AQ26 Dance Classes and Workshops

Mondays from 5-6:30pm
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Studio (BARS)

Rooted in release-based modern dance techniques, this class will begin on the floor to research how the body leverages weight in relationship to gravity, then build into combinations that balance control with freedom. Kara supports students to find efficiency in movement, spatial awareness, and playful choice-making. Classes will be geared towards intermediate-level students but will support a wide range of movers.

Kara Brody (she/they) is a Korean-American movement artist and educator based in Chicago. Her work is an embodied social connection using dance as a site of queer belonging and collaborative inquiry. Approaching movement with a deep sense of tenderness and humility, she imbues a range of nuance with an explosive form of power. Kara’s work is multi-focused landing in different rooms where the creative stakes are different; she is truly at home within collaborative and ensemble work. Her practice spans genres exploring contemporary, commercial, and experimental dance forms. “[One] of Chicago’s most captivating performers” (the Chicago Tribune) and a Bessie-nominated performer, she has uplifted the works of Faye Driscoll, Lucky Plush Productions, Carlo Antonio Villanueva, Melinda Jean Myers, Erin Kilmurray, Alex Grelle, The Fly Honey Show, The Paramount Theater, Kimberly Bartosik, The Cambrians, among others. She teaches frequently throughout the Midwest and is a Lecturer at University of Chicago. karabrody.dance IG: @kbrody_ 

Tuesdays, 5:00-6:30 PM
Ida Noyes Dance Room

This class will cover the fundamentals of ballet technique and is geared towards a beginning level of experience. Progressing from barre combinations to center phrase work, students will be guided through a mindful approach to the structure and flow of classical ballet. Emphasis will be placed on functional technique, musicality, and artistic expression of the individual dancer. 

Originally from Muncie, Indiana, Eric Skinner has had a hand in some of the most important dance developments in Portland, Oregon during his 3+ decades living there as a dancer, teacher and choreographer. He was a founding member of Oregon Ballet Theatre, a founder of aero/betty aerial dance theatre, and a founder of BodyVox Dance Company (with artistic directors Jamey Hampton and Ashley Roland). At BodyVox he danced, choreographed and was Artistic Associate for 20 years. In 2002 Skinner with his then partner Daniel Kirk, formed their own company the skinner/kirk Dance Ensemble and was presented as part of the 2008 White Bird Dance Series. He taught dance for over two decades in Portland, including classes at the BodyVox Dance Center and Reed College. He has also taught master classes throughout the United States, including Butler University, where he received his BA in Dance.

Wednesdays, 5:00-6:30 PM
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Studio (BARS)

This beginning-intermediate class explores the spine through Dunham and Release Techniques, drawing on the foundational work of Katherine Dunham, an American modern dance pioneer, anthropologist, and UChicago alum (’36). Integrating African Diasporic dance traditions–particularly from the Caribbean–with modern dance and ballet, Dunham Technique emphasizes groundedness, polyrhythm, and embodied efficiency. Through exercises, guided explorations, and movement phrases, students will investigate the spine through articulation, release, breath, and isolation, developing a dynamic and expressive relationship with the body.

Christopher J. Salango is a dancer, choreographer, and Certified Teacher through the Institute for Dunham Technique Certification. He earned his B.A. in Dance from California State University, Sacramento, where he developed his practice in Dunham Technique under the mentorship of Dr. Linda Goodrich, Dr. Halifu Osumare, and Bernard Brown. Salango has performed with TwoPoint4 Dance Theater, BBmoves, and Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, where he joined as an Apprentice in 2019 and became a company member in 2021. His training includes Urban Bush Women’s Summer Leadership Institute, the Elisa Monte Dance Summer Series, and the Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE Dance Workshop Series. He earned his MFA in Dance from Washington University in St. Louis as a Dean’s Distinguished Graduate Fellow and continues his research in Filipinx queer identity, choreopolitics, and embodied performance practices. He is excited to share his knowledge, experience, and love of Dunham Technique with you!

Thursdays, 5:00-6:30 PM
Ida Noyes Dance Room

This class is geared towards an intermediate-advanced level of ballet practice. Progressing from barre combinations to center phrase work, students will be guided through a mindful approach to the structure and flow of classical ballet. Emphasis will be placed on functional technique, musicality, and artistic expression of the individual dancer. 

Erica Lynette Edwards (she/her) has over 20 years of professional experience in the dance industry as a ballerina, teacher, consultant, and administrative leader. As a ballerina with The Joffrey Ballet, she performed lead roles throughout a rewarding 15-year career, dancing in hundreds of performances in the United States and abroad. During that time Ebony Magazine declared her a “Young Leader in the Future of the Arts” and the Chicago Tribune gave her the title "Black History Maker." When Edwards retired from the stage, she became an artistic and administrative senior leader as Joffrey's Director of Community Engagement. Under her visionary leadership, the department grew to support the city of Chicago through a focus on community partnerships rooted in DEI. Edwards independently expanded her DEI services to engage a wide variety of clients with authentic and innovative consultation. Her many honors include multiple features in Dance Magazine, a TEDx talk, speaking on international panels, and being selected as a member of Crain’s Chicago Business “40 Under 40.” She currently serves as the Executive Director of Giordano Dance Chicago.

