Workshops & Master Classes

The Academy of Dance offers workshops and master classes catered to the needs of different interests, ages and levels.  To book your high school group, corporate group or dance studio in a master class with our faculty, please contact Joffrey Reception at 312.784.4600.

Throughout the month of February
We are proud to partner with the Chicago Loop Alliance and the American Heart Association to inspire women and families to make choices to beat heart disease. Throughout the month of February, any woman who attends her first Adult Open Division class at the Academy of Dance will receive a coupon to return for one free class. A complete class schedule can be found here [insert link to attachment] and the Chicago Loop Alliance [if you can make the words clickable to this link, that would be great: www.chicagoloopalliance.com] for more information about the event.

Price: $15 drop-in fee for one Adult Open Division class

President’s Day (February 15, 2010)
American Social Dances
Join us for our special President’s Day event, featuring the Obamas’ inaugural dance to At Last by Etta James. A great event for families, with mother/son and father/daughter partnerships encouraged. Rebecca Aleman’s expertise in Ballroom Dancing will make this a fantastic experience!

$10 per person, and $18 per couple
Children (ages 7-15) must be accompanied by an adult

Pulaski Day (March 1, 2010)
Polish Folk Dancing
Fun for all ages, this special event held in honor of the great Revolutionary War hero, Casimir Pulaski, will introduce you to the art of Polish dance, heritage and culture treasured throughout the Chicago area. Check back soon for more information!

Intermediate / Advanced Modern Dance Master Class with Stephanie Batten Bland
(March 10, 2010, 6:30-8:00pm)
Ages 15+
Class fee: $15.00 per class
Ms. Bland began creating work and won first prize for young choreographers at the Fontainebleau festival in 2004. Selected for the Joyce Soho Presents series in 2005, she has choreographed for the Mu Terminal Conservatory in Budapest, Ohio University, Skidmore College, MTSU of Tennessee. Her works have been performed in Prague, Brussels, Budapest, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Copenhagen, Paris, Tokyo, Spain, Hong Kong and the United States.  
Attracted to film as much as the stage, her dance shorts with collaborators Guillaume Le Grontec (cinematographer) and Ed Bland (composer), are shown in renowned dance video festivals such as the Thessaloniki film festival in Greece, FNB Dance Umbrella of South Africa, the Sans Souci Dance Cinema Festival USA, Tanztendenzen of Germany and the International Video Dance Festival in Buenos Aires.  

Ms. Bland just completed her guest faculty residency at Ithaca College and residency/conference at Cornell University in New York State. Believing in the importance of cultural exchange, her company continues to address issues and build bridges that allow us all to see the potential role of the arts in promoting empowerment and healing within the lives of our diverse communities.

Visit her website for more information: http://www.birdlegs.net

Memorial Day (May 31, 2010)
Commemorating the beginning of summer, this event will feature an introduction to Swing dance. Check back soon for more information!