YOU'RE INVITED: THE REAL DANCE - SEASON 2 PREMIERE - DECEMBER 5, CHICAGO
WATCH. IT. ALL.
THE REAL DANCE: SEASON 2 PREMIERE + SEASON 1 RE-SCREENING
Starring Alison Kopit, Lichen Bouboushian, and Tuli + Tithi Bera
Co-directed by Grace McCants + Nora Sharp
Thursday, December 5 at FACETS, 1517 W. Fullerton, Chicago
Doors at 6:30pm, screening at 7pm
Running time: 90min
Tickets $10-$20
Hi everyone,
I’m writing to invite you to join us for the long-awaited premiere of Season 2 of The Real Dance, Chicago's DIY reality TV dance film series. We are excited to be releasing three brand new episodes featuring movement artists Alison Kopit, Lichen Bouboushian, and Tuli + Tithi Bera. If you don’t need to know more, get your tickets now <3
For those of you who know me and Grace: if you’ve ever heard us talk about a dance film we made that was actually basically about our relationship, then you’ve heard us talk about The Real Dance. The project was initially pitched to and commissioned by the Pivot Arts Festival in 2021, and began with a pilot episode that followed a set of dancers at the cusp of the covid vaccination era. It became a co-directorship in 2022 with the episode we made about ourselves. Season 2 turns the lens to a wide-ranging set of artists we cast and shot in 2023.
When I write about this project on websites and applications, I say: The Real Dance is a DIY-reality-TV short film series that approaches contemporary dancemaking through a low-stakes, high-investment aesthetic & entertainment lens, focusing on the daily lives, dramas, and backstories of people who make dance. I could also say that it’s a project shaped in response to realities like: Why do I always want to know more about the person left unspoken behind or inside of the movement? Why are dance films often so boring or alienating? How can process or practice be a trojan horse for something relatable? If it looks nice, can it also make you care?
I am so grateful to the artists who are part of Season 2: Alison, Lichen, Tithi, & Tuli. From audio description time travel to sibling dynamics to looking for love in a broken world, the three short films we made about these artists attempt to reveal the unexpected high stakes hiding in plain sight amidst what we call dance.
If you never got to see Season 1 - fear not! The Season 2 premiere will be followed by a re-screening of both episodes of Season 1 (2021-22), which features Christina Chammas, Jenn Freeman | Po'Chop, Irene Hsiao, Dorian Vanunu, and Grace and yours truly too. Lead cinematography for all episodes is by Bea Cabrera, Sydney Sullivan, and Spence Warren, with Sydney Sullivan on lead editing support, and the dancers themselves on cinematography for the pilot.
Accessibility info & what to expect the night of:
Doors will open at 6:30pm and the screening will start at 7pm.
Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase at concessions.
Running time for this event is 90 minutes, including a 10min intermission.
All films are open captioned.
FACETS is a ground-floor space with an accessible entrance to the cinema and limited designated spaces for wheelchair or mobility devices; please see more here.
We will be providing KN95 masks at the door of the theater and encouraging attendees to wear them.
Info on transit, parking, and more available here.
Stick around after the films for a hang and celebration until they kick us out!
Ticket income will be distributed amongst collaborators from both seasons of the show. So get yours today.
Can’t make it person? Keep your antennae up for word of an upcoming virtual screening!
And cause we gotta rep it: The Real Dance has been partially supported by an Individual Artists Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, as well as a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. Episodes have screened at local, regional, and international festivals, including the Pivot Arts Festival, Midwest RAD Fest, Elevate Chicago, the IN/MOTION Dance Film Festival, the Inspired Dance Film Festival (AUS), and Dance Camera Istanbul. Season 1 is currently streaming on Open TV.
Hope you’re hanging in, and hope to see you there.
Yours,
Nora