DANCEWORKS CHICAGO (DWC), founded in May 2007, is an organization committed to building a foundation for the individual artistic growth of dancers and choreographers, providing a laboratory from which early career artists propel themselves and the art form to a new level through training, collaboration, mentorship, and performance.
Led with integrity by the recognized team of Andreas Böttcher (CEO) and Julie Nakagawa (Artistic Director), DanceWorks Chicago fills a niche in the dance ecosystem. Where the traditional dance company model focuses on putting dances on stage, DWC invests in and shines a spotlight on the individual artists. Dancers are encouraged to explore their technical capability as well as their artistic curiosity in an individualized and deeply personal approach with the goal of nurturing passionate, articulate artists able to make meaningful contributions to the art form. Choreographically, we look to uncover new voices while also embracing opportunities to connect with more established choreographers providing mentorship and perspective for all involved. Welcoming the public to engage with the DWC family to build context around the work of art is both our pleasure and our duty as a good dance citizen.
From our first public activity, an innovative open audition (open to dancers to audition and to an audience to observe) held at the beautifully historic Auditorium Theatre, DWC has demonstrated its commitment to illuminating and giving context to the artistic journey. We have established a menu of on-going offerings including open company classes, monthly Dance Chance events encouraging, sharing, and discussing new work by area choreographers; free and informal Dance Bytes illuminating the creative process; and Dance Flight, our fresh approach to performance.
We invite you to share the passion of our 6 dancers as they journey through dance created by inspired dance makers from across the country, around the globe, and, of course, in our own backyard, Chicago. We embrace your support of new ideas and look forward to welcoming you to an upcoming DanceWorks Chicago event!
Welcoming the public to engage with the DanceWorks family to build context around the work of art is both our pleasure and our duty as a good dance citizen.
Our commitment is to "Community" not "Company", the Participatory, rather than the Proprietary. And having chosen this route, we are building a more robust dance community.
Open company classes led by Artistic Director Julie Nakagawa and guest artists are held in spacious Studio 1 in our home at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 North Dearborn, between Maple and Oak. Class fee: $12, payable in cash, please, prior to the start of class. This fee applies only to the DWC company class and not to any regular class offerings at the Ruth Page Center.
The Ruth Page Center (RPC) is accessible by public transportation: Brown Line (Chicago station), Red Line (Chicago or Clark/Division station), bus lines #22, 36, 70. Parking is available in the RPC lot for $5. Street parking is also available. Class fee: $12, payable in cash, please, prior to the start of class. This fee applies only to the DanceMasters class and not to any regular class offerings at the Ruth Page Center.
