Dancing through fall, we glance back to view an inspiring summer of awakened creativity for community artists and audiences alike with the return of New Dances following our long pandemic slumber. Another summer highlight: a very special reunion with colleagues from the Chicago Repertory Dance Ensemble: the Company that created New Dances! A true walk down memory lane that included reminiscing New Dances experiences from the ‘80’s and 90’s. What a timely reunion as we all anticipate celebrating the landmark 40th anniversary of this very special project in and for our community: New Dances 2023!

During the magic autumn hour, the back to school feel was in the air crisp with learning. I was honored with the continued opportunity to help part of the DePaul freshman class discover the rich history of Chicago through dance.



“If a year was tucked inside a clock, then autumn would be the magic hour, where the sun takes a step back, the leaves lull themselves to sleep, and autumn is awakened”

Enjoy this season of harvest, color, and gratitude,

Melissa has been honored to be a part of professor Lin Kahn’s “Discover Chicago” course at DePaul University for over a decade, cheers to this freshmen class for peering through the lens of dance to learn about our wonderful city. 

“This special course  is wonderful to dive deep into a part of Chicago’s history through dance with students who viewed Thodos Dance Chicago’s “White City: the Columbian Exposition of 1893” created in collaboration with Ann Reinking, where we together as a class discuss the work’s development, process, historic relevance, and much more!"

– Melissa Thodos

Save the date for New Dances 2023: June 22-24 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, where New Dances made its debut almost 40 years ago in 1983! Thodos Dance Chicago and DanceWorks Chicago continue in joined forces to present work created and performed by some of Chicago's most talented and gifted dance movers and makers. Stay tuned for more information!

Veiled Encounters by Brandon DiCriscio

Dancers Kalli Loudan and David Anthony Scheuerman

Photo by Richard Finkelstein

Photo courtesy of DanceWorks Chicago

Brandon DiCriscio's piece, Veiled Encounters, which made its premiere at New Dances 2022, has been selected to enter DanceWorks Chicago's repertory (DWC). Thodos Dance Chicago and DanceWorks Chicago produced New Dances in partnership since 2018. We here at TDC are thrilled  that Brandon's work has the opportunity to grow and reach new artists and audiences as part of DWC's rep for Season 16!

Top (Left to Right): Melissa Thodos, Barbara Stein, Christina Ernst

Bottom (Left to Right): Frank Fishella, Joanne Barrett, Anthony Gongora

In late summer Melissa hosted a gathering of special alumni artists of the Chicago Repertory Dance Ensemble. Each of these artists continue to inspire in many communities in dance performance, dance creation, artistic direction, film, teaching, interior design, education, visual arts, yoga, body health and wellness, ceramic arts, support of the arts and of artists, entrepreneurship, and much much more!  

It was a truly inspiring reunion of reconnection, nostalgia, walks down memory lane, and the toasting to the coming 40^th anniversary of New Dances, a project where each of these accomplished artists had choreographed and/or performed! Cheers to 40 years!