Dance Companies
It is the mission of Madison Contemporary Vision Dance Company to present original and diverse contemporary-based choreography in order to inspire audiences of all ages and backgrounds to appreciate a deeper connection to dance as a visual art-form, while also providing a platform for dancers and other artists to come together for resources, education, events, support, and community.
Based in Madison, Wisconsin, Cycropia was formed in 1989 and is one of the oldest continuously-operating aerial dance troupes within the United States. Using single-point trapeze, bungee, lyra, aerial fabric and custom steel apparatus, Cycropia combines modern dance, athleticism and the magic of defying gravity. Cycropia’s mission is to foster artistic expression and creative movement through aerial dance, education, performance and other community-building activities.
The Madison Bellydance Alliance is a loose confederation of fans and practitioners of Middle Eastern Dance in the Madison, Wisconsin area. Whether you are a professional dancer, an enthusiastic student, a musician, or simply someone who enjoys watching bellydance—from raqs sharqi to Tribal styles, from folkloric to gothic—you are welcome to join us. Our community shows offer performance opportunities to dancers of all levels in a relaxed atmosphere.
Rockford Dance Company is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Its mission is to pursue excellence in the art of dance through performance, education and outreach.
The performance component of Rockford Dance Company includes a pre-professional company. The company offers several season performances each year and tours locally. Rockford Dance Company performs at various venues throughout the Rockford Community.
Additionally, Rockford Dance Company is devoted to sharing the many benefits of dance with the Rockford community. As part of its outreach program, Rockford Dance Company develops diverse dance programming in partnership with many area organizations, including Stepping Stones of Rockford, Rockford Park District, Rockford Area Arts Council, and Rockford Public Schools.
The Berkshire Ballet Theatre is Summers Academy of Dance’s pre-professional training program for motivated dancers 12-20 years old.
Students learn through technique classes and performances in a creative and disciplined environment. Intermediate 1 and 2 students begin the classical syllabus which requires students to work carefully with much repetition in order to isolate the correct muscle groups required for turn-out, extension, and a strong jump. When a student is ready pointe training begins. Character dance, modern dance and floor barre are also introduced into training. Berkshire Ballet Theatre trainees, apprentices, and company dancers continue advanced classical ballet training including classical variations, pas de deux, repetoire.
Lucky Plush Productions is an ensemble dance-theater company based in Chicago, led by founder and Artistic Director Julia Rhoads. The company is committed to provoking and supporting an immediacy of presence—a palpable live-ness—shared by performers in real time with audiences. A unique hybrid of high-level dance and theater, Lucky Plush’s work is recognized for its layered choreography, nuanced dialogue, surprising humor, and socially relevant content.
We are a Chicago-based dance company that values making intelligent, visually rich dance theater driven by inquiry. We ground our inquiry in contemporary issues and the history of art and ideas, toward our pursuit of bold, exacting and potent physicality.
Under Carrie Hanson’s direction, the company is committed to bringing audiences an expanded experience of dance that ignites thought and understanding of real-world issues. With dance at the center of the work, the company’s vision extends to a total action and environment and includes collaboration with practitioners in fields as diverse as architecture, installation, video, sound, and fashion.With full-length works on pressing issues, such as the recent economic recession and the ongoing climate change debate, they have built a reputation for “well-crafted and researched works that don’t hold forth a political agenda, but look instead at how these towering issues reflect back on our own humanity” (New City, which named The Seldoms Best Local Dance Company in 2012).
Founded in 2013 by Artistic Director Nick Pupillo, Visceral Dance Chicago is a contemporary dance company dedicated to a bold and progressive world of movement. In less than three years, the company has developed a diverse and respected repertoire. With works by distinguished choreographers Sidra Bell, Mónica Cervantes, Marguerite Donlon, Brian Enos, Robyn Mineko Williams, Banning Bouldin, Harrison McEldowney, Fernando Melo, Ohad Naharin, and Pupillo, Visceral Dance Chicago continues to challenge audiences’ expectations. In January of 2015, Visceral Dance Chicago was named one of Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch, recognizing the company’s accomplishments and potential in the national community. “Visceral Dance Chicago breathes life into the Chicago arts community with their ability to intertwine complex human emotions with the raw beauty of dance and physical movement.” (Chicago Stage Standard)
University Ballet of Chicago is a student-run ballet company affiliated with the University of Chicago in Hyde Park. We proudly offer classical ballet training and performance opportunities for dancers of diverse backgrounds and abilities.
UBallet is an expert in storytelling. Our past performances — from the modern Spartacus to the opulent Sleeping Beauty — have been filled with characters delicate and cute, royal and grotesque. We strive to bring stories alive through both classical movement and heartfelt theatricality. Our shows have delighted audiences of all ages and levels of familiarity with dance for more than a decade.
We invite you to attend our free adult ballet classes, which are held in Ida Noyes Hall on the UChicago campus. Twice a year in the fall and late winter, we hold auditions for our semiannual productions. All who audition are cast.
Same Planet Different World Dance Theatre is a contemporary-based repertory company that presents the work of its Artistic Director and other choreographers, both established and emerging. The Company strives to present choreography that can support a humanistic voice while remaining in the physical world where dance is the primary ingredient; using the full moving body for expression. The Company maintains an ever-evolving body of work that is driven by theatricality, athleticism, tenacity and accessibility for its audience.
Same Planet Different World Dance Theatre (SPDW), led by artistic director Joanna Rosenthal, is a Chicago-based contemporary dance ensemble that has built a strong reputation for work that is evocative, entertaining and engaging. SPDW has received critical acclaim for its varied repertory and powerful performers. SPDW presents the choreography of artists from across the country, both seasoned veterans as well as up-and-coming innovators, with styles that range from classical to post-modern dance. The diverse spectrum of work can range from humorous satire to high-octane virtuosity, but never ceases to delight audiences with performances that are dynamic and inspiring. Contributing artists include Peter Carpenter, Faye Driscoll, Jan Erkert, Carl Flink, Ashleigh Leite, Molly Shanahan, Jeff Hancock, Shirley Mordine, Sam Watson, Shapiro and Smith Dance and to name a few.