Chicago Danztheatre Announces Recent Grant Awards and Their Impact

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble, founded in 2001, is the recent recipient of grants from the Innovation 80, Illinois Arts Council and Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.

The group fundraised to expand opportunities for artists within the community housed at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, where CDE has been in partnership and in residency since 2014. Thanks to previous grants from the Bayless Family Foundation (2024) and The Saints Foundation 2024), CDE has remodeled the auditorium with state-of-the-art lighting and a new Marley floor and opened a small rehearsal studio.

Now, with a $12,000 grant from the Illinois Arts Council, Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble has the funding to remodel a space that will house five visual artists' studios with subsidized rentals, thereby supporting CDE’s visual arts residency program initiative. Additionally, CDE had received a $100,000, two-year program grant from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation to support shared space use programming and business support services for artists and arts groups. This grant will allow CDE to continue its “Body Passages” residency programming, providing artists with 40 hours of rehearsal space and subsidized performances, marketing and mentorships. It will help expand CDE’s “Playwrights Cohort” and “Next Stages” play-development programs.They also received an $8,000 grant from Innovation 80 to launch an intergenerational artist residency program.

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble builds commUNITY through the arts - one story, one voice, one person at a time -  onstage and in the classroom.  Ellyzabeth Adler, founder and executive/artistic director of CDE said, “The Company is committed not only to creating new performances for the stage and through its arts education program, but also to being a welcoming place for all artists of all disciplines. We have proudly showcased our work for over 20 years, consistently building relationships with local organizations and artists to bring Chicago’s communities together. We are beyond thrilled to have been noticed in this way with these grants that will allow us to not only continue our mission, but expand it.”  

Chicago Danzetheatre Ensemble welcomes the public to an Open House on Saturday, December 13 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Chicago Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. HAIRSPRAY (Uptown Music Theater of Highland Park)

7.4% of votes

2. RENT (Highland Park Players)

7.4% of votes

3. THE WIZARD OF OZ (Up and Coming Theatre/Elgin Summer Theater)

6.7% of votes

Vote Now!