Thodos Dance Chicago is traveling to Omaha, Nebraska, to set A Light in the Dark , The Story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan on American Midwest Ballet for their fall 2026 season. This special story of how Helen navigated the hearing/sight world, captivated the world in the early 1900’s. It was first a book, then a Broadway play, then a movie featuring Patty Duke as the young Helen Keller, for which she won the Academy Award for best supporting actress. Melissa Thodos and Ann Reinking, together, were inspired to create this timeless story through the medium of dance, and in 2013, A Light in the Dark received its world premiere in Chicago. Of the work, Dance Magazine wrote “The larger-than-life gestural language of the choreography weaves a tale with almost a mythic tone that gives us new insight into Helen’s world.” The Chicago Tribune wrote, “The dancing is lilting and infectious, glossed with a warm evocation of the past, and old-fashioned storytelling arts, not often seen in choreography today.” The Chicago Sun-Times ranked the work #2 among the leading 2013 dance events in Chicago, and the piece toured extensively throughout the US, reaching over 50,000 audience members. A Light in the Dark will be restaged on American Midwest Ballet by Melissa Thodos, alongside TDC Alumni and original cast members, John Cartwright, Jessica Miller Tomlinson, and Alissa Tollefson. Stay tuned to learn more about this exciting partnership!