About us

Echo Modern Dance Collective is made up of interdisciplinary movers who are committed to cultivating a generative and inclusive modern dance community. We provide opportunities for dancers pursuing non-dance careers to continue moving, performing, and choreographing. So many dancers feel that they have either two options: become professional or stop dancing seriously. As folks with non-dance careers ourselves, we want to change that expectation. We hold weekly open classes, special workshops, and annual grassroots performances of our own choreography. We love collaborating with artists from all disciplines to make expansive projects that move beyond dance.

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Mission Statement

Echo Modern Dance Collective is a Chicago-based non-profit composed of interdisciplinary movers who integrate their varied career aspirations to enhance their relationship with dance. We are an organization committed to cultivating a generative, collaborative, and inclusive modern dance community.

Vision Statement

We aim to provide increased access to modern dance among the broader Chicago community via open classes for both dancers and non-dancers, performances, and collaborative events. Our hope is to foster connections with a variety of artists from a myriad of disciplines in an effort to engender innovative partnerships.

Values

Echo’s direction is informed by the following principles:

We believe creative liberation comes from communal emotional safety

We believe dancers of all bodies should feel welcomed and celebrated

We believe we have the responsibility to minimize our environmental impact

We believe racial diversity and anti-racism work should be included in all spaces

We believe gender expansiveness should be valued and explored in all spaces