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Listen to The Ben Joravsky ShowBen Joravskyon August 25, 2022 at 7:01 am

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Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky riffs on the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty, and interviews politicians, activists, journalists and other political know-it-alls. Presented by the Chicago Reader, the show is available by 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at chicagoreader.com/joravsky—or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t miss Oh, What a Week!–the Friday feature in which Ben & producer Dennis (aka, Dr. D.) review the week’s top stories. Also, bonus interviews drop on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. 

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Chicago Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky discusses the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty on The Ben Joravsky Show.


State of anxiety

Darren Bailey’s anti-Semitic abortion rhetoric is part of a larger MAGA election strategy. Sad to say, so far it’s worked.


MAGA enablers

Andrew Yang and his third party lead the way for Trump.


Biased driving

Mayor Lightfoot uses NASCAR to lure the “Let’s Go Brandon” crowd to town.

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Listen to The Ben Joravsky ShowBen Joravskyon August 25, 2022 at 7:01 am Read More »

High school football schedule: Week 1

Please send corrections and additions to [email protected].

Thursday, August 25

Nonconference

Waukegan at North Chicago, 7:15

Wheeling at Round Lake, 7

Friday, August 26

Fox Valley

Burlington Central at Hampshire, 7

Cary-Grove at Dundee-Crown, 7

Huntley at Crystal Lake Central, 7

Jacobs at Crystal Lake South, 7

Prairie Ridge at McHenry, 7

Upstate Eight

Bartlett at Streamwood, 7:30

East Aurora at Glenbard South, 7

Fenton at Elgin, 7:30

Larkin at Glenbard East, 7

South Elgin at West Chicago, 7

Nonconference

Ag. Science at Solorio, 7:30

Andrew at Kaneland, 7:30

Antioch at Carmel, 7:30

Aurora Central at Wauconda, 7

Aurora Christian at Ottawa Marquette, 7

Barrington at Warren, 7

Bismarck-Henning at Clifton Central, 7

Bremen at Thornridge, 6

Carver at TF North, 7

Charleston at Herscher, 7

Chicago Military at Marine, 4:15

Coal City at Morris, 7

Comer at Geneseo, 7

Dakota at Christ the King, 7:30

De La Salle vs. St. Viator at Forest View, 7

Downers Grove North at Hoffman Estates, 7:30

Downers Grove South at Wheaton North, 7:30

East Moline at LaSalle-Peru, 7

Eisenhower at Brooks, 7:30

Elmwood Park at Reed-Custer, 7

Evergreen Park at Manteno, 7

Fremd at Lake Zurich, 7

Georgetown at Watseka, 7

Glenbrook North at Taft, 7:30

Golder vs. Senn at Lane, 4:15

Grant at Mundelein, 7

Grayslake North at Vernon Hills, 6

Hansberry vs. Corliss at Gately, 4:15

Harvard at Lisle, 7

Hersey at New Trier, 7

Hillcrest at Brother Rice, 7

Hinsdale Central at Naperville Central, 7

Hinsdale South at Deerfield, 7

Homewood-Flossmoor at Naperville North, 7

Hope Academy at Young, 4:15

Hubbard at Grayslake Central, 7

Joliet Catholic at Waterford, Wis., 7

Joliet Central at Argo, 7

Joliet West at Lockport, 6:30

Kankakee at Nazareth, 7

