Common Conservatory

The first group of COMMON conservatory dancers September 2019.

There is an epic new work created by to be performed tomorrow night at 7:30 in COMMON’s final show…and Sarah is dancing! Ticket link is in the bio.

Bodony (she, her) is a teacher, dancer, and choreographer based in Chicago, IL. She graduated from The Ohio State University, with a BFA in Dance. During her time at Ohio State, Sarah was one of sixteen dancers who traveled with the Dance Denmark tour group in Summer 2019. She also performed works by Eddie Taketa, Susan Hadley, Crystal Michelle Perkins, Daniel Roberts, and several MFA thesis projects. Along with performing, she produced a student-choreographed show in Ohio State's Department of Dance. She also interned at the Wexner Center For The Arts in Columbus, OH and had her writing published on their website’s Read, Watch, Listen page. With a smile on her face, she hopes to create a space to explore, listen, and be inspired by the body, nature, her community, and hopes to bring values of diversity and inclusion into any space she accompanies.

Perla hits the stage tomorrow night in two new dances by Noelle Kayser and Drew Lewis. It’s COMMON’s final performance. Come join us. Ticket link in bio.

Perla Sanchez is a Second year Dance major at Loyola University Chicago. She has taken ballet classes since she was 13, but began taking dance seriously just a year ago. As she begins her journey into the world of dance at now 21, she took her first contemporary class in this dance intensive session at COMMON Dance. This will be her first performance doing contemporary and is grateful to be apart of this form of art taught by such experienced choreographers.

Come see Laura dance in a new work by Drew Lewis tomorrow night at 7:30pm in COMMON’s last performance! Ticket link in bio
Laura’s current philosophy is finding genuine curiosity and deep interest in any work she is involved in. She wears white socks always, finds the best work comes when people can collaborate with a sense of play, and finds joy in taking absurd choices very seriously. Often, she finds that she draws most of her working inspiration from improvisation. She received her BFA in modern dance from the University of Utah. Then, freelanced in Salt Lake City for about a year, working with different local companies, when she felt she was ready for a change in scenery. She then moved to Chicago and trained with COMMON conservatory for a year. She has worked with artists such as Noa Zuk and Ohad Fishof, Anouk Van Dijk, Laja Martin, Robyn Mineko Williams, Ibrahim Sabbi, Noelle Kayser, Drew Lewis, Rebecca Aneloski, Shannon Gillen, and Natalie Desch. She is currently working as a freelance dancer based in Chicago.

Kaleigh will be on stage tomorrow in TWO NEW WORKS by Noelle Kayser and Drew Lewis. Come watch Laleigh dance in COMMON’s LAST PERFORMANCE. Link in bio.

Kaleigh Estby is a dancer and artist from Grant Park, IL. She started dancing at the age of 4, and hasn’t stopped since! Kaleigh is heading into her sophomore year at Hope College in Holland, MI to achieve her B.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography. She has previously had the opportunity to be a member of Moonwater’s inaugural Youth Company, and will be joining Hope College’s performance company, Striketime, in the fall. She’s been able to work with creators including Jasmine Meija, Mark Yonally, Heather Cornell, Julie Powell, Mackenzie King, Celine Spinka, Abigail Stachnik, and Kelsey Reiter. During her time at Hope, she has been able to participate in collaborations with other choreographers and dancers in Student Dance Showcases, and was a dancer in Hope’s Dance 49 faculty performance. Kaleigh is thrilled to be a part of this COMMON session and is stoked to work alongside Noelle, Drew, and her fellow artists.

Returning to Fasseas Hall for one night only…Former COMMON conservatory dancer Jenna Weatherbie. Come watch her perform Saturday night at 7:30 at COMMON. Ticket link in bio.

Jenna Weatherbie is a chicago-based artist from Austin, Texas. She is a recent graduate from the University of Texas at Austin where she received her BFA in Dance and a pre-physician assistant certificate. Over the past year, Jenna has been training and performing with COMMON Conservatory in their 2022-2023 season. She has worked with an abundance of renowned choreographers such as Robyn Mineko Williams, Jesse Zarrit, Charles O. Anderson, Erica Gionfriddo, Drew Lewis, Noelle Kayser, Katlin Bourgeois, Andy Noble, and Justin Giles. Jenna has attended intensives with ACDA, NobleMotion Dance, SoulEscape, and COMMON Canvas. Her most recent performances have been with Texas Theatre and Dance, ARCOS Dance, and COMMON Conservatory. She looks forward to continuing her artistic pursuits in Chicago.

Come see Jenna dance this Saturday in new works by Noelle Kayser and Drew Lewis at 7:30pm at COMMON. Ticket link in the bio

Jenna D**e is a rising junior at Marymount Manhattan College, with a concentration in Modern. Born and raised in Wilmette, IL, she danced at Foster Dance Studios in Evanston, IL where she trained in ballet, contemporary, improvisation, jazz, and modern. Jenna was also a part of the youth company (yoco) at Cocodaco Dance Project. 

