Giordano Dance Chicago

Description

Giordano Dance Chicago, America's original jazz dance company, is known worldwide for its high energy, high impact performance and for the athleticism, energy, and artistry of its dancers. Now in our 58th season, we are dedicated to the creation and presentation of innovative jazz dance choreography and to the preservation of the Giordano Technique. We bring this invaluable American art form to audiences and students of all ages and from all backgrounds through a multitude of exhilarating and engaging programs. The value that Giordano Dance Chicago offers to its local, national, and international communities is the universal and life-affirming experience of witnessing dance that is powerful, passionate, elegant, and celebratory. Whether on the stage or in the classroom, we strive to enrich lives through dance.

Work Sample

https://vimeopro.com/user34050614/giordano-dance-chicago-illinois-arts-council - PLEASE USE Password: GDCIAC20 to access these samples. The videos provided are two recent, distinct works that exemplify the athleticism, passion, and artistry of Giordano Dance Chicago's performers and the breadth of our artistic offerings. The first work is Marinda Davis' "Flickers" created as an expression of the choreographer's indomitable spirit in the face of great adversity. SeeChicagoDance described the work as "stunningly dramatic"¦practically a genre unto itself." (Total running time is 11:11, but suggest viewing from 0:00 to 3:20). The second work is Peter Chu's "Groove, in formed" which connects the steps and the rhythms infused in jazz dance to the Giordano Technique and includes an original music score from Jake Kelberman. Fad dances have an understated presence in this work, as well, as a way to build and "in form" the communal experience for performers and audience alike. (Total running time is 14:22 but suggest viewing from 8:40 to 14:22). Please note that additional production and videography credits are displayed under each video clip within Vimeo.

The value that Giordano Dance Chicago brings to its local, national, and international communities is the universal and life-affirming experience of witnessing dance that is powerful, passionate, elegant, and celebratory, and the work samples provided reflect these attributes, which are inherent in any GDC performance. Although a typical evening of performance from GDC contains six individual works drawn from a repertoire of more than 175 works, these particular works were selected as both emblematic of current rep and the embodiment of the individual stories and artistic perspectives of the people who created them. "Flickers" was created by Marinda Davis, a young, accomplished choreographer who is highly regarded in the commercial dance world; she also suffers from eight separate autoimmune disorders. This work reflects her indomitable spirit and resolve to find the light when surrounded by much darkness. In contrast, Peter Chu's, "Groove, in formed" is a dance that represents the passing of rhythms and forms of dance from one person to the next and from generation to generation. Performed to an original score by Jake Kelberman the work also highlights the exceptional skills of GDC's dancers who move with incredible unity without ever losing their individuality.

History

The mission of Giordano Dance Chicago (GDC) is to create and present innovative jazz dance choreography, often redefining and expanding the very definition of jazz dance, and to bring this invaluable American art form to audiences and students of all ages and from all ethnic backgrounds. GDC is dedicated, also, to the preservation and promotion of the Giordano Technique. Whether on the stage or in the classroom, we strive to enrich lives through dance.

Throughout its 58-year history, GDC has contributed greatly to the health of the state's performing arts community. From our origins in Gus Giordano's family-run studio to our current incarnation as a professionally run organization with worldwide performances (27 countries, 46 states, and over 1,200 cities), our imprint on the art form of jazz dance is far-reaching and significant. Our contributions include: a repertoire of more than 175 original works; the mentoring of new and emerging choreographers; the commissioning of innumerable musical scores and production designers; the education of tens of thousands of under-resourced public school students; the creation of generations of professional dancers; and performances to millions of audience members worldwide. Such accomplishments demonstrate that ours is an exceptional artistic presence in Illinois.

Artistic Vision

GDC's artistic product is high-energy, high-impact performance, and the creation of new work is integral to the fulfillment of GDC's mission to expand the art form of jazz dance. This art form is, in its most elemental state, hard to categorize as it been born from and continues to advance a never-ending multitude of cultures, forms, and rhythms. Founder Gus Giordano recognized the art form's morphology when he said, "I know one thing for certain about jazz dance. It is a living art form which is always about to do something new." To honor the complicated history of the art form, then, it is critical to select choreographers whose individual and collective voices drive the art form forward. Since 2000, GDC has commissioned 61 works; of those works, people of color created 27 and women created 25. Additionally, artists whose work supports the choreography (composers, costume and lighting designers, and live musical guests) are and will continue to be a diverse range of people. It is the organization's artistic vision to celebrate jazz dance's complicated past all the while engaging a broad coalition of collaborators and dancers to elicit "“ with great joy - all that comes next.

Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise

Giordano Dance Chicago has extensive experience in creating programs for children, youth, and the adults who may accompany them. Programs such as "Jazz Dance Beat: Then and Now" is a fun and informative look at the inception and growth of the art form of American jazz dance. Adaptable for all ages, the program incorporates narration, costuming, and various dance styles. GDC has also had great success in adapting its in school arts integration program, Jazz Dance/Science & Health, to classrooms or assemblies while on tour. The program teaches Illinois state-mandated science curriculum on nutrition and body systems (respiratory, skeletal, and muscular) to 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students in the science classroom. Although Jazz Dance/Science & Health is designed as 16 one-hour sessions over 8 weeks within the Chicago Public Schools, components of the program can be extracted and aligned with the needs of the community for briefer offerings. Lastly, our main stage performances are adapted routinely for shorter and/or younger programs in multipurpose rooms or gymnasiums, as well.

Traditional Folk/Ethnic Artform Statement

While jazz dance is generally not considered a traditional folk or ethnic art form, the multi-faceted heritage of this truly American genre does bear examination as a dance form of the people. Jazz dance possesses a complicated history of cultural integration and an evolution from African traditions to its present incarnation as complex, vibrant, and multi-veined. GDC honors and champions the diversity of the art form in all that it undertakes and has throughout its nearly six-decade history, strived to deliver responsibly that story to its communities (audiences, jazz dance practitioners, students, and participants in our public school arts integration programs). In reaction to this time of social unrest and eradication of racism, however, GDC has shifted its thinking and is reexamining its processes, policies, practices and programs with an emphasis on telling the story of jazz dance with greater depth. More broadly, Giordano Dance Chicago is envisioning a new form of storytelling regarding the art form of American jazz dance. This new narrative will more fully, consistently, and carefully champion the art form's complicated history of cultural integration and better illuminate jazz dance's history and continued evolution.