Dance Chico!

Dance Chico!

It’s an interesting, basic phenomenon. Your toddler is playing in the living room and suddenly, some music comes on. The toddler stops, lifts her head, smiles, begins to wiggle, move, and, well …basically, dance. It is inherent in our natures; a deep psychological need to express ourselves through movement.

The need to express ourselves through movement gets more sophisticated as we grow. It encompasses those that tap their feet upon hearing a catchy tune- to those that decide to make dance a lifelong passion. Whether you are a professional dancer or just an occasional toe-tapper, dance is something to which all can relate.

With that in mind, Chico Performances has created a week long celebration of dance called, Dance Chico! Celebrating all kinds of movement, Dance Chico! has something for all lovers of the form of entertainment called, “dance.”

Kicking off the week: on Sunday, March 22, is Amy Seiwert’s Imagery, a contemporary ballet group out of San Francisco.  Performing in Laxson Auditorium, Seiwert’s dancers will perform an evening show, followed by a Field Trip for students on Monday, March 23.

On Tuesday, Chico’s Pageant Theatre will be presenting Bob Fosse’s iconic dance film, All That Jazz in two showings at 6 and 8:30 p.m.

On Thursday, March 26, the Spotlight Performance will be showcasing the best of the north state’s dance groups. Included will be: performances by students from Inspire School of the Arts, Kinetics Academy of Dance, Ann’s Dance Workshop, and Hype Dance Studio. There will be a piece by Chico Community Ballet, as well as belly dance, afro-Cuban, and Hmong traditional pieces. The Spotlight Performance will be at 7:30 in Laxson Auditorium.

On Friday, Dance Chico! will be closing down 3rd Street between Main and Broadway in Chico, and hosting a FREE Broadway Boogie. This street fair will feature food trucks, dance instruction, and a fun evening out for all ages. The event will run from 7-9 p.m.

Dance Chico! wraps up on Saturday, March 28th, with a performance by the Joe Goode Performance Group, a modern dance troupe, performing Hush at 7:30 p.m. in Laxson Auditorium. In addition, Joe Goode will be working with the Chico State’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute on several workshops and residencies throughout the week.

When asked the reason of focusing an entire week of events on celebrating dance, Director of Chico Performances, Stephen Cummins, replied, “For me, dance is the most beautiful art form. It is important to engage students, youngsters and families in all forms of dance. Exposure to dance broadens kids’ horizons. To me, it’s a fun and interactive art form.”

Cummins applied for granting funds for Dance Chico! and, as a result, the event received a sizeable grant through the National Endowment of the Arts. Cummins says the NEA grant was crucial to Dance Chico! “The monetary support from the NEA will help us realize our goals to engage new dance audiences, introduce our community to world class choreographers, and celebrate the art form that is Dance.”

A Dance Chico! All  Festival Pass is being offered for $40. This pass is good for one ticket to all events during the week. Individual tickets to the separate events are also available. More information, ticket prices, and a complete listing of events is available at dancechico.com.

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