INSIDE (Part 1 of 2): Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival with Co-Founder Nicole Gifford
Melissa and I figured we couldn’t be the only ones in this boat and decided to create our own festival for people like us – artists in the middle of their choreographic careers.
As summer sunshine gives way to autumn leaves, we look forward to the many gifts that come with the change of season. No, we’re not talking about pumpkin spice lattes, but rather the bountiful harvest reaped from seeds so carefully planted and nurtured in the early days of spring. For centuries, cultures around the world have celebrated this important phase in the agricultural calendar with a harvest festival – a sign that the scarce food supply of late summer would be replenished and renewed and that a year of hard labor would be well-rewarded. While each culture has its own traditions, many include feasts and merriment, as well as preparations for the year to come.
But there are more than just these seeds to be harvested. There are also seeds of creativity that artists plant and nurture, in the hopes that they grow to become a vision or idea turned into reality. These seeds require very different resources to realize their potential, and sometimes require more time than you might expect. Nevertheless, it is this garden of new ideas and innovations that enriches the arts. In the Chicago dance community, we celebrate the fruits of choreographers’ creative labors at Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival.
Now in its tenth year of production, Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival has created traditions of its own to support and celebrate the work of practicing choreographers. Founders Nicole Gifford and Melissa Mallinson give Chicago audiences the chance to feast on two carefully curated dance concerts over two weekends (the concert dates even happen to sandwich this year’s autumnal equinox, which is traditionally when harvest festivals were held in the Middle Ages).
DancerMusic Dance Editor Kristi Licera recently caught up with HCCDF founders Nicole Gifford and Melissa Mallinson to learn more about the history of the festival and the ways it has enriched the artists that participate, as well as its impact on the local dance community and art form at large. Their insights were so invaluable that we had to split our publication into two parts, so we’ll kick off part one with Nicole. Here’s what she told us:
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Over the past 10 years, including the 19 pieces to be performed this year… we will have showcased 226 pieces!
Kristi Licera: Over the last decade, Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance has given an immense number of artists the opportunity to present work in Chicago. Many of these artists are in the middle of their choreographic careers – not so new to the game, but not quite at the level of receiving heavy-hitter commissions from renowned companies or top universities. This is unique to HCCDF, as many other festivals in the city and abroad focus on emerging and/or established dance makers. Can you tell us about the beginnings of the festival – its inspirations and early days – and how the program has grown over the last ten years?
Nicole Gifford: In the beginning, as dancers and choreographers, Melissa and I were looking for festivals to submit our work to. We loved the festival experience and getting to know people and network – it meant a lot to us. We performed in every festival we could, and slowly, they either started to shut down or we weren’t an appropriate fit anymore. I had shared shows with other artists as well as produced one of my own, but producing a show of your own work can be very expensive. Melissa and I figured we couldn’t be the only ones in this boat and decided to create our own festival for people like us – artists in the middle of their choreographic careers.
Based on what we see, we try to put together a diverse mix that represents what’s going in Chicago and around the country.
Nicole: Melissa and I decided to call our festival Harvest because it spoke to the experience of the artists. Each had planted their seeds and were reaping what they sow. It’s like a thanksgiving dinner potluck; everyone brings something to the table.
For the first five years, we held the festival over one weekend, Friday-Sunday, with three different lineups. Starting in 2015, we changed the format to span over two weekends on just Fridays and Saturdays. With this setup, we would curate only two lineups instead of three. It accommodated fewer artists, but it gave each artist two opportunities to perform, and the audience two chances to see each lineup. We have been very happy with this change!
Over the past 10 years, including the 19 pieces to be performed this year… we will have showcased 226 pieces!
Kristi: This year, HCCDF presents 19 participants over two weekends; 9 perform September 20-21, and the remainder the following weekend, September 27-28. This year, you and producer Melissa Mallinson received 183 submissions from artists across the US and abroad (a more than 50% increase from last year’s number of submissions). Can you give us some insight to how you begin to curate the programs for each weekend? What was it about the artists this year that drew you and Mallinson towards the selected works?
Nicole: Every year the festival becomes what it is because of the works that are submitted. There are so many excellent pieces, and we respect every piece that comes our way. Based on what we see, we try to put together a diverse mix that represents what’s going in Chicago and around the country. We try to include a variety of solos, duets and group pieces, unique styles and themes.
The hardest part is having to turn down 164 pieces. For example, we received several dance films this year. Some presented movement and ideas we haven’t seen before from groups new to us. We could not take them all, but we will be presenting a great dance film, Ripples from the Skin We Shed by Take Root.
…don’t take my word for it, come see what it’s all about! It’s TWO once-in-a-lifetime lineups not to be missed!
Nicole: This year, we were presented with some really unique works! There are several artists who are returning, and several new to the festival. New to us, The Brande Lee Collaborative will be presenting an aerial solo piece in weekend two, while returning artists Aerial Dance Chicago perform a beautiful group piece in weekend one. Jordan Reinwald has performed with us several times, but the work she submitted this year was influenced by her study of Circus Arts; it’s a definite departure from what we’ve seen in the past. It’s exciting to see a different side of her.
Kybele Dance Theater/Seda Aybay will be traveling from Los Angeles. We were immediately struck by their strength and intention in the group work they’re presenting in weekend one. Another group new to us is Sean Greene/Juno (also from Los Angeles), who will be presenting a gorgeous duet, The Searchers.
But don’t take my word for it, come see what it’s all about! It’s TWO once-in-a-lifetime lineups not to be missed!
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Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival 2019 takes place Friday and Saturday, September 20–21 and 27–28 at 8 p.m. at
the Ruth Page Center for the Arts (1016 N. Dearborn, Chicago). Each weekend features a different program. Tickets are available online at hccdf.brownpapertickets.com.
For more information on the participating artists and their work, visit www.hccdf.com.
September 20-21 Program:
Aerial Dance Chicago • Dmitri Peskov • Giordano II • J’Sun Howard • Jessica Miller Tomlinson Choreography • Kybele Dance Theater/Seda Aybay • NicoleOlson|MovementChaos • Take Root • The Dance COLEctive • VADCO/Valerie Alpert
September 27-28 Program:
The Brande Lee Collaborative • Sean Greene/Juno • Same Planet Performance Project • RE|dance group • MitchellMovement Collective • Melinda Jean Myers • Jordan Reinwald • Jennifer Glaws • james morrow/ THE MOVEMENT
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