New Executive and Artistic Directors Revealed at Chicago Dance Crash

Coming off a commercially & critically successful 20th anniversary season, local hip hop/contemporary performance company Chicago Dance Crash announced a series of upcoming leadership changes at a public fundraising event held last month. The future personnel model includes ensemble member Monternez Rezell joining the Board of Directors, rehearsal director KC Bevis taking the creative reigns as Artistic Director & Jessica Leyva, a local performance industry development advocate, beginning Crash's next fiscal year as Executive Director.

 

 “We're so excited for Crash's future! This has been in the works for a long time and it's great that the rest of the industry now gets to know about it so they can start figuring the new team into their calendars, collaborations, and bookings. We're proud to hand off an institution that's got so much momentum — including its largest ever donor portfolio & cash reserve, a diverse menu of repertory & programming, experienced talent representation, plus the coolest, most talented ensemble in the world.

We'll be the loudest out of everyone in the seats!”

– A joint statement from current Artistic Director Jessica Deahr & current Executive Director Mark Hackman.

 

Deahr, who was hired as Artistic Director in 2013, will finish strong with several upcoming performances, including a season-ending production, fittingly titled “Evolution,” at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts on September 8th and 9th of this year. Bevis' role will formally begin on September 10th and future programming and hirings are already being prepared under her direction.

 

Most recently recognized as the lead performer and co-choreographer for the company's 2022 award-winning production of “Booms Day,” KC Bevis first joined Crash as the 2014 performing apprentice and worked her way through the Ensemble ranks to be promoted to Rehearsal Director in 2018 – marking a traditional practice of the organization to promote from within.

 

“Happy, humbled, and ready for anything,” said Bevis. “Because of its unique space between both concert and street dance, Crash has been the perfect vehicle for what I love in dance. We're excited to highlight its richness by celebrating diversity, expanding on our fusion of styles, and further connecting to our cultural influences. Come see us, take class with us, create opportunities together and come collaborate because there's so much more connection to be had. Message me!"

 

At 26, Jessica Leyva, a BFA graduate from the University of California Irvine, has already acquired an impressive development and administrative career. Leyva will take charge of 'the books' on January 1st and was handpicked by outgoing CEO Mark Hackman who, having cofounded the organization alongside Marissa Moritz and Charlie Cutler in 2002, has served as the organization's only Chief Executive for the past 21 years.

 

Leyva stated “I feel like this new position has been a culmination of all the different roles I've taken on since moving to this amazing city... logistics, strategy, fundraising, PLUS being onstage myself quite a few times! Crash has a great standard for taking care of their talent and I can't wait to compliment that reputation with some new ideas and ways to support the art and artists.”

 

Getting ahead on every aspect of the group's infrastructure, Leyva's & Bevis' first action in building their own vision of the company was to request the acquisition of Monternez Rezell for the Chicago Dance Crash board of directors. Rezell, also known as hip hop recording artist Emcee Monte, has been a member of the Performance Ensemble since 2017 but is more widely recognized as artistic director of Movement Revolution Dance Crew. Rezell was voted unanimously onto the 7-person board this past March.

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