HCCDF 2024
September 27 & 28

1. Giordano II
   Good Feeling

   Giordano II’s piece Good Feeling, choreographed by Adam Houston, embodies Adam’s view on what is jazz dance and how he and the dancers can push the envelope using elements of jazz. Community and unity, rhythm, passion and soul can be seen throughout the piece. The dancers feeling of community helped inspire the creation of this piece.

   CHOREOGRAPHER: Adam Houston

   MUSIC: Dominique Fils-Aimé - The Remixes

   COSTUMES: Giordano Dance Chicago and dancers         

   DANCERS: George Brous, Josh Brumm, Claire Calloway, Sydney Priestly and Jules Shulman

2. Faith von Atzigen
Her (Excerpt)

HER is a faith-based work exposing the realities of overcoming an eating disorder and offering the hope of healing from mental illness. Embodying the youthful innocence and naivety prior to concerns with one’s self, one’s body size, and one’s social status, this duet explores the innate trust and affection within a paternal-like relationship. It portrays the divine beauty of care and intimacy and highlights the important role of mentorship.

CHOREOGRAPHER: Faith von atzigen

MUSIC: Romance Anonimo by Terry Muska

COSTUMES: Faith Von atzigen

performers: Faith von atzigen and elijah richardson

3. Project SK+A/Seyong Kim
The Moon reflected in East Sea

The Moon reflected in East Sea is a female solo contemporary dance in commemoration of So-nyeo-sang (Statue of Peace) in Korea. Erected as an apology and remembrance, it symbolizes the victims of sexual slavery, known as “Comfort Women” by the Japanese military until the end of Pacific war during World War II. [East Sea is a political, diplomatic region between Korea and Japan.] This piece explores Inter/Trans cultural perspectives with newly-gained insight of peaceful co-existence in globalization. This piece has been presented in numerous festivals including Global Women Performing Arts Festival, CrossCurrent Asian American Contemporary Dance Festival, and Global Water Dances.

CHOREOGRAPHER: Seyong kim

MUSIC: Eyes Shut, composed by Olafur Arnalds & Alice Sara Ott

Costumes: Seyong kim

PERFORMERS: lauren smith

4. Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre
The Sea

“Tumbling through its dynamic waters, The Sea is a metaphor for the currents of infinite possibility that one must navigate in this journey of life... a journey from a past and toward a future, and with a most intimate internal compass as a guide.”

CHOREOGRAPHER: Shannon Alvis       

MUSIC: James Sanders

Costumes: Jordan Ross

LIGHTING DESIGN: Nathan Tomlinson

Projections: Sim carpenter

PERFORMERS: Bennett Cullen, Caitlin Clark, Yui Nakatani

5. The Seldoms
ciclos

ciclos is a movement dialogue to understand feelings of numbness and anger within the experience of grief, toward acceptance and redefining ourselves. A tender and quiet duet, "ciclos" is a score celebrating vulnerability as strength.

CHOREOGRAPHER: gabriela chavez

MUSIC: Lyzbeth Badaraco and Jenny Villafuerte

COSTUMES: Gabriela chavez

PERFORMERS: Damon D. Green and Haley Marcin

ciclos was commissioned by the seldoms

15 MINUTE INTERMISSION

6. Jacksonville Dance Theatre
Before You Go

Before You Go was a piece created by choreographer Kristen Sholes Sullivan about her father, a stage 4 heart failure survivor, The piece explores the intricacies of the heart's anatomical function, specifically the relationship of the right and left side of the heart and how they work together to pump life into the body. The work also brings insight into the sensibility of the heart to react in emotional situations and relationships. And if the heart does finally "break", what would be said before they go?

CHOREOGRAPHER: Kristen Sholes Sullivan

MUSIC: The Rolling Stones "Heart of Stone" and Erik Satie "Gymnopedie No. 1”

Costumes: Hilary libman

PERFORMERS: Josie Camp, Breauna Moore, Jessica Plonka, Emily Poli, Tess Sturgeon, Kristen Sholes Sullivan

7. MusicDance En-sem’-ble
in-to light

This duet was inspired by the need and importance of transforming darkness into light as well described by Yitzchak Ginsburg. "Our ultimate goal is to sweeten our problems, to transform darkness into light, to create a pure, positive state of good and light with us, separated from our outer darkness." The piece began as a filmed project supported by a Vincentian Endowment Fund grant from DePaul University. 

CHOREOGRAPHY: Lin Batsheva Kahn

MUSIC: J.S. Bach

performers:
Dancers: Elijah Richardson & Brodie wolf, Violinist: Ben Koenig

8. Lucid Banter Project
Dress

Dress is a distillation of a journey through the spectrum of gender expression. The work was influenced by the choreographer's personal experience, as well as the dancers who have performed the piece through its multiple iterations, who have run the spectrum from cis female to gender-queer to trans.

CHOREOGRAPHER: Paula Grahmann

MUSIC: Sylvan Esso

PERFORMER: Luke greeff

9. Mike Esperanza
Mapping

Originally a solo, this iteration of Mapping explores the dynamic interplay between two dancers and a swinging light.  By manipulating the light stand, they chart an evolving landscape of shadows and shapes, visually mapping their movements and creating a compelling interplay of illumination and form. 

CHOREOGRAPHER: Mike Esperanza

MUSIC: “Nocturne No. 2 in E Flat, Op. 9, No. 2” by Frédéric Chopin

costumes: James Morrow and Megan Thompson

PERFORMERS: James Morrow and Megan Thompson

10. South Chicago Dance Theatre, Emerging Artist Program
Soul Power

Soul Power is choreographed by Monique Haley and explores the africanist foundations of jazz and contemporary dance. Soul Power is an SCDT audience favorite and The Times Weekly calls Soul Power "a visual kaleidoscope"!

CHOREOGRAPHER: monique haley

MUSIC: Yussef Kamaal

costumes: Trey Alexander

Original Lighting design by Julie E. ballard

PERFORMERS: Keeley Clark, Maddie Lanasky, Lauryn Crowell, Kelsi L Fears, Reid Kostroun, Mary Kovalcheck, *Ben Moleta, Faith Von Atzigen

*denotes associate artist

THANK YOU!

HCCDF IS PRODUCED BY NICOLE GIFFORD DANCE

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: jACOB SNODGRASS

HOUSE MANAGER: SUZANNE WROBEL

Board of Directors: Joshua Blake Carter, Jim Gifford, Nicole Gifford, Danielle Gilmore

Special thanks to umraan Sayed and all of our volunteers

This show was made possible by the generosity of donors like you, we appreciate your continued efforts to help keep modern dance alive and thriving in the city of Chicago and beyond.

If you would like to learn more about HCCDF, donate to our organization or be among the first to learn of next year’s show, visit us here https://www.hccdf.com/support.