Spring '25 Dance Classes and Workshops

Afro-Contemporary with Amansu Eason 
Mondays from 5:00-6:30 PM
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Studio (BARS)
Sign-up form

Open to dancers of all levels, this class will draw from both traditional and contemporary movement vocabularies with the African diaspora, including West African dance, Dunham Technique, and Capoiera, an Afro-Brazilian martial art form. Amansu will bring together elements of these varied traditions in a class that will focus on rhythmic movement, articulation of the spine, and making connections with other dancers through a highly grounded physicality. 

Amansu Eason began performing at age 4 with the Morning Bishop Theatre Playhouse, and at age 10, began studying ballet, jazz, tap, and modern at the Emerson School for the Visual and Performing Arts in his hometown of Gary, Indiana. He also has extensive training with Alyo Children’s Dance Company in Chicago. He has performed with Ben Harper, opened for artists such as Omarion, Marcus Houston, Mary, Mary, Arrested Development, and presented a solo for the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Amansu is a certified instructor of the Katherine Dunham technique and former assistant Director of Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago. Amansu is also a teaching artist with Gingarte Capoeira Chicago, and brings a wealth of knowledge in Capoeira and various African-Brazilian cultural art forms.   

Open Community Dance Practice with Erin Kilmurray 
Tuesdays from 5:00-6:30 PM
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Studio (BARS)
Sign-up form

Drawing from a range of community-based practices and dance lineages, Erin will lead a weekly dance session that centers on the immediacy and responsiveness of each class cohort. Starting with a group warm-up, the class will open up into full-bodied movement phrases and prompts for movement research and generation, culminating in a collective dance score that will get people moving with heart, sweat, and joy. 

Erin Kilmurray (she/they) is a genre-straddling dance artist drawing on space-making and movement practices found in nightlife culture, theater, and dance practices that relentlessly amplify women, queer folks, the underground and the underdog. She is the creator/director of The Fly Honey Show, a Links Hall Fellow (2022-23), a Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist (2020), and recognized as 50 People Who Really Perform for Chicago (2022 Newcity). Her work challenges traditional relationships between performer and spectator through electric, often political performance that enlivens body and environment, and consequently has been presented by Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Thalia Hall, The Dance Center of Columbia College, Lollapalooza, Empty Bottle, Pivot Arts, University of Chicago, Visceral Dance Chicago, Metro, Beauty Bar, The Chicago Cultural Center, among others.www.erinkilmurray.com

Contemporary Grooves with Elijah Richardson
Wednesdays from 5:00-6:30 PM
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Studio (BARS)
Sign-up form

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 through guided improvisation will follow into learning choreographic phrases to holistically stimulate our mind, cultivate imagination, and discover our personal groove. 

Elijah Richardson (San Jose, California) is a Filipino-American dance artist based in Chicago. He earned his BFA in Dance Performance from Chapman University. Elijah’s professional credits include South Chicago Dance Theatre, DanceWorks Chicago, Giordano Dance Chicago/ Dance for Life, Chicago Opera .,mnbvcxAn emerging choreographer, Elijah has presented works at Loyola University Chicago, Trifecta Dance Festival, Harvest Dance Festival, Zion Dance Project, Chapman University, South Chicago Dance Festival, Iowa International ScreenDance Festival, and four times at Mobile Dance Film Festival. He has been recognized as Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2023 and listed in NewCity Magazine’s “Players 50” for 2025. He is excited to return to UChicago’s TAPS program for a third year and can’t wait to engage again with such open and inspiring dancers!

Intermediate-Adv Ballet with Erica L. Edwards 
Thursdays from 3:30-5:00 PM
Ida Noyes Dance Room
Sign-up form

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.

Two House “Wreckshops” as part of For the Feeling 2.0
Saturday, April 5 from 1-4 PM
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Studio (BARS)

Sign-up form Kelsa
Sign-up form Brand1

House Aesthetics with Kelsa “K-Soul” Robinson (1-2:20 PM)
This workshop roots students in the essence and ethos of house culture and movement, with a specific focus on Chicago aesthetics. Participants will explore key elements of house movement, including the counter-pull of energies in the body, intricate footwork patterns, polyrhythmic musicality, and freestyle. Through concept-based learning and freestyle exercises, students will deepen their ability to connect with the music, their own artistry, and other dancers in the space.