Kenosha Indian Trail, Wis. at Evanston, 7

Lake Central, Ind. at Providence, 6

Lake Park at Conant, 7

Lake View at Niles North, 7

Lakes at Sterling, 7

Lane vs. Amundsen at Winnemac, 4:30

Leyden at Highland Park, 6:30

Libertyville at Lemont, 7

Lincoln-Way Central at St. Charles East, 7:30

Lincoln-Way East at Crete-Monee, 7

Lincoln-Way West at Plainfield Central, 7

Little Village vs. Chicago Richards at Stagg, 4:15

Longwood at Bradley-Bourbonnais, 6

Lyons at Buffalo Grove, 7:30

Maine East at Addison Trail, 6

Maine West at Elk Grove, 7:30

Marengo at Wilmington, 7

Marian Catholic at Thornwood, 7

Marian Central at Wheaton Academy, 7:30

Marmion at Bishop McNamara, 7

Metea Valley at Geneva, 7

Minooka at Bolingbrook, 6

Montini at IC Catholic, 7:15

Neuqua Valley at Oswego, 7

Noblesville, Ind. at Benet, 7

Notre Dame at Willowbrook, 7:30

Oak Lawn at Tinley Park, 6

Payton at DePaul Prep, 7:30

Peotone at Rantoul, 7

Plainfield North at Plainfield East, 7

Plainfield South at West Aurora, 7

Plano at Ottawa, 7:15

Platteville, Wis. at St. Edward, 7

Prosser at Speer, 7:30

Reavis at Stagg, 6

Rich Township at South Vigo, Ind., 6

Richards vs. Morgan Park at Gately, 7:15

Ridgewood vs. Schurz at Lane, 7:15

Riverside-Brookfield at Morton, 7

Rolling Meadows at Glenbrook South, 7

Romeoville at Yorkville, 7

Sandburg at Prospect, 7

Schaumburg at York, 7:30

St. Charles North at Palatine, 7:30

St. Francis at Lake Forest, 7

St. Ignatius vs. St. Patrick at Triton, 7:30

St. Laurence at Moline, 7

St. Rita at Mount Carmel, 7:30

Steinmetz at Proviso West, 7

Stevenson at Maine South, 7

Streator at East Peoria, 7:30

Sullivan at Chicago Christian, 7:15

Sycamore vs. DeKalb at NIU, 8

TF South at Shepard, 7

UP-Bronzeville at Richmond-Burton, 7

Walther Christian at Westmont, 7

Waubonsie Valley at Oswego East, 7

Westinghouse at Oak Forest, 7

Woodstock at Rochelle, 7

Woodstock North at Johnsburg, 7

Zion-Benton at Kenosha Bradford, Wis., 5:30

Saturday, August 27

Nonconference

Alleman at Chicago Academy, 3

Back of the Yards vs. Phoenix at Orr, 1

Batavia vs. Phillips at Gately, 7

Bowen at Kelly, 11 a.m.

Butler vs. Rauner at Lane, 1

Collins vs. Bogan at Stagg, 1

Curie vs. Mather at Winnemac, 4

DuSable vs. Juarez at Winnemac, 10 a.m.

Dwight at Salt Fork, noon

Dyett vs. Hyde Park at Eckersall, 4

Fenger vs. Julian at Stagg, 4

Fenwick vs. Oak Park-River Forest at SeatGeek, 9:30 a.m.

Foreman at Marshall, 10 a.m.

Gage Park vs. Washington at Eckersall, 10 a.m.

Glenbard North vs. Kenwood at Gately, 11 a.m.

Glenbard West at Marist, 12:30

Harlan vs. North Lawndale at Westinghouse, 10 a.m.

Johnson vs. Vocational at Eckersall, 1

Lincoln Park vs. Von Steuben at Winnemac, 1

Lindblom vs. Catalyst-Maria at Stagg, 10 a.m.

Momence at Oakwood, noon

Niles West at Thornton, 1

Perspectives vs. Pritzker at Lane, 4

Raby at Orr, 4

Roosevelt vs. Kennedy at Westinghouse, 1

Rowe-Clark vs. Crane at Lane, 10 a.m.

Seneca at Westville, 5

South Shore at Englewood STEM, 5

Tilden vs. Clemente at Lane, 7

UIC Prep at Bloom, noon

Wheaton-Warrenville South vs. Simeon at Gately, 3

Woodlawn at Goode, 2

Sunday, August 28

Nonconference

Cincinnati St. Xavier, Ohio at Loyola, noon

King vs. Clark at Lane, 1

Leo vs. Bulls Prep at Lane, 10 a.m.

