January is National Mentorship Month!  

DanceWorks Chicago is excited to shine a light on mentorship by offering Mentorship Mondays to ignite the new year!            Start 2026 with a personal / professional Glow Up! 

• Curious about how to align your personal and professional mission / vision / values?
• Interested to turn a challenge into an opportunity?
• Need a second opinion?
• Have a burning question about arts administration / artistic leadership, a life in the arts?
• Want to share thoughts / experiences for feedback?
• Something keeping you up at night? Happy to be a thought partner.

In-person and Zoom conversations are available by appointment.  BYOBeverage and let’s talk!

ALL conversations will be held in complete confidence.

To schedule a conversation, reach out with your request to DanceWorks Chicago Co-founder and Artistic Director Julie Nakagawa via email: jnakagawa@danceworkschicago.org.  Subject Line: Mentorship Monday_your first and last name_date(s) requested   Please include your window of availability (example: 11am-1:30pm, Eastern time), preference for in-person or Zoom conversation, and share your purpose for reaching out as well as articulate how you will take personal responsibility for being a partner in conversation. Mentorship is a two-way street.

Conversations will be scheduled on a rolling (first-come first-serve) basis with times between 10am-4pm (Central).

In-person appointments are available from 1pm-4pm in our home at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 North Dearborn, between Maple and Oak. The RPC is accessible by public transportation: Brown Line (Chicago station), Red Line (Chicago or Clark / Division station), bus lines #22, 36, 70. Street parking is available.

All other appointments will be held in DanceWorks Chicago’s cozy Zoom Room between 10am-4pm.

• All are welcome to participate: early career artists / administrators / board members, seasoned artists / administrators / board members, educators, students, parents / support teams
• Conversations will be scheduled in 30-minute time slots.
• FEE: None!  As DanceWorks Chicago moves toward sunset, consider this offering the gift of time and pay it forward!

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.