Red Clay Dance Company Presents Choreography by Black Women March 14-16

RED CLAY DANCE COMPANY CELEBRATES

CHOREOGRAPHY BY BLACK WOMEN

IN THIRD BIENNIAL LA FEMME DANCE FESTIVAL MARCH 14–16

Red Clay Dance Company (RCDC), which creates and performs a diverse repertoire of Afro-contemporary dance, announces the third edition of La Femme Dance Festival, celebrating choreographic work by women of Black/African Diaspora/African descent. Performances are March 15 and 16 at the new Green Line Performing Arts Center, 329 E. Garfield Blvd. in Chicago’s Washington Park neighborhood.

Open to women artists from around the world, La Femme is curated by RCDC (Chicago) Founder and Artistic Director Vershawn Sanders-Ward, Flyground (Philadelphia) Founder and Director Lela Aisha Jones and Catalyst Movmnt (Chicago) Founder and Curator Aaliyah Christina. The curators will select five choreographers, whose work will be performed in this year's festival, and each will receive an artist fee, publicity, technical support and documentation (video and photos). Participating choreographers will be announced in early January 2019.

Festival activities include evening performances Friday and Saturday, March 15 and 16. There is a post-show discussion on Friday and a pre-show talk and a post-show reception on Saturday. A free community dance class led by one of the festival choreographers takes place Thursday, March 14, followed by a learning circle session in partnership with High Concept Labs.

10th anniversary season
RCDC’s season continues with the world premiere of Sanders-Ward’s Art of Resilience 2.0, a co-presentation with the DuSable Museum of African American History, May 16–18, 2019 at the DuSable Museum of African American History’s Roundhouse, 740 E. 56th Place. RCDC’s Paint the Town Red, a post-show fundraiser, takes place May 18 on the Roundhouse’s outdoor patio. Concluding the season is RCDC’s “Dance4Peace Youth Concert & Community Hug Awards” June 1 at 5 p.m. at Benito Juarez Community Academy, 1450 W. Cermak Rd.
 

La Femme Dance Festival performances take place Friday and Saturday, March 15 and 16 at 7 p.m.
at the Green Line Performing Arts Center, 329 E. Garfield Blvd., Chicago.
Admission is a suggested donation of $10, available beginning February 1 at redclaydance.com.
A free master class and learning circle take place Thursday, March 14 at 6 p.m.
at High Concept Labs, 2233 S. Throop St., Chicago.
Registration opens February 1 at redclaydance.com.

For more information about RCDC and the 10th anniversary season, visit redclaydance.com.

Red Clay Dance Company lives to awaken “glocal” change through creating, performing, and teaching dances of the African Diaspora— change that transforms cultural and socioeconomic imbalances in our local and global community. Founder Vershawn Sanders-Ward conceived the idea of RCDC while on her first trip to Senegal, West Africa, when she became fascinated by the interconnectedness of dance and everyday life. The name Red Clay comes from her childhood memories of playing in red earth during her summers in Mobile, Alabama. RCDC’s 10th anniversary season is supported by the Chicago Community Trust, the Field Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at the Richard H Driehaus Foundation, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Springboard Foundation, the Polk Bros. Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Illinois Arts Council Agency. The 10th Anniversary Season Host Committee includes Ebony Ambrose, Jessica Bell, Amy Clark*, Catrina Franklin*, Leslie Guy, Tam Herbert*, Kesha Jackson*, Jada Russell, Brea Sanders, Marilyn A. Sanders, and Ira Staples (* denotes RCDC board member).

All photos by Raymond Jerome Photography. Top: Ysaye McKeever. Middle: Sara Ziglar. Bottom: Vershawn Sanders-Ward