With Gratitude

Dear Dance COLEctive Enthusiasts,

The Dance COLEctive is wrapping up an excellent year of visible and diverse performance opportunities throughout the city of Chicago and beyond. We had the pleasure of performing at the Elgin Ties Dance Festival, the Pivot Arts Festival, and the Peep Show at Links Hall. Through our self produced concert Holding Ground, we produced dancer Madelyn Doyle's work for the first time, and we launched our very first Live Streaming Performance.  There were separate 209 devices, at least 400 TDC fans from around the country that hosted viewing parties and watched the show.

You can see our 2014 Year End Video here.

You can also see what the Chicago Tribune said here.
 
Almost 19 years ago I founded The Dance COLEctive as a means for my friends and I to produce and showcase our work. Today it is much more than that. Often seeking out new collaborations, we joined photographer Eric Olson in the studio with the idea of creating “piles” and intimate moving “portraits”.  You can see what a successful collaboration this was by viewing these images in our gallery.  

Photo by Eric Olson

 Artistically, I have been very fortunate this year. I mentored choreographers through the Thodos New Dances program, performed at the Going Dutch Festival, taught around the country, created work for Columbia College students, and studied dancemaking with master choreographer Joe Goode.  I continued to perform in a new dance/theater work with independent choreographer Peter Carpenter and was also acknowledged as a Woman of Inspiration by Today’s Chicago Woman.

Many good things are coming up for us this year, including my choreographic collaboration with Peter Carpenter, Rituals of Abundance for Lean Times #14: Curious Reinventions. We have every intention of sharing this with you through another live streaming performance. Fingers crossed!

Photo by William Frederking

Currently the company is comprised of 7 thoughtful and sophisticated young women (you can read some of the writing about their experiences here) who are helping me to fulfill my desire to mentor while also actively creating new work. Their dedication and remarkable growth as artists inspires and energizes me to keep finding ways to create performance and mentorship opportunities and to continue adapting to an ever changing landscape. The current national and local economic and political environments continue to pose serious challenges to TDC's future. Disappearing resources on the the state and city level, as well as more limited support from local foundations, continues to impact TDC's ability to support itself and its artists. This is why we need you more than ever. Many of you have been collaborators, students and mentors. Many of you are family, friends, peers, acquaintances, board members and audience members. You have personally witnessed my passion for dance and the power of a positive experience!

Please consider making a year-end donation to TDC.  In supporting us, you are not only making a financial contribution, you are investing in the continued growth of our artists. In addition, you will help us to create new and innovative dance and find more ways to share it with you.

To make a donation, simply go to our website or you can send a check to our snail mail address below.
You can also support us while you are shopping on Amazon.

Thank you so much for your continued interest in the Company and have a safe and wonderful holiday!

Most Sincerely, 

The Dance COLEctive is graciously funded by The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation,  the Illinois Arts Council, the Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development and many generous individuals like you.  Special thanks to our season sponsors Lakeside Bank, Pacific Management Inc. and the Rivendell Foundation. 

 Submitted by TDC Artistic Director, Margi Cole, Monday, December 22, 2014