Performance date
Friday, September 27, 7 pm-9 pm

Please join us for a night of dancing and the performance of Passed Down. Phree and the performers will be available to answer questions about the work and creative process after the performance.

During his residency at 21c Chicago, Phillip Wood, known as Phree, has been working on Passed Down, a performance representing the transfer of trauma and traditions from generation to generation. This project is created through funding and assistance from the Chicago Dancemakers Forum for their 2024 Lab Artist program.

Passed Down will be performed by Aaron SanJose, Rahila Coats, KC Bevis, Anniela Huidobro, Penny, and Sawyer Newsome.

 

Bios

Phillip Wood, also known as Phree, is a multidisciplinary visual and movement artist from Indianapolis, IN. Currently based in Chicago, he is entering his third year as a company member with Chicago Dance Crash. Phill has had the opportunity to collaborate with esteemed organizations such as The Lyric Opera, Lollapalooza, and Marriott Theater, as well as numerous local artist groups and professionals. Committed to visibility and community engagement, Phill received the 2024 Individual Lab Artist Grant from Chicago Dancemakers Forum. As a self-trained artist, his expression is predominantly showcased through Breaking, Hip Hop, and House dance styles. Additionally, he has extensive training and performance experience in Modern, Tricking, and Contemporary dance. Phill is dedicated to sharing his passion for creativity and artistic freedom, aiming to inspire social change through his work.

Aaron San Jose is a freelancer movement artist from Chula Vista, California who found inspiration in filmmaking and created two personal pieces during the pandemic. Primarily self-trained in House and Hip Hop dance styles, he focuses on expressing “humanistic” traits through movement rooted in emotion. Aaron aspires to share the importance of personal expression while respecting dance history and culture.

Anniela Huidobro is a Mexican dancer, choreographer, and dance educator who graduated from the Mazatlan Professional Dance School (EPDM). She received the PECDA Morelos Grant in 2015 and 2018 (Mexico) and IBERESCENA Grant in 2021. She has 10 years of experience and has performed and taught workshops in countries such as Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, the United States, and different states of Mexico. She currently resides in Chicago, teaching dance classes in different schools and Cultural Centers in the Chicago area. She has taught workshops to the dance community at the University of Chicago, and performed at the Delve Dance Showcase (Chicago) and the Newport Dance Festival in Newport, RI (2023-24). She is a dance artist interested in creating environmental awareness.

Caitlin Wonsowski is an emerging performing artist and choreographer, born and raised in Normal, IL. She graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Columbia College Chicago in 2024 and continues to work in Chicago, IL. She has performed numerous works from choreographers such as Darrell Jones, Michelle Gibson, Bevara Anderson, and Emma Draves. She is currently focusing on utilizing her training and love of collaboration to grow her choreographic abilities and artistic research regarding psychology and the body.

KC Bevis, native to southern Indiana, is a multidisciplinary dance artist currently in her inaugural year as Artistic Director of Chicago Dance Crash. Since joining the company in 2013, she began her journey in the performance ensemble, steadily evolving into pivotal leadership roles that have shaped her career. In 2018, she transitioned into the role of Rehearsal Director, where she choreographed, reset works, managed company artists, and spearheaded educational outreach initiatives. Known for her expansive training in contemporary, jazz, modern, floor work, hip hop, breaking, acrobatics, and house, she seamlessly blends diverse styles to create innovative and impactful performances. Starring in the production “The Bricklayers of Oz” See Chicago Dance says, “Of special note KC Bevis, a dynamic dancer of considerable expressive and technical range.” Beyond her artistic achievements, she is deeply committed to making dance accessible and creating sustainable career pathways for dancers. With a focus on creating original, engaging works that resonate with a wide range of audiences, she is driven by the belief that dance should be a powerful, inclusive art form that speaks to everyone.

Penny- I go by Penny, just one man trying to make a little change. Dancing for 15 years in styles of house, hip hop, animation, and waving. I just love movement!

Rahila Coats is a movement artist based in the Midwest. She has performed new works and repertoire by Abigail Sena Atugah, Kofi Anthonio, Judith Brin Ingber, Karen Charles, Marciano Dos Silva Santos, Drew Lewis (House of DOV), Carl Flink, Kevin Iega Jeff, Ohad Naharin, Andrea Miller, Robert Moses, Leslie Parker, Uri Sands, Chris Schlicting, Erin Kilmurray, Anna Martine Whitehead, and Tali Wertheim- Agranionik and more in and outside the US dance community. Her works have been shown through the support of Chicago DanceWorks, Synapse Arts, Co.mpany Projects, Twenty Percent Productions, Jerusalem Jazz Festival, and Thodos Dance Chicago. In 2021 she received Chicago’s 3Art’s Make A Wave Award along with 120 Chicago-based artists. She toured nationally with Red Clay Dance Company from 2021-2024, and currently performs in Anna Martine Whitehead’s FORCE! An Opera in 3 Acts. Rahila regularly performs and composes music with the music collective Family Junket.

Sawyer Newsome is a distinguished dance artist currently based in Chicago, originally hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina. He spent three formative years in New York and holds a BFA in Dance Performance from Rutgers University. During his time at Rutgers, he had the privilege of working with renowned choreographers such as Doug Elkins, Pam Tanowitz, and Shannon Gillen. Following graduation, Newsome relocated to Utah during the pandemic to launch his career. There, he performed with the Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company and co-founded the NewBrese Dance Project with his partner, Rachel Calabrese. After returning to New York, Sawyer performed with Artichoke Dance Company and Catapult Entertainment, and has curated and performed multiple works with NewBrese throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.