Freedom & Movement: House Dance with Brandon "Brand1" Dorsey (2:30-4:00 PM)
This workshop focuses on House Music and House Dance as a movement while also paying tribute and respect to its history and foundations. Through diving into several aspects of House Dance, from the lofting flow of floor work to the dynamic use of levels to the intricacies of footwork, students can expect to walk away not only educated but already practicing the freedom that House Music provides. 

Dialogues in bharatnatyam with Ashwaty Chennat
Saturday, April 12 from 1-3 PM
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Studio (BARS)
Sign-up form

What do contemporary practices of “traditional” forms become and how do they emerge? Join Chicago-based interdisciplinary artist Ashwaty Chennat for movement and conversation that investigates diasporic practices of bharatnatyam and their relationships to immigrant narratives and current dialogues in India. This workshop moves through adavu, abhinaya and invites space for workshop attendees to share personal experiences from their practice.

Ashwaty Chennat is an interdisciplinary performing artist and program facilitator based in Chicago. She grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she studied bharatnatyam with Sudha Chandrasekhar, ballet and jazz dance with a studio family, and heritage forms with her mother and community artists. Ashwaty has directed and choreographed several works including including "Moods of Nayika" a drag and dance film in collaboration with Abhijeet, "Beaten Path" a suite with jazz percussionist and composer Alvin Cobb Jr., and "Masks and Myths" a retelling of the World's Fair from the "exhibited" at the Logan Center for the Arts, produced by Mandala South Asian Performing Arts. She directed the Mandala Makers Festival, an egalitarian platform that showcases artists working with forms from the Indian subcontinent. Most recently, Ashwaty has been engaged in puppetry practices and performed in “Anywhere”, an original work featuring an ice marionette by Theatre de l’Entrouvert. 

Ashwaty's social practice is imbued in her work as an administrator and facilitator; she bolsters cultural spaces for artists whose work reckons with unjust barriers to their practice and livelihoods. Her processes include long conversations, considerations of cultural structures and their thresholds, and play. Her work often revisits familiar narratives, centers what and who is excluded, and then, reimagines. 

Fundamentals of Movement with Todd Rhoades
Saturday, April 19 from 1-3 PM
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Studio (BARS)
Sign-up form

Unlock a deeper understanding of how your body moves by exploring fundamental principles of anatomy and biomechanics. This workshop will integrate Pilates foundational exercises, yoga-based movement, and essential functional movement techniques to enhance body awareness, mobility, and strength. Participants will learn to identify imbalances, refine movement patterns, develop strategies for injury prevention, and foster longevity in your practice.

Todd Rhoades (any pronouns with respect), Point Park University Dance B.F.A, University of Iowa, Dance M.F.A., has been on faculty at DePaul University - The Theatre School, the University of Iowa, Hollins University, and the College of DuPage. Todd started his professional performing career with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, then moved on to Ballet Austin, Luna Negra Dance Theatre, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, where he was a Principal Dancer for over 12 years. He has performed in many musicals in the Chicagoland area and beyond, including the Goodman (Chicago, IL), The Tennessee Williams Festival (Provincetown, MA), and the MUNY (St. Louis). Along with teaching dance, Todd has taught Pilates and yoga for over 25 years, once serving as the private instructor for Cirque du Soleil's production of Luzía.

Contemporary Repertory with Kevin Shannon
Saturday, April 26 from 1-3 PM
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Studio (BARS)
Sign-up form

This workshop will begin with a contemporary technologies class based on points in space, which draws from Forsythe Technologies, pioneered by choreographer William Forsythe. This warm-up incorporates exercises for building choreographic work and will be followed by an hour of learning repertory from FLOCK, informed by the composition tools gained from the first half of the workshop.

Kevin J. Shannon was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and is a graduate of the Baltimore School for the Arts. He received additional training from the School of American Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Paul Taylor, and Springboard Danse Montréal. After receiving his BFA from the Juilliard School, Kevin was invited to join Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. While a company dancer with Hubbard Street from 2007 to 2022, he had the privilege to perform works by Kyle Abraham, Aszure Barton, Alejandro Cerrudo, Peter Chu, Sharon Eyal, William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, Twyla Tharp, and Robyn Mineko Williams, among many others. As an educator, he has led and programmed the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Summer Intensive and is currently a guest teacher for Hubbard Street’s main company, José Limón Dance Company and Gibney Company. He has been a visiting artist for the School of The Art Institute of Chicago and has served as faculty for The Joffrey Ballet School, Gibney Dance NYC, Chicago Movement Collective, Youth American Grand Prix, and Peridance Center. Kevin is a certified IMAGE TECH for dancers™ teacher. He is on faculty for the Gibney Pro professional certificate program under the direction of Alexandra Wells. Currently, he is a freelance artist dancing with Flockworks Dance, Brian Brooks/Moving Company, KNONAME, and Danielle Russo. Instagram: @thedancingpotter Email: kevinjayshannon@gmail.com

