OPENING: NON PLAYER CHARACTER Via Red Theater at The Athenaeum Theatre 4/20-5/18/2019

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

RED THEATER TO ROUND OFF 7TH SEASON WITH

NON PLAYER CHARACTER

BY WALT MCGOUGH

Directed by Beth Wolf

Comic and poignant, Non-Player Character is a timely, boldly theatrical exploration of the games we play and who’s winning. With themes of “Gamer Gate” aspiring video game designer Katja and her longtime friend Trent are an unstoppable team against animated monsters in the virtual worlds. But after a humiliating falling-out, Trent marshals an army of internet trolls to wage real-life war against his former friend.

Location: Athenaeum Theatre,
2936 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
DATES: 4/20-5/18/2019
Click for tickets and more show information

WHEN:
Saturday, April 20th at 7:30pm  (Press Opening)
Sunday, April 21st at 3:00pm
Thursday, April 25th at 7:30pm
Friday, April 26th at 7:30pm
Saturday, April 27th at 7:30pm
Sunday, April 28th at 3:00pm
Thursday, May 2nd at 7:30pm 
Friday, May 3rd at 7:30pm 
Saturday, May 4th at 7:30pm *Touch Tour/Audio Description night. 
Sunday, May 5th at 3:00pm
Thursday, May 9th at 7:30pm 
Friday, May 10th at 7:30pm 
Saturday, May 11th at 7:30pm
Sunday, May 12th at 3:00pm
Monday, May 13th  at 7:30pm *ASL Interpreted performance. 
Thursday, May 16th at 7:30pm 
Friday, May 17th at 7:30pm 
Saturday, May 18th at 7:30pm (Closing) 


TICKETS, DATES & INFORMATION 
Non-Player Character runs Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 3:00 pm from April 20th through May 18th. Tickets are available at redtheater.org

The closest “L” stop is the Brown Line at Wellington Ave. Then walk 4 blocks WEST to Southport. Turn LEFT on Southport and go to 2936 N. Southport. The best bus to take is CTA Bus #9. For bus and train schedules, contact the CTA at (312) 836-7000.

There is plenty of free, unrestricted street parking in the area around the theatre west of Southport. Additionally, there is a $2/hour parking lot behind the theatre, which is shared with St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, enter this parking lot on Oakdale St. There is a second parking lot on the corner of Southport Ave. and Oakdale St, enter this parking lot on Southport Ave. 




THE PEOPLE 
Walt McGough (Playwright) is a Boston-based playwright (by way of Pittsburgh and Chicago). In Boston, he has held fellowships with both the Huntington and New Repertory Theatre Companies, and was a finalist for the 2016 Dramatists Guild Lanford Wilson Award. His plays include Pattern of Life, which was named Best New Play by the Independent Reviewers of New England, and The Farm, Priscilla Dreams The Answer, and Paper City Phoenix, all of which received Best New Play IRNE nominations. Other plays include Chalk, Dante Dies!! (And Then Things Get Weird), The Haberdasher!, and Non-Player Character. He has worked around the country with companies such as The Lark, the Huntington, New Rep, the Kennedy Center, NNPN, Boston Playwrights Theatre, Fresh Ink, Sideshow, Orfeo Group, Nu Sass Productions, Chicago Dramatists, and Argos. In 2015, his play Advice for Astronauts was selected as the winner of the Milken Playwriting Prize. He has served on the staff at SpeakEasy Stage Company in Boston and Chicago Dramatists, and is a founding ensemble member of Chicago’s Sideshow Theatre Company. He holds a BA from the University of Virginia, and an MFA in playwriting from Boston University.

Beth Wolf (Director) is the founder and Producing Artistic Director of Midsommer Flight. Beth’s directing credits include As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Midsommer Flight; LIAR!, which won first place in the 2012 City Lit Art of Adaptation Festival; Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, Black Magic: An Evening of Shakespeare, Seascape with Sharks and Dancer, Bury the Dead, The Fantasticks, and Shakespeare in the Garden (Promethean Theatre Ensemble). Additionally, she has directed for festivals, staged readings, and assistant directed with companies all around Chicago, including Remy Bumppo, the side project, City Lit Theater, Polarity Ensemble Theatre, and more. Beth is also a co-founder and the former Artistic Director of Promethean Theatre Ensemble. She is a proud Northwestern University graduate with a double major in theatre and gender studies.


