“..how the hell did this happen?”

Well here we are, nearing the end of The Dance COLEctiveʼs 17th season and Iʼm looking back at the past two years thinking “..how the hell did this happen?” I remember showing up to my first Modern 1 class at Columbia College Chicago oh so many years ago, a bit apprehensive about this new teacher talking about the wonder twins, little green men, and corn. But, I stuck with it. After semesters of thinking that I would never make it to a professional dance company, especially Margi Coleʼs (or really wondering if I even wanted to perform), I found myself unable to stay away from her, her classes, the companyʼs performances, and its dancers. There was something about it that I respected so much.

I knew from the minute I left high school that I wanted to pursue my teaching certificate in Dance and that it would require time and effort. So, during the frequent 3 hour commute to and from Milwaukee, I realized that teaching wasnʼt the only part of dance that I wanted for myself. I needed something in my life that I didnʼt have to control all the time, something that fulfilled the creative side of me but something that also allowed me the chance to share my life with others (a collective perhaps (I know, super cheesetastic)) closer to my age. At the time, the only people I had the opportunity to share with were the ones who wanted to know my favorite color, if I had a mom and lived in a house, and that they just got a brand new outfit and hairdo that I NEEDED to know about. After attending my umpteenth Dance COLEctive performance, I checked the program and committed myself to the audition 7 months away. I attended the summer workshop and was surprised with how many of the dancers I knew, or who actually remembered me from coming to company class. Being there, dancing with these girls was just so comfortable. I appreciated that and understood that this wasnʼt just a dance company, it was a family that had been thoughtfully formed through the direction of a woman who took the time to research her dancerʼs values and goals. I wanted it. I respected it, and knew that this was the “something else.”

Photo by Mike Doyle

 













And now here I sit, explaining all of this to you but reflecting to myself about how it all came to be. Something I didnʼt fully understand until now. I am nearing the end of my second year with the company after starting as an apprentice and couldnʼt be more grateful for the opportunities provided to me. Itʼs been made clear that nothing is accomplished without full commitment, and that if you want something enough you must work your way towards it through as many paths as you can find. The Dance COLEctive, in my eyes, is an established, respected, and carefully constructed crew of beautiful dancers I can proudly say I am a part of, and if you have the chance or interest, I highly recommend inquiring about it.

 Submitted by TDC Dancer Madelyn Doyle on Tuesday, May 9, 2013.

Season Reflection

Receiving the opportunity to apprentice with The Dance COLEctive this season has provided me an environment of artistic and personal growth.  Almost every rehearsal begins with a company class that focuses on technique, strength, and movement pick up, ext. I look forward to this every week and have learned that it is a gift to be able to have class before every rehearsal.

Photo by Eric Olson

I have always enjoyed creating movement and learning different techniques on how to approach the creation process of dance. As an apprentice this year I have learned that collaboration is a key to success and growth. I have learned my habits as a mover, meaning the type of “moves” I rely on. This year I have been challenged to abandon these signature moves to create characters, relationships in space and to experience a new vocabulary of movement in my body. For example I have learned that as a mover I tend to create quick, sharp and whirly phrases but this year I have tried to break out from my norm. I am learning that taking the time to experience the movement can then in return tell what is important, what the viewer needs to see.

This year I have enjoyed collaborating with the other company members. Before joining The Dance COLEctive I had only a little experience in partnering. I was always hesitant to giving or receiving weight and simply not knowing how to create a duet. This year I have had to be challenged to create many duets and how to trust in partnering. Now something that was outside of my comfort zone is becoming an aspect of dance that I look forward to pursuing.

This season has challenged me as a performer to really see the audience. In my past experience as a performer there has always been a separation between the viewed and the viewer.  I have found it difficult yet intriguing as a dancer/artist to look at the people watching, to talk to them, to engage with them while moving.  This season is teaching me to more than a dancer on the stage but to just be myself while performing. I am looking forward to what the next season/year will bring. There are always new things to learn, more movement to discover and opportunities for growth.


Submitted by TDC Apprentice Julie Boruff on Sunday, May 5, 2013. 

