What a special New Dances we held this past June as our community joined together to celebrate and support the NEW! A light shone brightly on Chicago’s inspiring dance movers and dance makers as six brand new works, set on a Company of sixteen dancers, lit up the Ruth page Theater stage! Many thanks are in order beginning with our community as the New Dances project by nature takes a village to come to be. Special thanks to our board of directors, our wonderful 2025 Host Committee, our partners and sponsors and donors, our intern Abby, and all of our valued volunteers. Last, but by no means least, a message of infinite thanks and very best wishes to Julie Nakagawa and DanceWorks Chicago as this is our last New Dances together. You have been an amazing partner in New Dances for the past seven years, and we wish you all the very best in your next exciting chapter as it unfolds.

New Dances 2025 Artists Sharing the Stage for the Closing Night Bow

Followed by Photos of the New Dances Team that helped make the Dream

Top Left: Choreographers, Melissa Thodos, and Julie Nakagawa during a post-performance Q & A

Top Right: Production team Jacob Snodgrass and Robyn Wilson, with intern Abby Widlak during tech rehearsal

Bottom Left: Dancers getting ready for the Closing Night Performance

Bottom Right: Choreographers getting ready to watch Opening Night

Below enjoy ND 25 Audience Members Showing Their Support with Smiles for Miles

Top Left: Matching Campaign Donors, Michael Nugent (L) and David Hall (Middle Right), with Melissa Thodos (Middle Left) and Husband, Rick Johnston (R)

Top Right: Julia Mayer (L), Wini Haun (Middle), and Host Committee Member Michael McStraw (L)

Bottom Left: Melissa Thodos (L) and Host Committee Member, Melinda Kramer (R)

Bottom Right: TDC Board Member, Shanon Raglin and Guest

Bottom Middle: ND 25 Choreographers Getting Ready for Closing Night

New Dances 2025 is a wrap, but we are still celebrating the 22 extraordinary artists who joined us for the journey this year. We are savoring all the wonderful memories made along the way.

Thodos Dance Chicago and DanceWorks Chicago’s collaboration around New Dances 2025 continued in a shared tradition of developing choreographic talent and serving Chicago’s dance community. Originating with The Chicago Repertory Dance Ensemble, New Dances has been part of Chicago’s dance history for over 40 years, offering a platform for early career choreographers to create new work with artistic, logistic, and financial support.

New Dances 2025 choreographers Hanna DiLorenzo, Janiya Pearson, Kelsi Fears, Maddy McCarthy, Shota Miyoshi, Xenia Mansour unveiled their world premieres at the very theater where New Dances was first produced in 1983! Sixteen Chicago-based dancers comprised the New Dances Company, bringing their energy to the choreographers’ visions.

Enjoy above photos from the performance nights and below from the Closing Night Celebration in the elegant Rose Room of the upscale modern Adalina in Chicago’s Gold Coast!

Host Committee Co-Chairs Katlin Michael Bourgeois (L) and Lesli Babbs Krantz(R)

Top Left: Left to Right, ND 25 Choreographer Maddy McCarthy with ND 25 Dancers Samantha Leigh Anderson, Nick Kearns, and Josephine Starr

Top Right: ND 25 Dancers Ella Kim and Mikee Ellis

Bottom Left: Host Committee Member, Jaqueline Stewart with Guest

Bottom Right: ND 25 Choreographers, Dancers, and Supporters Mingling

Thank you to DanceWorks Chicago for seven wonderful years of working together! While our New Dances partnership may be coming to end, we're so grateful for the all cherished memories we've made and for the opportunity to build commUNITY together.

We wish Julie Nakagawa a wonderful retirement as DanceWorks Chicago sunsets. Thank you, Julie, and DWC for leaving such a meaningful impact on this project and for joining the New Dances Legacy.

Thank you to everyone who supported New Dances 2025! Whether you attended our audition, donated to our Matching Campaign, joined us for an Open Company Class, underwrote an item on our Wishlist, or attended a performance, we are so very grateful for your continued support. We couldn't do it without our commUNITY!

Click above to watch a video created by our intern, Abby Widlak, to express our gratitude for all those involved in the process this year.