Chicago Dance Crash to Premiere THE LAST FIRST: PROFESSIONAL DANCEMAKING IN 2020 CHICAGO

Chicago Dance Crash and Artistic Director Jessica Deahr will premiere The Last First: Professional Dancemaking in 2020 Chicago - a bouncing, 50-minute documentary telling the story of the Crash Performance Ensemble and creative staff negotiating today's climate to create and film three new repertory works + getting a few things off their chests while they're at it.

The online screening will take place on November 13th, 7pm CST. Ticket-buyers will also have on demand access to the family-friendly film for 24 hours the following day. Tickets are $40 or $20 for students/industry available now at www.chicagodancecrash.com. Proceeds from the virtual ticket sales will go to the "Keep Crash Moving" COVID Relief fund.

How was it to create dance in Chicago in 2020? "The Last First" chronicles March-October with personal narratives and insight from Artistic Director Jessica Deahr and the dancers as they detail their unique experiences returning to the studio post-quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the midst of citywide social protests, strict health and safety guidelines and the uncertainty of what the next day will bring; see how the team persevered with optimism and high spirits to create three brand new dance works in a unique performance season that no one will soon forget!

"We'd planned to debut three new works in July that specifically had a more direct hip hop feel to round out our current repertory," says Deahr. "The live aspect of that obviously got shut down pretty fast but between pandemic life, the recent moves on spotlighting social injustices and the effects it's all had on the entire Chicago performing arts industry it became clear the artists' experiences in making these pieces became possibly as captivating as the works themselves. You'll get an insider's look, if not condensed, of not only Crash's story but anecdotes from recent life in this great city."

The 50-minute film is interwoven with fully-produced new dance works that were created during the 2020 season and filmed in HD on the stage of the Beverly Arts Center in Chicago's South Side. The new works include "Elastic" by Artistic Director Jessica Deahr with Rehearsal Director KC Bevis as well as "Show & Tell" by Milwaukee-based hip hop choreographer Jasper Sanchez. Additionally a brand new celebratory House section by Chicago-based Funk dancer Keeley Morris puts the finishing touches on Amirah Sackett's work, "Sikeena."

The film's cast includes Deahr and Bevis along with Diamond Burdine, Logan Howell, Kristi Licera, Kelsey Reiter, Monternez Rezell, Porscha Spells and Jessica Leyva. Primary footage was filmed by the dancers & Deahr themselves along with donated footage from several local artists and organizations.

To post a comment, you must register and login.