Common Conservatory

The first group of COMMON conservatory dancers September 2019.

There is an epic new work created by to be performed tomorrow night at 7:30 in COMMON’s final show…and Sarah is dancing! Ticket link is in the bio.

Bodony (she, her) is a teacher, dancer, and choreographer based in Chicago, IL. She graduated from The Ohio State University, with a BFA in Dance. During her time at Ohio State, Sarah was one of sixteen dancers who traveled with the Dance Denmark tour group in Summer 2019. She also performed works by Eddie Taketa, Susan Hadley, Crystal Michelle Perkins, Daniel Roberts, and several MFA thesis projects. Along with performing, she produced a student-choreographed show in Ohio State's Department of Dance. She also interned at the Wexner Center For The Arts in Columbus, OH and had her writing published on their website’s Read, Watch, Listen page. With a smile on her face, she hopes to create a space to explore, listen, and be inspired by the body, nature, her community, and hopes to bring values of diversity and inclusion into any space she accompanies.

Perla hits the stage tomorrow night in two new dances by Noelle Kayser and Drew Lewis. It’s COMMON’s final performance. Come join us. Ticket link in bio.

Perla Sanchez is a Second year Dance major at Loyola University Chicago. She has taken ballet classes since she was 13, but began taking dance seriously just a year ago. As she begins her journey into the world of dance at now 21, she took her first contemporary class in this dance intensive session at COMMON Dance. This will be her first performance doing contemporary and is grateful to be apart of this form of art taught by such experienced choreographers.

Come see Laura dance in a new work by Drew Lewis tomorrow night at 7:30pm in COMMON’s last performance! Ticket link in bio
Laura’s current philosophy is finding genuine curiosity and deep interest in any work she is involved in. She wears white socks always, finds the best work comes when people can collaborate with a sense of play, and finds joy in taking absurd choices very seriously. Often, she finds that she draws most of her working inspiration from improvisation. She received her BFA in modern dance from the University of Utah. Then, freelanced in Salt Lake City for about a year, working with different local companies, when she felt she was ready for a change in scenery. She then moved to Chicago and trained with COMMON conservatory for a year. She has worked with artists such as Noa Zuk and Ohad Fishof, Anouk Van Dijk, Laja Martin, Robyn Mineko Williams, Ibrahim Sabbi, Noelle Kayser, Drew Lewis, Rebecca Aneloski, Shannon Gillen, and Natalie Desch. She is currently working as a freelance dancer based in Chicago.

Kaleigh will be on stage tomorrow in TWO NEW WORKS by Noelle Kayser and Drew Lewis. Come watch Laleigh dance in COMMON’s LAST PERFORMANCE. Link in bio.

Kaleigh Estby is a dancer and artist from Grant Park, IL. She started dancing at the age of 4, and hasn’t stopped since! Kaleigh is heading into her sophomore year at Hope College in Holland, MI to achieve her B.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography. She has previously had the opportunity to be a member of Moonwater’s inaugural Youth Company, and will be joining Hope College’s performance company, Striketime, in the fall. She’s been able to work with creators including Jasmine Meija, Mark Yonally, Heather Cornell, Julie Powell, Mackenzie King, Celine Spinka, Abigail Stachnik, and Kelsey Reiter. During her time at Hope, she has been able to participate in collaborations with other choreographers and dancers in Student Dance Showcases, and was a dancer in Hope’s Dance 49 faculty performance. Kaleigh is thrilled to be a part of this COMMON session and is stoked to work alongside Noelle, Drew, and her fellow artists.

Returning to Fasseas Hall for one night only…Former COMMON conservatory dancer Jenna Weatherbie. Come watch her perform Saturday night at 7:30 at COMMON. Ticket link in bio.

Jenna Weatherbie is a chicago-based artist from Austin, Texas. She is a recent graduate from the University of Texas at Austin where she received her BFA in Dance and a pre-physician assistant certificate. Over the past year, Jenna has been training and performing with COMMON Conservatory in their 2022-2023 season. She has worked with an abundance of renowned choreographers such as Robyn Mineko Williams, Jesse Zarrit, Charles O. Anderson, Erica Gionfriddo, Drew Lewis, Noelle Kayser, Katlin Bourgeois, Andy Noble, and Justin Giles. Jenna has attended intensives with ACDA, NobleMotion Dance, SoulEscape, and COMMON Canvas. Her most recent performances have been with Texas Theatre and Dance, ARCOS Dance, and COMMON Conservatory. She looks forward to continuing her artistic pursuits in Chicago.

