The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago is thrilled to announce the appointment of Ellen Chenoweth as the permanent Director of our Dance Presenting Series and a new faculty member of the Department of Dance, effective July 1, 2018. Ellen has been serving as Interim Director of the DPS since September 11, 2017.
It's been a busy and fruitful interim year for Ellen. Since she joined the Dance Center, she's been responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Presenting Series—implementation of the 2017–18 season, curation of the 2018–19 season in consultation with Dance Department Chair and Interim Theatre Department Chair Peter Carpenter, personnel management, finance and administration, partnership with internal and external constituents, fundraising, marketing, education, audience development and public advocacy.
“She surpassed our expectations with regard to programming, development, marketing and integration with the academic department, and I feel confident that she’s just getting started.”
Ellen began her career in arts administration through the Kennedy Center's Performance Plus program, where she worked with iconic artists such as Suzanne Farrell and Katherine Dunham. She has worked as a freelance arts administrator with choreographers in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.
Ellen Chenoweth. Photo: Phil Dembinski
Ellen relocated to the Windy City from the City of Brotherly Love, where she was the Director of Development and Communications for Philadelphia's Pig Iron Theatre Company. She was a program development consultant for the American Dance Institute (ADI) for two years, helping evaluate and document its residency program, the ADI Incubator. During four years at the Dance Exchange, she was instrumental in its transition when founder Liz Lerman left the company, serving as managing director for two years following the transition.
Ellen holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Rice University and a master's degree in dance from Texas Woman’s University. She completed a graduate certificate at Wesleyan University’s Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance, where she focused on Philadelphia performance history. Ellen is a writer and editor for thINKingDANCE, an online dance journal based in Philadelphia.
“It’s been a true joy to work with the faculty and staff of the Dance Department and see the creative work that is happening here in the studios and on the stage.”
Ellen's first official season as Director also coincides with the Dance Center's 45th anniversary. During the 18-19 Presenting Series, we will proudly present Ephrat Asherie Dance; Tere O'Connor Dance; Hedwig Dances; Red Clay Dance Company in partnership with Keiga Dance Company; Spectrum Dance Theater; Ananya Dance Theatre; and Urban Bush Women. We are also pleased to be one of the host sites for a performance in Chicago's wildly popular International Puppet Theater Festival.
In March 2019, the Dance Center will break out the champagne and the confetti for our 45th Anniversary Party, hosted by alumnus Matthew Hollis (aka Mattrick Swayze) and showcasing work by Dance Center alumni, current students, and other special guests.
“Our 45th anniversary season is an exciting milestone as we celebrate our legacy and move forward into a new chapter.”
Subscriptions to the 2018-19 Season are on sale now; single tickets go on sale July 1. We'll see you in the theater!