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High school football schedule: Week 1 Read More »

Xherdan Shaqiri is not the Elixir for Chicago Fire

A look the signing of Xherdan Shaqiri, six months after it was announced

When the news broke last February that Major League Soccer outfit, Chicago Fire had completed the signing of Switzerland national team midfielder, Xherdan Shaqiri from Olympique Lyon of France as a Designated Player, it felt like a potential shot in the arm for the Windy City soccer team perceived as a sleeping MLS giant.

Over six months and 26 games behind us, the former Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Liverpool star has yet to fully stamp his authority and sustain the appeal commensurate with the hype that trialed his arrival to Chicago.

MLS side Chicago Fire have officially announced the signing of Xherdan Shaqiri after only 6 months at Lyon.
Best of luck, Shaq 💪 https://t.co/tgrkVvOJek

Individually, Shaqiri’s cumulative Goals + Assists rank 24th in the MLS, nestled between Alejandro Pozuelo of Inter Miami CF and Vancouver Whitecap’s Lucas Cavallini. The league’s top earner sits behind 12 players who are not designated players, and 26 total in this category.

While his assists ratio sits a quite respectable 9th in the league, he does trail three full backs: Brandon Bye (who earns $343,813 in guaranteed compensation, according to the MLSPA), Brooks Lennon ($500,000) and Kai Wagner ($581,000). Also, he has yet to be a threat to goalkeepers during the run-of-play, as two of his four goals have come from the penalty spot.

He is ranked outside of the Top Ten attacking midfielders. The top of the list features MVP frontrunners Emanuel Reynoso of Minnesota United and Austin FC’s Sebastian Driussi.

While in Europe, he was a rotation player at each of these prestigious clubs, but he still had some fine moments. His best years, however, came at FC Basel in his native Switzerland, and later at Stoke City, who at the time played in the English Premier League.

Xherdan Shaqiri pictured in the Chicago Fire kit. https://t.co/knXceeqP3d

Based on the foregoing, it is safe to conclude that the Swiss international’s performance in totality with the team leaves much to be desired, albeit he was out injured for a few games and is currently seeing a rise in his passing grade

Although, Kacper Przybylko’s 5 goals sit atop the Fire’s chart, an inkling of the fact that Fire’s struggles cut across the roster, but when one takes a look at the 12 losses, 6 draws and a miserly 8 wins in the Eastern Conference statistic by the Ezra Hendrickson tutored side, it suggests that it is not yet Uhuru, and maybe Xherdan Shaqiri is not the much needed elixir for a return to the postseason.

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Will Michael Schofield make the final cut on the Bears roster?

Veteran Michael Schofield could be a surprise cut with the emergence of Teven Jenkins

Michael Schofield had a rough first game against the Chiefs and came in with the second team in the game against the Seahawks which leaves him in a bit of a bind heading into the third game against Cleveland.  Schofield is a  seasoned veteran, but the Bears may be looking towards developing a youth movement along the offensive line.

Since that first game, Teven Jenkins has been practicing with the starting unit at right guard.  Jenkins also can play offensive tackle and perhaps even left tackle in a pinch.  This leaves Schofield with only the right guard spot for him to remain on the roster.

Rookie seventh-round pick Ja’Tyre Carter has quietly been recognized as a player the front office really likes by Tom Thayer.  Carter represents the youth movement on the offensive line the Bears are looking to start and Jenkins has more youth, power, and versatility as he can play both inside and outside for the Bears.  This may leave Michael Schofield as the most likely surprise veteran cut of the preseason.

Michael Schofield survived the first round of cuts this week but with many more to come and a splurge of competition on the offensive line between Braxton Jones, Larry Borom, Riley Reiff, Jenkins, and Carter he may be the odd man out.

Schofield is going to have to have a big game in the final game of the preseason to clearly separate himself from Carter as the backup right guard.  The question is will it come down to youth or experience on cut-down day?