Cast:
Alice Wu - Katja 
Matthew Schnitker - Trent 
Tracey Green - Aria 
Michael Saubert - Caspar 
Margaret Kellas - Naomi/Crone/Voice
Abigail Lafont - Morwyn/Officer 
Trevor Strahan - Feldrick 
Dre Marquis - Grant/Farmer Jenkins 
Marisa Lerman - Katja/Aria Understudy
Chris Mueller - Trent/Caspar Understudy
Kellen Robinson - Naomi/Crone/Voice/Morwyn/Officer Understudy
Donovan Session - Feldrick/Grant/Farmer Jenkins Understudy

Crew:
The artistic team includes Chas Mathieu (Scenic & Prop Design), Sanja Manakoski (Costume Design), Stefanie M. Senior (Sound Design), Marissa Geocaris (Lighting Design), Maureen Yasko and Chris Smith (Fight Directors and Movement Coaches), Becca Holloway (Producer), Anna Troy (Producer), Aaron Sawyer (Producer), Amelia Seidel (Production Manager), Becky Warner (Stage Manager), Wyatt Kent (Dramaturg), Catherine Miller (Casting Director), Claire Brennan (Assistant Director), and Beth Wolf (Director). 

ABOUT RED THEATER CHICAGO 

Red Theater Chicago, now in its 7th Season, is committed to honoring all audiences by asking dangerous questions through accessible performances that broaden perspectives and inspire dialogue.

WIN 4 TICKETS ($116 value) TO EMERALD CITY THEATRE'S CHICAGO PREMIERE OF CORDUROY AT THE ATHENAEUM THEATRE’S MAIN STAGE THROUGH APRIL 20, 2019

ChiIL Mama’s Chi, IL Picks List

EMERALD CITY THEATRE PRESENTS 

CHICAGO PREMIERE OF CORDUROY 

AT THE ATHENAEUM THEATRE’S MAIN STAGE, 

MARCH 1 – APRIL 20

**Ages 3+**

Emerald City Theatre Concludes Their 2018 – 2019 Season with the Stage Adaptation of Don Freeman’s Best-Selling Children’s Book Corduroy 

Enter Below
One of ChiIL Mama's lucky readers will
WIN 4 TICKETS ($116 value) TO EMERALD CITY THEATRE'S CHICAGO PREMIERE OF CORDUROY AT THE ATHENAEUM THEATRE’S MAIN STAGE THROUGH 
APRIL 20, 2019
Winner can select from any of the following performances to attend: 
Saturday, April 6 at 1 p.m., Saturday, April 13 at 1 p.m., Friday, 
April 19 at 10:30 a.m., or Saturday, April 20 at 10:30 a.m. 
ENTER THROUGH MIDNIGHT 3/31/19

Emerald City Theatre (ECT) concludes its 2018 – 2019 Season this spring with the Chicago premiere of Corduroy, a new stage adaptation by Barry Kornhauser of Don Freeman’s classic books, directed by ECT Artistic Associate Jamal Howard. Corduroy runs Friday, March 1 – Saturday, April 20 at the Athenaeum Theatre Main Stage, 2936 N Southport Ave. 

Previews are Friday, March 1 at 10:30 a.m. and Saturday, March 2 at 10:30 a.m. Regular performance times post opening are Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. with additional performances on Sunday, April 14 at 2 p m. and Friday, April 19 at 10:30 a.m. prices are $22-$29. Tickets may be purchased at AthenaeumTheatre.org or through the Athenaeum Theatre box office at 773.935.6875. Visit EmeraldCityTheatre.com for more information.  Educators may visit EmeraldCityTheatre.com or call 773.529.2690 to book a field trip that includes a performance and companion study guide.



