College: Chicago w/o dance; need off campus prog.

[Guest Misballet]

I'm currently a senior in high school and I really need help with deciding what I'm going to do with my future!!!! For some background:

 

I've been accepted to Loyola University in Chicago and I plan on going to school there next year (I have already told the school I will be enrolling for next year). However, there is NO dance program through the University. This University is a perfect match for me academically and I LOVE the idea of living in Chicago - the only downfall is that there is no dance program !

 

I dance at a pre-professional studio and I also dance in a smaller local company that I LOVE!

 

I am a very serious ballet student (I have at least 15 hours of ballet/pointe a week) with A LOT of passion for ballet, but I just can't seem to figure out how it will work in my future. I am also working on the Checcetti grade 7 exam - the second highest level - its only under diploma.

 

I know that these are questions I should be asking my teachers, but they really haven't been giving me very helpful advice.

 

What I need to know is:

 

Even though I LOVE ballet, I do not have the ability to dance professionally in a major company, but a smaller company would be perfect. It hurts, but I do have to be realistic. I really want to continue with ballet, but how do I go about doing this if my school of choice does not have a dance program?

 

Does anyone know of any great places I could take CHALLENGING adult classes in Chicago? - I don't want the general beginning adult open classes.

 

Also, are there any small companies in Chicago that I could look into dancing with? (I'm not looking for any major companies lol)

 

I so WISH I could be dancing professionaly, but I know its just not going to happen. Even though this dream has been crushed I still want to be a VERY serious ballet student. Is this possible if I'm a college student that isn't in a school's dance program or dancing professionaly?

 

I would REALLY appreciate ANY help - especially if you know of any smaller ballet companies in Chicago.

 

Thank you sooooooo much for listening to this confused high school senior!!!

 

P.S. I have tried searching online for small companies, but I haven't found anything

[Mel Johnson]

There's a LOT of ballet in Chicago, just none associated with Loyola. Since you're so far along in the Cecchetti curriculum, if I were you, I'd contact the Cecchetti Council of America in order to find a Cecchetti school in Chicago:

 

http://www.cecchetti.org/main.php?smPID=PHP::index.php

 

If no school presents itself as a viable option, there is the Ruth Page Dance Center for the Arts, which trains an eclectic style of ballet, which they call "Russian-based", but hey, Cecchetti taught at the Imperial School in Petersburg, too! The School of Ballet Chicago, headed by Daniel Duell, is primarily Balanchine in style, but good training can be had there, too. The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, unfortunately, has not established a school in Chicago. I would think that, given THEIR own eclectic mix of curricula and styles that if there were one, it would be a good option, but there isn't, so it isn't.

[Treefrog]

Lou Conte Studio also has open classes for adults, and from what I hear they are quite serious.

 

There are a ton of small companies here! I'd suggest you take a look at the website forDance Chicago, which is an annual festival of dance. However, most of these companies are pretty eclectic, and do a lot of/mostly modern work.

[ami1436]

I have also heard the same about the Lou Conte studio - a friend of mine who attends says that the upper open levels are very professional.

[Guest Misballet]

Thanks for all of your help! I wish I could find something that is classical ballet, but I know that Chicago has a lot of modern too - something that I have only recently gotten into - and I kind of like it! I really appreciate all of the help!

[Treefrog]

Misballet, I wanted to add that the question you are asking is a very important one. Unfortunately, most of the dancers and parents who stay with this board through the end of high school are preparing for professional careers, so you might not get too many answers. Beyond your specific question of where to dance is another unstated one: how can someone in your situation keep up the number of classes and intensity you are used to? Especially when your infrastructure is changing (by which I mean you may have other demands on your time, and your parents aren't there to help you get to class and pay for it.)

 

There have got to be thousands of kids in your situation each year. My DD is facing this same issue. I'd love to hear more about how others have managed it.

[BW]

There exists a very good thread/topic on this topic: Non Dance Majors/pursuing dance off campus .

 

Let's make this thread about good programs for post high school in Chicago and use that other one for the larger discussion.

[ami1436]

I also wanted to add that you might find out more about the programs in Chicago by searching the adults' boards here.

[born2bprima]

MISBALLET!

 

Hi! I am in a pre-professional company in Chicago and we have a few girls who are currently in college and dance with us as well! I believe they go to UIC. It is called the Civic Ballet of Chicago and is ran out of Ruth Page on the North side. All members are on scholarship at Ruth Page and get reduced fare classes. We do the Nutcracker in December, and then this Spring we are learning a Lou Conte peice, we will also be doing a ballet peice. Lets see...what else the directors are Larry Long and Dolores Lipinski, and also Birute Barodicaite. We have ballet technique everyday and pointe classes throughout the week. The classes are very challenging and many professionals from the companies scattered throughout Chicago attend them. If you have any more specific questions feel free to PM me...I would highly reccommend Civic for a college student trying to dance as well.