Art Union Humanscape (AUH)

Title: there

Performance: Ayako Kato, dance & Jason Roebke, double bass

Art Union Humanscape (AUH) was formed by double bassist Jason Roebke and dancer and choreographer Ayako Kato in 1998. They presented over one hundred long-form music and dance improvisation performances in the United States, Japan and Europe. Fall 2010, AUH++, an expanded version of the group, performed in the opening program of Chicago Jazz Festival at Jay Pritzker Pavilion of Millennium Park. With cornetist Josh Berman, the group was awarded CROSSCUT grant for New Collaborations in Sound/Movement from Experimental Sound Studio and Links Hall in 2007 and they toured Japan in 2009. The group improvised with musicians such as Michael Zerang (percussion), Jim Baker (piano), Kent Kessler (double bass), Darin Gray (double bass), Michiyo Yagi (koto), Taku Sugimoto (guitar), Toshimaru Nakamura (no-input mixing board), Haco (voice, electronics), Jorrit Dijkstra (saxophone) to name a few.

Jason Roebke is a double bassist working in the field of jazz and improvised music. Since coming to Chicago in 1999, he has become one of the cities most active musicians. The Chicago Reader described his work as "a carefully orchestrated rummage through a hardware store." He regularly works with a wide range of ensembles: Mike Reed People Places and Things,Jason Stein Locksmith Isidore, Jeb Bishop Trio, Steve Dawson, overova, James Falzone Klang, Keefe Jackson Quartet, Jason Adasiewicz Rolldown, Jorrit Dijkstra, Fred Lonberg-Holm's Valentine Trio. He was the recipient of a 2009 Artist Fellowship in Music Composition from the Illinois Arts Council, Community Arts Assistance Program grant from the City of Chicago (2007).jasonroebke.info

Ayako Kato is a dancer/choreographer who works on interdisciplinary and experimental collaborations between dance artists, musicians, visual artists and video artists. Kato’s performances have been critically acclaimed by The New York Times, theChicago Tribune, the Village Voice, the Chicago Reader, Time Out – Chicago and SeeChicagoDance. Kato has received awards and honors, including Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist Award, funding from The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, TheJapan Foundation, The Puffin Foundation, Illinois Arts Council and City of Chicago. Kato is currently an artist in residence at Hamlin Park Fieldhouse Theater as a part of Chicago Moving Company's Dance Shelter Program. She also organizes a dance series, currently called Dance Union, in Chicago since fall 2008. www.artunionhumanscape.net

John Green

John has performed on stages throughout the United States and Europe, doing everything from Neil Simon to Shakespeare. He won Chicago’s Jeff Award for his portrayal of George in Of Mice And Men directed by Robert Falls. As a story teller/singer-songwriter, he has performed numerous concerts and autobiographical shows, often joining forces with his brother Rich (Northwest United States Banjo Champion). His plays have been produced at theatres across the country and in Paris. Twilight Serenade was published by Dramatic Publishing Company and optioned for film by Top Dog Productions. The Liquid Moon won the After Dark and Jeff Awards for Best New Play and was subsequently nominated for the Pulitzer.

Teen Artist Project (TAP)

Teen Artist Project (TAP), an outreach program of chicago danztheatre ensemble, encourages teens to draw upon their experiences to express their own thoughts and ideas through the arts. This middle school and high school age outreach program increases awareness of the arts and improves literacy in students through experiences in visual and performing arts. We encourage students to pull from their own experiences when writing, acting, dancing and making their own work. We believe exposing students to the arts fosters a greater self-esteem that will be essential to their lives post graduation.

Don’t daydream your dreams away….