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Will Michael Schofield make the final cut on the Bears roster? Read More »

Bears hoping CB Kyler Gordon can minimize, cover up rookie mistakes

Rookie mistakes are inevitable, especially at the most complicated positions, but the best young players can minimize them.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus said he’s bracing for that turbulence with several rookies being rushed into the lineup this season, but the team believes top draft pick Kyler Gordon is smart enough to mostly avoid those errors and athletic enough to make sure no notices when he does commit one.

Every player on the field is athletic, of course. Left guard Cody Whitehair can run the 40-yard dash in five seconds, and kicker Cairo Santos managed some tackling drills just fine in a recent practice. But if Gordon is considered exceptionally athletic even among pro athletes, the Bears might have something special.

“There’s certain guys in the NFL that are another level of athlete, and those guys play better because they can take a false step here or there and still get the job done with their God-given ability,” defensive backs coach James Rowe said. “He falls in that department at times.”

Gordon will need that advantage, because he’s stepping into an incredibly difficult spot.

In case there are still any misconceptions about the nickel or slot cornerback, it must be clarified that this has become an essential position. The Colts, with Eberflus running their defense, have been using Pro Bowl pick Kenny Moore in that spot and are paying him nearly $7 million this season. He plays nearly every snap.

The position requires a player to be able to cover a speedy slot receiver or a burly tight end. The nickel has to be able to adapt quickly on a run play and can often be used as a blitzer. That’s in contrast to the much more straightforward responsibilities at outside cornerback.

In short, the nickel must be good at everything.

The Bears leaned on Duke Shelley in that role last season (he allowed 74.4% completions, per Pro Football Reference) and Buster Skrine in 2020 (78.1% completions).

The team also allowed the NFL’s highest passer rating (103.3), third-most passing touchdowns (31) and 13th-highest completion percentage (65.8), plus it had the third-fewest interceptions (eight). All of those issues flared despite the defensive backs playing behind a pass rush that was fourth in the NFL in sacks (49).

Among the glaring problems general manager Ryan Poles saw when he took the job, the secondary was an emergency. That more than justified picking Gordon at No. 39 overall and adding Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker at No. 48.

When the Bears ran their pre-draft simulations, Poles said Gordon was rarely available by the time they were up. They were enticed by his background of playing nickel at Washington and–again, the athleticism comes up–his incredible agility, developed in part by coming up in dance.

“There are certain cuts that he makes that other people, their body won’t allow them to do,” Rowe said. “He has an extreme amount of flexibility, and you can tell in his lower body he has a lot of strength from, maybe, the dancing. He’s a dynamic athlete, and some movements that he makes are just not normal movements that we see on the football field, but they help him do his job better.”

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The Chicago Blackhawks announced a new broadcast teamVincent Pariseon August 25, 2022 at 4:37 pm

For different reasons that everyone knows about by now, the Chicago Blackhawks are going to have a completely different broadcast team in 2022-23 than they have in the past. Long-time voice Pat Foley retired after last year and Ed Olczyk is now the analyst for the Seattle Kraken.

We knew that their replacements were coming and they were all announced on Thursday. We all knew that Chris Vosters was going to be the TV play-by-play man. He did some games when Pat was out in 2021-22 and was great.

Troy Murray and Patrick Sharp are both going to be color analysts with Vosters on the call. It is a solid group of people that are going to do a great job.

The best news here is that after dealing with some health issues, Murray is good to go for this season. Being healthy enough to travel and do games is amazing after dealing with cancer treatment. It is going to be fun listening to him go through this 2022-23 journey with the Hawks.

Introducing the team ? pic.twitter.com/MWskTTqYu7

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) August 25, 2022

The Chicago Blackhawks announced their great broadcast team on Thursday.

John Wiedeman is going to continue in his role as the radio play-by-play man. He has been doing it for a very long time and has been there for some of the most amazing Hawks moments in their history, including three Stanley Cups.

