Duets for my Valentine

The co-presenting organization and owner of "Duets for My Valentine." For more info click on the "About Chicago Dance Crash" tab on this site.

Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, the original jazz dance company, captivates audiences worldwide with dynamic performances and the diversity and wide appeal of its repertoire. Continually expanding the boundaries of jazz dance while diversifying the repertoire, GJDC’s new works have received critical and audience acclaim.

Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago has a very active outreach and education program, including school performances in the Chicago metropolitan area and teaching residencies on many college campuses.

Culture Shock® Dance Troupe, a professional hip hop dance company and youth outreach organization, was founded by Angie Bunch in 1993. Since creating this world-renowned dance phenomenon, she has seen the troupe expand into Los Angeles; Las Vegas; Oakland; Chicago; Atlanta; New York; Washington D.C.; Ottawa; Toronto; Montreal; and London. The Chicago branch was established in 1998 and is under the direction of Executive Director Eilleen Mallary and Artistic Director Christopher Courtney.

Marc Macaranas is from Delano, CA. He graduated cum laude from the University of California, Irvine and was a student at The School at Jacob's Pillow. In Chicago, Marc has performed with Lucky Plush Productions as well as Mordine & Co. Dance Theater, and has appeared in Thodos Dance Chicago's New Dances series. Marc is a founding member of DanceWorks Chicago, joining in January 2008.

James Morrow was the founder and artistic director of Instruments of Movement; founding the Chicago "fusion style" that begat Chicago Dance Crash and several other organizations. A native of Chicago, Jimʼs choreography can be seen on companies throughout the U.S. and Internationally, most recently in Vienna, Mumbai, Krasnoyarsk, and New Brighton. Jim was on Faculty at the American Dance Festival (summer 2010). Jim just received his MFA in dance from Hollins University/ The American Dance Festival where he received a fellowship.

Mr. Chung is a choreographer, poet, and teacher originally born in Kingston, Jamaica to a Chinese Rastafarian Reggae-producing father and an Indian-Scottish mother who loved to sing and dance. His career spanned the companies of LINES Ballet, Armitage Gone! Dance, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Ballet Hispanico of New York; and has had the pleasure of guesting for several companies, including: Dances Patrelle, San Francisco Opera Ballet, and Buglisi Dance Theatre under the auspices of Martine Van Hamel’s New Amsterdam Ballet. Prior to founding the Collective, Mr.

Be the Groove is a rhythmic performance ensemble that believes rhythm is not just a beat—rhythm is a mode of expression. This Chicago based group fuses a variety of movement, percussion, and rhythmic techniques to create a unique style of its own. Through high-energy performances and a strong commitment to education, Be the Groove seeks to share its love of rhythm with people everywhere.

M.F.A., University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana
B.F.A., Ohio State University

Ms. Chen was born in Taipei,Taiwan; where she began her dance training in Chinese opera dance and ballet. After graduating with honors from an intensive dance program at Tainan Jounior College, Ms. Chen moved to the United States in 1993. Since then she has earned a BFA in Dance from Ohio State University and a two year scholarship to complete the graduate program from the dance department at the University of Illinois

Chicago Tap Theatre (CTT) is a young and vibrant dance company with a unique mission to preserve the quintessentially American dance form of tap and to take tap to the next level of creativity and innovation. CTT stands apart from other dance companies by bridging the gap between tap and other forms of concert dance (such as jazz, ballet and modern) by adopting a conceptual, narrative (i.e., story-based) and more emotional approach to its work.

ounder and choreographer of Jaxon Movement Arts based in Chicago and New York. Jacqueline holds a B.F.A. in Dance from The University of Iowa. Jackie is a native to the City of Chicago and began her dancing in 1987 under the direction of Maureen Murad. Ms. Stewart performed for three seasons with Duarte Dance Works Contemporary Dance during her time at the University as well as for other faculty atists Deanna Carter, Jennifer Kayle and Dan Stark.

Katie Graves and Matthew McMunn have presented work at Red Tape Theatre's Chicago Fringe Artist Networking Night, Laboratory Dancers' Experiment #3.5, and DanceWorks Chicago's Dance Chance | October 2011. Currently, Katie is a guest artist with Hedwig Dances and JMT/JLS Choreography, and Matthew is working with Rachel Damon/Synapse Arts Collective. They are both members of Winifred Haun & Dancers. This dancer-choreographer pair will premiere a new piece this Spring for a show produced by Blunt Objects Theatre.

Kate Corby & Dancers is a contemporary dance organization committed to producing innovative dance theater works that push the aesthetic boundaries of
concert dance. In addition to regular performances in Chicago and Madison, WI, the company's recent projects include: the Live Art, Live Rio! Festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the SB-ADaPT Festival in Santa Barbara, CA, The A.W.A.R.D. Show! 2010: Chicago at the Dance Center of Columbia College, the World Dance Alliance Global Dance Event at Dance Theater Workshop in New York and the Wave Rising Series in Brooklyn.

RON DE JESÚS (Teacher, Choreographer, Artistic Director of Ron De Jesus Dance) danced with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Ensemble Espanol, Joseph Holmes Dance Theatre, Chicago Repertory Dance Ensemble and starred in MOVIN’ OUT- Broadway’s Musical, "Come Fly Away' creative team, Artistic Ambassador of Northeastern Illinois University, Artistic Associate for StagePlay’s Theater Company. Film credits: Road to Perdition, Stay and Across the Universe.