PRITSKER 5-8 grade dance students have been working on the past two months a few pieces from African, modern, hip hop, and Musical Theater to create an interwoven story of “don’t daydream your dreams away!” We come together every Tuesday and Thursday to understand the discipline dance is by embracing the hard work and commitment being in an ensemble. Teamwork is also focused on as we help each other learn the movement and support one another. Dance is more than just steps you can communicate so much through the expression, the passion, the dance of life. We celebrate the soul of dance in class and continue to give opportunity to the kids to explore the creativity, voice, and freedom in a safe open place!!
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Think Tank

Think Tank is Brent Bridwell, Kevin Carroll, Paul Robinson, and Peter Stepnoski. These "sketch comedy masters" (Redeye) have been writing and performing their unique brand of comedy all over Chicago and beyond for 5 years. Their shows have been called "a raucous, totally silly night of comedy" (Chicagoist.com) and "some of the most bizarre, high-concept comedy around." (Chicago Reader). The A.V. Club recommends Think Tank as the best local alternative to the hit TV show, Portlandia. Think Tank produces a monthly sketch and stand-up show called Pistol Party and has recently completed production of the pilot episode of "Misguided TV," an original sketch comedy series. For more info check out www.thinktankcomedy.com

RubyYo!

Hip hop artist  RubyYo! (Marilyn Camacho) was born and raised on Chicago’s south side as the middle child of Puerto Rican parents. Influenced by the hip-hop culture at a young age by her brother’s who were B-Boys and graffiti artists, she always knew that she was a natural performer and would starting writing poetry, singing, and acting out scenes she wrote by the age of 10. While attending a performing arts high school majoring in acting and singing, she soon discovered she had a knack for rapping. She went on to continue her studies in college as an acting and directing major and after 3 years in, she dropped out and decided to focus on music full-time. Since then she’s been performing at local music venues, and has also made a strong name for herself in the Chicago theater scene with UrbanTheater Company. After a gunfight that could have cost her life being at the wrong place at the wrong time, she re-focused her artistic energy into full force and is now in the studio working on her EP with veteran Chicago music producer, Vince Lawrence with Slang Musicgroup. Combining theatrics, eclectic production, and Ruby’s energetic rap flow and singing, she is forging herself as a triple threat in the Chicago hip-hop scene.

Terrence Jacobus

Terrence Jacobus, former Chicago correspondent for Rolling Stone, will do a short reading from his new book entitled "The Book of God." Terrence studied poetry and writing with Gwendolyn Brooks and Ed Dorn at Northeastern Ill. University in Chicago.I'm the author of three books of poetry and one book of short stories. I was Chicago correspondent for "Rolling Stock" magazine and Poetry editor for "Strong Coffee" newspaper. I helped Al Simmons in 1981 to conduct "poetry bouts" which went National at the Taos Poetry Circus from 1982 until 2004. As written by me in Chapter 4 of the first Edition of "The Spoken Word Revolution" and published in the June 21st 1994 and June 16th 1998 New York Times. In Taos,NM I became the first World Heavyweight Poetry champion defeating Gregory Corso in 1982. These bouts ran at the Taos Poetry Circus for 22 years, eventually evolving into the overwhelming world wide success of "Slam" poetry. Currently, I just completed a CD of short stories entitled "Souvenir" and just finished a new book of poems entitled "The Book of God."

Zapruder Point

Zapruder Point (a.k.a. Dan Zapruder Phillips) has been recording and performing in Chicago for over a decade — usually alone with an electric guitar, but sometimes joined by friends. If you like Morrissey, the Decemberists, Granddaddy and Death Cab for Cutie, you’ll find a common thread in Dan’s melodic arrangements and plaintive vocal trails. But to balance out the prettiness, you’ll also hear echoes of Billy Bragg, Guided by Voices, the Feelies and Britpop in general. Zapruder Point’s latest collection is a full-band E.P. called Heads Together.