“A bear. A button. A place to belong.” A small bear’s quest for a missing button leads to the friendship of a lifetime. The department store comes to life with circus elements and physical comedy as Corduroy must stay a step ahead of the Night Watchman to be ready for Lisa when she returns to the store. Learn the importance of empathy and unconditional love along with a young girl and her mother in this sweet adaptation of the beloved book by Don Freeman. Corduroy is a Chicago premiere and a playful adventure that will delight ages three years and older.

“I am delighted to present this wonderfully talented group of performers for our production of Corduroy,” says Mr. Howard, ECT Artistic Associate. “This cast will use clowning, physical comedy, and other circus elements to bring Don Freeman’s iconic book to life for our youngest audiences in this ambitious Chicago premiere.”



The cast of Corduroy includes: Jean Claudio (Corduroy), Matt Miles (The Night Watchman), Tia Pinson (Lisa), Michelle Renee Thompson (Mother), Averis I. Anderson (Clown 1), Kelsey Shipley (Clown 2), Kirk Osgood (The Night Watchman/Clown 1 Understudy), Ellen DeSitter (Corduroy/Clown 2 Understudy), and Kianna Rose (Lisa/Mother Understudy).

The creative team also includes: Amanda Crockett, movement and circus director;  Jeffrey Kmiec, scenic designer; Jazmin Aurora Medina, costume designer;  Cat Wilson, lighting designer; Eric Backus, sound designer; Letitia Guillaud, props designer; Marika Mashburn , casting director and Marcus Carroll, stage manager. 


ABOUT EMERALD CITY THEATRE
Emerald City Theatre (ECT) is Chicago’s largest theater for young audiences, reaching children 0 – 15-years-old through its three pillars of work: artistic, education, and outreach. Serving an average of over 60,000 children and their grown-ups annually, the company has created over 100 productions in Lakeview, Lincoln Park, and Downtown Chicago. ECT was recently named “Chicago’s Best Children’s Theatre” by Make it Better magazine.

ECT also builds skills in children through its yearly camps, classes, and residencies – the largest theater arts education program in Chicago, serving over 64,000 students to date and an average of 200 schools annually. 

ECT’s signature outreach program, One Fund supports increased literacy among Chicago’s children by providing a free play and free companion book to low-resourced Chicago Public Schools students. In 2018, ECT provided 95,000 free books to CPS students in Kindergarten – 3rd grade as part of a partnership with Mary Pope Osborne, author of the Magic Tree House book series.

ECT's lead supporters include AMITA Health, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, KPMG, Illinois Arts Council, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, and The League of Chicago Theatres and ComEd’s Powering the Arts program. 

For more information, please visit EmeraldCityTheatre.com



Enter HERE
One of ChiIL Mama's lucky readers will
WIN 4 TICKETS ($116 value) TO EMERALD CITY THEATRE'S CHICAGO PREMIERE OF CORDUROY AT THE ATHENAEUM THEATRE’S MAIN STAGE THROUGH 
APRIL 20, 2019
Winner can select from any of the following performances to attend: 
Saturday, April 6 at 1 p.m., Saturday, April 13 at 1 p.m., Friday, 
April 19 at 10:30 a.m., or Saturday, April 20 at 10:30 a.m. 
ENTER THROUGH MIDNIGHT 3/31/19

ENTER HERE

Disclosure: It's our pleasure to partner up with Emerald City Theatre once again, to offer a sweet giveaway for our readers. They have provided complimentary tickets for our giveaway.

OPENING: Forging From Fire, True Stories of 6 Young People Facing Homelessness and Other Struggles

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar

YEPP’s New Production: 

Forging From Fire 

**Recommended for ages 13+ due to references to adult situations. **

Performance lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes without intermission.

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we firmly believe ALL voices deserve and need to be heard. Tonight, instead of reviewing, we'll be learning, witnessing, and listening. We're very much looking forward to hearing the true back stories of 6 survivors who are brave enough to share their experiences and recovery process. 

