Hyde Park School of Dance's AMIRA: A CHICAGO CINDERELLA STORY Returns March 27–29

Hyde Park School of Dance (HPSD) celebrates its home  base—Hyde Park—and its hometown—Chicago—with  the return of its original work Amira: A  Chicago Cinderella Story. Performances are March 27– 29 at Mandel Hall on the University of Chicago  campus, 1131 E. 57th Street, Chicago.   This Chicago-centric retelling of the Cinderella story  is staged by HPSD Founding Artistic Director August  Tye, ballet mistress and choreographer at the Lyric  Opera of Chicago, Amira is the story of a young  girl forced to leave her native country without  her mother, arriving in Chicago and struggling to  make a home in Hyde Park. The narrative follows  the events of the traditional Cinderella story, leading  to a Masked Ball in Hyde Park and a young man who  becomes smitten with Amira. When she runs away  at midnight, he and his friends search various Chicago  neighborhoods trying to find her—Little India,  downtown, Pilsen, Chinatown, Bronzeville, and Hyde  Park—until they meet at a place that is special to both  of them.   “Amira: A Chicago Cinderella Story celebrates  Chicago’s South Side and its diverse  neighborhoods, as well as the perseverance of  immigrants to make a home in a new place,”  commented Tye. “We also hope to provide positive  images of young girls as strong, smart, and capable.”   The cast includes approximately 130 dancers age  seven to adult. To create Amira, which premiered in  2018, Tye directed the production and collaborated with  seven HPSD faculty members to create the  choreography. Tye also worked closely with Costume  Designer Jacquelyn Sanders on this modern  Cinderella story and professional photographer Damien  Thompson to create projection scenery featuring  the neighborhoods of Chicago. Amira: A Chicago  Cinderella Story is set to Prokofiev’s lush,  jubilant score. Amira: A Chicago Cinderella Story takes place  Friday, March 27 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 28 at 1 and 6 p.m.; and  Sunday, March 29 at 2 p.m. at Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th Street, in  Chicago.  Tickets, which go on sale in February, are  $25 for adults, $20 for seniors (65+),  $10 for children ages 5–18 and for  students with school ID, and free for children younger than 5. Tickets and more information are  available at 773-493-8498  or hydeparkdance.org/tickets Hyde Park School of Dance Founded in 1993 as the Hyde Park School of Ballet,  Hyde Park School of Dance is a 501(c)3  non-profit providing opportunities for students of  all ages and abilities to study, perform, and  create classical and contemporary dance at  the highest levels of discipline and artistry  within a community dedicated to the welcoming  inclusion of dancers of all races, religions, body  types, genders, sexual orientations, and family  income backgrounds. Led by Founding Artistic  Director August Tye, Hyde Park School of  Dance is committed to offering children the  chance to experience the empowering rewards  of self-discipline, hard work, and  collaboration in a diverse and supportive  environment, cultivating a love of dance and a  strength of body, mind, and character that  will benefit students throughout their lives. Photos by Marc Monaghan. Top: Kwame Atiogbe and Ladonna Freidheim. Bottom: Julia Rademacher-Wedd.