Synapse Art Collective

Synapse Art Collective is a performance group that focuses on developing new works and new artists through a laboratory process involving improvisation, feedback, and multi-media collaboration. Founded in 2004 by a dancer, a theater-maker, and a photographer, interdisciplinary projects by our member artists have traveled internationally and from clouds to stages and sidewalks. Acclaimed projects include Stridulate, named one of New City’s “Top Ten Performances of 2009” and presented at the Roy Hart International Arts Centre, and The First Sound, an installation commissioned by Redmoon Theater. Gallery performance projects include Slit (Around the Coyote), Chrysalis (The Chicago Cultural Center) and hush (Weisman Foundation). 2011 will see the premiere of Factor Ricochet, a project supported by a Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist Grant, which recently returned from a presentation at The Southern Theater in Minneapolis. Synapse is home to the works of Artistic Director Rachel Damon, and the annual program Synapse Arts/New Works fosters artist development through presentation of emerging artists.

Alka Nayyar

Alka Nayyar has been creating, teaching and performing South Asian folk, modern, and semi-classical dances for the last 20 years—in Chicago, Washington D.C., and wherever else she can. Through her work, she aims to promote an accurate understanding of South Asian culture and its global impact. Alka is the Lead Choreographer of the Chitrahar Cultural Academy, an organization dedicated to promoting cultural awareness and diversity through the performing arts. In 2010, she was proud to present the well-received “Bollywood” dance class at the Old Town School of Folk Music’s annual Folk and Roots Festival. She has taught Indian dance classes at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools After School Program, the Menomonee Club and is thrilled to be teaching at the Old Town School of Folk Music!

Alka’s prior and theater work includes: Jeff-nominated choreography for Rasaka Theatre Company’s The Masrayana, Lifeline Theatre’s The Piano Tuner, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company’s thinkTank: Immigration, and thinkTank: American Ethnic, Rasaka's Yoni Ki Baat, and Halcyon Theatre’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie.  She was delighted to work on Silk Road Theatre Project’s critically-acclaimed, hit production of Merchant On Venice, as well as its Balacarita, Double Happiness, 365 Days/365 Plays, and Looptopia presentations. Her work also includes Vitalist Theatre’s production of E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India by Martin Sherman, the Chicago Cultural Center's Summer Opera presentation of George Bizet's Djamileh, and Porchlight Theatre’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures. Alka was recently proud to work with Collaboraction! to present at the Art Institute's After Dark event.

Sadie Rogers

Sadie Rogers is a local artist, dabbling in theatre, film, and folk rock.  She will be singing some original works and perhaps a medley or two.  .

Milta Ortiz

A Spoken Word Performance

Bio coming soon

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble is a multidisciplinary performing arts ensemble that engages and inspires the community through socially conscious performances and outreach programs.  

For the performance:

Omar Robles, CDE's guest Artistic Director and Ellyzabeth Adler, CDE's founder and Executive Director, will be performing each a solo dance picece around the topic of touch.

Kevin Gladish

Kevin Gladish is an actor and storyteller from Cleveland, OH who will be telling you a story that is true.  He has worked with Halcyon on A Bold Stroke for a Wife and is excited to be a part of their Ceyx Series.  Recently he was featured on the Moth Podcast as part of the Chicago GrandSLAM, and you can check it out at http://themoth.org/.  

Kira Silverstein

A Clown Performance

Bio coming soon

Diego Sol and the Metronomes

The children of Song and Style, forged in the fires of funk, and seducing your eardrums with whispers and grooves, Diego Sol and The Metronomes hit the Chicago Music scene with a hay-maker performance in October of 2011. This triumvirate of fine young gentlemen bring the heat every time they touch stage. Scintillating you with their sound, Diego Sol along with Tick Tock Nick and Bassically Jake will always dress to the 9's and turn it up to 11. Diego Sol & The Metronomes get up to get down.

Wannapa P-Eubanks

is a Butoh performer, choreographer, movement coach, and actor. She has performed both her own choreography and with many wonderful artists at venues throughout Chicago, including Goodman Theatre, the Chicago Cultural Center, the Athenaeum Theatre, MCA, Columbia College Dance Theater, Links Hall, and Ruth Page Center for the Arts. She is an artistic associate of Erasing the Distance. Wannapa debuted her premiere Butoh Dance Theatre production in July, 2010, and will be performing "White Balloon," the love story and journey of the little girl and her white balloon.

