Monday, May 20, 2024

6:30 – 8:00 pm 

Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities – Central West Center (in person)

2102 W Ogden Ave, Chicago, IL 60612

This event is hosted by, and in partnership with, the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD).

Participating Artists

pc Tori Howard

Tatiana “Tanya” Armendariz Tanya’s journey into dance began in 2008, immersing herself in the world of hip-hop freestyle, learning its foundation and history for a period of three years. In 2011, she embarked on a new path, delving into the captivating realm of popping. Inspired by figures such as Ramon, OG Poppin Pete, OG Mr. Wiggles, OG Hugo, and others, Tanya honed her skills under their guidance. In 2014, Tanya made a significant move to Chicago, where she continued her artistic development by learning from the esteemed OG Tea-Buggz. This experience further fueled her passion and dedication to the art of popping. In 2019, she joined forces with Alex “Prototype” Malblanc to establish Shadow Puppetz, an animation and popping crew based in Chicago. Together, they aimed to create a platform for expression and exploration within the local freestyle community. In 2020, Tanya started diving deeper into the waving style, drawn to its fluidity and storytelling ability. She has been hosting sessions and organized Flow First, a waving weekend featuring workshops and battle, aimed at attracting more enthusiasts to delve into the intricacies of the style. Additionally, over the past five years, Tanya has actively participated in various battles, both in Chicago and beyond. Through these competitions, she has continually pushed her boundaries and showcased her skills. Today, Tanya’s unwavering commitment lies in nurturing and uplifting the local popping and waving community. She endeavors to create opportunities for more people to discover and embrace the art of popping and waving.

Notes on Project/Practice: As a dancemaker whose primary artistic focus lies within the freestyle world, in this project, Tanya aims to showcase the depth of waving as a dance style by blending both improvised and choreographed pieces.

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.

pc Marcus Salinas

Jonathan St. Clair, known as “InLight” in the international Hiphop dance community, specializes in Bboying (breakdance), Popping, Acrobatics, and what he calls Free Movement, described as phasing movement through the walls that isolate body expression into dance styles or genres. As a multidisciplinary artist and Healthy Lifestyle Coach, InLight employs movement, music, spoken-word, comedy, motivational speaking, and visual art, to create immersive experiences that can educate, entertain, and even inspire audiences to pursue being their best selves. Dance-wise, the core of InLight’s movement is centered in the energy of Joy, Peace, Fun, Love, Passion, Wonder, and the inner listening necessary to authentically express music. To Jonathan, dance is being in communion with the music, using the instrument of his body to express the ecosystem of sound that each song creates, harmonizing movement with the sonic environment, like music for the eyes. For over 25 years dance has taken InLight across the world performing, teaching, speaking, curating and participating in cultural exchanges in Canada, Uganda, India, Malaysia, and China and also served with the US State Department as a Cultural Envoy sharing Hiphop and Breaking to the people of Morocco, Algeria, and Pakistan. Jonathan’s a member of Breakdance Project Uganda, Director of the Breaking Program at the Hyde Park School of Dance, and is currently training the 3rd generation of the Stick and Move Youth Crew; carrying on the Legacy of Stick and Move Dance Crew(2002-2012), developing the next generation of gifted bboys and bgirls of strong character and values.

Notes on Project/Practice: In this project InLight will create a musical environment live with the audience and use the instrument of his body to express the ecosystem of sound that they create together, giving literacy to the landscape of Breaking & Popping. InLight will also engage in free movement to South African Vocals that cause something beautiful deeply within.

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