Hiplet: The Baby of Modern and Classical Ballet
By Eunice Wang Medill Reports Hiplet, the fusion of hip-hop and ballet, started back in 1990 as Homer Hans Bryant’s rap ballet. As a dance teacher, Homer has always been fascinated by classical ballet and what dancers can do en pointe. Homer wanted to give back to his community by teaching kids of color the […]
Power To The People: Tasha Viets-VanLear
By Thaddeus Tukes [A version of this story, A profile in power: Activist Tasha Viets-VanLear fights for black freedom in Chicago was co-published in The Grio and on SJNN (Social Justice News Nexus)] An aura of serenity and peace permeates the room when Tasha Viets-VanLear enters. Clad in all black with a gray scarf, she sips […]
Still Dancing at 82: The story of Vito Bertucci
By Iacopo Luzi Vito Bertucci was once considered one of the most famous ballroom dancers in the United States. He performed in Las Vegas and New York, but never wanted to move out of Chicago. “I have my group here and I didn’t want to leave them alone,” says Bertucci. Today, the 82 year old […]
Flash: An intercultural conversation between Butoh and Hip-Hop
By Vishakha Darbha Interdisciplinary artist Michael Sakamoto is one half of Flash, a Butoh/Hip-Hop duet performed with street-dance choreographer Rennie Harris. The show, which played at Columbia College Dance Theatre earlier this month, examines the body as a state of crisis. But for Sakamoto and Harris, Flash is also a public conversation between Butoh and Hip-Hop, and between their […]
Musical celebrating Chicago’s black cultural history to debut at the Chicago Theater
By Marisa Endicott For one night this Saturday, Bronzeville is taking over the Chicago Theater. “Bronzeville The Musical” tells the story of the Great Migration, the exodus of African-Americans from southern states to northern cities during the greater part of the 20th century. The musical, an original production by the Chicago-based Mahdi Theatre Company, celebrates the arrival […]
Chicago festival celebrates hip-hop arts’ positive impact
By Marisa Endicott Some might claim that “hip-hop is dead,” but the 7th Annual Winter Block Party for Chicago’s Hip Hop Arts this Saturday suggested otherwise. “If you go to the spaces, if you go to the open mics, it is alive and well,” said Damon Williams, a performer and activist emceeing for the event. […]
