Call for Dance Artist

Making dances is an act of progress; it is an act of growth, an act of music, an act of teaching, an act of celebration, an act of joy.

-Alvin Ailey

The mission of Winifred Haun & Dancers is to create and present original, contemporary, innovative works that illuminate and elevate diverse artists, audiences, and global themes.

In the 20+ years since its founding, the Company has created, presented and produced over 125 original dance works, including one full length ballet, commissioned 32 original musical scores, and participated in over 300 public performances and events. Winifred Haun & Dancers has garnered many awards and accolades, including Critic’s Choice from the Chicago Reader and TimeOut Chicago, and features in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Oak Leaves (Pioneer Press), WBEZ Radio, and many others. In 2005, the Company was featured as part of the critically acclaimed WTTW series, “The Chicago Dance Project,” and in 2010 was featured on WTTW’s nightly news program, Chicago Tonight. The Company has also been featured on-line at three national sites: Examiner.com, 4dancers.org RogueBallerina.com and Flavorpill.com Major awards include the 2000 Ruth Page Award for “Outstanding Contribution to Dance in Chicago” for initiating and producing Chicago’s NEXT Dance Festival, which grew to be the midwest’s largest dance festival for the new work of Chicago area artists, and the Oak Park Area Arts Council’s 2009 “Best in Class” Award.

Winifred Haun & Dancers has been invited to perform at many prestigious venues including Dance Center of Columbia College, Athenaeum Theatre, Link’s Hall, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (Texas), Overture Center (Madison, WI), Epic Center Theater (Kalamazoo, MI), St. Mary’s College (Indiana), Iowa Summer Dance Festival, Illinois Wesleyan College (Bloomington, IL), Ruth Page Center for the Arts, Northeastern Illinois University, Fermilab’s Ramsey Auditorium, and in many non-traditional performing spaces such as Historic Pleasant Home, Hemingway Museum, Oak Park’s annual Handel Week (Grace Church), and the Cheney Mansion.

From 1994 to 2001 Winifred Haun & Dancers produced the annual Chicago’s NEXT Dance Festival, which grew to be the midwest’s largest venue for new and original dance works by midwest artists. In 2000, the Company was awarded the prestigious Ruth Page Award for Outstanding Contribution to the dance community. In 2004, the Company re-located to Oak Park, an historic suburb just west of Chicago. In 2006, the Company co-founded Circle in the Square: New Works in Dance Theatre, which presents the new works of Oak Park area and Chicago artists. During the 2013-14 Season, the Company produced three major events, Vision, Faith & Desire: Dancemakers Inspired by Martha Graham, which presented the work of 14 artists from the Chicago area who performed or majorly influenced by the 20th century’s iconic choreographer. More info about Vision, Faith & Desire can be found here.

In January of 2012 the Company formed a group of Associate Artists to help insure continuity and consistency in the artistic, technical and administrative abilities of the Company. To learn more about the Associate Artist program, click here.