Colby Cohen is going to be a content analyst for the Blackhawks. Caley Chelios is going to be a broadcast and content contributor. Both of them will certainly work well together providing entertaining analysis during intermissions.

Miguel Esparaza is going to do Spanish play-by-play for the Blackhawks and Jorge Moreno is going to be the Spanish color analyst. Getting Chicago Blackhawks hockey to the local Spanish-speaking community is great for the Blackhawks in every way.

It is definitely all a transition for people who have been listening to or watching games for decades. The team on the ice is changing and the people in charge of bringing the game to you are changing as well. It is officially a new era that is sure to celebrate previous eras in the meantime.

The Blackhawks are probably not going to be very good in Kyle Davidson’s first year. However, love it or hate it, he has a plan to rebuild this team the right way. It might take a while but 2022-23 is a big year for their development and some great entertainers are going to be there along the way.

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The Chicago Blackhawks announced a new broadcast teamVincent Pariseon August 25, 2022 at 4:37 pm Read More »

Troy Murray, Patrick Sharp will split Blackhawks’ TV analyst role

The Blackhawks are dismantling the merry-go-round of announcers that incensed fans last season. They’ll keep it simple this season, the first without Pat Foley or Eddie Olczyk since 1979-80.

Joining new play-by-play voice Chris Vosters in the NBC Sports Chicago booth will be Troy Murray and Patrick Sharp, who will split the analyst duties. John Wiedeman will return to the WGN radio booth and work with either Murray or Caley Chelios.

Analyst Colby Cohen occasionally will join the TV broadcast between the benches. When he’s not there, he’ll be in the studio with host Pat Boyle. Chelios and a rotating cast of Hawks alumni also will appear.

“We heard our fans loud and clear,” said Jaime Faulkner, Hawks president of business operations. “We’ve been listening to them and talking to them this summer about a number of things, the broadcasts included, and I hope that they will feel that we’ve heard them in not only who we’ve chosen, but in having a consistent, trustworthy group that they can rely on to talk about Blackhawks hockey.”

Last season, the Hawks auditioned a number of play-by-play voices to replace the retiring Foley. They announced Vosters as the winner in April. Olczyk’s departure last month for the Kraken’s booth opened the analyst’s chair.

Sharp, who was a fan favorite on the Hawks’ Stanley Cup winners in 2010, 2013 and 2015, has had limited experience calling games. He mostly has been a studio analyst for the Hawks and former NHL rights holder NBC. He won’t be moving back to Chicago after relocating with his family to Connecticut.

“That shouldn’t stop his ability to partner with us,” Faulkner said. “We’re committed to making it a great experience not only for him but for his family. And I think we’ve worked out something that is going to be great for everybody.”

Murray has been a part of Blackhawks radio or TV broadcasts since 1998. He has partnered with Wiedeman since 2006, and they’ve earned the adoration of fans. Murray was diagnosed with cancer in August 2021 but appears ready to take on a full schedule.

Hawks alumni will give the studio shows a viewpoint they lacked last season with Chelios and Cohen. It was the first season the team took control of hiring announcers and analysts, and it was not well received. NBCSCH suggested changes, which led to adding the former players, who will be announced later.

“We overall have a goal to bring more of our alumni back,” Faulkner said. “One of the reasons we’re bringing them back into the studio is because of their perspective on Blackhawks hockey, the history, playing for this club. So we need their voice in the studio to help round it out.”

Faulkner also said the Hawks will introduce broadcast elements that are important to fans, such as updates on the prospects with Rockford and the development of the draft classes.

“We’re also going to try to help our fans get to know our players off the ice,” she said. “We’re going to try to make it more entertaining, but I think we want to be really transparent about how we’re doing.”

The complete broadcast schedule will be released later after the Hawks receive the NHL’s national TV schedule.

