Thodos program

Saturday Page 12

NOV 7

Page 12

7:30 pm

with members of THE UNIVERSITY DANCE COMPANY

Sponsored by Casually elegant dining. Memorable meals. Excellent service. Two great locations. After tonight’s show, please stop by TEN restaurant at The Eldridge Hotel or the Bird Dog Bar at The Oread.

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NOV 7 | Thodos Dance Chicago

ACT I

A Light in the Dark

The Story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Premiered February 16, 2013 North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, Skokie, IL Choreography: Ann Reinking and Melissa Thodos Rehearsal Assistant: Gary Chryst Music: An original score by Bruce Wolosoff Lighting Design: Nathan Tomlinson Costume Design: Nathan Rohrer Helen Keller: Tenley Dorrill Anne Sullivan: Shelby Moran Jimmie Sullivan, Anne’s Brother: Thomas Jacobson James Keller, Helen’s Brother: Luis Vazquez Kate Adams Keller, Helen’s Mother: Briana Robinson Arthur Henley Keller, Helen’s Father: Brennen Renteria The Maid: Caitrin Bellavance Students at the Perkins School for the Blind: Caitrin Bellavance, John Cartwright, Alex Gordon, Hattie Haggard, Jessica Miller Tomlinson The Asylum Music: Prologue Anne Sullivan: Shelby Moran Jimmie Sullivan: Thomas Jacobson Helen and her Parents Music: Tango Helen Keller: Tenley Dorrill Helen’s Mother: Briana Robinson Helen’s Father: Brennen Renteria Anne’s Class for the Blind and Journey to the Kellers Anne Meets Helen Music: The Class/Anne meets the Kellers Anne Sullivan: Shelby Moran Students: Caitrin Bellavance, John Cartwright, Alex Gordon, Hattie Haggard, Jessica Miller Tomlinson Helen’s Mother: Briana Robinson

Helen’s Father: Brennen Renteria Helen’s Brother: Luis Vazquez The Doll Scene Music: The Doll Helen Keller: Tenley Dorrill Anne Sullivan: Shelby Moran Helen’s Mother: Briana Robinson Helen’s Brother: Luis Vazquez Helen’s Father: Brennen Renteria Entr’acte Getting Ready for Sunday Dinner Music: Musette Helen’s Mother: Briana Robinson Helen’s Father: Brennen Renteria Helen’s Brother: Luis Vazquez Anne Sullivan: Shelby Moran The Table Scene Music: The Table Helen’s Father: Brennen Renteria Helen’s Mother: Briana Robinson Helen’s Brother: Luis Vazquez Anne Sullivan: Shelby Moran Helen Keller: Tenley Dorrill The Maid: Caitrin Bellavance The Haunting The Journey to the Cottage Music: The Haunting Anne Sullivan: Shelby Moran Jimmie Sullivan: Thomas Jacobson Helen’s Mother: Briana Robinson Helen’s Father: Brennen Renteria

NOV 7 | Thodos Dance Chicago Helen’s Brother: Luis Vazquez Helen Keller: Tenley Dorrill The Maid: Caitrin Bellavance The Cottage Scene Music: The Cottage Anne Sullivan: Shelby Moran Helen Keller: Tenley Dorrill Helen’s Brother: Luis Vazquez Helen’s Solo Music: Helen’s solo Helen Keller: Tenley Dorrill Helen’s Mother: Briana Robinson

Page 14 The Second Table Scene Music: Finale Helen’s Father: Brennen Renteria Helen’s Mother: Briana Robinson Helen’s Brother: Luis Vazquez Anne Sullivan: Shelby Moran Helen Keller: Tenley Dorrill The Maid: Caitrin Bellavance Anne’s Solo Music: Epilogue Anne Sullivan: Shelby Moran

