“On one hand, jazz dance is truly a discipline requiring the same fierce dedication one expects in ballet. But jazz dance emancipates the soul. It frees the spirit.” -Gus Giordano A man known for helping to lead jazz dance into becoming a revered art form, Gus Giordano is often referred to as the “Godfather of…
“PUNKING ~ it’s the Action. Initiation. Ignition. Inner-Dialogue, Behavior. FULL-USE of BODY and “SPACE” as a tool to Attack, Dominate, Conquer, Challenge, Play, whatever sound/music is used as a soundtrack/score for such expression, thus making the people watching feel as if sound/music is emanating from your body thru this art form known as PUNKING.” -Viktor…
Hula is the language of the heart, therefor, the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people. -King David Kalakaua A unique art form deeply rooted in history, tradition, and culture, Hula dance is known worldwide to represent Hawaii. Each and every movement, hand gesture, step, and hip sway help a story unfold to the music. To Hawaiian’s, hula is…
The Tap Renaissance became a very different opportunity for audiences to get deeper into our rhythms and forms. Tap stopped being seen as just entertainment but as a real art-form — which it always was. -Brenda Bufalino Sifting through books and digital searches, I came across numerous images and fact about Brenda Bufalino and her…
“I instill in my dancers the discipline of proper training, but I also let them know they have a voice—a voice that shows where they came from—and I want to hear it.” -Joel Hall Born and raised in Chicago, where he still resides, Joel Hall started his life in dance as a teenager under the…
“I used to want the words ‘She tried’ on my tombstone. Now I want ‘She did it.” -Katherine Dunham A movement pioneer, Katherine Dunham brought forth the use of ethnic choreography in a European dominated dance world. As a young girl born and raised in Chicago, Katherine spent her time singing in church and earned her…
“What we are fighting for, especially my generation, is that dance is in and of itself a beautiful thing.” -Lucinda Childs As a child, Lucinda set out to be an actress and dancer. She trained under many great dancers, including Hanya Holm, Merce Cunningham, and Yvonne Rainer. She joined the Judson Dance Theatre in 1963, where she…
“A tap dancer is really a frustrated drummer.” -Eleanor Powell As a dancer during the Golden Age of Hollywood, Eleanor Powell reigned as the top female tap dancers for MGM. The only person who equaled her in terms of talent was Fred Astaire, who she partnered with in films. It is said that Eleanor was the…
“It was about the groove, the groove made up the steps, the steps made up our JB style skating.” Calvin Smalls, creator of the JB Skate Style With roller rinks all around Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, it’s no wonder roller dance continues to be a fun and popular past time. JB Skating is a Chicago…
“Believe in yourself, work hard, have a positive attitude and you will be surprised at how many good things will come your way.” – Irma Suárez Ruiz Irma was born in Chicago, but shortly after moved to Mexico City, where she grew up. As a college freshman, she was in the theatre of Northeastern Illinois University…
Dance Legends Recaptured 