JOEL HALL DANCERS (CHICAGO, IL) FOUNDED AS CHICAGO CITY THEATRE COMPANY IN 1974 BY JOEL HALL AND JOSEPH EHRENBERG, THE JOEL HALL DANCERS & CENTER (JHDC) HAS PERSISTED IN THEIR MISSION TO BE AN ORGANIZATION OF DIVERSE BODIES AND MINDS, INNOVATIVE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, AND ENGAGING AND RELEVANT PUBLIC PERFORMANCES. THE COMPANY PERFORMED ITS FIRST CONCERT SERIES AT THE FRANCIS PARKER AUDITORIUM IN CHICAGO IN MARCH OF 1975. THROUGHOUT THE 1980S AND 90S, THE COMPANY CONTINUED TO DEVELOP THEIR CHICAGO IDENTITY WHILE ALSO ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE BY PERFORMING IN NEW YORK, THE NETHERLANDS, THROUGHOUT THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND THE FORMER SOVIET UNION. A TRAGIC FIRE AT THE JHDC STUDIO IN 1993 DESTROYED MUCH OF THE COMPANY’S RESOURCES AND FORCED A RELOCATION AND LENGTHY REBUILD. AS A RESULT OF THIS CHALLENGE, MR. HALL WAS INSPIRED TO CREATE AN EVENING-LENGTH CHOREOGRAPHIC WORK TITLED THE PHOENIX, ABOUT A BIRD RISING FROM THE ASHES. THIS ATTITUDE OF FACING CHALLENGES HEAD-ON AND TURNING BARRIERS INTO INSPIRATION IS WHAT HAS LED JHDC TO OVERCOME MULTIPLE HARDSHIPS AND CONSISTENTLY PERSEVERE.

THE LEGACY OF JOEL HALL AND JHDC INCLUDES VARIOUS HONORS AND RECOGNITIONS FOR WORK IN CHICAGO AND BEYOND. JOEL HALL RECEIVED THE KATHERINE DUNHAM HUMANITARIAN AWARD, THE ON-TARGET AWARD FOR MARKETING FROM THE ARTS & BUSINESS COUNCIL OF CHICAGO, AND PROFILES IN TWO BOOKS ABOUT BLACK DANCE. HALL HAS ALSO BEEN NAMED THE YMCA COMMUNITY ACHIEVER OF THE YEAR, INDUCTED INTO THE CHICAGO GAY & LESBIAN HALL OF FAME, AND, IN 2016, RECEIVED THE DESIGNATION OF THE HONORARY JOEL HALL WAY.

JACQUELINE SINCLAIR WAS APPOINTED NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR IN 2018.

photo by mike lohr