Come see Jenna dance this Saturday in new works by Noelle Kayser and Drew Lewis at 7:30pm at COMMON. Ticket link in the bio

Jenna D**e is a rising junior at Marymount Manhattan College, with a concentration in Modern. Born and raised in Wilmette, IL, she danced at Foster Dance Studios in Evanston, IL where she trained in ballet, contemporary, improvisation, jazz, and modern. Jenna was also a part of the youth company (yoco) at Cocodaco Dance Project. 

During her time at Marymount Manhattan, Jenna has trained in ballet, hip-hop, and West African along with Graham, Horton, O’Donnell, and Nikolais technique. Most notably, Jenna has gotten the opportunity to perform works by Gabe Katz, Mary Ann Lamb, and Caleb Teicher and has received additional training from BodyTraffic, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Northwest Dance Project, and Peridance.

She is central to the Chicago Dance Community and she’ll be on stage in a new work by Drew Lewis on Saturday at 7:30 at COMMON’s last performance.

Frances Whitford is a freelance dancer based in Chicago, IL. She trained at Pasadena Dance Theatre, attended Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, and is an alumna of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. In 2017, Frances joined the inaugural class of the Hubbard Street Professional Program. For 3 years she danced under the direction of Alexandra Wells and performed works by Peter Chu, Rena Butler, Robyn Mineko Williams, Alice Klock, Florian Lochner, Jenna Pollack, Ryan Mason, Elia Mrak, and Adam Barruch. Frances co-founded Little Fire Artist Collective in the spring of 2020 and continues to choreograph, perform, facilitate improvisational jams, co-produce shows, and manage the collective. Frances is proud to be a Margie Gillis Legacy Project dancer and to have created opportunities for artistic collaboration this year in San Jose, Costa Rica and Acton Vale, Quebec.

Come watch Caitlin dance in a new work by Noelle Kayser this Saturday at 7:30. This is COMMON’s last performance. Tickets are going quickly. Get your space now! Link in bio.

Caitlin Howland (Massachusetts) is an artist based in Chicago. She graduated cm laude from DePaul University with a B.A. in English and a Double Minor in Performance Studies and Philosophy. Caitlin fell in love with dance at age three, training across Massachusetts and New York. Interested in different genres of movement, she trained in hand balancing and aerial arts with New York based Streb Inc. Further intent on exploring her path with dance, she went on to attend summer sessions with DanceWorks Chicago and Hubbard Street. Caitlin joined COMMON conservatory in January of 2022 diving headfirst into the realm of contemporary dance and its many forms. She performed at Navy Pier Chicago LIVE! and Harvest Contemporary Dance Festival featuring works by Terrence Marling and Project Bound Dance respectively. She’s eager to see where dance takes her next.

Come see Ava dance this weekend in new works by Noelle Kayser and Drew Lewis at COMMON’s last performance. Saturday at 7:30 pm. Ticket link in bio.

Ava Lynn Trpeski is a 17 year old artist from Crown Point IN, and has been dancing since age 11. She’s trained at Industrial Dance Project, Indiana Youth Ballet, and Ruth Page School of Dance, before joining COMMON Conservatory in 2022.  Ava also spent two years with Collaboration Theater as a Youth Artist Activist spreading body positivity and eating disorder awareness; preforming at Navy Pier, Silver Room Block Party, The Simple Good, and Lollapalooza! She is exited to take one last endeavor with COMMON preforming two amazing works!

YES, IT’S TRUE… as of July 29th COMMON will no longer be in operation. THANK YOU! COMMON conservatory has spent the last four years creating over 50 new dance works and launching several professional dance careers. It has been a creative lab for choreographers and teaching artists as well as an important part of their livelihood putting over $200,000 into the community. It has provided dancers with free classes when the pandemic hit. It has provided a hub for the dance community in Chicago through COMMON canvas and open classes. Thank you for being a part of it! I am humbled and honored to have done this work.