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The 2023 Chicago Cubs schedule is unlike any before itVincent Pariseon August 25, 2022 at 3:41 pm

The Chicago Cubs and the rest of Major League Baseball released their schedules for 2023 on Wednesday. There is something new about this schedule that has never happened before in the history of the league.

For the first time ever, all 30 teams are going to play against all 30 teams. The Chicago Cubs are going to play some teams that they haven’t played very often in their history, including those American League East teams that they have played in 2022.

Everyone was excited about seeing the Chicago Cubs play at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. They were equally as excited to see the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox at Wrigley Field. Now, some of those great moments are going to happen more often.

Of course, in addition to games like that, they will still have some of their normalcies involved as well. They will still get their healthy helping of National League Central Division opponents as well. They will also still see other great NL teams outside of the division like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and Atlanta Braves.

The Chicago Cubs 2023 schedule is unlike any that ever came before it in history.

The Crosstown Classic between the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox will still exist too as each team will host the other for two games at their park. It is a great fan-driven rivalry that is sure to be a highlight of the summer.

Get on board!

The 2023 #Cubs schedule is here: https://t.co/G8L8nXW7Oe pic.twitter.com/vPUP75YJvx

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 24, 2022

All of the things that made the old schedules great are still there plus some new wrinkles that are going to make it so much fun. With a schedule like this, the competitive balance around the league will be much improved.

The first game of the season for the Chicago Cubs will also be their home opener. Opening Day at Wrigley Field is on March 30th as the Cubs will take on the Milwaukee Brewers. It will begin a three-game series against one of their biggest rivals.

Their first random American League series will be about a week later when they play the Texas Rangers at home. It is strange to see a schedule like this but it will be better for the league over the long haul.

One of the schedule’s highlights for the Cubs is the two-game series that they will play in London against the St. Louis Cardinals. Those games will take place on June 24th and June 25th. It is sure to be a spectacular scene for Major League Baseball.

The Cubs aren’t going to be world beaters in 2023 but they should be wildly improved from what we’ve seen from them in 2021 and 2022. A big offseason is upon them and that will dramatically increase the excitement for this new type of schedule.

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The 2023 Chicago Cubs schedule is unlike any before itVincent Pariseon August 25, 2022 at 3:41 pm Read More »

‘Black dance is American dance’

On August 27 in Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, the eight companies representing the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project—Ayodele Drum and Dance, Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Forward Momentum Chicago, Joel Hall Dancers and Center, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, Najwa Dance Corps, and Red Clay Dance Company (joined also by M.A.D.D. Rhythms)—share the city’s largest outdoor stage for the first time in Reclamation: The Spirit of Black Dance in Chicago, coproduced by DCASE as part of the Year of Chicago Dance.

“The companies themselves started the work of legacy,” says Tracie D. Hall, who began the CBDLP in 2019. “It felt like a question was being asked: Who is going to work to raise the visibility of the virtuosity of Black dance in Chicago? Who is called to that kind of stewardship? These companies were already delivering the highest levels of artistic and cultural production. They needed support; they needed others to come together and shout their names, not just to the dance world and the art world, but to Chicago itself.”

Reclamation: The Spirit of Black Dance in ChicagoSat 8/27, 6:30 PM, Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph, RSVP requested at eventbrite.com, info at chicagoblackdancelegacy.org, free

Galvanized by the findings in Mapping the Dance Landscape in Chicagoland, a 2019 census and analysis of the individuals and organizations that participate, produce, and fund dance in the city, Hall, then director of the Joyce Foundation’s culture program, partnered with the Logan Center for the Arts to create an organization with the mission of advocacy, archiving, capacity building, and presenting Black dance in Chicago. 

“We have a history in Chicago of supporting arts and artists, but I didn’t know if we were always supporting Black arts organizations and leaders in the same way, to the same extent, with the same amount of funding, with an equitable amount of fanfare,” she says. “If we aren’t doing that, how do we repair that? And if we don’t repair that, what do we lose? Dance has been one of those art forms to which Black artists in Chicago have made specific and unique contributions but hasn’t always been funded accordingly.”