Youth Empowerment Performance Project (YEPP), a non-for-profit organization that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth experiencing homelessness, is opening its new show at the Athenaeum Theatre during March 23-26 titled Forging From Fire. This performance is based on the healing process and true stories of 6 young people facing homelessness and other personal, emotional and physical struggles. 

Forging From Fire
Venue: Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago, IL 60657 

Dates and Times: 
March 23rd, 1:00PM, 7:00PM March 24th, 1:00PM, 7:00PM March 25th, 3:00PM, 7:00PM March 26th, 1:00PM, 5:00PM 

Admission: $20 Seniors/Students, $25 Adults

Forging From Fire tells of the various journeys that individual ensemble members have taken to build lasting relationships and how circumstances, behaviors and choices can create compromising situations. Through diligent deconstruction and self-discovery, each member worked through a heated process to understand ways to develop meaningful and healthy relationships afterwards to mold and refine a new space of love - for one’s self and for others. Some of the life-topics they address include physical, verbal and sexual violence, DCFS and the foster care system, incarceration within the trans and gender non-conforming community, domestic violence, self-harm, mental health, and suicide, among many others. Forging From Fire is the journey of the ensemble members to continue discovering their inner- power to become agents of change within themselves and in their communities. 

About YEPP: 
YEPP seeks a safe environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth experiencing homelessness to explore their history, investigate new ways to address their struggles and celebrate their strengths through the process of developing a theatrical performance piece. 
YEPP uses harm reduction, social justice, transformative justice and education for liberation (theatre of the oppressed and popular education) frameworks to contain and guide the work. 

We work with the ensemble members for one year: 6 to 8 months in the story telling, individual-group healing, and theatrical performance piece development, and 6 months traveling around the country performing, creating awareness and educating communities about LGBTQ street-based youth issues. 


GET SOCIAL: 
YEPP’s Web Page: www.WeSayYEPP.com
Twitter: @WeSayYEPP
Facebook Page: Facebook.com/WeSayYEPP 

Thodos Dance Spotting -- Flash Mobs All Weekend Throughout Chicago

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar

THODOS DANCE's 15TH NEW DANCES SERIES, JULY 18 & 19 AT THE ATHENAEUM, CONTINUES TRADITION OF FOSTERING NEW WORKS, GUIDING POST-PERFORMANCE CAREERS IN DANCE

*Ticket discounts $10 for children 12 and under, $20 industry dance students/teachers, $28 students) 

Keep an eye out all weekend. You might be in for a free flash mob dance treat by some of Chicago's top dancers! Twelve talented, beautiful Thodos dancers will be traversing Chicago as a group, keeping to a tight schedule of 15 short, "flash mob" outdoor dance pieces performed in iconic Chicago settings, all designed to surprise, delight, and ultimately draw attention to the Chicago-based company and the city's oldest and most respected in-house choreography series.

Thodos Dance Chicago is one of the city's most acclaimed contemporary dance troupes and they're out to wow you and win you over. They will be surprising Chicagoans all weekend, all over the city, at 15 unannounced, unexpected live Pop Up performances scheduled at Chicago hottest destinations. We won't spoil the surprise locations and times but they'll be out from 10:30ish to 3ish around exotic animals, beaches, an iconic fountain and the newest public climbing wall and more.

This weekend's 15 Pop Up performances are designed to build advance buzz for Thodos Dance Chicago's 15^th Annual New Dances performances, July 18 and 19 at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago.  For tickets and information, visit thodosdancechicago.org.

For 14 years, Thodos Dance Chicago has cultivated new dance creation by collectively helping launch the choreographic careers of more than 70 Chicago-based artists through its renowned New Dances series, Chicago's earliest and most comprehensive in-house choreography series.

2015 marks the 15^th consecutive year Thodos's New Dances engages its current ensemble members with the special opportunity to step backstage and call their own shots as choreographers and directors.