I am entering a new phase in my life and retooling how I apply my energies to dance. While I intend to continue teaching and making choreography, I must carve a new path for myself from this point forward. I want to focus my efforts on my family, the advancement of my creative voice and other aspects of design and implementation. I am, and always will be driven by the desire to create. Follow me .terry.dance and terencemarling.com to stay on top of class announcements and creative project work. Thank you immensely for spreading the joy of dance! After this next weekend’s performance, this channel will look backward on the achievements of those artists who were involved with COMMON. We made beautiful things.

You have ONE MORE CHANCE to come enjoy a performance at COMMON. Two choreographers that I wholeheartedly believe in, Noelle Kayser and Drew Lewis will be presenting a program of new work on July 29th at 7:30pm. Tickets are free/pay-what-you-can. These new works will be danced by a group of artists who have participated in the Create + Perform – Session 3 program this summer. Drop in, see some new work and let COMMON give you a big hug goodbye. Link in the bio.

With love always,
T

JOIN US ✨ OPEN CLASSES ✨

Join Noelle Kayser and Drew Lewis for open classes at COMMON through our Create & Perform Summer Session III ⚡️ Classes available July 17th through 28th, Monday through Friday each week. Sign up today via the link in our bio!

Week 1: Noelle Kayser
Monday, July 17th – Friday, July 21st
10:00am - 11:30am Daily

Monday – Adult Contemporary Dancing
Tuesday – Ballet
Wednesday – Advanced Contemporary Modern
Thursday – Ballet
Friday – Adult Contemporary Dancing

Week 2: Drew Lewis
Monday, July 24th – Friday, July 28th
10:00am - 11:30am Daily
Advanced Contemporary

We’ll see you in the studio!✨

Come see Katrina .hidalgo dance in new works by .mov and a structured improvisation by .terry.dance this Saturday, 7:30pm at COMMON. Ticket link in bio.

Katrina Hidalgo was born and raised in Bolingbrook, IL and started dancing at the age of 2 years old. She trained at Inspire School of Dance for 15 years in a wide variety of different dance genres and danced competitively with her studio. Throughout her time at Inspire she was able to perform works by Rena Butler, Adam McGaw, Lauren Adams, Suzi Taylor, Andy Pellick, etc. After graduating high school in 2022, Katrina currently attends the Juilliard School studying dance under the direction of Alicia Graf Mack and Mario Alberto Zambrano. During her time at Juilliard so far she has performed a work from Chanel DaSilva and repertoire by José Limón. She will be starting her second year at The Juilliard School this fall.

Come see Hannah dance this weekend! Saturday, 7:30pm at COMMON. New works by Alysia Johnson .mov and Terence Marling .terry.dance. Link in the bio for pay-what-you-can tickets. All ticket proceeds go directly to the artists.
Hannah Howell (she/her, Bloomfield, NJ) began dancing at Sharron Miller’s Academy for the Performing Arts at the age of three. While there, she was a member of the Performance Workshop Ensemble and worked with Chalvar Montiero, Christopher Huggins, and Christian Von Howard. During her summers, Hannah trained at Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance, The Ailey School, Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, and Hubbard Street Dance. She is a graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program where she had the opportunity to perform works by Janice Rosario, Chuck Wilt, Mark Caserta, Ethan Colangelo, Martha Graham, and Jose Limon. In addition to her major in Dance, she also pursued a minor in American Studies and plans to combine her passion for social justice with her passion for dance.

She’s powerful. And you can see her dance this weekend. Pay-what-you-can tickets are available through the link in the bio. See Blake perform new work by .terry.dance and .mov
Blake Campbell (Elkhart, IN) has been dancing for nine years. Along with a strong foundation in ballet, she has also studied hip hop, jazz, modern, contemporary, and tap. Blake has spent five summers training with professional dance companies such as Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Chicago, and Dance Theatre of Harlem. In her previous seasons with COMMON conservatory, Blake worked with several distinguished artists including: Terence Marling, Joseph Hernandez, Jackie Nowicki, Alyssa Johnson, Jessica Miller-Tomlinson, Alice Klock, & Meredith Dincolo. In recent addition, Blake was cast for New Dances 2023 and is thrilled to be starting that process. Blake feels honored to be sharing the stage such talented artists. She would like to thank her family for supporting her, and Terence Marling for believing in her.

