Join us for some in person dancing!
Synapse Arts offers Beginning Ballet at THREE Chicago Park District locations, so there are lots of options for kids of all ages. Register through the Park District website at the links below. We hope to see you there!
- Beginning Ballet for ages 3-5, Thursdays 2-2:45pm at Berger Park with Lynda Piatt. FULL, waiting list sign up here: https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/chicagoparkdistrict/activity/search/detail/396033?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true&locale=en-US
- Beginning Ballet for ages 8-12, Thursdays 3:45-4:40pm at Loyola Park with Megan Rhyme. Register here: https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/chicagoparkdistrict/activity/search/detail/413417?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true&locale=en-US
- Beginning Ballet for ages 3-5, Saturdays 9:30-10:15am at Lincoln Park with Chartamia Turner. FULL, waiting list sign up here: https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/chicagoparkdistrict/activity/search/detail/413418?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true&locale=en-US
- Beginning Ballet for ages 6-8, Saturdays 10:30-11:15am at Lincoln Park with Chartamia Turner. 2 SPOTS LEFT, register here: https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/chicagoparkdistrict/activity/search/detail/413419?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true&locale=en-US
Park District COVID updates: https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/coronavirus-response
Dress code: We ask that students have their hair off their face and wear clothing they can move safely in. Leotard, tights, and ballet shoes are preferred; leggings and socks are also acceptable. All identities and fun movement-friendly outfits are welcome!
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InShadow Festival Lisbon, Portugal
We’re delighted to announce that our 2021 dance film Leverage is headed to Lisbon for the prestigious InShadow Screen Dance Festival. Now in its 13th year, InShadow encompasses performances, master classes and exhibitions. Our first-ever dance film will be shown on Tuesday evening, December 7 as part of the juried International ScreenDance Competition.
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Site Specific Performance of Dance and Music
Saturday, December 4, 2021
11:00AM – 12:00PM
at the Uptown branch of the Chicago Public Library
929 W. Buena Avenue
Chicago IL 60613
FREE
all ages, bodies, and minds welcome
for accessibility information please see the Library website at this link: https://www.chipublib.org/locations/70/
Synapse Arts dancers Rachel Damon, Kait Dessoffy, and Chartamia “Shay” Turner with musician Tom Benko will take over the library lobby and public spaces in this one-of-a-kind activation of the building.
Attendees are free to watch for a few minutes or stay for the full performance. A limited number of chairs will be available.
photo by Matthew Gregory Hollis
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Free Dance Day 2021
Thursday, October 14th 10:00am-6:00pm
At Loyola Park, 1230 W. Greenleaf Ave. Chicago, IL 60626
FREE
All ages, bodies, and minds welcome - please see access and inclusion notes below
*Pre-registration required for classes*
Register for classes at this link: https://synapsearts.networkforgood.com/events/34883-free-dance-day
Performances do not require pre-registration.
Join Synapse Arts for a full day of FREE dance classes and performances at Loyola Park! Visit Synapse’s home studio as an Arts Partner in Residence with the Chicago Park District to take beginning or intermediate/advanced modern dance classes, bring kids to try a hip hop class, and watch informal performances by professional dancers from New Works and Mural Dances 2021.
Due to COVID-19 Safety Guidelines, RSVPs will be required for classes as strict capacities will be in place. If a class is full, please email Molly at info(at)synapsearts(dot)com to be added to the waiting list.
Schedule
All times CDT
10:00-11:00am: Adult beginning modern with Jordan Reinwald in the Sky Room, ages 18+, registration required
11:10am: New Works performance by Rahila Coats on the beach, all ages (no pre-registration required), approximately 15 minutes
3:00-4:15pm: Intermediate/Advanced Phrasebuilding class with Kristina Fluty in the Sky Room, ages 18+, registration required
4:30-5:25pm: Beginning Youth Hip Hop with Tim Tsang in the Sky Room, ages 7-12, registration required
5:35pm: Mural Dances performance directed by Tim Tsang and Kara Roseborough, at outdoor locations in the park (see Access Notes for full info), all ages (no pre-registration required), approximately 18 minutes
COVID-19 Safety
Please note: classes will take place indoors, fully masked, with reduced capacity. Per Chicago Park District policy, only fully vaccinated individuals will be permitted into class, with proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
In compliance with the City of Chicago and Chicago Park District guidelines, we are asking all attendees to any Free Dance Day Events to adhere to the following:
-Stay home if sick or having symptoms of COVID-19
-Provide proof of full vaccination for designated classes for students age 12 and up
-Universal and correct use of well-fitted masks that cover the nose and mouth
-Maintain physical distancing
-Hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes
Access and Inclusion notes
Full document outlining access features and including photos available at this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UqLXcssqEo-vdln3UjruYzzA_IaArfZcY9X3ie5nwpQ/edit
Synapse Arts events actively welcome individuals with diverse identities, including all genders, sexual orientations, races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, income levels, ages, parent/caregiver statuses, backgrounds, and household structures.
