Thodos Dance Chicago is recognized nationally for its enticing choreography opportunities. Throughout the years, the company has premiered numerous works for respected choreographers throughout the country.

Our Chicago performances, whether self-produced of part of community projects, have proven to be excellent platforms for evolving and established choreographers to imagine, create and present their works!

• Ron De Jesus - World premiere at Fall Engagement 2008

Ron De Jesús is an award winning dancer and choreographer.  A Chicago native, he was a leading dancer with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago from 1984-2001. In 2001, he joined the original cast of the Twyla Tharp/Billy Joel Broadway Musical MOVIN’ OUT, alternatively dancing the leading role of Tony and Ensemble for four years. Ron has danced the works of many major contemporary choreographers, including Paul Taylor, Jiri Kylian, David Parsons, Nacho Duato, Bob Fosse, James Kudelka and Twyla Tharp.  Ms. Tharp created the leading role in I Remember Clifford on him.  Ron began choreographing in 1991, creating works for Hubbard Street, Hubbard Street 2, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Luna Negra Dance Theater and others.  He has also choreographed theatrical productions in New York City. He was a Master Teacher for The Lou Conte Dance Studio for 19 years.  Currently, besides choreographing for other companies, he is a Ballet Master for Twyla Tharp Productions, setting Ms. Tharp’s works on companies around the world.   In the winter of 2008, Ron premiered his own company, Ron De Jesús Dance.

• Zachary Whittenburg - World premiere in New Dances 2008

Zachary Whittenburg has been working in dance for twelve years. Beginning with Seattle's Pacific Northwest Ballet, he has also been a member of North Carolina Dance Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Montréal's [bjm_danse].  Freelance in Chicago since 2005, he has collaborated with Lucky Plush Productions, Same Planet Different World Dance, and Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance in Asheville, NC, and is currently a member of Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak.  He also covers dance for The Windy City Times and international online culture publication Flavorpill.  Zachary is a teacher of ballet for professional dancers and has presented choreography in Chicago and Canada.

• Brock Clawson - World premiere in Winter Concert 2008

Mr. Clawson received his dance training on a Presidential Scholarship at Columbia College Chicago, and also studied on a scholarship with Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago. Brock has worked with Mad Shak Dance Company, The 58 Group, River North Chicago Dance Company and Thodos Dance Chicago. Brock has performed the works of many renowned choreographers, including Ann Reinking, Lar Lubovich, Randy Duncan and Laurie Stallings. After four years dancing with Thodos Dance Chicago, Mr. Clawson was promoted to the company's directorial staff as its Artistic Associate, where he served until September of 2007. During that time, Brock had the privilege of working alongside Ann Reinking as her rehearsal director for her new work entitled Rossini Recess. Brock has choreographed works for Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, The Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Rasa Dance Chicago and has premiered four works for Thodos Dance Chicago. The Chicago Sun Times has called his work "daring and athletic" and "a real stunner." Brock was the recipient of the Dance Chicago 2005 Outstanding Choreography Award and the Cliff Dwellers Arts Organization and Dance Chicago awarded Brock the 2006 Choreographer of the Year Award. His works Along the Way and Nine were selected to be performed as a part of Dance for Life in 2006 and 2008, respectively.

• Lucas Crandall - World premiere in New Dances 2007                                Mr. Crandall, Artistic Associate of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago was guest choreographer for New Dances 2007 with his work then titled "What I want..."  Mr. Crandall's work, set to the music of J.S Bach and retitled Lullaby made its Thodos Dance Chicago company premiere in Fall Engagement 2007.

• Ann Reinking – World premieres in Winter Concert 2004 and Winter Concert 2007
  Choreographer, director and actress Ann Reinking was guest choreographer for Winter Concert 2004 with her work CAUTION: Side Effects. She has numerous accolades, including the Theatre World Award for her work as Maggie in “Over Here” and the Clarence Derwent Award. In 1997, Ms. Reinking won the Tony Award, the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award and the Astaire Award for her choreography for the ENCORES production of “Chicago,” now in its seventh year on Broadway. In 1999, “FOSSE,” which Reinking directed and co-choreographed in 1999, won a Tony Award for best musical.

• Shapiro & Smith – Chicago premiere in Fall Engagement 2006                 Danial Shapiro  and Joanie Smith developed a collaborative method through which they created their work, taking turns developing materials and  directing the choreographic process. They earned an international reputation for virtuosity, substance, craft, and pure abandonment performing tales of beauty and biting wit that run the gamut from provocative to hilarious.