Thursdays, 6:00-7:30 PM
Logan Center, Rm 701

Open to all levels and experiences, BRAVEMONK will focus on the foundational movements & vocabulary of breaking while guiding students to develop proficiency in core techniques & concepts that are utilized across Breaking and a variety of Hip-Hop & Street Dance styles. Students will have the opportunity to improve & gain new skills, knowledge & application through weekly practice. A curated playlist of BreakBeats, Hip-Hop, Funk & Soul music will bump!

Daniel "Bravemonk" Haywood (he/him) is a choreographer, performer, and dance educator based in Chicago. He regularly travels throughout the US and internationally as a guest speaker, host, judge, and teacher at many hip hop events, and has worked closely with the University of Hip Hop, Temple of Hip Hop, Urban Arts in Action Movement, Hip Hop Congress, and Universal Zulu Nation. Over the past fifteen years, Daniel has dedicated much of his time to researching the origins and mastering the foundations of hip hop’s cultural dance form known as B-boying or breaking, in addition to drawing from house, freestyle, martial arts, and various other hip hop lineages. Daniel is currently a member of Chicago’s legendary breaking crew, Phaze II—Crosstown Crew. He is also a founding member and active leader of Awesome Style Konnection and a member of F.E.W. Collective.

Sunday, October 18,  6:30-8:30 PM
Host: BRAVEMONK
DJ: Kin Solo

Sunday, November 29,  6:30-8:30 PM
Host: Lady Sol
Special Guest: Dancehall Queen Mighty
Selecta (DJ in Dancehall): TBD

Saturday, October 10, 1-3pm
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Studio (BARS)

In this classic jazz workshop students will explore musical theater jazz vocabulary and learn original choreography by the iconic choreographer Bob Fosse, as well as Michael Bennett’s opener to A Chorus Line. Step kick, kick, leap, kick, touch, again! Prior dance training is recommended, though all are welcome. Beginners will have the space to learn the basic steps, while more experienced dancers can push their attention to detail, athleticism, and artistry.

Keesha Beckford began her dance studies in Queens, New York, before graduating cum laude from Princeton University with an A.B. in American history and a minor in dance. She has performed the choreography of Milton Myers, Teri Lee and Oliver Steele, Danny Herman, Paige Cunningham-Caldarella, Amy Marshall, Michael Foley, and Lorn MacDougal, among others in the U.S. and abroad. Her teaching credits include Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Columbia College Chicago, Dance Center Evanston, Charlotte Ballet, the UNC Charlotte dance department, and as a guest teacher for Thodos Dance Chicago. Beckford has served as Youth Programs Manager at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and is currently the Dance Lab Liaison at the Joffrey Academy, Official School of the Joffrey Ballet.

Saturday, October 17, 1:00-3:00 PM
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Studio (BARS)

This workshop is an introduction to Breaking and will cover the history of Breaking —it’s inception in New York, the social landscape that catalyzed it, and the dance forms that inspired it— and introduced to ways it is now a global culture. Participants will be given an introduction to: Hip-Hop history, Top Rock, Down Rock, Freezes, Cyphering, Sets & Improvisation while learning about Crews, Battles and the key role of the DeeJay (DJ) in the cypher. Participants will have opportunities to cypher and practice choreographing. This workshop will be DeeJayed live by [TBD]. No prior knowledge necessary.

Maya Odim (she/her) is rooted where writing and dance meet, anchoring an artistic approach in the space of overlap where arranging lines in a stanza becomes like arranging phrases of movement, and vice versa. She explores how words move and what bodies they are a part of, a practice is rooted in recitation, writing, and movement. Maya received honorable mention in the 2024 Ruth Weiss Foundation Poetry Competition, has self published poetry and been published in part in the Performance Response Journal and the Chicago Dancemakers Forum Blog and received a Chicago Performance Lab residency in 2025. Maya is a Poet in Residence with the Chicago Poetry Center and has served as a judge for the Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Awards and lectures at the University of Chicago & Roosevelt University. If the music is right, you'll catch Maya in the cypher (with a pen, in tennis shoes or barefoot).

Saturday, October 24, 1:00-3:00 PM
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Studio (BARS)

This mat-based Pilates class will support you to develop core strength as you focus on flexibility, posture, balance, and the joy of movement. Class will build on the basic principles and exercises of Pilates, supporting you to lengthen and strengthen your muscles and create overall body awareness. Modifications will be given and all levels are welcome.

