all, and we cannot wait to connect with you via our festival!
Purchase your tickets soon and tell your friends, family…anyone! Further information can be found on our “South Chicago Dance Festival” tab.
Something 'New'
Fall has always in some way signified change for me. Whether it was starting a new school year or moving to a new city, there was always something “new” come the turn of the season. Lucky for us this Fall, we have had the privilege of having our own new choreographic work. For the past few weeks we have been in rehearsal with Crystal Michelle Perkins creating a piece via Zoom. The process has been an adventure and throughout the month of October we, as a company, have seen the work mold itself into a true work of art.
For non-dancers, the art of choreography can sometimes be a mystery. I often recall my parents asking me “where do you even begin?” It’s a valid question – does it start with the music, the concept or idea, a specific storyline, or maybe a sequence of movements that you like? For each choreographer it’s different, but the process itself feels so familiar. With Crystal’s currently untitled work, it began with two phrases of choreography made in silence - ‘Part A’ and ‘Part B’. Everyone learned these two phrases quickly, and then came the deconstruction. This is where the choreographer’s mind gets to let loose and be creative. Crystal utilizes what many of us refer to as a ‘toolbox’ for choreography. Using those two base phrases, Crystal paired us off in duets and gave each of us a task. One group sped the movement up, the other retrograded it (which is SO hard on the brain if I may add), and another did all of the movement on the ground (talk about bruises for days). These adjustments are all considered choreographic tools. Using these new variations of Phrase A and B, we started to mold the piece together. Crystal placed us in formations, played around with who dances when, and saw how the movement traveled through the space. We are currently still working on the overall structure of the dance, but that’s the beauty of choreography – it’s a process and there is freedom in the construction!
I love being a paint color in an artist’s palette. It’s where I find my place in the dance world – supporting another’s artistic creation and watching it come to fruition. Crystal has been and continues to be a pleasure for us to work with. Now that you have insight on our choreographic journey, be sure to check out all of the work at South Chicago Dance Festival coming up!! We cannot wait to share our art with the community!
Zoom, Zoom, ZOOM!
Choreography for the company looks a little different this season and we are soaking up all the benefits of virtual learning.
Our first Zoom adventure was this Wednesday with Crystal Michelle Perkins. All the company members and emerging artists spent two hours learning new phrases of choreography via the screen. Crystal’s process worked quite well – she taught her movement to one dancer at a time and the rest of us followed along and learned from the “leader”. It always stuns me how much more there is to a company than dancing – it requires such keen teamwork, leadership, and respect for one another. Learning such detailed movement over Zoom is not an easy feat, but each of us is piecing the puzzle together to execute Crystal’s foundational phrases for this new piece! I’m excited to see how she will continue to work with us virtually to shape these phrases into a full work!
The following day we were on Zoom yet again, but this time with Monique Haley. We’ve learned the majority of Monique’s piece from last season’s video, though Monique decided to add four more dancers into the work. We slowly moved through her choreography while she tweaked movement, gave qualitative notes, and adjusted the spacing to work for ten dancers. She has such an infectious spirit that made us all feel valued, appreciated, and like we were contributing to the beauty of her soulful choreography. I cannot describe how wonderful of a feeling that is to get, especially through a screen.
It can be difficult training through technology. As dancers, most of us chose this career path to avoid staring at screens all day. What is keeping me thankful is the privilege to be in the space with my fellow dancers. While safely social distancing, I can still feel the drive of our company and tap into the sacred energy that dance brings…even through a Zoom call!
Elevating ALL the Voices of Our Time
In these troubling times, everything has flipped upside down. This rings especially true for children whose little minds were so used to being stimulated by constant activity, social interactions, and community with others their own age. South Chicago Dance Theatre is such a special organization in multiple ways and the Youth Training Company is just one aspect of SCDT’s dedication to our community. Though our country is in the midst of a pandemic and surrounded by worry and fear, these young dancers have a way to express themselves, improve themselves, and immerse themselves in the arts.
