DanceWorks Chicago’s Dance360 programming is celebrating five years of commitment to young artists. A frequent symbol for the 5th anniversary is Wood, representing strength, wisdom, and endurance. The circular rings in a tree represent a journey. As Team DWC looks ahead, wood, a traditional material used for building, is a wonderful inspiration as DanceWorks Chicago continues to provide a platform for early career movers and makers.
Digital ChoreoLab is open to advanced/professional level dancers 15+ on the Zoom platform this winter. No need to put on a heavy coat and trudge through snow! Join us in your preferred creative space and immerse yourself in a professional environment geared to training, creating, sharing, and networking. Get to know our featured choreographer through class, rep rehearsal, and discussion. The day culminates in an informal sharing open to family and friends.
DanceWorks Chicago is excited to welcome back choreographer Tommie Waheed Evans to the Dance360 space!
From LA, Tommie received a fellowship at the Ailey School, and a Master of Fine Arts in Choreography from Jacksonville University. His professional appearances include the sitcom “The Parkers”, the Emmy Awards, HopeBoykinDance, Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Lula Washington Dance Theater, (PHILADANCO, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. He has created works for BalletX, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, PHILADANCO, Verb Ballets, Ballet Memphis, The University of the Arts, and Boston Conservatory at Berklee, among others. He has been commissioned by Lula Washington Dance Theatre and Louisville Ballet. In 2006 Tommie founded his Philadelphia-based company, Waheed-Works. He has received accolades and honors including a 2019 Princess Grace Honoria Award in Choreography, BalletX 2017 Ballet Choreographic Fellowship, Joffrey Ballet Winning Works 2019, Ballet Memphis New American Dance Residency 2019, and was selected nationally as an emerging leader by Dance/USA. Tommie is currently the Artist-in-Residence at PHILADANCO and on faculty at the University of the Arts.
Digital ChoreoLab offers a space to interface and incubate with Tommie-Waheed. The virtual experience invites dancers into the intimate creative culture and asks them to commit to creative stake-holding. Artists have the opportunity to dialogue and research with Tommie-Waheed through laboratory work to deepen their approach to the material and its unique methodology. The work intertwines an urban street style and contemporary dance vocabulary with an emphasis on gospel music and poly-rhythmic sounds.
SCHEDULE (all times CENTRAL)
- 10:40am, Zoom Room opens
- 10:45am, CHECK-IN and Informal NETWORKING
- 11am-noon, CLASS with Tommie
- 12:05pm-1:45pm, REPERTOIRE: a dance work/process focused on Love, Longing, and Loss.
- 1:45pm-2pm, PAUSE
- 2pm-2:30pm, Let’s SHARE! Informal sharing open to family, friends, and supporters followed by a Q & A with Tommie-Waheed and DanceWorks Chicago Artistic Director Julie Nakagawa
Join us for ChoreoLab and get in the creative spirit this holiday season!
NO audition required!
FEE: $50
Save your place today! Space is limited in order to provide individual attention.
REGISTRATION is easy and available via this online form.
Interested in a SCHOLARSHIP? Please complete this online form.
QUESTIONS? Inquire with Dance360 Program Director Sara Bibik
DanceWorks Chicago is committed to supporting individual artistic growth, providing a laboratory for early career artists to journey from “good to great” through training, collaboration, mentorship, and performance. DWC shines a spotlight on individual artists, celebrating unique voices and finding harmony in collaboration.