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Beginning with a cohort of eight dance organizations, the CBDLP intends to expand in the coming years. “I have observed the kind of acceleration that can occur when you try to uplift the sector rather than an individual choreographer or company,” says Hall. “I really wanted to test what that collective impact could look like. And I knew the project would need a home for the companies to be seen, supported, and nurtured. I thought of Logan immediately, because Bill Michel [executive director] and Emily Lansana [senior director of community arts engagement] had already demonstrated their commitment to supporting Black artists.”

Princess Mhoon Credit Patrick Orr

Since March 2021, the CBDLP has been under the leadership of choreographer and scholar Princess Mhoon, an alumna of five of the eight organizations in the CBDLP. “Chicago is my hometown,” she says. “My parents were founding members of Najwa Dance Corps and Muntu Dance Theatre. I came up through the ranks, and I always wanted to find a way to give back to the dance community.” 

During her research in Black dance and American performance at Howard University, where she obtained a master’s degree in history, Mhoon says, “I never saw any of the people who taught me. Muntu has been around 50 years; Joel Hall for 48. I learned from all of them, and they were not in the history books. So I did my thesis on Black dance in Chicago. This is American history—how can we ignore it? There’s artwork in museums all across America, books live forever, but dance is visceral, fleeting, in the moment. It’s so easy to forget it. So the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project is here for all of it: we’re here to help companies grow, to help companies from an infrastructure standpoint, to help artistic growth, and to archive and preserve.”

As the CBDLP grows, Mhoon’s perspective on the past and hopes for the future are expansive. “How can we be inclusive but remain focused on our core values?” she muses. “Black dance is American dance. During the transatlantic slave trade, we’re on plantations, we’re not allowed to dance, we’re not allowed to play music, and we come up with dances like the cakewalk and the juba jig. We’re using the polyrhythms from the drums, we’re communicating with each other, we’re making fun of them, and they think we’re entertaining them. And that’s because of their influence on us and our influence on them. That’s how musical theater started: us taking our social dances to the stage. Tap: Irish and African Americans being in New York together. Some people say, ‘Is there such a thing as Black dance?’ I think so. It’s the cross-pollination of cultures that creates Black dance.”

About Reclamation, Mhoon says, “The companies had had a conversation about wanting to have a concert together in Millennium Park—it’s the realization of their dreams. It feels historic. They’ve shared a stage before but not an audience of this size with this level of support. It has broken the silos between the companies and the different genres of dance; it really fostered the idea of collaboration.”

“I’ve heard them say they don’t think of themselves as islands,” adds Hall. “They understand they share students, audiences, supporters. I think they’ve had a lot of mutual admiration but haven’t always known each other’s organizational goals or what legacy looked like to each of these founders. Now they’re able to watch each other, participate in concerts together, and learn what each company contributes. Artists learn and develop in the company of other artists—that pushes the art form forward. That’s what we see happening before our eyes. We’re seeing Chicago dance advance.”

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‘Black dance is American dance’ Read More »

‘Black dance is American dance’

On August 27 in Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, the eight companies representing the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project—Ayodele Drum and Dance, Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Forward Momentum Chicago, Joel Hall Dancers and Center, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, Najwa Dance Corps, and Red Clay Dance Company (joined also by M.A.D.D. Rhythms)—share the city’s largest outdoor stage for the first time in Reclamation: The Spirit of Black Dance in Chicago, coproduced by DCASE as part of the Year of Chicago Dance.

“The companies themselves started the work of legacy,” says Tracie D. Hall, who began the CBDLP in 2019. “It felt like a question was being asked: Who is going to work to raise the visibility of the virtuosity of Black dance in Chicago? Who is called to that kind of stewardship? These companies were already delivering the highest levels of artistic and cultural production. They needed support; they needed others to come together and shout their names, not just to the dance world and the art world, but to Chicago itself.”