These two beautiful ballerinas are a part of the Primary Level Ballet Saturday class. It is our privilege as a company to continue their dance education virtually. Dance has taught me so much more than just technique. I am a firm believer that dance training is life training. As young as the age of five, dance taught me to respect authority, to exude confidence, to learn information quickly and efficiently, to follow direction, to form self-discipline, and to form life-long friendships. Seeing these children sprout interest in movement but also learn the value of artistic freedom is so inspiring. It reminds me why I started. Dance has so many benefits – SCDT is so lucky to spread that joy to so many people of all ages and all abilities!
Let's Talk About Stamina...
As a company, our main focus thus far has been learning previous repertoire by Monique Haley and August Tye. This has been quite a challenge with five new company members, but thankfully our rehearsal assistant and fellow company member, Shannon, has come to our rescue. We’ve been learning choreography from her as she references past video footage of the choreography for details and refinement.
The two pieces could not be further from each other in quality and dynamic. Monique’s piece, Soul Power, is grounded, intense, and requires extreme athletic stamina. There are multiple solos throughout the piece that allow each person to be seen, but there are also many interactions and crossing of paths throughout the work. One of my favorite parts of performing is making eye contact while dancing – not only does it fuel my fire, but it gives me that sense of community and belonging I’ve spoken of before. This piece allows so many opportunities for eye contact that serve as a little reminder between us company members to keep the energy up!
On the other hand, Danza De La Cervatas by August Tye is just a physically demanding, but requires so much poise, grace, and ease. The ballet dance is solely the four women company members, but I mean it when I tell you we never stop jumping. From an audience perspective, the dance looks effortless and composed as it should. From a dancers’ perspective, it’s a calf cramp waiting to happen. We’ve all been embracing the challenge and increasing our stamina through this piece (reminder: we are masked while dancing, so there’s some bonus stamina work).
SCDT is proving itself to be a diverse repertory company with this season’s choreography. Feel free to look into our Season's Choreographers and their background under the "Our Team" tab in the "About" section. More to come – we are always growing, improving, and working to be the most well-rounded dancers we can be!
Back at It!
We’re back!! South Chicago Dance Theatre has been in rehearsal training and learning repertory for the past two weeks and what a pleasure it has been.
2020 has been a wild ride for everyone – with quarantine, health issues, and new guidelines and procedures to abide by, we are all adjusting to this new normal. As a dance artist, I have missed the stage and performing. More than that, though, I have missed the indescribable feeling of being in a room with other dancers sharing time, space, and energy. This collective joy not only sparks inspiration and happiness, but gives me a sense of belonging. Plain and simple – it’s why I do what I do.
Although the majority of us company members and emerging artists are brand new to SCDT, rehearsal immediately felt like Home for all of us. Dance has a special way of breaking barriers and introducing us to one another through the language of movement. I already feel inspired and challenged by my fellow dancers while also learning their personalities through their individual movement quality. Shannon is ambitious, Kyle is patient, Imani is so willing, Heather is poised, and Kim is dynamic. We all bring such different traits to the table – what is one person’s strength is what the rest of us can look to for motivation. We have diverse training backgrounds, but we also have various backgrounds as people. That is what makes our company so beautiful and what makes me so excited to continue this season. I see so much opportunity for growth and as an artist that thrills me. Stay tuned everyone! I have a good feeling about the rest of this year!!
-Kelly Anderson
Welcome
Dear Reader,
Thank you for taking a moment to visit the South Chicago Dance Theatre's blog. This season, Main Company artist Kelly Anderson will give offer a behind the scenes look at the company's in person and virtual performances, South Chicago Dance Festival, our Education and Community Programs, First Saturdays with the South Chicago Dance Theatre +Touch Gift Foundation and much more! SCDT Dramaturg Tanniqua-Kay Buchanan will also contribute to our blog throughout the season as she supports the company in research for the premiere of my work "Anthology of the Heart". Our theme for this year is "Honoring Tradition, Elevating the Voices of Our Time". Throughout the year's programs, we aim to uplift and engage current artists of both our hyperlocal and global community whilst continually paying homage to those who have come before us.
We hope that you will join our journey throughout season four in both the live and virtual setting!
Signing Off,
Kia S. Smith
Executive Artistic Director/Resident Choreographer
Kelly Anderson, Blog Manager