Dance classes in Chicago, Illinois
Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak is a Chicago contemporary dance company and teaching practice led by choreographer and somatic researcher Molly Shanahan, PhD, who has worked in the city's independent dance scene since 1994. The company creates evening-length works blending dance, performance art and contemplative practice. Its teaching arm, Spiral Body Techniques, formalised in 2023, is an approach to contemporary dance built on spirals, fluidity and undulation, developed to release habitual muscular gripping so dancers can work vigorously without pain. Three formats are offered: a studio class for advanced and intermediate-advanced dancers, an Alone-Together practice open to anyone including non-dancers, and private virtual sessions. An annual certification program trains SBT teachers.
The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation awarded more than $1.76 million in grants to 66 of Chicago’s small arts organizations and arts advocacy organizations in 2025.
