Winifred Haun & Dancers

General information
Year founded1991 (1991)
Founding artistic directorWinifred Haun
Location228 S. East Ave.
Oak Park, IL 60302-3212
Websitewww.winifredhaun.org

Winifred Haun & Dancers is a dance company based in Chicago and Oak Park, Illinois.

History

Choreographer and dancer Winifred Haun established Winifred Haun & Dancers in Chicago in 1991. In 2001, the company went on hiatus for five years while Winifred Haun pursued solo projects and residency opportunities.[1]

The company's mission is to create and present contemporary dance works that feature diverse artists and engage with social issues. The company has a long history of commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion,[2] and Haun set out to focus on social justice and civil rights activism when she established the company, inspired in part by the work of her father, Declan Haun, a civil rights photojournalist.[3]

The company's choreography has evolved over time from primarily small, community-based performances to larger scale, evening-length works.[4] The works Haun choreographs for the company draw on a variety of influences, ranging from works that engage with broad themes such as politics, war, and womanhood[5] to works inspired by the movements of Haun's infant daughter and the interactions of guests at a party.[6]

Winifred Haun & Dancers has sought to present performances in both professional and non-traditional venues.[2] They have performed at the Danspace Project at St. Mark's Church in New York City,[7] at Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple in Oak Park,[8] in two Dance for Life events at the Pritzker Pavilion in 2021[9] and the Auditorium Theatre in 2024,[10] and at many other locations and events. As of August 2020, the company had created and presented more than 125 original dance works since its founding.[11]

Honors and Awards

In 2000, the company received the Ruth Page Award for "Outstanding Contribution to Dance in Chicago" for creating Chicago’s NEXT Dance Festival in 1994, a dance festival featuring new work by Chicago-area artists.[12][13] The company has also received the Oak Park Area Arts Council’s “Best in Class” Award in 2014 and Critic's Choice awards from the Chicago Reader and TimeOut Chicago.[2] The company won a MacArthur Foundation grant in 2015.[14] In 2022, artistic director Winifred Haun won the prestigious 3Arts Award for her choreography and leadership in the dance field.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Winifred Haun". Voice of the City. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
  2. ^ a b c "Winifred Haun & Dancers". See Chicago Dance. Archived from the original on 2024-10-12. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
  3. ^ Speight-Leach, Gabrielle (August 2, 2024). "The Winifred Haun & Dancers Company Inspires the Chicago Community". The Monitor - National Association of Black Journalists. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  4. ^ Traiger, Lisa (2015-02-24). "Company Spotlight: Winifred Haun & Dancers". Dance/USA. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  5. ^ West, Cassandra (25 August 1999). "The Chicago Tribune". Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  6. ^ Maes, Nancy (27 September 1996). "Surreal Circus". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  7. ^ Boguszewski, Theo (December 20, 2017). "IMPRESSIONS: BodyStories: Teresa Fellion Dance at Danspace Project". www.dance-enthusiast.com. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  8. ^ Petlicki, Myrna (2020-02-02). "Dancers contrast body's curves to straight lines of Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  9. ^ Munice, Amy (2021-09-05). "Chicago Dancers United DANCE FOR LIFE 2021 Review — Resilience". Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  10. ^ Hey, Kathy (2024-08-14). "Review: Dance for Life Fills the Auditorium Theatre with Exuberance, Love and Life". Third Coast Review. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  11. ^ Petlicki, Myrna (12 August 2020). "Dance director Winifred Haun creates Zoom events, film during pandemic". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  12. ^ Voedisch, Lynn (14 January 2000). "The Next Dance Festival's Steps are Watched". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  13. ^ Hanson, Cynthia (23 January 1998). "Next Fest Adds Vibrancy to City's Arts Landscape". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  14. ^ "Winifred Haun Dancers". MacArthur Foundation. Retrieved 2025-02-11.
  15. ^ "3Arts | Winifred Haun". 3Arts. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.