In addition to eight exciting and diverse brand new works created from within, each year company founder Melissa Thodos hand-picks a guest choreographer from the dance community at large to create a new work for the project. For 2015, the invited guest choreographer for the 15^th anniversary of New Dances is Brian McGinnis, who had a professional performance career with Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Elisa Monte Dance, Parsons Dance Company and Buglisi Dance Theatre. 

Thodos Dance members (top, from left) John Cartwright, Tenley Dorrill, Abby Ellison, Kyle Hadenfeldt, (row 2) Taylor Mitchell, Briana Robinson, Alissa Tollefson and Jessica Miller Tomlinson will create and debut new works at the company's New Dances 2015 series. 

(row 3) Guest choreographer is Brian McGinnis. New Dances has been a critical component of company founder Melissa Thodos' dance/choreograph/educate mission for Thodos Dance Chicago since 2001.

Be part of an amazing evening of new dance discovery when eight of Chicago's top emerging dance artists plus guest choreographer Brian McGinnis are given the opportunity to create and present their own new works at Thodos Dance Chicago's 15^th Anniversary New Dances series, Saturday, July 18 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, July 19 at 3 p.m., at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport, Chicago.

Tickets are $35; $28 for students and seniors; $20 industry (dancers and teachers); $10 for children 12 and under and for groups of 10 or more. For tickets, visit athenaeum.org or call the Athenaeum box office, (773) 935-6875.

Thodos Dance Chicago's New Dances series is one-of-a-kind, unique and admired nationally due to the length of time and depth of support afforded the company's artists, who are each invited to join Thodos Dance Chicago after auditioning and demonstrating their passion and skills not only as dancers, but also as choreographers and educators.

 Current Thodos ensemble members presenting new works at New Dances 2015 include John Cartwright, Tenley Dorrill, Abby Ellison, Kyle Hadenfeldt, Taylor Mitchell, Briana Robinson, Alissa Tollefson and Jessica Miller Tomlinson.

 "Members of Thodos Dance Chicago are far more than performers- they are creative artists selected to join the company based on their passion and talent for choreography. We are unique in our strong commitment to support dance creation as no other dance organization offers as comprehensive of an in-house choreography initiative to its artists as ours," explains company founder Melissa Thodos.

 Thodos adds, "Through New Dances, each of our ensemble members is put in a directive position to make all production decisions about his or her work. Our choreographers have already drafted and submitted written creative proposals, developed their own budgets, cast their works with dancers from within as well as outside the company, collaborated with costume and lighting designers, contributed to the marketing plan for their work, and scheduled their own rehearsal time. In total, they are each given more than 30 hours of studio time, unprecedented in our field, to bring their choreographic vision to life with their own hand-picked ensemble of dancers."

In addition to providing a three-month development period, Thodos' artists have the rare opportunity of being mentored during the process by a panel of highly accomplished Chicago dance professionals.

 This year's panel is Jeff Hancock, a founding member of River North Dance Chicago, and former Hubbard Street Dance Chicago dancer, Dance Kaleidoscope, and Same Planet Different World Dance Theater, where he was a Co-Artistic Director; Kristina Isabelle, New Dances guest choreographer from 2014, artistic director of Kristina Isabelle Dance Company and director of HighJinks Productions; Emily Stein: a dancer, teacher and choreographer in Chicago for over 20 years, currently presenting choreography under the title Secret Experiments in Ballet, and on the faculty at Dance Center of Columbia College, the Joffrey Ballet's Lemonis Bridge Program and Northwest Ballet Academy; and, Zachary Whittenburg, Manager of Communication at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and former dancer with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, BJM Danse Montréal and Pacific Northwest Ballet.

 The panel will convene for two full days for private showings of all nine works in their developmental stages, and they will share their feedback and expertise to help guide the choreographers to debut their finished work for the public in July.

Thodos ensemble member Jessica Miller Tomlinson debuted Entwined Winds at New Dances 2013. 

Guest choreographer Ahmad Simmons set his new work Panem Nostrum Quoditianum on the company, also in 2013. 