Words From the Dancers on Performing at The Pritzker

In 2010 I interned with The American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina. My
 job was to assist in documenting the different dance companies and speakers that
came to the festival. I had the opportunity to meet Artistic Directors Monica Bill Barnes
and Martha Clarke; assist in filming Pilobolus, RUBBERBANDance Group, and Paul
Taylor, among others. From my experience during the internship, I learned that every person has a role, both on stage and off. At the time, I did not know where I wanted my focus to be. However, after seeing a variety of companies perform on small stages to large theaters, by the end of the festival I knew that I wanted to perform. When I got back to Chicago, The Chicago Dance Festival was taking place on The Pritzker Stage in Millennium Park. I had just witnessed amazing dance in North Carolina and returned to amazing dance in Chicago. It was towards the end of the summer, I was sitting on the great lawn and the Joffrey Ballet was performing. Suddenly, questions started plaguing me: "Who picks what the viewer sees? What does it mean to dance here verses there? How does it feel to perform in this space over a different space?" I asked these questions to a few of my fellow TDC dancers as we took to the Pritzker Stage this past weekend for FlySpace. 

Photo by William Frederking

"I was in college at the time and had only performed on The Dance Center stage and a few small venues around the city. Having this opportunity this past weekend to perform on the same stage that critically acclaimed musicians, dance companies and other forms of art/entertainment have touched is inspiring and intimidating. The Pritzker Stage is a beautiful space and I am excited that the viewer not only gets to see the work up close but also gets to experience being a part of the space. During most shows, the viewer is on the outside, often far away. For the FlySpace programs, audience members have the opportunity to see the tiny details, view the city's southern skyline, take in the woodwork, hear the dancers breathe, and feel the energy of the works and the space."~Julie Boruff

"Performing on the Pritzker Stage is an experience like no other. There are so many
unique aspects of the space that make every gesture feel monumental. Seats on the
stage and in the loft force intimacy with the audience, yet at the same time the vast
backdrop of the pavilion creates a landscape and a tremendous sense of depth
behind the work. You are aware of the inside and outside at the same time, which
offers a very different experience, both as a performer and an audience member,
than that of a dark, enclosed black box theater. I am truly excited to have the
opportunity to dance on this stage, and I am proud to participate in this important,
initial undertaking of the FlySpace strategic partnership."~Maggie Koller


"FlySpace provides a broad platform for Chicago artists, further extending an
additional outlet to our community. Combining our voices and enhancing our
audience’s awareness will hopefully generate a wider interest in our individual
crafts. This is a great opportunity geared towards seeing the modern dance scene
boom. I’m glad that TDC is apart of this involvement. I’ve watched multiple acclaimed dance companies prance across the Pritzker Stage over the past 5 years and I always imagined how amazing it would be to do the same. I never thought I’d get the opportunity, ever. I can’t even fathom how alluring the theater is and how truly amazing the ability to step onto the stage, let alone dance my heart out. I’m honored to perform in such a beautiful space and to be sharing the structure with another dance company who idolizes it just the same. I keep taking everything in, making sure I see something new every time I perform –especially looking out the windows and beyond the buildings. Excited!"~Katie Petrunich


"Performing on the Pritzker Stage feels like such a privilege. The space is
unbelievably beautiful. The high ceilings, vast, open space with a large glass wall
overlooking the city is unlike any other space I have ever performed in. Although the
space seems large, using it as a dance venue turns it into a very intimate space. The
audience sits on the same level as the dancers as if they are part of the performance
themselves. After a certain time at night, you begin to see reflections of the dancers
in the glass, as well as shadows dancing around the entire space, adding layers to
the performance. It is a really exciting experience to have the honor to dance in this 
space!"~Molly Kirkpatrick

Submitted by TDC Apprentice Julie Boruff on Tuesday, April 16, 2013.   

