Did you know….South Chicago Dance Theatre is MUCH more than just a Professional Dance Company? We are an organization with many programs including Choreographic Diplomacy, our in-school and after-school dance and theatre programs, and our newest and very exciting program called “Dance Across Generations”.

Fellow Company Member, Marissa Thomas, oversees the planning and processes of Dance Across Generations and I had the privilege to ask her a few questions about it! Tune in below if you’re curious about this amazing program!

What is the program?

Dance Across Generations brings together seniors from Southeast Atlas Regional Senior Center and students from Columbia College Chicago in weekly dance workshops to share family histories, create choreography, and foster intergenerational connections. We began our second iteration of the program in early March. We will have 10 classes in total, culminating in a performance on May 14^th at 2:30 PM at Southeast Atlas Regional Senior Center in celebration of Older Americans Month.

Who is involved?

We partner with Southeast Atlas Regional Senior Center, the Dance Program at Columbia College Chicago, and are supported by Innovation 80 as a CoGen Program.

Why does this program feel important to you?

I feel so grateful for the impact that dance has had on my life – not just in the career that I have, but in the skills that I’ve learned and the community that I’ve gained through it. I am so happy to be able to see dance used as a tool to build intergenerational connections and be a part of something that is intentional in building communities.

What impact have you seen from the classes?

We have heard such great feedback from the seniors and students about this program, and we are so happy that we have been able to continue it this year. Reflecting on last year, it was incredible to see the community that was built and what was created in just a short period of 10 weekly classes. I loved being able to see seniors gain confidence in moving across the floor, in seeing the students show great leadership when co—teaching a class, and smile at everyone’s joy when presenting the final performance.