Dancehall Fusion with Stacy “Jukeboxx” Letrice
Saturday, May 3 from 1-3 PM
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Space (BARS)
Sign-up form

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 an understanding of the similarities and differences between the various cultural styles while exploring individuality, confidence, body awareness, and performance. All levels are 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 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, and Portugal. When asked why she dances, Stacy always replies, “I know there is a God because I feel him when I dance.”

Cuban Salsa with Michel Rodriguez Cintra
Saturday, May 10 from 1-3 PM
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Space (BARS)
Sign-up form

This Cuban Salsa workshop will cover a range of social dance practices that have contributed to the vibrant, improvisational style of Cuban Salsa. Students will learn the basic steps, timing, and musical influences of Afro-Cuban Rumba, Son, Mambo, and ChaChaCha, all of which are embedded in Cuban Salsa practices that are still very much alive in Cuba today.

Michel Rodriguez Cintra (he/him) is a Cuban-born dancer, teacher, and choreographer. Upon graduating from Escuela Nacional de Arte in Havana, Cuba, he was chosen to join Danza Contemporanea de Cuba, where he became a Principal Dancer and toured internationally. After moving to Chicago, Michel danced with Hedwig Dances. In 2013, he became an ensemble member with Lucky Plush Productions, generating multiple original roles in their signature devised dance-theater style and touring nationally and internationally. Michel has also been a guest artist with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Concert Dance Inc., and Khecari. Choreographic credits include Visceral Dance Company, Lit & Luz Festival Chicago/Mexico City, LatinX Chicago Arts Festival, and Harvest Chicago Dance Festival. Michel is the recipient of a 3Arts Award and was featured in Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch 2014. He has been an adjunct teacher at Columbia College Chicago, a guest teacher at the University of Chicago, and teaches at the Actors Gymnasium. 

Countertechnique® with Verena Pircher
Saturday, May 17 from 1-3 PM
Bartlett Arts Rehearsal Space (BARS)
Sign-up form

Countertechnique® is a contemporary dance technique created and developed by Dutch choreographer, dancer, and teacher Anouk van Dijk that provides tools for the body and mind to deal with the demanding dance practice of the 21st century. It is a movement system to help the dancer think about the dancing body, focusing on the process of incorporating information into action. Within a clear structure of exercises, the Countertechnique® class thoroughly prepares the body for rehearsal and performance, enabling dancers to move bigger, more fluidly, and more spatially while becoming stronger and more flexible. Dancers are encouraged to be proactive in discovering connections and solutions, to be less concerned with judging themselves, and to work in a healthy way with regard to body and mind. Sophie will lead participants through a Countertechnique® class and facilitate a group discussion afterward to dive further into the information explored together. https://www.countertechnique.com/ 

Born in Salzburg (Austria), Verena Pircher (she/her) studied contemporary dance (BA) at Codarts Rotterdam and movement research (MA) at Bruckneruni in Linz. From 2015 to 2019, she was a member of the Swedish dance company Norrdans. Since 2018, Verena has been sharing the movement system Countertechnique as part of international workshops at places like Tanzfabrik & Marameo in Berlin, Bad Lemons in Munich, American Dance Festival in Durham, and HJS in Amsterdam, as well as with companies such as Norrdans, Tanz Linz, Volkstheater Rostock, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Furthermore, she has taught undergraduates at Bruckneruni Linz, HfMDK Frankfurt, and Codarts Rotterdam. Next to teaching and performing, Verena holds extensive experience as a cultural manager for Salzburg-based Sommerszene and Flavourama Hip Hop & House Dance Festival. Co-founding the dance company Selva with choreographer Rosana Ribeiro in 2021, she now works as a dramaturg. Currently based between Salzburg and Chicago, 2024 Verena has been the curator of the annal PERFORMdANCE Festival in Salzburg.