Location: The address of the Sherman Park Fieldhouse is 1301 W 52nd St, Chicago, IL 60609. It’s on the south side in the Black of the Yards neighborhood. (Google maps). There is free parking with a small lot and parking along the drive. Multiple public buses service the area. #51 and #44 stops are a 4min walk/roll away; #55 and #9 stops are an 8min walk/roll away. See the CTA website for more information.
Accessibility: The building and gymnasium are wheelchair accessible.
Note: To be eligible for participation in the September 2024 DanceChance at Loyola Park, artists MUST BE PRESENT at the July 15th event to put their names in the hat for random draw. Participating artists each receive $4,500 in addition to dialogue and video documentation of their sharing.
Brittany Bradley As an artist there are two parts that make up who I am, the hip hop and waving dancer who loves a good cypher and to battle, and the visual storyteller who combines dance, video, and visual effects to bring a more immersive and artistic approach to dance videography. My journey into the street dance scene is rather recent and began toward the end of 2020 when I started attending Rhythmhood hip hop sessions after feeling like I was plateauing from training alone. Since then, I’ve been deepening my freestyle movement vocabulary as I’ve been training at the Rhythmhood x SNIPES dance studio, battling, and when I can, dabbling in other forms of movement that bring me joy such as house, west african, capoeira, and contemporary. About two years into my dance journey, I started to become interested in the ways dance and videography can be combined in creative ways, so I started making dance videos with my friends and slowly became more and more fascinated with the medium as I experimented with different modes of storytelling, shooting styles and editing techniques. Today, I spend my time training, battling, and spearheading/assisting with different video projects. I always aim to maintain a posture of being a student as much of the joy of dance and the visual arts for me is learning more and personal growth.
Notes on Project/Practice:Metamorphic Reflections is a movement contemplation on where I’ve been in my dance practice, and the ways that I’m beginning to challenge my current approach toward movement in order to make room for something new.
pc Jenn Udon
Dawn Heilung (they, them) is a performer, producer, and wiggly spaghetti noodle. Dawn has been dancing for 14 years and has trained in numerous movement styles like viewpoints, droznin, partnering/lifts, and gaga. They’ve choreographed for multiple musicals like The Addams Family and Thoroughly Modern Millie and danced in Queer Dance Freakout since its inception in Texas in 2018! Dawn studied Dance and Musical Theatre at the North East School of the Arts and graduated with a BFA in Acting from Texas State University. In Chicago they have danced at Thalia Hall, The Den Theatre, Steppenwolf, and The High Hall. They have had their choreo featured in performances with the DCF Dance Chance, and the Fly Honeys. Dawn is the founder and Artistic Director of Gender Fucked Productions, a trans, enby, and queer arts and event production non profit based here in Chicago. Over the Past 2+ years Gender Fucked has grown to include a new works series for trans artists, Trans Voices Cabaret, We Are Dance Collective, Gender Fucked Meetups, Puppetqueers and Queer Dance Freakout. As of this year Gender Fucked is now grant funded and has produced all over the Chicago area. Gender Fucked Productions envisions a future where trans and nonbinary artists can create art that pushes beyond any binary we could imagine.
Notes on Project/Practice: Dawn will present a selection of dances from their full length piece in development Dulce Vindicti! This Gaga Dance Theatre Revenge Fantasia follows three trans teenagers as they fly to the Vatican to murder the cardinal they know all too well.
Dancers: Rodney Bethea, Lucas Greeff, Randi Jonites, Patty Roache, Amethyst Rose, and Virginia Vanlieshout
pc William Frederking Photography
Molly Smith (they/them) is a choreographer, dance teacher, and arts administrator and has just completed their 6th season with Chicago Tap Theatre, currently serving as Rehearsal Director and Director of Operations & Community Engagement! Molly is a co-founder of the band THEM queers, is on faculty at Incite Dance Center, and is a choreographer, presenting works recently through Jello dances and the Newport Theater as well as directing CTT’s most recent show, Can You Hear Us Now? The Queer Tap Dance Revolution, in June. Molly is so grateful for their circle of support and for everyone who makes tap dance happen!
Notes on Project/Practice: Molly is interested in exploring queerness in dance and emotional storytelling is a large part of the inspiration for their work, including this piece, which is all about the joy of community and authenticity.
Dancers: Sara Anderson and Molly Smith
pc: Corinne Imberski
Corinne Imberski is a Chicago based dance performer, choreographer, and improviser. As an independent dance artist, Corinne has presented solo and ensemble works for over thirty years at venues grand, small, impromptu, and digital. Although she is primarily a live performance artist, since 2020 she has experimented with dance on film. Corinne created Lost Dreamer, a film project through a residency from See Chicago Dance, as well as the film project Roof Series 2020-2021, which was a response to life in quarantine and crisis. She has taught and staged her choreography throughout the country, including at the University of Michigan, Northwestern University, Columbia College Chicago, Grand Valley State University, American College Dance Festival, Links Hall, Midwest RAD Fest, Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival, and the Toledo Museum of Art. Corinne is a grateful recipient of the 2020 Meier Achievement Award, an award given to Chicago-area artists each year by the Helen Coburn Meier and Tim Meier Charitable Foundation for the Arts. In 2021, she was nominated as “Best Dancer” and “Best Choreographer” in Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago poll. Corinne was an artist in residence at the Ragdale Foundation in 2023. In addition to presenting her own work, she has performed and collaborated with RE|dance group (Chicago, IL), Ayako Kato/Art Union Humanscape (Chicago, IL), Peter Sparling (Ann Arbor, MI), DDCdances (Detroit, MI), Ann Arbor Dance Works (Ann Arbor, MI), and HNM Dance Company (Windsor, Ontario).
Notes on Project/Practice: My work appears at the intersection of abstraction and vulnerability, prioritizing a deep connection to music and the expression of the internal as outward gesture. Through the exploration of duality, I strive to reconcile opposing forces in an effort to find balance and resiliency.