2015 marks the 15^th consecutive year of Thodos Dance Chicago's New Dances, a one-of-a-kind, nationally celebrated series that gives the company's talented dancers the rare opportunity to call their own shots as choreographers and directors. 

Since 2001, New Dances has yielded 132 home-grown Chicago world premieres, and helped 73 Chicago-based choreographers and more than 300 dance artists develop and showcase their skills and build their reputations.

New Dances: 15 Years of creating new choreography in Chicago

New Dances was first produced by the Chicago Repertory Dance Ensemble in the late 1980s, where Melissa Thodos, before founding her own company, was an ensemble member and created her first early dance pieces. The impact of the early New Dances projects was so profound that she was passionate about recreating the project for her own company of dancers. When Chicago Repertory Dance closed, Thodos inherited the project, which she launched at Thodos Dance Chicago in 2001.

Today, by being nurtured and promoted from within the organization, Thodos ensemble members continue to gain much-needed hands on experience as choreographers backed with strong production skills, an experience specifically designed to serve them well both during and, perhaps most importantly, following their careers as performers. 

Since Thodos resurrected the project in 2001, New Dances has yielded 132 world premieres, while helping 73 Chicago-based choreographers and more than 300 dance artists develop and showcase their skills and build their reputations.

Many works from past New Dances have subsequently entered the repertory of Thodos Dance and have been showcased at festivals ranging from Jacob's Pillow to Dance Chicago. Others have been embraced and received subsequent productions by noted directors Gerald Arpino of the Joffrey Ballet and Jim Vincent of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Thanks to New Dances, TDC dancer/choreographers have gone on to set works on the Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street, River North, Dutch National Ballet Project, Dance Kaleidoscope, Atlanta Ballet, Dance Works Chicago, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Idaho Dance Theatre, Grand Rapids Ballet, Giordano Dance Chicago, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble and the second companies of Alvin Ailey and American Ballet Theater. 

Choreographer Spotlight: John Cartwright from Thodos Dance Chicago on Vimeo.

Behind the scenes of John Cartwright's New Dances 2014 world premiere  Flawed, which subsequently joined Thodos Dance Chicago's repertoire

About Thodos Dance Chicago

In 1992, Melissa Thodos, a young Evanston-born, Chicago-based dancer and choreographer, was frustrated with the lack of opportunities for local dancers to work in what in her mind was the obvious environment for any well-rounded dance professional: A place to perform. A place to create. And a place to educate. 

Fast-forward 23 years, and Thodos is the only female choreographer and director to have helmed her own mid-sized, contemporary dance company in Chicago for more than two decades with this unique mission.

Today, Thodos Dance Chicago (TDC) is an ensemble of twelve versatile dance artists with a captivating style that uses a variety of dance forms. The company's unique mission of inspiring expression through dance education, dance creation and dance performance has established TDC as an innovative presence in American contemporary dance.

Thodos Dance Chicago features the American voice in contemporary dance and has created two critically acclaimed story ballets. In addition to performing works by Melissa Thodos and resident artists, TDC performs a diverse array of works created by other reputable choreographers: Bob Fosse, Ann Reinking, Lar Lubovitch, Shapiro & Smith, Jon Lehrer, Michael Anderson, Zachary Whittenburg, Lucas Crandall, Brian Enos, Amy Ernst, Ron De Jesús, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, Ahmad Simmons and KT Nelson.

Thodos Dance Chicago continues to expand its artistic and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Founder and Artistic Director Melissa Thodos, Executive Director Gail Ford, Booking Director Rick Johnston, Artistic Associate Laura Gates, Resident Lighting Designer Nathan Tomlinson, Marketing and Operations Manager Annie Zahour, Education and Outreach Associate Kate Weatherly, Board President Sharon Lear, a dedicated board of directors and the support of thousands of contemporary dance enthusiasts both in Chicago and nationwide.

The company is supported by the Illinois Arts Council-a state agency, Target, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Arts Work Fund, The Morrison-Shearer Foundation, The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, The Service Club of Chicago and many individual and corporate sponsors. 

For more information, visit thodosdancechicago.org.

