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PERFORMANCE WORK

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Rhythm ISS Reunion

Rhythm ISS, 2018

Chicago Human Rhythm Project's Annual summer Rhythm World Juba! concert, 2018.  World premiere by Chicago’s own all female tap company Rhythm ISS, co-founded by Idella Reed-Davis, Sarah Savelli and Sharon Rushing.

What It's Like To Be Human

Tapman Productions, 2019

An original tap dance work by Tristan Bruns and collaborators.

"Three Tap Dancing Robots become unstuck from reality and travel to another dimension. Stripped of their parts, they are rebuilt as humans. As they search for a way back to reality they must rediscover themselves, recover their identities and remember what it is like to be human."

"As a beam of cool light shines on the backs of each dancer, one by one, each performs a markedly individualized solo playing to the strengths of these women – who, by the way, are some of our fair city’s strongest from among the tap field."
-Lauren Warnecke, SeeChicagoDance.com

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Love Me Or Leave Me

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Rachel Benzing
Elgin Fringe Festival, 2023

What is “identity”?  How do past memories and experiences culminate to form a person’s individuality?  Are there conscious decisions we make in our life that determine our character or does our identity develop without conscious effort?   Digging into her history  to seek reflection and answers Rachel Benzing uses her artistic practice of dance and visual art to seek answers to these questions of self-actualization. 

Memories In Motion

Rachel Benzing
Elgin Fringe Festival, 2024

In 'Memories In Motion', a multidisciplinary one-woman show, past recollections swirl and identities shift like colors in a kaleidoscope. Through dance, spoken word, and visual art, the performer navigates themes of self-doubt and identity, inviting audiences into a fragmented yet vibrant exploration of the human psyche and its kaleidoscopic nature.
 

The inspiration for creating this show stemmed from a deep fascination with how memory shapes our identity and how the past continually influences who we are in the present. I’ve always been intrigued by the way our recollections—both accurate and distorted—serve as a lens through which we understand ourselves and our place in the world. In exploring this theme, the show aims to delve into the intricate relationship between memory and identity, examining how our experiences, both cherished and forgotten, contribute to our sense of self. By intertwining personal stories with broader reflections on memory, the show seeks to illuminate the profound impact our past has on our present and future, inviting viewers to reflect on their own journeys of self-discovery and understanding.

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Dancer Portrait Project

William Frederking
Links Hall, 2024

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