Past- Forward

Photo by Eric Olson

Past:
I was first introduced to dance in the 6th grade, I was told “cool” girls dance. I guess I wanted to be cool so I took a class and fortunately got hooked. However, before coming to Columbia College Chicago I had no real formal dance training, but that’s a whole different story. My first modern dance technique class was with Margi Cole. I had no
idea what I was doing. I was swishing on the floor, doing contractions, getting acquainted with my sit bones, experiencing the prance for the first time and more. Through my inexperience, I desired to learn. Margi was a teacher that I highly respected. She helped me find the technique that was buried in my body. My freshman year of college, I saw a few dance shows, but the one I remember the most was The Dance COLEctive’s when I saw 13 for the first time. I remember connecting well with the piece. I was not only inspired by the content but also by the dancers. I admired their presence, movement vocabulary, humor, and ease with speaking on stage. It was a level of professionalism that I wanted to embody. Entering into my junior year of college, I auditioned for TDC. I did not make it into the company that time around but I knew I would try again. I had Margi as a teacher a few more times at Columbia, but in my final semester, I grew as a dancer and performer under her direction. She taught a Performance Rep Class during that semester, teaching our class how to behave, learn, grow and perform like a company. I respected the way she treated us and how she was able to handle any situation. So when summer came around, I again auditioned for the company.

Forward:
Having the opportunity to be a part of TDC this year has been a true joy. It was surreal to be a part of the recreation of the piece 13 because that was the first piece I had seen  my freshmen year of college. I have been challenged as a performer through different performance spaces, audience awareness, movement vocabulary, text and content of the various pieces we have worked on. As an artist/dancer, being challenged both mentally and physically is crucial, and TDC provides that environment of growth. We are currently polishing up Moving Stories, a piece to be performed during the launch of FlySpace on the Pritzker Stage next weekend April 12-14. There is such a natural raw beauty to the work that I have not felt in a long time. The piece is honest, intricate and very human. I am excited and dazed to be able to perform with The Dance COLEctive not even a full year out of school on the Pritzker. I am looking forward not only to our next performance but to what the next year will bring.

Submitted by TDC Apprentice Julie Boruff on Thursday, April 4, 2013.  

In celebration of TDC’s 17th season!

This March, we celebrated TDC’s birthday – 17 seasons! That’s a nice run and TDC continues to grow. Margi’s set of skills go beyond choreography, she knows the ins and outs of running a business. She’s a grant writer, budget maker, deadline queen, collaborator, director, teacher, coordinator of all; the list never ends.

In celebration of TDC’s 17th season, I’ve gathered some quotes from past and present dancers regarding their experience with Margi and the dancers, and people who are involved in the dance community who are aware of Margi’s work and methods, and how she’s impacted Chicago’s dance community.

Working with Margi Cole is refreshing! She is the consummate professional and I think her general "equality vibe" infiltrates the organization. It is clear that she is the director but at no point did I feel inferior, quite the opposite, I felt that she was very empowering. If a dancer had a talent or inkling then she was a huge supporter. She is also one of the few artists I have ever seen really and earnestly partake in collaboration. She is really good at it. I understand why people work with her for a long time, because it is not the kind of work that breaks you down (physically or spirit). She is invested in her dancers and allows them to continue to grow. -Molly Schneider Perez, Former TDC company member

TDC offered a safe environment to grow as an artist. I was given the freedom to think about dance in new ways and be challenged. I also got to watch Margi grow as a choreographer over the years. She continually challenges herself. Her work today is more complex and layered than her earlier work. That's part of what makes TDC an exciting company to watch. -Alaina Murray, Former TDC company member

I first recognized Margi’s awesome talent in the mid-80s, in a Beginning Modern class at the old Dance Center. She wouldn’t remember me being there, but I sure remember her—I was totally intimidated by her strength and finesse. She’s still strong. It’s no mean feat to have kept a company going for 17 years, which she’s done partly by coming up with ingenious ways to fuel her creativity: by continuing to dance challenging solos herself, and by opening TDC to collaboration—a goal of hers from the get-go. Watching TDC in rehearsal and performance, I get the feeling of a true, loyal, very female family working together. Happy anniversary! -Laura Molzahn, Dance critic and writer for the Chicago Reader

Working with Margi is an all-encompassing dance experience. The work itself is physically demanding, and also calls for rapt attention to the nuances of human experience. The body cannot lie when performing Ms. Cole’s work…as dancers, we are challenged to draw from the experiences that make us unique, real, and connected to those around us. Margi’s methods for molding these ideas into relatable, engaging dance composition are both artful and ever changing. - Erin Jaffe, Former TDC company member