All bodies and minds are welcome at all classes and events, please note that proof of vaccination is required for indoor classes. For outdoor performances we are able to welcome people who are unable to be vaccinated. Vaccination status will not be checked for outdoor performances, though masks and social distancing are recommended.
Classes are on the second floor in a large room with one wall of windows and one wall of mirrors. The second floor can be reached by elevator or two flights of wide stairs with railings.
Bathrooms are available on the 1st and 2nd floors. Synapse spaces are welcoming of all genders, however the building’s bathrooms are labeled and separated by binary genders.
All Synapse Arts events are relaxed and sensory-friendly. For sensory considerations, the Sky Room does have fluorescent lighting overhead. We don’t plan to turn them on, however if the natural light isn’t enough, we may use the fluorescents. There is a wall of windows that we may open to allow for airflow. Some classes and events will have a photographer and/or videographer present. Please refrain from wearing or using products with strong scents in the studio.
You are welcome to watch or leave the class at any time. Chairs will be available along the sides of the studio and in the lobby with a view of class through glass doors.
There is no dress code, please wear clothes you can move comfortably in. This can include soft soled dance shoes or socks or bare feet. Hip Hop class can be done in sneakers.
What we can provide - amplified voices for teachers, ASL interpretation (please request this by checking the box during registration), large print transcripts and/or outlines, audio description for Rahila’s performance.
What we can’t provide - live captions, assurance against fluorescent lighting, total privacy or quiet (all spaces are shared and some fully public).
Other access features may be available. Please email Molly at info@synapsearts.com.
Descriptions
Beginning Adult Modern at 10am with Jordan Reinwald - This class will include a floor based warmup and a led improvisational experience to help students find their embodiment. Students will spend the second half of class learning and practicing a repeatable modern phrase. Open to new movers and/or those returning to movement class. Ages 18+
Rahila Coats’ performance at 11:10am - outside on the beach. Continuing her debut film “what I know”, Rahila Coats will perform an expansion of her work that was presented with Synapse Arts in June 2021. Researching ancestry and family connections, Rahila is looking back on her grandmother’s life in Chicago and other ancestors that lived in the city before her through improvisation, sound, and material.
Intermediate/Advanced Phrasebuilding Workshop at 3pm with Kristina Fluty - After coming together to briefly warm the tissues and introduce ourselves to each other, we will build one long phrase of movement to repeat and explore. This class is intended for intermediate and advanced dancers. Ages 18+
Beginning Hip Hop at 4:30pm with Tim Tsang - ages 7-12. This class aims introduce dancers to basic hip-hop skills, ideas, and learn a fun combo. This class will include an isolation warmup, and groove exercise. Sneakers are allowed.
Mural Dances performance at 5:35pm - outside in the park, co-directed by Kara Roseborough and Tim Tsang, featuring dancers Isabelle Taylor, Chartamia “Shay” Turner, and Kara Roseborough. “Ancestral March” was part of Synapse Arts’ Mural Dances series this year, based on the mural at Houston Park, honoring civil rights activist Jessie “Ma” Houston. The work explores the contemporary, historical, and ancient imagery of the African and Black diaspora present in the mural, specifically as it pertains to the violence and incarceration of black bodies.
Photo credits: upper left - Kristina Fluty teaching, photo by Nadia Oussenko, upper right - Mural Dances performance, photo by Matthew Gregory Hollis, lower left - Rahila Coats performing, screenshot from video, lower right - previous Free Dance Day class, photo by Matt Griffo
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Join the artists of Mural Dances for a relaxing outdoor gathering. Enjoy conversations with the artists, live cello music, and delicious refreshments in the charming shop and outdoor patio space of Dizzy Cow Candy.
Saturday September 18th, 4:00-6:00pm
2155 W Irving Park Road, Chicago IL 60618
$40, tickets available at this link: https://synapsearts.networkforgood.com/events/32449-synapse-soiree-2021
Mural Dances is a series of three performances which take place on Saturday afternoons on “third Saturdays” of July 17, August 21, and September 18, 2021. Performances will be created in response to murals at Barrett Park in Pilsen, at Jessie “Ma” Houston Park in Bronzeville, and at Loyola Park in Rogers Park, representing the South, West, and North sides of the city.
In collaboration with The Chicago Park District, Synapse Arts will present a series of original dances – performed with live music in front of three of the city’s iconic murals. Featuring professional, local artists, these three events are free to the public and promise a safe way for residents to come together and celebrate their neighborhoods.
For more information about Mural Dances, please visit the Synapse website here.
Your ticket purchase allows us to keep events like Mural Dances FREE for neighborhoods and communities across Chicago. Celebrate 16 seasons of supporting artists and community programming with Synapse Arts.
Thank you for your support!
photo of dancer Amanda Ramirez by Matthew Gregory Hollis
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