We welcome William Gill back after his tour with the national production of Show Boat. As of Monday, June 3rd, he will return to teaching the following classes:

Modern (Horton-based) II – Mondays, 6:30-8:00 pm
Modern (Horton-based) III – Tuesdays, 6:30-8:00 pm
Jazz II – Thursdays, 6:30-8:00 pm
Hip Hop (All Levels) – Thursdays, 8:00-9:30 pm

Register now for Will’s classes!

Our roster of adult classes for the Summer I Session includes exciting new offerings such as:
 
Beginning Ballet (Mondays, 1:30 pm) with Heather Zimny
Musical Theater Dance (Mondays, 6:30 pm) with Mike Davis
Jazz II (Saturdays, 5:00 pm) with Kirby Reed

Also, Hip Hop (Tuesdays) with Tone Wolf has moved to 6:30 pm (previously 8:00 pm), and Paula Ward will teach Ballet II (Fridays, 9:30 am) beginning June 7th.

And don’t forget our continuing favorites – work your technique with Joel’s Jazz II!

Date: Sunday July 7th
Time: 10:00-11:30am
Style of Dance: Ballet
Cost: $25

Register now!

Betsy Herskind began her dance training with Edna McRae and Ellis-DuBoulay. She has danced professionally with Lyric Opera Ballet, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Illinois Ballet, Melody Top Theatre and Ruth Page’s Nutcracker. Ms. Herskind had her own dance school for more than thirty years on the northwest side of Chicago. She is currently on the faculties of the Joel Hall Dance Center and Dance Center Evanston.

Date: July 28th
Time: 10:00-11:30am
Style of master class: Modern (Horton-based)
Cost: $25

Register now!

MARLAYNA LOCKLEAR hails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has been immersed in dance since the age of 12. She began her training at City Ballet Theatre under the direction of Marjorie Yoshida and Lee Palmer. She later attended Milwaukee High School of the Arts and became a founding member of Milwaukee Dance Connection. She continued her studies at University of the Arts In Philadelphia, PA with a BFA in dance. Marlayna has gone on to dance with Eleone Dance Theatre, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Dallas Black Dance Theatre II and DCDC. She has performed works by Christopher Huggins, Dwight Rhoden, Ron Brown, Donald Byrd, and Diane McIntyre to name a few. She also has worked with members of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Momix, Martha Graham Company, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Milwaukee Ballet, Deka dance Philadanco and Koresh. Marlayna teaches masterclasses and choreographs across the U.S.

Date: Sunday, August 4th
Time: 10:00-11:30am
Style of Dance: Latin dance
Cost: $25
 

Register now!

 

As an Army child, Chris Manning began breakdancing in Europe in the 1980s. In 1995 he moved to Chicago to start graduate work at Northwestern University and two years later he became a founding member of the Chicago Latin Street Dance Company.

Since the 1990s Chris has taught multiple Latin dance forms including cumbia, cha-cha, salsa, merengue, mambo, and La Rueda de Casino. He has performed throughout the Chicago region and his choreographies have been performed at multiple international congresses including the Montreal Salsa Convention, the Miami Salsa Congress, the Puerto Rico Salsa/Hustle Convention, the Laval Summer Salsa Festival, the St. Louis Salsa Congress, and the LA Salsa Congress. He is the 2003 Bailes Tropicales Champion, the 2010 Barcardi Salsa Champion, Second Place Finisher in the 2010 Chicago Salsa Open, the 2011 Chicago Salsa Champion, and a Third Place Finisher in the 2013 Chicago Salsa Championship.

In 2012 Chris founded Inpiración Dance Chicago, a non-profit Latin dance company dedicated to mentoring youth through dance and he is delighted to bring Latin dance to the Joel Hall community.

Date: Sunday, July 21st
Time: 10:00-11:30am
Style of dance: Jazz Funk
Cost: $25

Register now!

Dionna Pridgeon is originally from Chicago, IL, also based out of Los Angeles, CA. She has devoted years in establishing herself as a freelance artist/Master Teacher. She is currently an intern @ Ballroom Dance Chicago and also teaches @ Visceral Dance Center and Hubbard Street Dance Center/Lou Conte Dance Studio. She has also taught @ many other prestigious facilities: Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio, Edge Performing Arts Center, Movement Lifestyle, The Joffrey Academy of Dance (IL), The Alvin Ailey School, The Joffrey Ballet School (NY) and in Stavanger, Norway. Some of her performance credits include: Coachella Music Fest, Monsters of Hip Hop – The Show, LA/CHI Choreographer’s Carnival, Dance for Japan, Guest Judge for WORLD OF DANCE CHICAGO and Prelude Dance Competition, Guest Artist for Commonality Dance Company (LA) Showcase and VITALITY directed by Liana Blackburn. She has worked as a company member for both concert and hip hop dance companies in Chicago and Pittsburgh. Her choreography has showcased at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, Pritzker Pavilion Millennium Park, and The Anthenaeum Theatre/Point Park University, Choreographer’s Carnival LA & The Symphony Space NY. She is currently working on her own ventures: difneD movement intensive, founded in 2010, D.I.T.O.X Dance Workshops, a teen mentoring program entitled ‘the beautiful flower,’ DiPr (deeper) – The Company and her new platform: D.ART!/Dis-Labeling Art. She holds a BA in Dance from Point Park University, where she was given both academic/dance scholarships and had the privilege to work with many dance icons.
[www.difned.net]