Margi is one of the most talented and skilled choreographers and teachers in Chicago. I have known Margi since she was a student at the Dance Center of Columbia College. Over the years I have found her to be generous and supportive in her relationships with fellow artists and to demonstrate outstanding managerial skills. Margi makes an important contribution to Chicago's dance community. - Shirley Mordine, Artistic Director of Mordine and Company, and founder of The Dance Center at Columbia College Chicago

TDC is more than a dance company it is a group of artists collaborating, exploring and pushing boundaries together. In my experience thus far I have enjoyed that every voice matters. Margi is a director and teacher that is clear, organized, open, explorative, and knows how to challenge her dancers. The piece that we are currently working on recently shifted for me, for the movement I perform now feels like my own. -Julie Boruff, current TDC apprentice

Margi Cole has proven to be an integral part of the Chicago dance community. To say it has been a pleasure to evolve and grow with her the past 7 years would be an understatement. Her roles as dancer, choreographer, artistic director, business administrator, mentor, and friend have had an incredible impact on my life, both personally and professionally. -Maggie Koller, current TDC member

My experience in my first season with TDC has been eye opening. Having the joy of working with such amazingly talented and inspiringly strong women has giving me a new confidence in myself that I am only beginning to understand. Margi is always surprising me with her choreographic challenges and ability to shake and alter an image, an idea, a movement phrase and make it fresh and thought provoking. I am being challenged constantly and feel myself growing as an artist, a dancer, and a young woman. -Molly Kirkpatrick, current TDC apprentice

I can't imagine where I'd be as a dancer and person if I didn't have my experience with Margi and the girls! I have made the most wonderful, caring and unique group of friends any person could ask for while dancing with TDC. Sweat, tears, confrontations, laughter and the usual joke during planks are just a few things I looked forward to in every rehearsal for ten years. Ten years my life was TDC, swooshes, contraction series and the dreaded developpe along to Margi's top ten playlist on her "I-thing". I learned respect, professionalism and how to find my head tail connection while also finding my two-way energy all at the same time! If you've ever had the pleasure of working with Margi and TDC you understand. If not, go and take a class with the company. You'll always be welcomed like a friend. -Molly Grimm-Leasure, Former TDC company member

TDC has been an experience that has helped me grow as an individual, but also as a collaborator. Margi has helped me become a better dancer/creator/witness to my own work and has shown me the importance of working hard and being involved in as many ways as possible. I have applied this method to many areas of my life and see myself and our work as a company progress because of it. -Madelyn Doyle, current TDC company member

I’d like to thank everyone for their quotes and thoughts.

So, surprise and congratulations, Margi! You’re an inspiration and you’ve done, and still do, so much for people inside our dance community. I’m lucky to be surrounded by such a great bunch. I know you’ve endured many struggles throughout the years, but with struggle comes success, and that success continues to grow with each season, enriching the movement and I like to think, making dance history. 


Submitted by TDC Dancer Katie Petrunich on Monday, April 1, 2013. 

Evolution of a fall leaf...

Looking at TDC before delving in, the dancers consisted of a strong bunch of women. Molly Grimm-Leasure, Maggie Koller, Alaina Murray, Summer Breal, Olivia May, Molly Perez, Kaitlin Bishop, and Jessica Post stood out to me. When I thought of TDC, I thought of these girls. They were my inspiration as they maneuvered bodies through space, leaped, shifted, and made the stage breathe. I never imagined I’d have a chance in the world to be a part of such a talented group who work so well together. And little did I know that I'd have the opportunity, and honor, to dance with them for years to come.

Photo by William Frederking

Shannon McGuire-Edwards and I came in as apprentices in 2009. Shannon and I took a few classes during our college years and became friends, so it was nice to have a familiar face to experience a dynamic change with. We stuck together, created phrases, wore similar outfits to rehearsal (and still do) and redeemed our dual nickname - the fall leaves.  I still can’t believe it’s our fourth season together.

Since then, TDC has been a perpetual constant in my life. There have been so many changes in my personal life, as others in the company, we’ve become a support system as well as an outlet. No matter how bad my day was and sometimes when motivation is lacking in my body, these girls always make me smile. And dancing… well, it’s always just a great reminder of what truly makes me happy, and there’s never a day that goes by that I’m not thankful that I’ve been given the opportunity to be able to do what I love.

