Dance Chicago's Dance Slam!

Add a Comment

November 17, 9:41 PM

by Rachel Thorne Germond, Chicago Dance Examiner

 

            Pow! You've been slammed.

Q. What happens at a Slam?
A.  At a poetry slam, a broad range of voices, styles, cultural traditions, and approaches to writing and performance is presented. Poets recite aloud,  or rather-- perform their poetry.  After each poet performs, judges selected from the audience members award numeric scores.  Most slams enforce a time limit of three minutes (and a grace period of ten seconds). In an "Open Slam," the competition is open to all who wish to compete.   

At a dance slam the same agenda pretty much goes- except that what you see will be dance not poetry. The goal is to present a variety of voices, styles, cultural traditions and approaches to dancing and dancemaking and to challenge the authority of anyone who claims absolute authority (professional judges). It's a sort of American Idol situation- except there's no Paula or Simon- just YOU (the audience) and your applause or jeers. The idea isn't new - it's been around for at least a century and a half  with the old Vaudeville houses and of course the precedented  Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater in New York City. The Apollo audience, known as the "world's toughest audience," had the power to make or break an act. The audience was notorious for booing artists off the stage only minutes into their performances.

The Dance Chicago audiences are usually a bit kinder and more enthusiastic, but the audience is definitely invited to be vocal in their critique. The event is adverstised as  "an interactive dance competition with a non-stop beat!".

Although there are many acts in this slam, it runs less than 2 hours. Each work is five minutes or less and the audience votes for the winners! Every night features different performances from young up-and-coming dancers from all around Chicago!

Dance Slam B
When: Wednesday, November 19 at 7:30 pm
Where: The Aetheneum Theater 2936 N. Southport  Chicago, IL
Tickets :  $15 Buy Tickets  or call 773.935.6860 for more info.

The Line up: 
Kaleidoscope Dance and Movement Center / The Moment I said It
Northwest Ballet Ensemble / An Evening of Conversations
Des Plaines Park District: Artistry in Motion / Four Ton Mantis
Highland Park High School: Collage / Waterworks
Oak Park and River Forest High School / Drowning in Love
Steps Dance Center / Never Fully Dressed
Whitney Young Magnet High School: Guys-N-Dolls / TBA
Buffalo Grove High School Orchesis / Underground
Forum Jazz Dance Theatre II / hide and seek
Forum Jazz Dance Theatre II / silent
Wilmette Center for Dance / Mama!
The Happiness Club/Tanji Harper / Hate It of Love It
Resurrection High School: Orchesis Dance Company / Shake It
Artists In Motion: LoMastro Performing Arts Academy / Do it Again
Curie Metropolitan High School Dance Touring Company / Clean Up on Aisle Four
Resurrection High School: Orchesis Dance Company / Broken
Riverside Brookfield High School / Ladies' Choice
Kaleidoscope Dance and Movement Center / Apologize
St. Charles School of Dance Performing Company / Hi
Bolingbrook Park District Danceforce / Paparazzi
Bolingbrook Park District Danceforce / Recess
Urban Beat Dance - Elite / Radio
Dance Gallery / Sing

   Subscribe   Feed

Include other special offers from Examiner.com
Terms of Use