Date: Sunday, July 14th
Time: 10:00-11:30
Style of master class: Hip Hop
Cost: $25

Register now!

Markus Alden Shields began dancing when he was 17 years old. Since his first class, his first instructed movement, Markus has been in love with the art. His studio director quickly noticed a spark in the young dancer and encouraged him to begin creating his own choreography. Thus, just one year later Shields was instructing advanced classes and choreographing at a first place award-winning, competitive level.

While Markus developed his hard-hitting hip-hop style through instruction of the urban students in his hometown, he studied ballet and jazz at Grand Rapids Community College.

On Season 4 of the hit dance show “So You Think You Can Dance?” Markus’ choreography was recognized and highly favored by producer Nigel Lythgoe. In that season, he competed through the entire “Vegas Week” to the top 26 and received a spotlight for national recognition.

Since then, Markus has trained in Grand Rapids, MI, with a select few of his city’s finest, in Chicago, IL, with “Hip Hop Connxion” and in Los Angeles, CA, with choreographers Marty Kudelka, Leslie Scott, Jojo Diggs, Tony Tzar, Tovaris Wilson, and many others in the styles of hip-hop, jazz funk, house, and popping & locking.

While represented by MSA Talent Agency as dancer/choreographer in Los Angeles, Markus has starred in viral commercials for JW Marriott and Amtrak. He has also performed in Michigan with organizations such as DITA, Grand Rapids Dance Project and numerous solo and group choreographic works for countless events (World Salsa Congress, Salmagundi, Art Prize and many more).

Markus relies on all of his abilities to increase his growth and not only perform on the stage, but in life as well. He knows his potential is endless and strives to let others know their potential is just as infinite, remaining humble and conscious of all blessings and success.

JHDC presents Gratitude! on May 10th and 11th at Victory Gardens Theater, at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to watch all of our companies in concert! The performances will be as follows:

Friday, May 10, 2013, 7pm – $35
Joel Hall Dancers
Featuring collaborations with percussionist Charles Heath and composer and musician David Jennings. Guest performances by Inspiración Dance Chicago, Chicago Tap Theatre, and Wake Up! Waltz.

Saturday, May 11, 2013, 4pm – $15
JHD Satellite/Performance Workshop Show
Choreography by Duwane Pendarvis, Marshall Mitchell, Tone Wolf and David Isaac Leef. Featuring dancers from South Shore Cultural Center, the EKF Martial Arts School, Agazzis Elementary School, and The Robert R. McCormick Boys and Girls Club.

Saturday, May 11, 2013, 7pm
$35
JHD All Company Show
Featuring the Joel Hall Dancers, JHDII (JHD Second Company), and JHDYC (JHD Youth Company)

Sunday, May 12, 2013, 2:30pm – $15
Broadway Babies
Featuring JHDC’s Preschool Division students.

Sunday, May 12, 2013, 5pm – $15
P.S. I Love You
Featuring JHDC’s Elementary & Teen Division students

Tickets exclusively at Victory Gardens Theater Ticket Box Office, www.victorygardens.org or 773-871-3000.

Update: this show is now SOLD OUT! Thank you everyone for your support!

The Joel Hall Dancers will perform at Roosevelt University’s Auditorium Theatre on April 4th as part of the Music + Movement Festival:

Venue: Katten / Landau Studio
Dates: Thursday, April 4, 2013
Times: 7:30 pm
Price: $10 Adult – $5 Student

The Joel Hall Dancers (JHD) express contemporary urban life through dance while educating, entertaining, and inspiring their audience. The JHD are paired with musician Charles Heath, a versatile artist who has served as the resident drummer for the national tour of Oprah Winfrey’s and Quincy Jones’ theater production of The Color Purple and currently acts as the drummer for pianist and jazz legend Ramsey Lewis.

Further details on the Auditorium Theatre website.

The Joel Hall Dancers will perform at the upcoming Black College Dance Exchange concert at Chicago State University. Details as follows:

Professional Dance Concert
Saturday, April 13th
8:00 pm – Admission $25
Tickets available at the door

Chicago State University
Emil & Patricia A. Jones Convocation Center
9501 S. King Drive
Chicago, IL 60628