Hear Chicago Dance: Stories and insights of the lived experiences of dancers

Dancers are a unique breed.

Whether we trained in the halls of a conservatory, in a storefront studio, or on the sacred grounds of our respective communities, each of us carries the oral and kinesthetic history that we’ve been honored to receive from the generations before us.

In this way, regardless of dance style or pedagogy, one of the things that dancers share is a connection to heritage—the heritage of movement.

Whether guided by a guru, a crew leader, a coach, a studio instructor, or our very own peers and family members, dancers are bound by a sense of responsibility and often gratitude to the past, even as many of us work to challenge entrenched practices and push ossified traditions that hold us back.

We invite you to keep this collective dance heritage—historical and ephemeral—in mind as you listen to these stories and consider the challenges that dance and dancers face moving into the future.

These stories can help all of us in the community better understand the lived experience of dancers and identify opportunities to better serve the community's artists and organizational leaders.

This study also intends to share narrative insights from dancers’ professional experiences with people outside the community—their audiences, immediate support networks, creatives in adjacent industries, as well as funders, decision makers, and influencers who shape the dance profession and industry in Chicago.

Guiding you through this journey is Kennedy Ward from See Chicago Dance. But first, we’d like to allow the dancers to introduce themselves.