Thodos History

Thodos Dance Chicago was founded in 1992 by Melissa Thodos, a choreographer, educator, and performer for over 30 years. For 25 years, the company offered dancers a place to perform, a place to create new work and a place to educate the next generation of dancers. Thodos Dance Chicago successfully performed and taught for over one million dance fans in Chicago, across the country in 27 states, and around the world on five continents. Thodos Dance Chicago features the American voice in contemporary dance. In addition to award-winning repertory works, it has created two critically acclaimed story ballets, both named as one of the top performances by the Chicago Sun-Times. These are great American stories brought to life through movement and music: “A Light in the Dark,” based on the life of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan (as told in the classic book and play “The Miracle Worker”). “The White City,” based on the extraordinary events of the Columbian Exposition of 1893 (as told in the best-selling book “Devil in the White City”)

For its first 25 years, Thodos Dance Chicago (TDC) was as a Chicago- based contemporary dance company whose mission is to promote contemporary dance as a cultural activity in the local community and throughout the United States through performance, creation of new works, and education (including audience development). The company was a hub for dancers to grow, not only as performers but as well-rounded dance artists. Thodos Dance Chicago celebrated its 25th season in 2017-2018 and announced an organizational change, which transformed the TDC as a touring dance company to a project based dance organization. Under its new mission, TDC is dedicated to is to engage and enrich the community through dance creation, advocacy, education, and mentorship.

In its 27th year, Thodos Dance Chicago has evolved to undertake projects that provide the greatest impact in the Chicago community beyond as a project based dance organization. Our mission is to engage and enrich the community through dance creation, advocacy, education, and mentorship. TDC is also working with Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Chris Olsen on creating documentaries and film about the development of and the performance of some of the Company’s high profile signature story ballets and dance theater works. In addition, Thodos Dance Chicago continues to host seasonal workshops for the advanced, pre-professional and professional dance artist.

Company Highlights:

  • TDC first performed in 1992 in Dance for Life (benefiting AIDS research) and the Ruth Page Dance Series.
  • In 1997 TDC grew to the point where it became an Illinois not-for-profit corporation with 501(c)(3) status.
  • In 2001 TDC presented its first annual New Dances concert at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, encouraging emerging choreographers to create new works. Since its inception, over 25 works from New Dances have been incorporated into the company repertory. Several works have been performed internationally and in renown domestic venues such as Jacob’s Pillow. Other works from New Dances have been performed by the Joffrey Ballet and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, among others. New Dances works by company members Jessica Miller Tomlinson and Jackie Stewart received first prize in the 2009 and 2010 AWARD show sponsored by the Joyce Foundation, the only two years this prize was been awarded.
  • In 2003 TDC partnered with the Menomonee Club for Boys & Girls, where the Company would rehearse daily. As part of this residency, the company members taught dance classes to children from over 30 schools in the Chicago area as part of TDC’s former youth dance program. Over the years TDC has grown its educational and community mission by working with public school children of all ages. It has completed residential outreach programs in more than 200 schools and community facilities since inception.
  • TDC has collaborated with several classical music organizations, including the Ravinia Festival, Fulcrum Point (three times), the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and most recently the Music and Movement Festival at the Auditorium Theater.
  • In 2008 the company had its first collaboration with an art museum, in an interactive exhibit at the Loyola University Museum of Art commemorating the 25th anniversary of Andy Warhol’s “Silver Clouds.” That same year “Anasa,” choreographed by Melissa Thodos, was awarded Second Prize in 11th Annual Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival in Palm Desert California, a leading competition for dance choreography in the United States (she also won Second Prize in 2010 for “Cascade”). In 2009 the company had its first performance in the Eastern Hemisphere (Busan, Korea), had its first performance at the renown Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, its first full evening performance at the Harris Theater and received its first grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
  • In 2011 the company created its first story ballet “White City,” which was named “Best Dance of the Year” by the Chicago Sun Times. A documentary of the making of the piece “Beneath the White City Lights” was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2012. The company’s second story ballet, “A Light in the Dark” (about Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan) was created in 2013. In addition to numerous live performances, the piece was filmed for television and received a 2014 Emmy nomination. Both story ballets where choreographed by Melissa Thodos and Anne Reinking. In the fall of 2014, the company had its first full evening performance in the renowned Auditorium Theatre in Chicago to an audience of over 1,300, as part of the theater’s 125th anniversary series.

Thodos Dance Chicago has and continues to be a place for the current and future generations of dance artists to train and to grow in well-rounded and important ways. Our first 25 years as an organization was filled with great accomplishments including performing for over one million audience members, creating and teaching dance in Chicago, across the country, and around the world on five continents. As we move into our future Thodos Dance Chicago is committed to projects that provide the greatest impact in communities through performance, film, and collaboration. We strive to promote dance as a most valued cultural experience for students and audiences alike.