Intermission: 20 Minutes

SUBTLE PASSAGES

Premiered October 22, 2012 Louis Armstrong Theatre Performing Arts Center, Allendale, MI Choreography: Melissa Thodos Music: Cliff Martinez, Òlafur Arnalds, and Nils Frahm Lighting Design: Nathan Tomlinson Costumes: Nathan Rohrer Dancers: University of Kansas Dance Company Members MEMOIRS Company premiere February 21, 2015 North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, Skokie, IL

ALL YOU NEED IS Premiered July 18 at Thodos Dance Chicago’s “New Dances 2015” Athenaeum Theatre, Chicago, IL

Choreography: Garfield Lemonius Music: Max Richter, The String Tribute Players Costume Design: On consignment from the Conservatory of Performing Arts, Point Park University, Pittsburgh, PA Lighting Design: Nathan Tomlinson Dancers: Caitrin Bellavance, John Cartwright, Tenley Dorrill, Abby Ellison, Alex Gordon, Hattie Haggard, Thomas Jacobson, Jessica Miller Tomlinson, Shelby Moran, Brennen Renteria, Briana Robinson, Luis Vazquez

Choreography: Taylor Mitchell Music: Charleston by Enoch Light Orchestra, Can Can from Orpheus in the Underworld, Le Parc de Plaisir by Francois Parisi, Si Tu Vois Ma Mere by Sidney Bechet Lighting Design: Nathan Tomlinson Costume Design: Moriah Turner Dancers: Caitrin Bellavance, John Cartwright, Tenley Dorrill, Abby Ellison, Hattie Haggard, Jessica Miller Tomlinson, Shelby Moran, Brennen Renteria

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Melissa Thodos, Founder and Artistic Director

ABOUT THODOS DANCE CHICAGO “Breathtakingly athletic,” “powerfully beautiful,” performing “vibrant choreography” are among the ways audiences and press describe Thodos Dance Chicago (TDC).

For the past 23 years, this ensemble of twelve versatile dance artists has performed with a captivating style using a variety of dance forms. The Company’s unique mission of inspiring expression through dance education, dance creation, and dance performance has established Thodos Dance Chicago as an innovative presence in American contemporary dance.

Highlights of the Company’s annual performance season include its home concerts, national and international touring engagements and the critically acclaimed New Dances choreography performance series. The Company has performed in 80 venues in 27 states, as well as many foreign countries.

Thodos Dance Chicago features the American voice in contemporary dance. In addition to award winning repertory works, it has created two critically acclaimed story ballets, both named as one of the top performances by the Chicago Sun-Times.

These are great American stories brought to life through movement and music: A Light in the Dark, based on the life of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan (as told in the classic book and play The Miracle Worker).

The White City, based on the extraordinary events of the Columbian Exposition of 1893 (as told in the best-selling book Devil in the White City).

TDC performs a diverse array of works created by renowned American choreographers: Bob Fosse, Ann Reinking, Lar Lubovitch, Shapiro & Smith, Lucas Crandall, Jon Lehrer, Garfield Lemonius, Zachary Whittenburg, Amy Ernst, Ron De Jesús, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, and Sybil Shearer. In addition, TDC ensemble members themselves create highly-charged, illuminating world premieres every year in the Company’s acclaimed New Dances choreography series. Selected works from the series are chosen to become part of the Company’s repertoire each year. Other works from New Dances have been performed by The Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and other companies across the U.S. Reaching young minds through dance education is vital to the mission of Thodos Dance Chicago. As a teaching company, members of our ensemble hold bachelor of arts and master of arts degrees in dance. In residence at the Menomonee Club,

NOV 7 | Thodos Dance Chicago

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TDC’s professional dancers share their professional talent, knowledge, and creativity with tomorrow’s dancers through the company’s Youth Dance Program, the TDC Youth Ensemble, and week-long intensive programs geared to pre-professional and professional dancers. TDC engages young audiences with after school programs, master classes, residencies and assemblies. In 2014, over 10,000 children were impacted by TDC’s unique educational programming.

