Spring 2024 Dance Classes & Workshops

Contemporary Grooves with Elijah Richardson
Mondays, 5:00-6:30p, BARS 
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This class invites intermediate to advanced dancers to experience invigorating contemporary movement. We will move through release-based floor work with progressions to find a strong base of support. Exercising our creative muscles, a guided-improvisation will follow into learning choreographic phrases to holistically stimulate our mind, cultivate imagination, and discover our personal groove. 

Elijah Richardson (he/him) is a Filipino-American dancer, choreographer, and educator based in Chicago. He began dancing at age 12 while also training in musical theatre and figure skating. He went on to earn his BFA in Dance Performance from Chapman University in 2018. Intensives include San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Zion Dance Project. Elijah danced with DanceWorks Chicago for three seasons, performing and teaching nationally and internationally, and has appeared as a guest artist with Anaheim Ballet, The Cambrians, and Collage Dance Collective. Elijah’s choreography has been presented at Loyola University Chicago, Iowa International ScreenDance Festival, Evanston Dance Ensemble, Second City Dance Ministry, and four times at Mobile Dance Film Festival among others. He frequently teaches throughout the Chicagoland area and occasionally serves as a national competition adjudicator. Newly named “25 to Watch for 2023” by Dance Magazine, Elijah is currently in his second season as a guest artist with South Chicago Dance Theatre. Elijah's official website: Elijahrichardson.com

Hip Hop Fundamentals with Brave Monk
Wednesdays, 5:30-7:00p, BARS
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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 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.

Ballet with Terence Marling 
Thursdays from 3:30-5:00p, Ida Noyes Dance Room
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This class will follow a traditional ballet class structure of barre and centre work. Terence’s ballet classes are regularly enjoyed by a wide range of dancers from beginner to professional level. This intermediate level class will focus on the use of functional technique in support of the joy of dancing. Emphasis will be placed on musicality and the use of “predictive” body weight plus musculoskeletal elasticity for precise timing.

Terence Marling, originally from Chicago, began his dance training under the direction of Larry Long at the Ruth Page Foundation School of Dance in 1982. Professionally Terence danced with Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Nationaltheater Manheim, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago over the course of 17 years. He began making choreography in 1999 for Pittsburgh Ballet Theater. Over the past 24 years he has choreographed on PBT as well as Hubbard Street, Hubbard Street 2, Robert Moses’ Kin, Orange County Ballet Theater, Point Park University as well as many others. Terence has been teaching dance technique since 1994 and has functioned as a company teacher for Nationaltheater Mannheim, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago as well as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In 2010 upon retiring from the stage, Terence became rehearsal director for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Later he transitioned into the role of Director of Hubbard Street 2. From 2019 to 2023, Terence created and ran COMMON conservatory as a laboratory for new choreographic works and a training program for pre-professional dancers.

From Boppin’ to Steppin’ with D’onminique & Donald Boyd
Thursday, March 28, from 5:00-7:00p, Logan Center, 701 
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Journey with 50 year stepper Donald Boyd and his daughter D’onminique Boyd as they share the evolution of Chicago steppin’ while drawing connections to its roots in Boppin’. Learn the physical movement patterns that create the signature style, the social context in which the dance was formed and what the future holds for Chicago's vibrant steppin’ community.

Chicago Native Donald Maurice Boyd is a retired railroad worker and has been a part of the Chicago Steppin' Community for nearly 50 years. He has traveled around the country dancing at stepper sets in Las Vegas, Oakland, L.A, Atlanta, Detroit and most importantly Chicago. He has taught a Chicago Steppin' workshop at the University of Chicago along with his wife June Boyd and he is currently serving in a leading role in his daughter D'onminique Boyd-Rileys forthcoming stepping documentary "The Set" which chronicles his relationship to steppin' and the wider audience that has been touched by the dance style. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, installing hardwood floors, showing off his skills at steppin' sets and spending time with his family.

Having contributed to the field of dance in varying roles as a performer, student, educator, healer, community member, arts administrator, programmer, and dance writer, D’onminique Boyd Riley has a well rounded perspective of the arts. Boyd Riley's dance artistry involves the exploration of family and ancestral wisdom, the relationship between imagination and migration, and the delight in leisure.

In 2008 she began work as a dance facilitator at El Puente Academy of Peace and Justice where she learned the power of using the arts as a tool for community activism. In 2016, she was awarded the Legacy Continues award by the Katherine Dunham Museum, worked internationally studying traditional South African dances as a Baldwin Artist in Residence, and locally she has worked with students on the Autism Spectrum as an Adaptive Dance Assistant at the former Lou Conte Dance Studio in Chicago.

Currently, D’onminique lives on Chicago’s South Side where she works in an ecosystem of teachers, artists, families, and students as the Assistant Director of Education and Family Programs at the Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago. She is a 2021 3Arts Make a Wave grant recipient and a 2022 Performance Curator for TEDxChicago. She looks forward to creating her first documentary which explores the history of her father’s journey of steppin’ in Chicago.

