Updated News
Identity News Update: A very successful 2023, with exciting news for 2024.
The Spring & Fall concerts, 2023, presented both in Chicago and in Evanston (with sold out shows!) showcased this year of Identity Performing Arts' success, with wonderful press reviews of our latest work "Enliven" from See Chicago Dance and Buzz News.
Besides producing our concerts, we participated in See Chicago Dance Month through June and July, appeared on WGN Morning News TV, and performed "On the Move" along with other professional dance companies. We made two dance films: ”Kaleidoskop” with German collaborator Cem Koc from Hanover, and ”Kindred” with our Chicago collaborator Spence Warren filming original work on site in Indiana. We hosted the second year of Elpis Dance Festival in Chicago as a day of dance performances featuring ten dance companies and artists, over 50 performers and a full house audience. We will continue to organize and offer this free public dance festival to celebrate the diversity of our Chicago dance community.
Looking forward to 2024, we have a full line up of our Spring season with new work "Muted" and an experimental work ”Lights/9” with lights collaborator Franz Betz from Hanover, Germany. We'll close our Spring season with three festivals: performing in Seattle International Dance Festival in Seattle, hosting Identity's Elpis Dance Festival in Chicago and participating in Dance for Hope in Milwaukee.
We value your interest, support and presence in our events. And, we look forward to seeing you!
Ginny Ching-Yin Lo, Founder and Director
Jill Diez, Martina Keller, Melissa Joy Dobbins, and Sharon Meyers, Identity Board
At Evanston’s Studio 5 | Fall 2023 “Enliven“ Performance
Identity in 2022--A Superlative Year
2022 marked Identity Performing Arts transition from teaching dance to our undeserved at no cost, to also creating a professional dance troupe of nine company members with a full season of live performances. The collaboration of original choreography by Ginny with Chromabeats music brought new dance works to the stage in Chicago's Old Town School of Music and Evanston's Studio 5, with a wonderful review of "Fearless" by See Chicago Dance.
Our inaugural Elpis Dance Fest drew mainstream, cultural and faith based professional dance troupes in a one day outdoor dance concert in beautiful Lincoln Park, as a free showcase of dance for the public. Invited to perform at a Summer Dance Fest in Germany, Identity was able to fundraise three company members to dance in this international artistic experience.
Looking ahead to 2023, Identity will continue its free dance program partnering with Family Focus and will work to secure a grant from the Evanston Art Council. Identity is creating new danceworks for Spring, Summer Elpis Fest and Fall. We are also planning a dance film project in Indiana with a local video artist, while our German film collaborator will work with Identity's full company this Summer.
Overall and through all, we value your interest, support and presence in our events. And, we look forward to seeing you in 2023!
With deep appreciation and our best intentions for the new year,
Ginny Ching-Yin Lo, Founder and Director
Jill Diez, Martina Keller and Sharon Meyers, Identity Board
Identity is committed to our mission: connect (the community), create (dance works), affirm (each person's identity).
At Evanston’s Studio 5 | Fall 2022 “Intrigue“ Performance