Presented companies, Press, The Dance Center, Latest
Jane Jerardi
See Chicago Dance Review: Artists pack a punch ...

See Chicago Dance’s Megan Kudla reviews our recent Chicago Artist Spotlight Festival second weekend of performances: “Every piece was carefully crafted and packed a punch, and the performers masterfully navigated the worlds created. The artistic output of Kilmurray & Brody, Howard and Swilley were meaningful and exciting, setting a high standard for what performance art can be and say about process, product and the relationships that are essential to them.”

See Chicago Dance Review: Artists pack a punch during Columbia College’s Chicago Artist Festival
Latest, Presented companies, Press, Reflection, The Dance Center
Jane Jerardi
Environmental awakening: ETHOS IV connects ...

A canopy of pink blossoming trees showers petals on the audience as we sail down the path, pulled along by a current of wind and sound. Slow and easy, like swirling air, four figures float through the grove, reverently laying hands upon the bark and grass. They caress the breeze and mimic the shapes of the branches and trunks. Ayako Kato—kinetic philosopher, poet and choreographer—pauses to hang from one branch, arm hooked delicately and body unfolding toward the sky. The crowd is hushed. See Chicago Dance reviews Ayako Kato’s ETHOS IV: Degrowth/Cycle/Rebirth.

Environmental awakening: ETHOS IV connects community to the Earth
Presented companies, Process, Reflection, The Dance Center, Latest
Jane Jerardi
What happens when we take off our socks? The ...

In January/February 2024, dance artist SJ Swilley held a production residency at the Dance Center of Columbia College supported by Chicago Dancemakers Forum. They invited collaborators Mawu Ama Ma'at Gora and Graciella Ye'Tsunami to help shape their work, Aaliyah Christina as an embedded writer, and Jovan Landry as the photographer to document some of the process. The resulting piece was part of the Chicago Artist Spotlight Festival in April 2024.

What happens when we take off our socks? The bittersweet power of introspection: a response by Aaliyah Christina
Latest, Presented companies, Press, The Dance Center
Jane Jerardi
Rooted in Connection: The Dance Center ...

Sharon Hoyer of New City Stage interviews our Artistic Director Meredith Sutton: “The Dance Center at Columbia College Chicago is a semi-hidden gem just off the path of big-name performance venues in the Loop…Some of the most memorable performances I’ve seen in my near twenty years of covering dance in Chicago have taken place on the Dance Center stage. Experimental work, student and faculty showcases, nationally and internationally revered artists have all rarified the Dance Center’s air for half a century.”

Rooted in Connection: The Dance Center Celebrates Local Artists During its Fiftieth Season
Latest, Presented companies, Press, The Dance Center
Jane Jerardi
Stages in Bloom: Our Chicago Artist Spotlight ...

The Dance Center of Columbia College presents the first Chicago Artist Spotlight Festival, featuring works by distinguished Chicago dancemakers Ayako Kato, J’Sun Howard, SJ Swilley, and Erin Kilmurray and Kara Brody in works that expand the footprint of performance beyond the stage.

Stages in Bloom: Our Chicago Artist Spotlight Festival in Chicago Reader's Picks for Spring

on the ground

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On the Ground

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On the Ground

Expanding our blog to take the pulse on our dance communities

In 2021, through the support of The Walder Foundation, we were able to expand the On the Ground series on our blog. We checked in on the dance communities in our city and beyond by taking the pulse of the moment during the covid pandemic. On the Ground became an online dance journal-magazine that featured interviews with Chicago dance artists, shared work from virtual residencies that we hosted with choreographers, and took deep dives into our video archives.

On the Ground: Homecoming - Shadows and the Africanist Aesthetic in Ephrat Asherie’s Odeon

On the Ground: Homecoming - Shadows and the Africanist Aesthetic in Ephrat Asherie’s Odeon

In a new initiative called On The Ground, the Dance Presenting Series engaged five Chicago-based dance writers to be present for the week-long residencies that happen at the Dance Center. To start this series, Columbia College Chicago alum Brianna Heath participated in the activities during Ephrat Asherie Dance’s residency, October 15-20, 2019.