Throughout the years, there have been several shifts in the company. Things change, people’s lives change, and we’ve had to say goodbye to several members along the way, a few of whom have danced the longevity of the company. Last season, we had to hold back tears as Molly Grimm-Leasure and Alaina Murray retired their bare feet off the dance floor. Current senior members consist of Maggie Koller and Olivia May. Shannon and I are next in line. Sometimes I can’t believe it because of my initial idea of the company consisting of the strong group of women I had mentioned earlier. To be honest, I still consider them as part of the group. They’ll always be TDC in my eyes, no matter how it shifts and changes. We have an amazing group of women right now and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Margi always says she’s so upset that we don’t get along. :-)   It’s pretty impressive that a group of 8 women can actually get along so well. She always says that she has to create a pallet for TDC, and I’m glad she sees me fitting into the mix.

Margi’s dancers typically dedicate several years at a time, which allows for the partnering and the movement vocabulary to be rich and full. It’s great to build and keep that trust, permitting us to rely on each other. We put in 6.5 to 10.5 hours in each week, I’d say 9 months out of the year (not including show weeks). We work hard, but we also enjoy ourselves. We’re all here solely for our love of dance, to be creative, to perform, and we’re grateful to have Margi Cole as our fearless leader.

TDC is like my second family and I don’t know how I could ever live without these girls in my life, continuously creating friendships and bonds that I couldn’t have found anywhere else. I truly think it keeps me sane during my work week. I embrace it every time I stand in front of the mirror during floor exercises or warm up. I’m not sure where my life will take me, so I’m embracing every dreadful développé, soaking up every swish, and embodying movement that becomes part of history, and turns into memories.

Submitted by TDC Dancer Katie Petrunich on Monday, March 18, 2013

From Stage to Stage

Blinding stage lights, an old wooden floor with crumbled rosin in the corner, thick black billowy curtains, and red plush seats gazing back at me.  There, as a five year old I stood, a gloomy little rain cloud, in The Phantom of the Opera recital. I wonder how my thoughts, feelings, and views compare back then to being on stage now. I never had a care in the world, but I remember being so happy in my tutu, tights, leather ballet slippers, and make up with a high bun. That feeling stuck with me growing up, and even though I never danced consistently throughout my childhood, it later emerged in my life and now I couldn’t imagine myself without it.

Photo by William Frederking

There are many great images and sayings I have learned, which now have become engraved in my head from teachers along the way. Some of my favorites include, “Pretend your feet are sinking in mud – Feel a warm sunburst on your face – Just be in the position, do not move, hold – The only person who’s going to push you is yourself.” Another inspiring teacher wanted to make sure we asked ourselves these questions:

What are we doing? Why are we here doing this? What do we want to do? Who are our heroes?  


These things that stick with us make us dancers who we are. Dancing isn’t just about technique, it’s about passion, creativity, and awareness. Along with those teachers, Margi Cole is also a voice of reason in my head, “Keep your ribs knitted together, drop your shoulders, keep your head-tail connection, don’t hold your breath.” I was drawn into the way Margi taught, moved, and the way her movement invention felt right in my body.

Throughout college, I monitored TDC, like all of the modern dance companies in Chicago. I went to auditions, got cut from them, and didn’t give up. Margi’s movement made me feel alive, so I continued to attend company class. I assisted TDC backstage in the January concert is its 13th season. I got to know the girls and was able to see how the company worked. One of the pieces I helped tech was “13”; little to my knowledge would I reconstruct the dance 4 years later…

I had the pleasure of being an apprentice for my first 2 seasons, and after working my way up and challenging myself, I’m now in my fourth season. One of the things I love the most is that Margi allows us to create our own movement and perform it. There is always a new way to generate movement and she gives us the guidance and spice to construct, disassemble, mash, and layer our work. Working weekly, year round, allows us to create intimate, yet dynamic movement. I have had to pleasure to work with wonderful women throughout the creative process and I only feel like I’m just getting warmed up.

Submitted by TDC Dancer Katie Petrunich on Wednesday, March 13, 2013