| The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, partnering with national and local community organizations, artist practitioners and scholars, continues its B-SERIES, a biannual celebration of hip hop and street dance, with B-The Bridge? Teach-In featuring the B-Real Jam November 10–13 at various Chicago venues. Partnering with Words Beats & Life, Kuumba Lynx, GIRL ILLA Tactics and The Center for Community Arts Partnerships, The B-SERIES presents an expanded Teach-In featuring presentations, workshops, panels, film screenings and a community dance and competition called the B-Real Jam. The Teach-In aims to engage innovative practices in pedagogy, creative work, dialogue and collaboration among hip-hop practitioners, youth, community organizations and scholars.
“‘The Bridge’ is a motif spotlighting notions of connection, reciprocation and unification,” said Dance Center Lecturer, Venus Fly member and B-SERIES Co-Curator Kelsa Robinson. “However, ‘The Bridge’ can also conjure up notions of division, intrusion and appropriation, both historically and in current times. We recognize the importance of calling ‘The Bridge’ into question: Who built the bridge? Who designed the bridge? Who benefits from the bridge? Who decides when the bridge is over? We also aim to create a space for a diverse body of stakeholders to build connections, communication and collaboration.”
This community celebration of tradition, shifting cultural landscapes, challenging conversations and exaltations through dance and hip-hop culture includes presentations, workshops, panels, film screenings, verbal cyphers and build–sessions (participatory “panel” discussions), performances, social dancing, an open dance session and battles (a form of competition specific to hip-hop and street-dance culture). The B-Real Jam is co-curated by Kelsa Robinson, Dance Center lecturer and Venus Fly member; and El La Katrina, GIRL ILLA Tactics, Goddistas Crew member and NINJACHURCH. Additional support is provided by honorary hosts Wicked (Phaze II Crosstown Crew and Phaze II School) and Lady Sol (Lady Sol Inc./FIYAH FIT).
Events, which are free and open to the public except where noted, take place at the Conaway Center, 1104 S. Wabash Ave.; the Dance Center, 1306 S. Michigan Ave.; The Port Ministries, 5013 S. Hermitage Ave.; and The Greenhouse Theater 2, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave.
A complete schedule of events is below; updates are available at colum.edu/dancecenterpresents and facebook.com/BHipHopSeries. For more information, contact Kelsa Robinson, 312-369-3829 or krobinson@colum.edu.
The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago is the city’s leading presenter of contemporary dance, showcasing artists of regional, national and international significance. The Dance Center has been named “Chicago’s Best Dance Theatre” by Chicago magazine, “Best Dance Venue” by the Chicago Reader and Chicago’s top dance venue in 2014 by Newcity, and Time Out Chicago cited it as “…consistently offering one of Chicago’s strongest lineups of contemporary and experimental touring dance companies.” Programs of the Dance Center are supported, in part, by the Alphawood Foundation; The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince; The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; Illinois Arts Council Agency; Marcia E. Lazar Challenge Grant; The Irving Harris Foundation; Martha Struthers Farley and Donald C. Farley, Jr. Family Foundation, N.A., Trustee; the Arts Midwest Touring Fund; and the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project. Additional funding is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. Special thanks to Friends of the Dance Center for their generous contributions to the work of the Dance Center. |