She’s back! Come see ANNA pomp stage this weekend in new works by .terry.dance and .mov. Link in the bio for pay-what-you-can tickets. This SATURDAY at 7:30 pm.

Anna Isaacs was born and raised in Elburn IL, where she started dancing at the age of four. Growing up, she trained at local dance studios in a wide variety of dance genres, with a primary focus on classical ballet and contemporary. Anna joined the COMMON conservatory family in January 2020. In the past four seasons with COMMON, she has worked with numerous influential choreographers and educators throughout the Chicago dance community. Anna plans to attend a massage therapy program this fall while furthering her dance training and performing.

COMMON has new works on stage this weekend. All proceeds from the donation based ticket sales go to the dancers. Come see a new structured improvisation by .terry.dance and some fresh new moves by .mov.
Meet Alexandra!

Alexandra Bradley is from Chicago, Il and dance has always been a part of her life. They recently graduated from high school and the Ruth Page School of Dance after training there for 7 years under Patti Klekovic, Birute Barodicaite, Katrina Leventhal, Dolores Long, Victor Alexander, Maray Gutierrez, and Rigo Saura. While at Ruth Page, she studied the Cuban modern technique and multiple ballet techniques, also performing works by her teachers along with Nejla Yatkin and Nelson Reyes. A favorite part of her training was the opportunity to participate in international exchanges with choreographers and teachers from Cuba, Spain, Italy, Israel, Columbia, and Mexico(Tania Suarez, Rosario Suarez, Armando Martén, Paola Soressa, Dalit Haramaty, Ido Tadmor). She plans to pursue a career in contemporary dance and is very excited to enter the professional world.

Only a few spaces available in these open classes

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW 🎟 COME SEE SOME DANCING ⚡️ THIS SATURDAY, JULY 8TH at 7:30PM ⚡️

COMMON’s Create & Perform Summer Session II is in the studio with Allie Johnson .mov and Terence Marling .terry.dance ✨

We’re getting ready for our performance THIS SATURDAY at 7:30pm, premiering new creations by Alysia L. Johnson and Terence Marling. Get your tickets today via the link in our bio!

Featured Dancers:
Olivia Barnard, Alexandra Bradley, Blake Campbell, Anna Issacs, Katrina Hidalgo, Hannah Howell, Demi Mutz, and Madelyn Nemeth,

JOIN US – Saturday, July 8th at 7:30pm
Tickets are pay-what-you-can, and are available now.
We’ll see you there!

Come watch Jordan dance in new works by Braeden Barnes and Terence Marling this Saturday at 7:30 at COMMON. Ticket link in bio.
Jordan Gilbertson (she/her) is a movement artist, instructor, and choreographer currently located in Austin, Texas. She is currently pursuing her B.F.A. in dance and B.S. in physics at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a member of UT Austin’s Dance Repertory Theatre (DRT). Most recently, at the University of Texas at Austin, Jordan has trained under Charles Anderson, Erica Gionfriddo, Gesel Mason, Dorothy O’Shea Overbey, Leah Cox, Magda Riley, and Rachel Meador. She has studied a range of styles including afro-contemporary, postmodern techniques, contemporary techniques, and ballet. She has furthered her knowledge of dance as an artform in courses such as Choreography, Dance History, and Dance Pedagogy. As a member of DRT, she has performed in works by Ido Tadmor, Jesse Zaritt, Charles Anderson, Erica Gionfriddo, Gesel Mason, and Dorothy O’Shea Overbey. She also recently performed at the American Dance Festival in a piece by Kimberly Bartosik in the summer of 2022. In the coming year, Jordan plans to finish her final year at the University of Texas at Austin and continue dancing in Austin.