• Lar Lubovitch – Premiered in Winter Concert Series 2006                            Esteemed, internationally acclaimed American choreographer Lar Lubovitch set his work "Waiting for Sunrise" on Thodos Dance Chicago in 2006.  Lar has set several works on Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and the Joffrey Ballet, and was featured in Robert Altman’s movie “The Company,” starring Neve Campbell.

• Eddy Ocampo – Premiered in Dance Chicago 2005                                         Choreographer Eddy Ocampo (featured in December 2005 Chicago Magazine) set an original work on Thodos Dance Chicago - collaborating with Chicago composer Winston Damon.  Eddy received the “Cliff Dwellers Foundation Choreography” Award for the development of this work for Thodos Dance Chicago.  Eddy was also recently inducted into the Filipino Hall of Fame for his contribution to dance in Chicago.

• Amy Ernst – Premiered in Winter Concert Series 2005
  Leading choreographer, Amy Ernst, from the Southwest and Associate Professor at the University of Arizona, set her work “Raft” on the Company for Winter Concert 2005. Raft is a unique, lovely duet with unexpected special effects. Ernst's choreography is currently in the repertory of professional dance companies in California, New Mexico, Texas and Arizona.

• Debra McWaters – World premiere in Winter Concert Series 2004
  Debra McWaters, who teamed with Ann Reinking on CAUTION: Side Effects, left academia in 1996 to work as Ann Reinking’s assistant on the Tony Award winning CHICAGO, still running on Broadway. Credits include: Assistant Choreographer: CHICAGO, Encores! International tours; APPLAUSE: Papermill Playhouse; FOSSE (Tony Award 1999) International Tours; Associate Choreographer: THE LOOK OF LOVE, Roundabout Theatre Company; THE VISIT, Goodman Theatre; LEGENDS, Joffrey Ballet Company; SUITE KANDER, Missouri State Ballet; TONIGHT AT 8:30, Williamstown Theatre Festival. Associate Director/Choreographer: BROADWAY UNDER THE STARS. Tour Director/Choreographer: FOSSE, current national and international tours. Artistic Director of the Broadway Theatre Project.

• Michael Anderson – World premiere in New Dances 2004
  

  Michael Anderson received some of his early ballet training in Seattle at Pacific Northwest Ballet School with Francia Russell and Flemming Halby.  He graduated from Southern Utah University with a B.S. in Communications and went on to receive his master’s degree in Arts Administration from Wayne State University in Detroit. Anderson danced with Tulsa (OK) Ballet Theater, Michigan Ballet Theatre, and The American Folk Ballet. He danced for 12 years with the Joffrey Ballet where his roles included Drosselmeyer and the Mouse King in Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker, the Caller in Agnes DeMille’s Rodeo, and the Manager in Leonide Massine’s Parade.  Tony award-winning choreographer Ann Reinking created a role on Anderson in her tribute to Barbara Streisand, featured in Gerald Arpino’s groundbreaking Legends.  Other roles have been created on Anderson while at The Joffrey by choreographers such as Laura Dean, Peter Pucci and Tony Powell.  Anderson has also appeared in two major motion pictures: Save the Last Dance and Robert Altman's The Company, as well as in two public television specials about dance. After retiring from the Joffrey Ballet in 2005, Anderson worked for Columbia College Chicago in the Office of Institutional Advancement. He went on to work with the Michigan Ballet Theatre as Associate Director, and most recently at Southern Utah University as a Guest Ballet Faculty and Director of Development for the College of Performing and Visual Arts and the Gerlad R. Sherratt Library. Anderson continues to choreograph and has worked on numerous projects over the past several years in Chicago, Detroit and Japan.  His work Timelines was created for Thodos Dance Chicago’s New Dances 2005 and then placed in the Company’s repertoire.  Anderson’s most recent work, Solace, premiered at Southern Utah University in March of this year.

• Jon Lehrer – World premiere in Dance Chicago 2004
  Jon Lehrer is the Associate Director of Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago and has been a company member since 1997. Jon’s new work, “Iambus,” set on Thodos Dance Chicago, premiered at “Dance Chicago 2004” as part of its “New Dances Project.” Jon has danced with the Erick Hawkins Dance Company, John Passafiume Dancers, and for Merv Griffin in Atlantic City. He has also choreographed four works on the Giordano company and Momenta Dance Theater. Jon was selected for the first Choreography Project in 2002 in affiliation with the Joffrey Ballet. Choreography Project.