Johanna Middleton

a recent graduate of Northwestern's theatre dept, an actress, storyteller, and teaching artist. She is originally from Los Angeles. She will be telling Stories about Chicago by a California Girl.

Gabriel Faith Howard and Genesee Spridco

Gabriel Faith Howard is a dancer/actor/stage combat enthusiast whose mission in life is to tell stories with moving bodies. He is a memberof Fight Jam Chicago, which holds freemonthly workshops and explorations of staged violence for Chicago'stheater community. Also as part of Fight Jam, he has created fights for Theatre Hikes' The Hobbit and participated in Art @ War. He is joined by Sandra Howard: a fellow stage combat enthusiast, his mother,and a frequent participant in Fight  Jam's jams. They are thrilled tobe collaborating with Genesee, and grateful to Halcyon Theatre for the chance to do so.

Genesee Spridco is a recent transplant to Chicago after getting her masters in physical theatre at Dell'Arte International School in Blue Lake, California.  She is inspired by opportunities to bust down walls: literally, metaphorically and artistically.  When not collaborating independently, she can be found with her ensemble, Suitcase Shakespeare, or with her kitties, Monster and Athena. Many thanks to Gabriel and Fight Jam for the opportunity to play.  And God for giving me the ability to do so.

Gabriel and Genesee will perform a poetic prison/warden fight scene.

Waltzing Mechanics

Excerpts from El Stories-Holiday Train Public transportation in Chicago has never seemed as wonderful as when the Holiday Train rolls into town. But even when the EL is decked with lights and decorations, your fellow commuters still have diverse adventures to share. New tales by actual CTA riders with a little bit of Santa spirit along the way. Waltzing Mechanics creates original theatrical works inspired by real people telling stories about their lives. Using methods of performance ethnography, we facilitate dialogues among our audiences and within our communities. Founders Thomas Murray, Keely Leonard, and Zachary Florent created Waltzing Mechanics in 2010. Based in Chicago's beautiful Edgewater neighborhood, the company is dedicated to developing new projects such as El Stories, which first premiered in February 2011.

Joe Griffin

Joe Griffin writes guitar pop/rock inspired by and recalling the work of such giants as The Beatles, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty and Ziggy-era David Bowie. Praise from the Illinois Entertainer spanning the last decade includes such laudatory phrases as "truly talented" and "rich, strong vocals," as well as slightly puzzling ones like "intelligent guitars."  Joe Griffin has been playing guitar and performing music for over thirty years. During his musical career he has performed and/or recorded with numerous Chicago bands including the Others, Question of Honour, and The Radio Hour. He is currently a member of the garage-experimental duo Donny Who Loved Bowling and Chicago-area cover band Figurehead.

Rafael Franco

is a Puerto Rican author who has made Chicago his home for the past four years. After publishing a novel and a book of short stories on the island, Franco moved to the windy city and started acting for Halcyon Theater. In the meantime he translated into English the cult classic of Puerto Rican literature, "And the hippies came..." by Manuel Abreu Adorno, which he used as the inspiration for this piece. He is currently living in Andersonville and working on finishing "Fire," the first installment of his original fictional series, "The four books of immortality."

Diana

Diana is dancing a Zambra Mora choreographed by Diana and Karen Stelling to the music of Saeta (Andalusian Folk Song) Danza Árabe (Zambra) by Lucia & Valdemar Gitanerias Flamenco Quartet.

Diana has been dancing all of her life. She began moving to the rythms of salsa and merengue in her native Puerto Rico and became fascinated by the attitude of the Spanish flamenco. While in college, she was introduced to Raqs Sharqi (belly dancing) by a Tunisian friend and became enamored by it's magic. After years of training in each art form separately,  Diana has ventured into merging the two dance forms to create her own interpretation of what was known in ancient Spain as Zambra Mora. She is currently a member of Fringe Benefits International Dance Company and would like to give thanks to her flamenco teacher, Karen Stelling and her mentor and best friend, Chellcy.