.barnes, an exceedingly high achieving individual (read that bio!) will be gracing the stage with power this Saturday night in works by Braeden Barnes and Terence Marling .terry.dance. Come watch! Ticket link in bio

Amara Barnes, from Bartlett, IL, is an accomplished and experienced artist with an extended background in training and molding students into accomplished and versatile dancers. Trained by Watmora Casey and Sherry Moray, she gained attention at various summer programs such as Orlando Ballet, Lines Ballet, and Ballet Austin with her classical and contemporary versatility on a full scholarship. She then started teaching at age 16 as an assistant teacher at the prestigious Julliard School in New York City, NY with Carmen Rostratzen from Lines Ballet and then to be a company dancer for the Walt Disney Company and Orlando Ballet II in Orlando, FL.
She has danced worldwide and resides in Chicago dancing and performing for Symbiosis Arts in works performed at ReverbDance Festival, CDC Fest, Dance Canvas, Dance For Life and working with choreographers such as Randy Duncan, Braeden Barnes, Francisco Avina, Anna Long, Shannon Alvis & Noelle Kayser to name a few.
Driven by her classical training and continuous performance work, she takes pride in providing the best teaching possible for Chicagoland and nationally talented dance studios such as A&A Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Symbiosis Arts. She started the Creative Movement program at Symbiosis Arts for any special need and autistic adults in the Chicagoland area.
In addition to her current professional dance and teaching job functions, she graduated with a Masters degree in Child and Clinical Psychology and was then recognized for her commitment and dedication and therefore became a Doctor of Psychology in May of 2021. She currently is the director of all NeuroDoctors with Rush Medical Center running her own team.

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER for COMMON's Create & Perform Session III – Led by Noelle Kayser and Drew Lewis ️

Can't join us for 2 weeks? Consider joining us for one! In order to make this program more accessible, we're inviting you to join us for either our full summer session or just one of these two weeks in the studio.

No audition necessary, just follow the link in bio to reserve your space.

Join Noelle Kayser and Drew Lewis in the studio with us next month to explore, research, create new works, and perform! This 2-week program runs from July 17th through July 29th, culminating in a performance of each dance maker's new work. Working hours are from 10am to 5pm Monday-Friday. Saturday July 29th 4:00 - 8:30pm.

WEEK 1 – Noelle Kayser – July 17th-21st
WEEK 2 – Drew Lewis – July 23rd-28th
PERFORMANCE DATE – Saturday, July 29th at 7:30p

Performing new works by Braeden Barnes and Terence Marling this Saturday at COMMON … Sophie Brooks. Ticket link in bio.

Sophronia Brooks is a recent graduate from University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point with a BA in dance. Growing up in Madison, WI she began taking ballet from a young age and continued to dance up until high school where she decided to get her higher education in dance. At UWSP Sophronia has had the opportunity to studied with Joan Karlen, Michael Estanich, Jennie Hill, Sarah Olson, and Pamela Luedtke. Furthering her education of ballet, modern, and jazz. Giving her many opportunities to teach open classes, choreograph and dance.

Come watch Sloane perform in new works by Braeden Barnes and Terence Marling .terry.dance this Saturday at 7:30 pm! Ticket link in bio.
Sloane Provost is a dancer and choreographer from Bourbonnais, IL. Sloane is in the process of earning her B.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography from Hope College in Holland, MI. She has had the pleasure of performing as a company member of H2 Dance Company for the past two years, directed by Matthew Farmer and Jasmine Mejia (Domfort). During her time at Hope, she’s been cast in a variety of faculty showcase pieces, and she has additionally performed and choreographed in collaboration with fellow artists in Student Dance Showcases. As a creator and experiencer of dance, Sloane’s various objectives are to physicalize the imaginations of her mind and the outpouring of her soul, to make genuine connections with others, to prompt reflection and evoke emotion, and to tell stories that impact others. She’s greatly looking forward to what this Create & Perform session will hold and she’s excited to learn from Terry, Braeden, and all of her wonderful peers!

She has graced the COMMON stage many times with her inimitable presence, to us at COMMON she is family. Come watch her magic this Saturday. Link in bio.

Anna Isaacs was born and raised in Elburn IL, where she started dancing at the age of four. Growing up, she trained at local dance studios in a wide variety of dance genres, with a primary focus on classical ballet and contemporary. Anna joined the COMMON conservatory family in January 2020. In the past four seasons with COMMON, she has worked with numerous influential choreographers and educators throughout the Chicago dance community.