Photo Recap: Grand Opening Aerial Dance Chicago #OriginalPhotos #Video

It was our great pleasure to check out the grand opening of Aerial 

Dance Chicago's gorgeous new space near Pulaski and Irving Park Rd. on Chicago's north west side.  They're running kids and adults classes in aerial arts.  

They may have it marked better now, but the entrance is a bit confusing.   You have to enter through the back and the address is east of where it seems it should be for 4028 (not in sequence).   Keep heading east and look for signage then head upstairs to loft A.

ChiIL Mama's full set of shots:

(our favorites are embedded below)

My circus arts lovin' tweens jumped right in on the mini-workshops in tissue (silks), lyra (the round hoop), trapeze, and harness.   We're hoping they add more intermediate kids' classes and summer camps.   Sadly, the times/dates didn't work for us this first session.   With a competitive gymnast in team practice 12 hours a week, we can't do everything.   Still, my kids really enjoyed the Aerial Dance Chicago instructors and their sweet new space during the open house.

They have high ceilings and huge windows in this light, airy space and even cool copper pipe!

**WORLDS COLLIDE ALERT**  We got to see performers from Aerial Dance Chicago in the Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival at The Athenaeum Theatre the weekend before last.

ChiIL Mama's video of the aerial dance demo at the open house:

Aerial Dance Chicago

4028 W. Irving Park Rd.

(773) 463-4402 

aerialdancechicago.org

TONIGHT 10TH WHEEL GYMNASTICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS OPENING GALA -- EVENTS THROUGH JULY 14

CHICAGO TEENS SET TO COMPETE WITH MORE THAN 250 ATHLETES FROM 36 NATIONS IN CHICAGO FOR THE 10TH WHEEL GYMNASTIC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP THROUGH JULY 14.



Wheel acts at The CircEsteem Shows between bouts at The Windy City Rollers 5/4/13 featuring members of the US Juniors team and others.  Credit:  Kenaz-Mara for ChiILMama.com/ChiILLiveShows.com.

Photo credit for all unless otherwise noted:  B. Kenaz-Mara for ChiILMama.com/ChiILLiveShows.com

We've long been fans of wheel gymnastics and we're thrilled to see Chicago's young wheel athletes compete on an international level.   My own kids have studied circus arts with most of the team and we've watched these kids grow up over the past 3 years.   This is the first year the World Championships will be hosted outside of Europe!



Photo credit: B. Kenaz-Mara for ChiILMama.com/ChiILLiveShows.com

Click here to check out ChiIL Mama's past coverage on the 10^th Wheel Gymnastics World Championships.

Event location:  North Park University Gymnasium, 3225 W.Foster Ave. Hosted by the USA Wheel Gymnastics Federation and American SOKOL, the championships feature more than 240 athletes from nearly 36 nations. 

Tickets:  General admission tickets are available for $10, Junior Finals for $15, Senior Finals and Team Finals for $20 each and All Event tickets for $50. Also available are tickets to the Opening Gala at the Athenaeum Theatre (2936 N. Southport Ave.) on July 9 for $25. For more information on the 10^th Wheel Gymnastics World Championships and to purchase tickets, please visit www.wheel2013.com.

In addition to the athletes, 200 international delegates, dignitaries, judges and officials will attend the event, with public attendance being estimated at more than 10,000. Competition will be divided between males and females, and junior and senior competitors. Awards will be given for best All-Around, Spirale, Straight-line, Vault and Mono Wheel competitions.

Photo Credit:  USA Junior Wheel Team

Photo credit: B. Kenaz-Mara for ChiILMama.com/ChiILLiveShows.com

Photo credit: B. Kenaz-Mara for ChiILMama.com/ChiILLiveShows.com

Photo credit: B. Kenaz-Mara for ChiILMama.com/ChiILLiveShows.com

Photo credit: B. Kenaz-Mara for ChiILMama.com/ChiILLiveShows.com

Photo credit: B. Kenaz-Mara for ChiILMama.com/ChiILLiveShows.com