Chicago Dance Gazette September 2006
A Round of Applause: Kelly Ann Vitacca's Inaside Chicago to Benefit Gilda's Club
by Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth
Kelly Ann Vitacca opens the door of the dance studio and a wave of heat, chatter and post-rehearsal energy greets me. “Sorry, we ran a little late.” As we traverse across the expanse of the studio, several dancers join us for a brief chat.
Kelly Ann Vitacca, Artistic Director of Inaside Dance, breaks into a warm smile as she talks about her next show. “We’re just really excited about it. The background behind this show is to celebrate life and to keep giving energy back to those who are having those struggles.” She is referring to Inaside Chicago Dance’s Fall Benefit at the Vittum Theatre Sept. 30-Oct. 1 which will benefit Gilda's Club Chicago.
First opened in New York in 1995, Gilda's Club is a worldwide organization which was named in honor of Gilda Radner, the comedienne from Saturday Night Live who died of ovarian cancer in 1989. Her spirit lives on through the organization which aims to help those living with cancer through the benefits of giving and receiving love and laughter.
“There are 13 clubs throughout the nation and these centers are about how you can make your day a better day even if you’re struggling with a disease such as cancer.” Kelly Ann explains. “This dance project was just a concept that we came up with two years ago thinking about how we could give back and how we can use our art to give back. Rather than just giving an entertaining evening we’re going to give back financially. And hopefully we’re also going to give back by putting smiles on people’s faces, especially for patients with cancer, so that they have one more day of joyous life… It’s not necessarily a show about mourning the past necessarily, but a celebration of life itself and the wonder of life.”
Inaside's perfoming company experienced a growth spurt this year. Now fifteen dancers strong, it is comprised of 5 company members, 7 apprentices and 3 trainees. In addition, Inaside boasts a youth company of 10 members.
Three Inaside apprentices, two veteran dancers and Kelly Ann spent their lunch break with me to talk about their upcoming show, the dance community in Chicago, remedies for low energy days and which company member sports a deep appreciation for the Artist Currently Known as Prince. The transcript follows.
Q (Leni): What was your favorite past Halloween costume?
Noel: I was a witch when I was 6 and my mom spray painted my hair green. I had really long nails and big nose.
Mark: All right, this was like 3 years ago. I was Prince but I wasn’t like musical Prince, I was like, Prince, in the Revolution Prince, like Purple Rain. I was pretty hot.
Marideth: When I was in fifth grade I was Charlie Chaplain. I loved it and I thought of it all by myself in fifth grade. I won the costume contest.
Jill: I was probably 9 or 10 and I was Peter Pan and I still fancy myself as Peter Pan to this day. Now that’s a costume that definitely stuck with me.
Olivia: Five years ago I was cat woman in an all leather outfit. But the funniest part was when we’d be out at the Halloween parties everybody would be coming up to me saying “you’re so hot!” I’d be like, you don’t even know what’s under the mask without the costume!
Kelly Ann: I don’t know, I have so many! My mom used to make all mine. But actually, I have to say my favorite Halloween was when I was a fairy on roller skates. That was awesome. But really it was because it was my first Halloween in Chicago and it was a bunch of dancers at the roller derby and we all had our costumes on.
Q: If time and money was not an issue, what would you enjoy learning?
Noel: I’d enjoy learning karate.
Mark: It kind of sounds dumb but for real, I’d like to learn how to fight a wild animal. Like a bear... I don’t think you can actually train for that, but if money and time were no object, I’d really like to fight a bear, or like a bear holding a shark. There’s something really graceful about that. It’s one thing to train wild animals, but more like, I want to fight them.
Marideth: I have two: I’d like to be certified in scuba diving. I’d like to get my pilot’s license.
Jill and Kelly Ann: That was going to be one of mine!
Jill: I’d definitely want to fly a plane and I’ve always wanted to take guitar lessons.
Olivia: I’ve got a couple, too. I want to learn Spanish, I want to take Tango lessons, and definitely learn an instrument…
Kelly Ann: Get my pilot’s license. I’ve always wanted to learn how to fly because I’m scared of heights. And I’ve always wanted to learn Italian.
Q: What did you dream about last night?
Noel: Zach Braff. I was dating Zach Braff from Scrubs, and I was on his shoulders and he walked me to the library and he put me down. And then he broke up with me!
Mark: A snake wearing a vest.
Marideth: Escaping from a killer in a 67 Chevelle.