For more information about programs and upcoming performances of Thodos Dance Chicago, please visit our website at www.thodosdancechicago.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

The Company Caitrin Bellavance* John Cartwright Tenley Dorrill Abby Ellison Alex Gordon Hattie Haggard* Thomas Jacobson* Jessica Miller Tomlinson Shelby Moran* Richard Peña** Brennen Renteria Briana Robinson Luis Vazquez* *Dancer Apprentice **Performing Trainee Interns/Trainees CJ Burroughs Kristi Licera Brooke Mainland Taylor Raley Melissa Thodos Founder and Artistic Director Melissa Thodos has been described by critics as “a choreographer with a bright and lively imagination.” The Chicago Sun-Times wrote: “Thodos displays a fine musicality and elegant lyricism; there is a sort of New Age mysticism about much of her work. She is a skillful and eclectic choreographer with a talent for creating a

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NOV 7 | Thodos Dance Chicago

well-defined mood and interesting group patterns.” Her work has been presented in venues coast to coast, as well as internationally. Born in Evanston (IL), Melissa received early dance training at the Evanston School of Ballet. She continued her study of both classical and contemporary technique at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. Following graduation, she performed for eight years with the Chicago Repertory Dance Ensemble, in venues all over the world.

Thodos and her company have been the recipient of numerous awards and grants including the National Endowment for the Arts; Illinois Arts Council Fellowships; a Chicago Dance Achievement Award and an award from the State of Illinois for nurturing and training dancers and choreographers in Chicago. One of her signature works, “Reaching There”, was a semi-finalist at the Internationale Dance de Paris.

Thodos was featured in Today’s Chicago Woman as one of Chicago’s “100 Women in Chicago Making a Difference,” and was voted one of Chicago’s “top ten hidden talents” by the Chicago Tribune. She was one of nine finalists selected nationally for the “Women of Worth” award in New York City. Melissa has also served as a panelist for numerous grant adjudications including the City of Chicago Cultural Grants Program, the IL Arts Council Grants Panel, and the Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Awards in Alaska.

KU Department of Dance Dance has been a discipline of study at the University of Kansas for nearly 100 years.

The Department of Dance at the University of Kansas has a rich history of inviting guest artists to enhance the professional preparation of students. Members of the University Dance Company have performed choreography by José Limón, Twyla Tharp, Mary Anthony, Karole Armitage, Dusan Tynek, Carl Flink, Autumn Eckman, and Regina Klenjoski, among many others.

The Janet Hamburg Guest Artist Fund gives students the opportunity to participate in an intensive rehearsal process with a professional choreographer during each semester of their undergraduate experience. During their residency, choreographers who are selected through the Choreographic Fellowship program teach master classes, set works upon members of the University Dance Company, and help foster connections between dance students and professionals in the dance community.

University Dance Company The University Dance Company is a pre-professional performance ensemble located at The University of Kansas, accepting members by audition only. Students rehearse approximately four hours a week per piece for three months prior to the performance. Dancers perform at the Lied Center of Kansas, one of the most prestigious performing arts venues in the country. University Dance Company concerts feature choreography by faculty members and guest artists in modern, ballet, jazz, tap, flamenco, East Indian and other dance forms. Occasionally, outstanding student choreography is featured in the program.

Saturday

NOV 7 7:30 pm

Thodos Dance Chicago with members of THE UNIVERSITY DANCE COMPANY

Saturday

NOV 7 7:30 pm

Thodos Dance Chicago with members of THE UNIVERSITY DANCE COMPANY

UNIVERSITY DANCE COMPANY MEMBERS

UNIVERSITY DANCE COMPANY MEMBERS

Madeline Arnzen

Madeline Arnzen

Lisa Caldwell

Lisa Caldwell

Brennon Madrid

Brennon Madrid

Sarah O’Keeffe

Sarah O’Keeffe

Megan Robinson

Megan Robinson

Kendal Surdyke

Kendal Surdyke

Liz Washam

Liz Washam

Shelby West

Shelby West

COVERS Julie Ferrell Kayla Wegley

COVERS Julie Ferrell Kayla Wegley