Reclamation: The Spirit of Black Dance in ChicagoSat 8/27, 6:30 PM, Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph, RSVP requested at eventbrite.com, info at chicagoblackdancelegacy.org, free

Galvanized by the findings in Mapping the Dance Landscape in Chicagoland, a 2019 census and analysis of the individuals and organizations that participate, produce, and fund dance in the city, Hall, then director of the Joyce Foundation’s culture program, partnered with the Logan Center for the Arts to create an organization with the mission of advocacy, archiving, capacity building, and presenting Black dance in Chicago. 

“We have a history in Chicago of supporting arts and artists, but I didn’t know if we were always supporting Black arts organizations and leaders in the same way, to the same extent, with the same amount of funding, with an equitable amount of fanfare,” she says. “If we aren’t doing that, how do we repair that? And if we don’t repair that, what do we lose? Dance has been one of those art forms to which Black artists in Chicago have made specific and unique contributions but hasn’t always been funded accordingly.”

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Beginning with a cohort of eight dance organizations, the CBDLP intends to expand in the coming years. “I have observed the kind of acceleration that can occur when you try to uplift the sector rather than an individual choreographer or company,” says Hall. “I really wanted to test what that collective impact could look like. And I knew the project would need a home for the companies to be seen, supported, and nurtured. I thought of Logan immediately, because Bill Michel [executive director] and Emily Lansana [senior director of community arts engagement] had already demonstrated their commitment to supporting Black artists.”

Princess Mhoon Credit Patrick Orr

Since March 2021, the CBDLP has been under the leadership of choreographer and scholar Princess Mhoon, an alumna of five of the eight organizations in the CBDLP. “Chicago is my hometown,” she says. “My parents were founding members of Najwa Dance Corps and Muntu Dance Theatre. I came up through the ranks, and I always wanted to find a way to give back to the dance community.” 

During her research in Black dance and American performance at Howard University, where she obtained a master’s degree in history, Mhoon says, “I never saw any of the people who taught me. Muntu has been around 50 years; Joel Hall for 48. I learned from all of them, and they were not in the history books. So I did my thesis on Black dance in Chicago. This is American history—how can we ignore it? There’s artwork in museums all across America, books live forever, but dance is visceral, fleeting, in the moment. It’s so easy to forget it. So the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project is here for all of it: we’re here to help companies grow, to help companies from an infrastructure standpoint, to help artistic growth, and to archive and preserve.”

As the CBDLP grows, Mhoon’s perspective on the past and hopes for the future are expansive. “How can we be inclusive but remain focused on our core values?” she muses. “Black dance is American dance. During the transatlantic slave trade, we’re on plantations, we’re not allowed to dance, we’re not allowed to play music, and we come up with dances like the cakewalk and the juba jig. We’re using the polyrhythms from the drums, we’re communicating with each other, we’re making fun of them, and they think we’re entertaining them. And that’s because of their influence on us and our influence on them. That’s how musical theater started: us taking our social dances to the stage. Tap: Irish and African Americans being in New York together. Some people say, ‘Is there such a thing as Black dance?’ I think so. It’s the cross-pollination of cultures that creates Black dance.”

About Reclamation, Mhoon says, “The companies had had a conversation about wanting to have a concert together in Millennium Park—it’s the realization of their dreams. It feels historic. They’ve shared a stage before but not an audience of this size with this level of support. It has broken the silos between the companies and the different genres of dance; it really fostered the idea of collaboration.”

“I’ve heard them say they don’t think of themselves as islands,” adds Hall. “They understand they share students, audiences, supporters. I think they’ve had a lot of mutual admiration but haven’t always known each other’s organizational goals or what legacy looked like to each of these founders. Now they’re able to watch each other, participate in concerts together, and learn what each company contributes. Artists learn and develop in the company of other artists—that pushes the art form forward. That’s what we see happening before our eyes. We’re seeing Chicago dance advance.”

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