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HISTORY of DANCE
CHICAGO
In 1995, John Schmitz and Fred Solari decided to create a new idea for
dance in Chicago. DANCE CHICAGO began that season as an audience
development project for Chicago dance and drew wide attention from
audiences and critics alike. After 12 years of successful operations,
Dance Chicago is now considered to be a Chicago dance institution. In
2006 Dance Chicago averaged 521 paid per show (Athenaeum Theatre
seating capacity: 985) for 31 performances (total paid attendance:
16,139). Except for the Harris Theatre, this average exceeds the
seating capacities of all other significant dance venues in Chicago.
Dance Chicago has become the most diverse and comprehensive exposition
of dance in the history of Chicago and remains the only festival of its
kind in the Nation. From large and mid-sized companies to the new small
dance troupe and the young independent artist, Dance Chicago is the
most important celebration for Chicago's large and diverse dance
community in the performing arts year. Dance Chicago provides the
entire Chicago metropolitan area dance organizations a chance to
exhibit their best work on a major Chicago stage to large audiences
with significant marketing and press support. Each season Dance
Chicago supports the work of over 300 companies and independent
choreographers and over 3,000 individual artists. For general
audiences, Dance Chicago occupies a major share of the market in the
fall season (16,139 attended in 2006, 19,490 in 2005). Dance Chicago
2007 consists of 11 different thematic programs, totaling 30
performances, held at the Athenaeum Theatre in Chicago, and runs 5
weeks. Opening Weekend is November 2, 3 & 4. Grand Finale is on
December 1 & 2. The Best of Dance Chicago Tour continues for the third
consecutive year to growing audiences in Aurora, Orland Park and
Batavia, IL. The programs of Dance Chicago will be continually updated
and summarized at www.dancechicago.com.
The Dance Chicago
Choreography Project
The Dance Chicago Choreography Project is a project designed as an
infrastructure development project for the Chicago Dance Community.
Originally sponsored by the Chicago Community Trust and Sara Lee
Foundation in 2002, the project aids young choreographers by providing
resources in order to create new work, which then premieres in Dance
Chicago. These choreographers, nurtured through Dance Chicago, would
probably not have the opportunity to work with the high level of talent
provided by this project. Past examples include River North Chicago
Dance Company, Thodos Dance Chicago, Luna Negra Dance Theatre, Hubbard
Street 2, and dancers of the Joffrey Ballet. Choreographers have
included: Jon Lehrer, Paul Christiano, Lauri Stallings, Altin Naska,
Julia Rhoads, Lisa Willingham, Tommye Giacchino and Gregory Day, Eddy
Ocampo, and others.
Artists interested in this project should contact John Schmitz directly
at john@dancechicago.com.
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