Karen Camelet is a former contemporary ballet dancer who began studying Pilates after sustaining an injury. Amazed by the strength gained once she returned to dance, Karen turned her love of movement and her passion for helping others into her next career. Karen is certified through the PhysicalMind Institute in Pilates mat and all equipment. She also uses her years of dance, Pilates, and exercise in her work as a licensed Physical Therapy Assistant.

Saturday, October 31, 1:00-3:00 PM
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Studio (BARS)

Countertechnique® is a contemporary dance technique class that stretches, coordinates and strengthens the body, making dancers sweat, build stamina and really move.  Created by Dutch choreographer, dancer, and teacher Anouk van Dijk, Countertechnique® results in dancers using more efficient energy, losing their fear of taking risks, and gaining speed in both level and directional changes. This workshop is geared towards intermediate-level students, but will support a wide range of movers who are either new to, or familiar with, Countertechnique®. More Info.

Sophie Minouche Allen (she/her) is a Chicago-based dancer, choreographer, and teacher.  In addition to her independent projects, she’s performed with Bob Eisen, INSÉKTA, Helen Lee/Momentum Sensorium, The Seldoms, Ayako Kato/Art Union Humanscape, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre and Freedom From and Freedom To, curated by Cristal Sabbagh. Sophie’s choreography has been commissioned and/or presented by Door Kinetic Arts Festival, Symbiosis Arts/SANCTA, CPR Dance: Inhale Movement, FACT/SF, 3AM Theatre, The College of DuPage, Thodos Dance Chicago/DanceWorks Chicago, Midwest RADFest, Detroit Dance Exchange, and Going Dutch Festival/Side Street Studio Arts among others. Sophie guest teaches for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) and is on faculty at The Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet. She has also had the pleasure of teaching in HSDC’s EXPLORE and Dance On! summer intensives, the FACT/SF Summer Dance Festival and Winter Dance Lab, DanceWorks Chicago’s Dance360 summer programming, as well as guest classes with University of Chicago, Western Michigan University, Denison University, University of Michigan/ACDA East-Central Conference, DISCO RIOT, Chicago Movement Collective, and more. Sophie is a dual-degree graduate of the University of Michigan with a BFA in Dance and a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE). She is also a certified Countertechnique® Teacher. sophieminouche.com 

Sunday, November 8, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Ida Noyes Dance Room 

This partnering workshop is geared towards intermediate-advanced level dancers and focuses on the traditional pas de deux techniques within classical ballet. Partnering requires a mutual understanding of coordination, support, and balance. In this class, students will learn techniques for a range of partnering skills including promenades, pirouettes and lifts. 

Aaron Renteria began his training at the San Francisco Ballet School at age 13, studying under the guidance of Lola de Ávila and Patrick Armand. After five years within the school—including two years in the Trainee Program—he served as an apprentice for one season before becoming a member of the San Francisco Ballet (SFB) company. During his tenure with SFB, Aaron performed a diverse array of classical and contemporary ballets. His credits include principal and ensemble roles in Tomasson’s Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, and The Nutcracker; Wheeldon’s Cinderella; and Balanchine’s Theme and Variations and Symphony in C. Now a member of The Joffrey Ballet, Renteria’s expansive career continues with featured roles in Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces, Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, and Yuri Possokhov’s Anna Karenina. He has also performed in contemporary premieres by Nicholas Blanc, Andrew McNicol, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, alongside celebrated productions like Alexander Ekman’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and Christopher Wheeldon’s Fool’s Paradise.

Saturday, November 14, 1:00-3:00 PM
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Studio (BARS)

Come one, come all, and learn how to use your body for comedy! In this 2-hour workshop, we’ll introduce and explore techniques in slapstick, partner acrobatics, and clown as a means for physical comedy and theatre. No prior experience required. Please arrive in movement clothes, and bring water. 

Richie Schiraldi (he/him) is an internationally touring physical theatre artist specializing in fusing physical languages with narrative and character work. He has a background in circus, clown, mask, dance, and stage combat. 

He’s currently touring his solo show The Mothman Cometh, an immersive and interactive horror comedy, as well as Well-Balanced Dads, an acrobatic comedy about two dads coping with empty-nest syndrome. 

Saturday, December 5, 1:00-3:00 PM
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Studio (BARS)

In this open-level workshop, participants will be introduced to folk dances from northwest India—such as Kalbelia, Ghoomar, Raas, Garba, and Bhil—through the lens of the Roma Journey. The group will be invited to explore the cyclical geometry, geography and props of these dance forms in contemporary context.

Kinnari Vora (she/her) is a Chicago based dancer, choreographer, and educator. She shares stories of universal human conditions and emotions through movement, meditation, and theatrical practices. She was born and raised in India. Her contemporary works are rooted in Bharatanatyam (disciple of Sarmishtha Sarkar, India), various Indian folk dances and kalaripayattu martial arts. Kinnari is co-founder and artistic co-chair of Ishti Collective and a dancer collaborator with Surabhi Ensemble. She received a Chicago Dancemakers Lab Artist Award in 2022 and is a resident artist at High Concept Labs.