DANCE IN THE PARKS SUMMER 2009 PERFORMANCES Thursday, August 20, Indian Boundary Park, 2500 W Lunt Ave; West Rogers Park Friday, August 21, Humboldt Park Boat House, 1400 N Sacramento Ave., Humboldt Park Wednesday, August 26, Midway Plaisance Skating Rink, 1130 Midway Plaisance North, Hyde Park Thursday, August 27, Douglas Park Flower Garden Pavilion, 1401 S. Sacramento, Ave, North Lawndale Admission is FREE. All performances begin at 6:30 pm.
FOUR FREE PERFORMANCES SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 2009!
DANCE IN THE PARKS SUMMER 2009 PERFORMANCES
In collaboration with the Chicago Park District, Dance in the Parks (DIP) will present free professional concert-dance performances in four (4) different Chicago neighborhood parks at the end of August.
A new non-profit dance project, Dance in the Parks' mission is to bring free, professional dance performances to new audiences in the most accessible venues in the Chicago-land area-neighborhood parks. The goal is to promote an appreciation of concert dance by exposing audiences unfamiliar with dance to the art form in a relaxed, casual atmosphere.
Director and founder of DIP, Katie McCann, participated in a similar program while performing with a ballet company in Lexington, KY. "As far as performance conditions go, it was rough. It was hot, humid, the temporary plywood stage was warped and a little treacherous, and the squirrels threw stuff at us from the trees above the stage. But, it was so rewarding to watch an audience having fun with their families in a beautiful park and experiencing dance without the pretensions of a formal theater setting."
After moving to Chicago five years ago, McCann decided that it was time to combine two of the best parts of the city: its dance community and its parks.
The Park District has generously collaborated with DIP to provide use of park space, temporary stages, and sound systems, without which the performances could not take place.
For its inaugural season, Dance in the Parks has a line-up of well-known Chicago choreographers who are setting works on local professional dancers. Choreographers include former Hubbard Street dancers Cheryl Mann and Autumn Eckman; well-known up-and-coming choreographers Brock Clawson, formerly of Thodos Dance Chicago, and Jon Sloven, who is currently working with Inaside Dance Chicago and Same Planet Different World; Lyric Opera Chicago Ballet Mistress and Director of Tyego Dance Project, August Tye, and well-known Columbia College faculty member, Keesha Beckford among others.
Each show will be preceded by a half-hour pre-show featuring student dance ensembles from local neighborhood dance studios to reinforce the idea that dance is for everyone and to showcase the talent of the local youth. Pre-show performances include appearances by Indian Boundary Cultural Center Dance Program students, Joel Hall Dancers' youth company 1511, and Visceral Studio Company the youth company in residence at Visceral Dance Center. For more information, please visit www.danceintheparks.org.