Access as Method with Maggie Bridger
Saturday, March 30, 1-3pm, BARS
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This workshop takes up practices of access and care emerging from the disability community, proposing them as essential tools for imagining and enacting a more accessible dancemaking practice. We will briefly explore emerging conversations around access, disability aesthetics, and care in dance before embodying these concepts through movement exercises designed to build practical skills and work toward a disability-centered ethic of care in dance.

Maggie Bridger is a PhD candidate in Disability Studies at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Her research and artistic interests center around disabled bodyminds in dance with a focus on reimagining pain through the creative process. Maggie is a co-founder of the Inclusive Dance Workshop Series, for which she and her project partner, Sydney Erlikh, received a 2021 Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. Maggie serves on the committee to organize Chicago's integrated dance concert, CounterBalance, and her writing was recently published in the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies. She was one of Synapse Arts' 2021 New Works artists and is currently an Artist in Residence at High Concept Labs. In October 2022, Maggie will pilot a program to further support and cultivate Chicago’s disability dance community in residence at the Chicago Cultural Center's Learning Lab.

Yin He, Chinese Classical Dance with Angela Tam
Sat, Apr 6, 1-3pm, BARS
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Both delicate and strong, classical Chinese dance features intricate gestures, circular motions, and use of breathe stemming from Chinese movement traditions such as ancient court dance, tai chi, Chinese opera as well as ballet. The workshop will focus on developing a connection between one's breathe and upper body movement.

Angela Tam grew up as an extremely shy girl in Chicago Chinatown. She barely spoke outside of home, but couldn’t shut up when things made her excited. One thing that has always excited her is dance! Her love for dance always shines through when she is teaching and we hope it’s worth the sometimes awkward conversation you have to make with her. She is still working on how to seem like a normal human being.

Angela began learning Chinese dance as a young girl from Qiuyue Jin. She later moved to New York City for school and work and continued learning Chinese dance from Margaret Yuen and Grant Zhuang. In 2015, she decided that there’s no place like home and returned to Chicago to found Yin He Dance. She also has training in ballet and classical Japanese dance.

Angela is a multi-year recipient of the Ethnic & Folk Arts Master Apprentice Grant from Illinois Arts Council Agency, most recently in 2022. She received her BA in East Asian Studies from New York University and holds a certificate in Arts and Culture Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania.

When not dancing, she likes to eat baked goods. To learn more about her and see pictures of her cat Billy, follow her on Instagram @isawastar.

Krump with Dion “iCrisis” Randle  
Sat, Apr 13, 1-3pm, BARS
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Open to all levels and experiences. Students will learn movement vocabulary, techniques and concepts associated with Krump, and be guided to develop their own creativity within and through these skills.  iCrisis infuses the movement training with his deep knowledge about the history and culture of Krump, and he builds a positive environment where students are able to build a sense of power, freedom, and release through the languages and philosophy of Krump.  

Dion “iCrisis” Randle is a performer, dance instructor & choreographer based in Chicago. He has traveled throughout the US as a judge and teacher at many dance based events. Over the past fifteen years, iCrisis has dedicated much of his time to researching the origins and mastering the foundations of Krump, in addition to spreading knowledge, culture and providing safe spaces to host sessions in Chicago for the community as well as for visitors outside Chicago. iCrisis helped to build Chicago’s current Krump Community as one of the leaders of Chibuck movement. He is also an active member of Demolition Crew(DCX), a Krump Crew Founded in California, and now serves as a DCX Captain for the Midwest Region. Last but not least, he is a member of The Kastle, a collective of street dancers from Chicago and across the U.S. focused on intention, skill and heart in the art of battling.

Afro-Cuban Dance with Rigoberto Fernandez Saura
Sat, Apr 20 1-3pm, BARS
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This workshop explores Afro-Cuban dances that are informed by social, spiritual, and folkloric traditions in Cuba. Students will begin by learning dances (and related historical/religious contexts) of the Orishas, who are gods within the Yoruba/Santeria religions that are practiced in Cuba and throughout the African diaspora. The workshop will also explore the foundational vocabularies of social dance practices—from Cha Cha Cha to Bachata to Cuban Salsa—that draw from the Orisha dances within a rich lineage of Cuban cultural dance practices.

Rigo Saura graduated from the National School of Modern and Contemporary Dance in Havana, Cuba. Former dancer of Danza Contemporánea of Cuba and soloist dancer of the classic cast in the National Ballet of Ecuador. Resident Choreographer in Ecuador’s Urban Ballet and Composition Master in the Metropolitan School of Art, Ecuador. Since moving to Chicago USA, He’s been part of Ruth Page Center of the Arts and guest artist/instructor for many companies, including the Professional Program at The Hubbard Street Dance Company, Chicago DanceWorks, Thodos Dances, Visceral Dance Chicago, Visceral Dance Center, Reva and David Logan Center of the Art, The Latin School Dance Program, Common Dance Conservatory, Chicago DanceCrash Concert Dance Inc. and Ruth Page Civic Ballet. Currently he is a dancer, teacher, resident choreographer and Artistic Associate at Hedwig Dances. He was selected to participate in the L.A. Contemporary Choreography Lab, awarded a Chicago DanceMakers Forum Production Residency at Ruth Page Center of the Art, served as guest choreographer at Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, Dance in the Parks, Links Hall Co-Mission Artists 2022, and named Partner Artist in Residence at Hight Concept Labs 2023.