Jill: (a friend) and I were on a plane and it was supposed to be going to Germany but it really didn’t get any further than lake Michigan and the guy flying the plane was insane, like literally. So we just kept going up and down and up and down and backward and forward. And then I was having dinner at the end of it.
Olivia: I think I was too tired to remember any of my dreams because I literally rehearsed yesterday from 9:00 in the morning until 10:00 at night. So, no dreams.
Kelly Ann: Yeah, pretty much no time for sleep or dreaming.
Q: What do you do when you start to feel low on energy?
Noel: I usually go running, I go work out do something to get my energy back up instead of sleep, otherwise, I’d be out for the rest of the day.
Mark: Coffee.
Marideth: Really and truly I put a smile on my face and I go to Victoria secret and I buy myself underwear. It’s true.
Jill: Yeah, keep going. Maybe call a friend I know that will come and make me laugh.
Olivia: When I’m low on energy? Well, that’s too bad (laughs). You know, I keep going.
Kelly Ann : It depends on the day. Like yesterday, I was extremely low on energy and then I taught a 2 hour class, and all of a sudden I was the most awake I’d ever been.
Q: How do you feel about Nick Pupillo (Inaside’s guest choreographer this season)?
Noel: I think he’s excellent to work with. He’s got a lot of energy. Very complimentary, very respectful.
Mark: He’s a very honest person.
Marideth: He’s a great choreographer in the Chicago area. I actually have a lot of experience with him teaching at a studio with him and in different choreographic aspects. I think he’s a good guy.
Jill: He’s rad. (laughter) And full of positive energy. Great to be around.
Olivia; Mine’s random, but it’s funny: He is an old college roommate of the wife of the bartender that I work with on the weekends, which shows what a small world it is.
Kelly Ann: Nick, he’s inspiring. And extremely humble.
Q: The number one reason why you chose to dance in Chicago
Noel: I’m familiar with the community. I think there’s great work going on.
Mark: I met Inaside and Kelly Ann through a friend of mine. And from what I saw on the internet and what I heard of her reputation, I came to dance in Chicago.
Marideth: I think that there are a wide variety of opportunities and genres of dance so I can dabble in anything and everything.
Jill: Dance is definitely thriving in Chicago. And yeah, I feel you can pretty much tap into pretty much any style you want to. There’s a community for it and home for it and people that appreciate it and come support it.
Olivia: I decided to move to Chicago to be dance because it was so close to my family rather than New York or Vegas or LA. I like the Midwest feeling here.
Kelly Ann: I’m…a Chicago native. And even though I did…tours etc. and New York was calling my name every once in awhile, I always loved concert dance and I believe Chicagoans have a lot of artistic integrity in their work. It’s somewhere I’m proud to be.
Q: Is it difficult to make a living as a dancer in Chicago?
Noel: I think that when you’re on your own it probably does become difficult because there’s not enough time to be able to afford to live, almost? Like there’s not enough time to work here then and also time to make a living for yourself. But I’m fortunate enough right now to be living at home still, so, I’m more concerned with saving money right now as opposed to spending everything to just keep me alive.
Mark: I’m new to Chicago, but….it kind of feels like a subculture that no one else can understand that you, like, work these hours, but you have to work another job and you went to school. But they don’t understand that, you know, I work hard to do what I want to do. The rest of us just need to do that.
Marideth: If you love it you can’t live without it, you know, it’s about finding a way. …Everybody said “it’s too hard, it’s too competitive,” but really it’s just about finding your niche, because there are so many opportunities. And having the faith to try. When you stop dancing and you feel like you’re going to miss it, that tells you something. You have to do something about it.
Jill: I think that actually, Chicago is a pretty large city and that it’s easier to survive as a dancer here than many other large cities because our dance community is open and you know, we get the opportunity to work with other companies. I know in the community that I’m with I’ve always been offered other jobs that got me through financially hard times. I think that everybody is really supportive in this community and that allows you to have freedom to do what you have to do to survive. I mean, obviously when you choose to dance you don’t choose it to make money.
Olivia: I definitely go with Jill. It’s definitely easier than in other cities to be in, but…still , what we’re constantly talking about is…balance. There’s work and rehearsals, and some of us in this company do the business side of it, too. And that’s a full time job. And significant others and friends. It is a lot, but at the same time, we dancers here, anywhere, would not be doing it if it wasn’t… I mean, we don’t have a choice. We have to do it or we’d be miserable people.
Kelly Ann: I agree. I think that as long as you’re really determined in this city there are definitely opportunities and as long as you network correctly, obviously. However, I do feel that we need to work, especially as directors and artistic directors, on finding longevity for our dancers, because they deserve to dance forever. I mean, we need to make sure that we find avenues for health benefits and etc. And that’s definitely one of my goals for this company.