Come see new works by Braeden Barnes and Terence Marling this weekend. The artists are assembled from near and far. Meet Ana Hart!

Born in Osijek, Croatia, Ana Hart graduated from James Madison University in 2021. She holds a B.A. in Dance and a B.A. in Media Arts & Design (Interactive Design). Ana danced with JMU's Virginia Repertory Dance Company from 2019-2021. She performed works by Matt Pardo, Ryan Corriston, Christian Warner, Gregory Dolbashian, Stephanie Liapis, and Darla Stanley. In 2021, Ana received the JMU Outstanding Dance Performance Award.
Ana expanded her training and artistry through attending the American Dance Festival. She learned from Shayla-Vie Jenkins, Paul Matteson, Maayan Sheinfeld, Noa Zuk, and Ohad Fishof. Following graduation, she was honored to be a dance and design intern for the JMU Next Steps Summer Dance Intensive.
In 2021, Ana joined Mutual Dance Theatre in Cincinnati, OH. She has performed works by Sidra Bell, Victor Lewis Jr. of PhilaDanco! The Philadelphia Dance Company; and Hannah Williamson, Rowan Salem, Steven P. Evans, and Jasmine Snellen.

Ticket link in bio.

AUDITION for COMMON conservatory 2023-24 season!

COMMON conservatory is a 36-week, full-day program for dancers looking to launch their professional careers. Guided by world-renowned faculty and choreographers, the conservatory strives to take an individual approach to the needs and goals of each artist.

Throughout the conservatory’s season, artists are exposed to rigorous technical training and create twelve new works with contemporary choreographers, culminating in public performances throughout the year.

Link in bio to visit our website for more information and a link to the registration form.

Questions? Email [email protected].

To our kind and generous donors who helped make “capsule of time” happen…THANK YOU! Starting with the person who took this photograph

Ricardo Adame
Rick Arnold
Neal Bader
Julie Ballard
Ashton Bauer
Heidi Campbell
Clare Carmichael
Marcia Dayton
Edward A Folts
Ashley Fox
Mark Gomez
Bob Howland
Jane Isaacs
Sondra Karman
Noelle Kayser
Kathy Lewis
Claire Logan
Anna Long
Kathy Lynch
Mariel Mitton
Jackie Nowicki
L. Renee Nunez
Verena Pircher
Emily Reformado
Yari Restrepo
Kim Sagami
Ryan Schwaar
Nathalie Silva Eden
Bailey Smith
Ken Steffensen
Vanessa Valecillos
Maggie Vannucci
Kristan Williams

You have helped our artists grow! Thank you a million times!

Meet Ava Trpeski – COMMON conservatory artist⚡️

Ava is a 16-year-old artist who crosses state lines everyday to dedicate her life to dance. She loves to hit a down beat and an arm wave, enjoys collaborative work and improvisational movement. You can always catch her eating the ice in her water bottle with matching barrettes and pigtails.

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE NOW 🎟 for “capsule of time”. Join us Thursday, June 1st and Friday, June 2nd at the Ann Barzel Theater. Tickets available via link in bio.

📸:

COMMON Dance LLC is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of COMMON Dance LLC must be made payable to Fractured Atlas only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Meet Nic Steffensen – COMMON conservatory artist⚡️

Nic was born approximately two weeks early and since then has vowed never to be on time for anything.  When watching a sporting event, Nic just really hopes that both teams have fun, which also happens to be her philosophy towards art.  When she’s not dancing, you can find Nic researching the pelvis, talking about the pelvis, and telling really bad (good) dad jokes.

ONLY A FEW HOURS LEFT to help us reach our goal of $5K to present “capsule of time” – our end of year performance featuring 10 world premieres by 11 incredible choreographers. DONATE TODAY via link in bio. All donations are tax-deductible.

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE NOW 🎟 for “capsule of time”. Join us Thursday, June 1st and Friday, June 2nd at the Ann Barzel Theater. Tickets available via link in bio.

📸:

COMMON Dance LLC is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of COMMON Dance LLC must be made payable to Fractured Atlas only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.