Vogue with Damon Green
Sat, Apr 27, 1-3pm, BARS
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Vogue is a structured improvisational dance style/form that originated in Black and brown LGBTQ+ communities. Damon will lead participants through the primary elements that make up the Vogue aesthetic, including Walking (Runway, Catwalk, and Duck Walk), Spins, Dips (Dramatic and Soft), and Performance (Hands, Floor, Arm Control).

Damon D. Green is a Chicago-based dance artist and founder of TEXTUREDance Studio, an Urban Styles and Forms dance and wellness facility where he spreads his passion for movement education. Green is an avid Vogue aesthetic practitioner, exploring, performing and teaching this form in its fusion with other movement disciplines. Green has collaborated with local choreographers and companies including Red Clay Dance, Paige Cunningham-Calderella, Darrell Jones, J'sun Howard, Philip Elson, Kristina Isabelle, Cecil Johnson Jr., Lional Freeman, Jane Beachy, Mauren Sledge (House of Avant-Garde), Bob Eisen, Molly Shanahan, as well as visual artist Faheem Majeed. Green teaches and attends workshops and master classes throughout Chicago as well as abroad. Texturedance.com

Contact Improvisation & Partnering with Anniela Huidobro
Sat, May 4, 1-3pm, BARS
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Discover the fundamentals of Contact Improvisation and other partnering techniques in this 2-hour workshop open to movers of all skill levels. Participants will explore different levels of sharing weight, identifying and following impulses, and fostering a mutual movement relationship with other participants in the workshop. You do not need a partner to attend; just an excitement to mindfully work with new partners in the room!

Anniela Huidobro graduated from the Professional Dance School of Mazatlán, directed by the Delfos Contemporary Dance Company. She is part of the Continuum network of teachers, a training system developed by Omar Carrum in Mexico. International leader of JUNTOS Collective (USA). She has 10 years of experience as a teacher and performer giving workshops and dancing in different countries such as: the United States, Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia and different parts of Mexico. She has been awarded twice with the grant "Incentive Program for Artistic Creation and Development" in Mexico. Direction and production assistant at different Performing Arts Festivals in Mexico, Panama, Colombia and recently at the Island Moving Company in Newport (USA).

Dancehall Fusion with Stacy “Jukeboxx” Letrice
Sat, May 11, 1-3pm, BARS
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Afro-Dancehall Fusion integrates traditional West African movement, Jamaican dancehall and African pop culture dance styles, creating a colorful montage of dances of the Diaspora. Participants will learn fundamental steps and techniques from African and Caribbean dance forms. Then, the participants apply those very movements to exciting and lively choreography. Throughout the class participants will gain the understanding of the similarities and differences between the various cultural styles while exploring individuality, confidence, body awareness  and performance. All levels welcomed.

Stacy “Jukeboxx” Letrice is a dancer, choreographer, instructor, mas band leader, and dance/movement therapist with over 20-years of local and global experience. In 2017, she was crowned Minnesota’s official Dancehall Queen after competing among other contestants from NYC, Europe, and the Midwest. Her passion for Reggae, Dancehall, Afro-beat and traditional West African cultures has opened doors for her to perform with artists such as Cardi B, P-Square, Stone Boy, Afro B, Les Twins, Lady Patra, Tarrus Riley, Elephant Man, Serani, Mr. Vegas, Wayne Wonder, Tiwa Savage, Banky W, Praiz, Chaka Demus & Pliers and more. In 2015, Her work as a dancer and dance/movement therapist led her to create her own dance brand, “Jukeboxx Dance LLC”, dedicated to helping others pursue happiness through African and Caribbean dance forms. Her international travels include: South Africa, Nigeria, Barbados, Jamaica, Canada, London, Paris, Portugal. When asked why she dances, Stacy always replies, “I know there is a God because I feel him when I dance.”

Fundamentals of Fight Choreography with Aaron Preusse
Sat, May 18, 1-3pm, BARS
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How do we make moments of violence look believable while keeping the performers safe? It’s a combination of theatrics, martial intent and a little magic.  In this workshop we will explore those elements and give you the secrets in how we create dynamic and believable struggle and fight moments for theatre and film.  

Aaron Preusse is the Founder of the Fake Fighting Company, a stunt and stage combat company based in Minnesota. He is a Certified Teacher and Fight Director with the Society of American Fight Directors. In addition, Aaron received honors of Advanced Gold with Recommendation from the British Academy of Dramatic Combat. He has served as Fight Director for over 25 productions at the Guthrie Theater, In addition, he has been the Fight Director for the Children’s Theatre Company, the Ordway Center for Performing Arts, Minnesota Opera, Commonweal Theatre Company, as well as many other theaters, universities and film projects in the region. Aaron has taught for the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, the University of Minnesota, Concordia University of St. Paul, the Minnesota Thespian Festival, along with many other institutions. He is a graduate of the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. More info can be found at www.fakefighting.com