Virtual Dance Lab
The University of Chicago Dance in Theater and Performance Studies partner with Lucky Plush Productions a company-in-residence to provide daily online dance and movement classes to University students, faculty, staff, and beyond. There are classes for all levels of experience! Check out the schedule here, sign up, and keep moving while you shelter in place. Classes are still being added so be sure to check in frequently for new additions.
Payment for classes is on a sliding scale of $5-$30. Virtual Dance Lab prioritizes paying its teachers and administrative staff a competitive hourly rate. Your payment goes directly to the Virtual Dance Lab team, all of whom are local Chicago artists whose work has been affected by COVID-19.
If you are unable to make a payment at this time but still wish to participate in Virtual Dance Lab Classes, please email kara@luckyplush.com
Weekly Virtual Class List
Beg. Modern with Meghann Wilkinson
Mondays, 11:00-12:00pm CDT
Explore modern dance basics through floor and standing exercises followed by simple dance combinations that can be adapted for any room in your house! Beginning levels recommended.
Register for class here.
Yoga with A. Raheim White
Tues | Weds | Thurs, 10:00-11:00am CDT
Raheim’s class is an opportunity to learn some yoga basics, pranayama (breathing exercises), and meditation, focusing on an active holistic practice. This class is suited for all levels.
Register for class here.
BeMoved with Jennifer Edgcomb
(Tues) 5:00-6:00pm CDT, (Sun) 11:00-12:00pm CDT
BeMoved is a dance experience that inspires people of all movement levels to fully express themselves through the beauty of dance. BeMoved is designed to inspire participants to embrace dance as a lifelong means to health, joy, and fulfillment.
Register for class here.
Contemporary with Kara Brody
Wednesdays, 12:00-1:00pm CDT
Kara's class investigates a variety of movement sequences that explores efficiency in momentum and off-centeredness. We'll research ways of how to achieve and maintain a sense of ease to physically demanding material. Int/Adv level recommended.
Register for class here.
Open Level Adult Jazz with Joshua Blake Carter
Wednesday 5:30-6:30pm CDT
I spell the word “dance”, f-u-n, and it is my duty to reteach my students how to spell! We begin with a classic jazz warm-up, include a sprinkle of technique, and end with a combo that can range from heart-wrenching lyrical, or show-stopping musical theater, to powerful sissy-ography!
Register for class here.
Hip Hop Fundamentals with David Ingram
Wednesdays 7:00-8:00pm CDT
This open-level class will focus on the foundational vocabulary and core techniques that are seen across a variety of hip-hop dance styles. Participants will learn skills in a way that is adaptive to alternative spaces (your living rooms!), which is consistent with the historical and ongoing practice of Hip-Hop forms. You will also gain contextual information about the origins of different styles and how they have evolved over time. The class will also deal with grooving and social dances. Open to all levels and experiences.
Register for class here.
Cuban Modern Dance with Michel Rodriguez Cintra
Thursdays 1:00-2:00pm CDT
Cuban Modern Dance, a mix of forms of traditional American modern dance with Afro-cuban dances and Flamenco dance from Spain developed by Ramiro Guerra, the Father of Modern Dance in Cuba, represents the cultural mosaic of Cuban culture. The technique focuses on the work of the torso with contractions and undulations while keeping fluidity in the arms.
Register for class here.
Open Level Hip Hop with Karielle Williams
Thursdays 7:00-8:00pm CDT
Karielle Williams will take on commercial hip hop from the basics with hints of contemporary inspirations. This class will focus on technique, energy, and moving with intention. Expect a good warm-up, a fun combo, and cool down! This class is open to all levels.
Register for class here.
30-min Fitness Dance Jam with LUCKY PLUSH ENSEMBLE
Fridays 5:00-5:30pm CDT
A 30 min movement practice centered around the art of in-the-moment decision making. Participants are guided to follow physical impulses with intention and care, building into nonstop movement. Open to all ages and abilities.
Register for class here.
Cuban Salsa Fusion with Michel Rodriguez Cintra
Fridays, 7:00-8:00pm CDT
Salsa is the evolution of Afro-Cuban dances and music and it is still continuously evolving. It has been danced socially for decades and it is still very much alive in Cuba. In the class, we will touch on different social dances that came before salsa.
Register for class here.
Dance in Theater and Performance Studies
The newly formed Dance Program in Theater and Performance Studies at the University of Chicago is centered around the belief that dance and embodied research are critical to the performing arts, to broad cultural literacy, and to the advancement of cross-disciplinary scholarship. In seeking to advance dance as both a physical practice and a critical form of research, the Dance Program offers a range of studio and studio-seminar courses as well as co-curricular technique classes. The offerings reach students of all abilities, from beginners to those seeking pre-professional opportunities within a liberal arts education. The Dance Program faculty is comprised of professional dance artists and scholars and is led by Julia Rhoads, Director of Dance and Artistic Director of Lucky Plush Productions, a MacArthur Award-winning dance-theater company based in Chicago.
Curricular offerings can be found in the TAPS course listings. Co-curricular offerings are listed below. To get the most up-to-date information about TAPS dance offerings, join the dance listserv or email Julia Rhoads, Director of Dance, at jrhoads1@uchicago.edu. For more information about student-led dance groups and events, go to the Dance Council page.