Q: Fill in the blank: Inaside Dance is ------
Noel: (laughs)—go on!
Mark: More flexible than I am. (laughter).
Noel: I still don’t know!
Marideth: A breath of fresh air to be quite honest.
Jill: My second family.
Olivia: What keeps me driven.
Kelly Ann: Passion. My soul.
Noel: I have it now: Perfect for where I am.
Q: Is there anything else that you’d like to add?
Noel: No.
Mark: I really like Prince. I think he’s a genius. He’s just very eccentric. He’s a very good pop writer.
Marideth: I just feel blessed to have the opportunity to dance in general. Most people search their whole life just trying to find something that makes them want to go to work everyday. And even though it’s a struggle to be in the line of work that I’m in because I have to do two jobs everyday, I have a seven day work week, it makes it worth it because when I go to work I love it. I enjoy it. A lot of people can’t say that.
Jill: I’m lucky enough that actually my second job is teaching dance so that for me it’s great that I frolic all day but then, I go to a job then where I’m able to give back to the community that has given me so much and continue to keep it going.
Olivia: I kind of want to say something on the lines of Marideth. I bartend to really make my living to pay my bills and what I find most interesting is how many truly unhappy, miserable people sit down at that bar…and then I them that I’m a dancer and they are like, “Wow, I really wish I could have gone into that. I really wish I could have learned to play the guitar.” And the saddest part is that it always comes down to money. So many people, I feel, sold out their souls for a better way of living…pretty much, in a sense, because it’s easier. It’s easier when you know how you’re going to feed yourself that day or that month. You know, God bless us, that we moved beyond that and we’re doing it and we’ll never have to sit at that bar and be like, “Wow, I wish I would have done that with my life.”
Kelly Ann: I’m so happy to be home. I’m really happy to be home, I was in Texas for a year and a half and there’s no place like Chicago and I think this is our year, so I’m excited.
*Interview Participants:
Noel Powers (Apprentice) Noel’s dance teacher, Angie Sherman Keneipp at Dorothy’s Dancing Unlimited, was her inspiration to dance as a child.
Mark Vaughn (Apprentice) Mark began his dance training at 18 and was inspired by Barbara Hyland-Janisitis and Jerome DeVito at South Beach Dance, Daytona Beach, Florida.
Marideth Wanat (Apprentice) Marideth was inspired to dance by Chari Lindell of Dancecenter North Libertyville, IL and Holly Loutzenheizer of Capitol Arza Dance Theatre Enola, PA.
Jill Economakos (Company Member) Jill’s childhood inspiration was Patty Babinec of the Suburban School of the Performing Arts in Westmont, IL.
Olivia Davis (Founding Company Member, Head of Development, Costume Mistress) Olivia’s teacher, Shirley Jennings from SJ Academy of Dance, inspired her to dance.
Kelly Ann Vitacca (Artistic Director and Founder) Kelly Ann trained at Bataille Academy of the Dance in Barrington, IL where she was inspired by her mentor, Dee Dee Galleger.
Inaside Chicago Dance presents
INASIDE DANCE PROJECT for the cause
Saturday 9.30.06 8:00 p.m.
Sunday 10.1.06 2:00 p.m.
at the Vittum Theater
Call the Vittum Box Office at 773.342.4141 for tickets!
featuring five premieres by
Artistic Director - Kelly Ann Vitacca
Guest Choreographer - Nick Pupillo
Company Members -
* Mary Baumgardner
* Olivia Davis
* Josette Salvatore
Ticket Prices:
General Admission: $16.00
Student/Dancer: $13.00
Partial proceeds of the show go to GILDA’S CLUB CHICAGO, Honoring all those who have lived with cancer.
Vittum Theater
1012 N. Noble Street
Chicago, IL 60622
Call 773.342.4141 for tickets today!
Inaside Chicago Dance inspires new perceptions of movement promoting appreciation for dance within the Chicagoland area.
Conveying artistic spirit and authentic joy experienced in the performing arts, Inaside Chicago Dance is an advocate of dance through the presentation of movement.
Inaside will link the awareness of intellect, emotion and the aesthetics of dance with the company’s defining characteristics:
.:integrity .:passion .:pride
On and off stage, Inaside Chicago Dance will be a symbol through which the community at large can embody these attributes.
About UsChicago Dance Supplyleni@chicagodancesupply.com09/22/06