I’m back for year two of my favorite time of the year: THANKSGIVING! There’s something about the closing out of the Fall season, feeling the togetherness of family (whether that be by blood, dance, or friendship), and the act of giving thanks that makes me the happiest! I still practice this each day – I sit down in the morning and list 10 things I’m thankful for. It has a way of starting my day right and allowing me to see the good in the day right off the bat!

Last year, this was my favorite blog I wrote! I managed to easily book through ten things I loved and was thankful for with SCDT and it lifted my spirits greatly. I am so excited to do it again this year, but with a bit of a twist! Instead of 10 things I’m grateful for overall (which you can see in last years’ blog, not much has changed!!), I’ve decided to do 10 things that I’m grateful for so far this season. As we move towards more in person performances, I have quite a few things that have brought me an overwhelming sense of gratitude in the past couple of months. Season 5…you’ve already outdone yourself! Here are a few of the best things so far:

1. DANCE FOR LIFE 2021! So many things I could say about this event, but I felt nothing but love for my people after performing on that stage in front of hundreds of people. One of the best memories I’ll hold for quite some time.
2. Our new guest artists and Emerging Artists! Y’all…you have NO clue how well everyone jumped right into being a family this season. I could right a whole other gratitude list for each new member of our SCDT family. They push me to be better each day and make me laugh when I’m at my deepest point of exhaustion. All in all – everyone keeps me going!!
3. Our dance circle with Giordano Dance Chicago! The energy in the room the day we took class from Nan Giordano was AMAZING! Reminded me exactly why I do what I do!
4. Performing at Navy Pier – what a gorgeous backdrop we had to perform our two pieces by Kia S. Smith. I’m also a little bias about this performance – my family came and saw me perform live for the first time since college…the best memory FOR SURE!
5. Our added Friday contemporary company classes with Ethan Kirschbaum! Most people look at Friday as a day to get through, but let me tell you – if you were to kick off your morning with a class from Ethan, you’d look forward to Friday’s at work, too! We are so thankful for Ethan’s guidance and amazing instruction. Plus, we LOVE having contemporary as a part of our class training this year!
6. Harvest Festival Chicago! What a great opportunity to be in this show next to so many talented companies! We also got to bring back Crystal Michelle Perkins’ “Lit-Anies” which was a joy in itself.
7. Our South Korean friends from Choomna Art Center visiting and joining us in such a good time! Everything from the choreographic process, to dancing and improvising together, to hanging out as a group was such an amazing time. We can hardly wait to see them all again!
8. Our Korean Traditional Dance master classes. We were introduced to a new style of dance which of course presented its own challenges, but was such an honor and cool opportunity to learn!
9. Getting to participate in school shows as a part of South Chicago Dance Festival! Sharing dance with kids in local high schools was so much fun and allowed us an intimate performance setting that we haven’t experienced in quite some time!
10. Lastly, I’m thankful for our most recent residency with Wade Schaaf (stay tuned for more on this!). Their piece was such a privilege to learn and be a part of! It’s so different from our other repertoire and I already know it’ll be a great addition to our show at the Harris in May!!

Y’all, that was the easiest list to make. Ten things may seem like a lot for four months, but so much has happened so quickly and we are forever thankful! I hope you’ve enjoyed a wonderful holiday surrounded by whomever you consider family. Much love always and Happy Thanksgiving from South Chicago Dance Theatre!