History

Mordine & Company Dance Theater is the Midwest's longest-running contemporary dance company, celebrating its 40th Anniversary beginning in the spring of 2008. Under the direction of Shirley Mordine, the Company has produced works whose coalition of choreography and theatre has won critical acclaim. Praised for original choreography combining wit and sheer movement with technical sophistication, the Company's work has been described as "a two-edged sword of comedy and drama" and "adventurous, audacious, gutsy, and energetic."

Over the years, Mordine & Company has had the honor to work with a number of illustrious collaborators from diverse artistic disciplines, including choreographers Miguel Mancillas and Ishmael Houston-Jones; composers Tatsu Aoki, Henry Threadgill, Shawn Decker, Richard Woodbury, and David Pavkovic; visual designers John Boesche and Amy Lee Segami; puppeteer Michael Montenegro; and video artist Miroslaw Rigala. This collaborative spirit is part of an ongoing effort by Mordine & Company to infuse the field of dance with new modes of performance and expression.

The Company has consistently performed in the Chicago area, often producing two major seasons a year. Highlights of performances in the Chicago area include the creation and performance of the prelude work, Subject to Change, for the Dubuffet sculpture, in the landmark "Dancin' in the State" event at the State of Illinois Building in 1993; the first site-specific dance work, Weather Watch, presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago; and Animare, a site-specific work designed for the Lake Street Church in Evanston, Illinois. With the support of the NEA Dance Touring Program, Mordine & Company Dance Theater toured extensively throughout the United States and abroad, including performances and residencies in numerous colleges and universities. The Company has been seen in the World Expo in Brisbane, Australia and the Sonora Festival in Mexico, and in Yugoslavia and Israel. For 30 years Mordine & Company was the resident company of the Dance Center of Columbia College. In 2001 Mordine & Company established its new residence at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts.

The company serves the dance community by the cultivation of performance and teaching talent. Dancers who work with Mordine & Company have a reputation for a highly developed awareness of dance aesthetics and performance skills. This background has enabled many Company members to evolve into leading performers, teachers, and choreographers: our alumni include Jan Erkert, Paula Frasz, Richard Woodbury, Pamela McNeil, Dardi McGinley Gallivan, Scott Putman, Krenly Guzman, and many others. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur foundation recognized Mordine & Company as playing "a flagship role in helping develop a whole generation of promising dancers and choreographers." For the past four years, the Mordine & Company Dance Theater Mentoring Program has been one of the company's most cherished contributions to the dance community. Emerging choreographers with distinctive voices and visions are mentored through the process of creating a new piece for Mordine & Company. The mentees fully develop these pieces with the support and resources of the Company, and the resulting works are presented in performance with all expenses covered including dancers' salaries, technical and production needs, and space rental. While there are mentoring programs carried out by other companies, this is the only program that carries mentoring to full production on a professional level.