During her time at Marymount Manhattan, Jenna has trained in ballet, hip-hop, and West African along with Graham, Horton, O’Donnell, and Nikolais technique. Most notably, Jenna has gotten the opportunity to perform works by Gabe Katz, Mary Ann Lamb, and Caleb Teicher and has received additional training from BodyTraffic, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Northwest Dance Project, and Peridance.

She is central to the Chicago Dance Community and she’ll be on stage in a new work by Drew Lewis on Saturday at 7:30 at COMMON’s last performance.

Frances Whitford is a freelance dancer based in Chicago, IL. She trained at Pasadena Dance Theatre, attended Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, and is an alumna of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. In 2017, Frances joined the inaugural class of the Hubbard Street Professional Program. For 3 years she danced under the direction of Alexandra Wells and performed works by Peter Chu, Rena Butler, Robyn Mineko Williams, Alice Klock, Florian Lochner, Jenna Pollack, Ryan Mason, Elia Mrak, and Adam Barruch. Frances co-founded Little Fire Artist Collective in the spring of 2020 and continues to choreograph, perform, facilitate improvisational jams, co-produce shows, and manage the collective. Frances is proud to be a Margie Gillis Legacy Project dancer and to have created opportunities for artistic collaboration this year in San Jose, Costa Rica and Acton Vale, Quebec.

Come watch Caitlin dance in a new work by Noelle Kayser this Saturday at 7:30. This is COMMON’s last performance. Tickets are going quickly. Get your space now! Link in bio.

Caitlin Howland (Massachusetts) is an artist based in Chicago. She graduated cm laude from DePaul University with a B.A. in English and a Double Minor in Performance Studies and Philosophy. Caitlin fell in love with dance at age three, training across Massachusetts and New York. Interested in different genres of movement, she trained in hand balancing and aerial arts with New York based Streb Inc. Further intent on exploring her path with dance, she went on to attend summer sessions with DanceWorks Chicago and Hubbard Street. Caitlin joined COMMON conservatory in January of 2022 diving headfirst into the realm of contemporary dance and its many forms. She performed at Navy Pier Chicago LIVE! and Harvest Contemporary Dance Festival featuring works by Terrence Marling and Project Bound Dance respectively. She’s eager to see where dance takes her next.

Come see Ava dance this weekend in new works by Noelle Kayser and Drew Lewis at COMMON’s last performance. Saturday at 7:30 pm. Ticket link in bio.

Ava Lynn Trpeski is a 17 year old artist from Crown Point IN, and has been dancing since age 11. She’s trained at Industrial Dance Project, Indiana Youth Ballet, and Ruth Page School of Dance, before joining COMMON Conservatory in 2022.  Ava also spent two years with Collaboration Theater as a Youth Artist Activist spreading body positivity and eating disorder awareness; preforming at Navy Pier, Silver Room Block Party, The Simple Good, and Lollapalooza! She is exited to take one last endeavor with COMMON preforming two amazing works!

YES, IT’S TRUE… as of July 29th COMMON will no longer be in operation. THANK YOU! COMMON conservatory has spent the last four years creating over 50 new dance works and launching several professional dance careers. It has been a creative lab for choreographers and teaching artists as well as an important part of their livelihood putting over $200,000 into the community. It has provided dancers with free classes when the pandemic hit. It has provided a hub for the dance community in Chicago through COMMON canvas and open classes. Thank you for being a part of it! I am humbled and honored to have done this work.

I am entering a new phase in my life and retooling how I apply my energies to dance. While I intend to continue teaching and making choreography, I must carve a new path for myself from this point forward. I want to focus my efforts on my family, the advancement of my creative voice and other aspects of design and implementation. I am, and always will be driven by the desire to create. Follow me .terry.dance and terencemarling.com to stay on top of class announcements and creative project work. Thank you immensely for spreading the joy of dance! After this next weekend’s performance, this channel will look backward on the achievements of those artists who were involved with COMMON. We made beautiful things.

You have ONE MORE CHANCE to come enjoy a performance at COMMON. Two choreographers that I wholeheartedly believe in, Noelle Kayser and Drew Lewis will be presenting a program of new work on July 29th at 7:30pm. Tickets are free/pay-what-you-can. These new works will be danced by a group of artists who have participated in the Create + Perform – Session 3 program this summer. Drop in, see some new work and let COMMON give you a big hug goodbye. Link in the bio.

With love always,
T

JOIN US ✨ OPEN CLASSES ✨

Join Noelle Kayser and Drew Lewis for open classes at COMMON through our Create & Perform Summer Session III ⚡️ Classes available July 17th through 28th, Monday through Friday each week. Sign up today via the link in our bio!

Week 1: Noelle Kayser
Monday, July 17th – Friday, July 21st
10:00am - 11:30am Daily

Monday – Adult Contemporary Dancing
Tuesday – Ballet
Wednesday – Advanced Contemporary Modern
Thursday – Ballet
Friday – Adult Contemporary Dancing

Week 2: Drew Lewis
Monday, July 24th – Friday, July 28th
10:00am - 11:30am Daily
Advanced Contemporary

We’ll see you in the studio!✨