Photo by NehamaShots
"Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul."
Plato
Forum Contemporary Jazz Dance Theatre was started in 1997 by Shelley Page Hoselton and founding artistic director, Kelly Hayes, as part of an after-school dancing social group. In 2000, Forum Dance Theatre's artistic director, Kelly Hayes, moved to New York City and started the Red Shift Dance Company. Eddy Ocampo assumed the role of Artistic Director and developed Talent Forum's Summer Intensive, a summer dance program with instructors from River North Chicago Dance, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Joffrey Ballet, Mia Michaels RAW, Ballet Hispanico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and Dance Theatre of Harlem, as well as master choreographers like Harrison McEldowney, Randy Duncan and even Gus Giordano himself.
In 2014 Eddy Ocampo created LEVELdance based in Chicago, at which time Kimberly Fletcher-Stibal assumed the role of Artistic Director for the company and Catie Deitz-Griffith became Director of Forum Dance Theatre 2. Brent Caburnay remains the Ballet Master for the entire company. Richard Smith continued as Director of Forum Training Company until 2015, when Sinead Gildea assumed that company role.
In 2018 Kim moved to Maine and Catie Deitz became the Artistic Director and Lindsey Beebe took over as Director of Forum 2. Catie's mission for Forum is to serve as a catalyst for young, aspiring artists to envision, expand and collaborate on dance works which challenge the artistic depth and creativity that are involved in Contemporary dance. Catie is inspired and energized by the development of young dancers. She is committed to helping her students reach their full potential as dancers, while simultaneously building a foundation of discipline and excellence that her students will use throughout their lives.
The company began with only 5 members and premiered in an in-studio performance at Talent Forum. Over the years, the company dropped "Contemporary" and "Jazz" from its name, recently becoming Forum Dance Theatre. The Company has grown into one of the Midwest's leading pre-professional training programs, and today has nearly 50 members, three divisions, an artistic staff of four, an administrative staff of five, and over 50 volunteers.
Forum Dance Theatre is a 501(c)3 youth dance ensemble within Talent Forum of Libertyville, Illinois.
In 2014 Eddy Ocampo created LEVELdance based in Chicago, at which time Kimberly Fletcher-Stibal assumed the role of Artistic Director for the company and Catie Deitz-Griffith became Director of Forum Dance Theatre 2. Brent Caburnay remains the Ballet Master for the entire company. Richard Smith continued as Director of Forum Training Company until 2015, when Sinead Gildea assumed that company role.
In 2018 Kim moved to Maine and Catie Deitz became the Artistic Director and Lindsey Beebe took over as Director of Forum 2. Catie's mission for Forum is to serve as a catalyst for young, aspiring artists to envision, expand and collaborate on dance works which challenge the artistic depth and creativity that are involved in Contemporary dance. Catie is inspired and energized by the development of young dancers. She is committed to helping her students reach their full potential as dancers, while simultaneously building a foundation of discipline and excellence that her students will use throughout their lives.
The company began with only 5 members and premiered in an in-studio performance at Talent Forum. Over the years, the company dropped "Contemporary" and "Jazz" from its name, recently becoming Forum Dance Theatre. The Company has grown into one of the Midwest's leading pre-professional training programs, and today has nearly 50 members, three divisions, an artistic staff of four, an administrative staff of five, and over 50 volunteers.
Forum Dance Theatre is a 501(c)3 youth dance ensemble within Talent Forum of Libertyville, Illinois.
- The 2017 season brought numerous opportunities to Forum Dance Theatre, including Regional Dance America's National Festival of Dance in Phoenix, Arizona. Forum performed two pieces of choreography, one of which was selected for recipient of the National Choreography Award. This marked the third year in a row for a Forum choreographer to set work on our dancers and earn the achievement. Interestingly, the recipient of the award was a former Forum company member, Joey Columbus, who was also the featured alum during the 2017 season's Alumni Choreography Project. Over 75 dance companies and 2000 dancers participated in the national event. Nine seniors graduated this year, several who will continue with dance in college.
- Our 2016 season propelled our dancers to new levels of the discipline of dance. Forum was honored to have a total of five pieces of choreography adjudicated for presentation during the 2016 RDA MidStates Ballet Association Festival. Among those pieces, our company presented choreography entitled "Lost and Found" by Ahmad Simmons, who was awarded the MidStates Ballet Association's 2016 National Choreography Award for that work during the festival. A second work, entitled "Between the Lines" which was choreographed by Catie Deitz-Griffith, received RDA's Mid-States Region Emerging Choreographer Award. Many of our dancers were recognized with scholarship programs for dance intensives throughout the country and also had the opportunity to meet with college recruiters.
- During June 2015, Forum toured Austria while performing in the Stars of Tomorrow "Solaris" tour for Young!Tanzsomer. Seven performances were held in Bregenz, St. Johann, Innsbruck and Absam. Forum Dance Theatre brought several pieces from its repertoire, including: (into) The Arcane, choreographed by Ahmad Simmons; Bird Flu, choreographed by Kimberly Fletcher-Stibal; Coda, choreographed by Brent Cabornay; and To Never Hold, choreographed by Lizzie MacKenzie. Forum also joined Allegro Ballet of Houston and Dallas Ballet Company in all finale performances.
- Forum proudly performed two adjudicated pieces of work during 2015 Regional Dance America's MidStates Ballet Association Festival this past May, including that of "Bach Suite," choreographed by Jessica Miller Tomlinson and "Coda," choreographed by Brent Caburnay. Cabernay received the National Choreography Recognition Award at RDA for his work, "Coda."
- During 2014, RDA adjudicated five works of choreography, and selected three pieces to be showcased before other choreographers and dancers during its dance festival. Pieces performed included: Lodestar/unruddered, choreographed by Eddy Ocampo; (into) the Archane, choreographed by Ahmad Simmons; and Sodality, choreographed by Kimberly Fletcher-Stibal. Performances were held during Memorial Day weekend at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
- In 2012, Forum was the first youth contemporary dance company to be accepted as a Regional Dance America member of the Mid-States Region, which consists of 12 states. It was then that Forum joined approximately 80 pre-professional ballet companies from across the United States to participate annually in either regional or national classes and performances. During that year Forum won the National Choreography Award for "Ehsaas," choreographed by Brent Caburnay and Eddy Ocampo when they performed at the national Festival in Montreal, Canada.
- During 2009, Forum Dance Theatre participated in Young!Tanzsommer, a prestigious youth dance festival that tours Europe each summer. Forum traveled to both Austria and Italy, performing in Innsbruck, Venice, St. Johann, Saizburg, Linz and Kinderdorf.
- In 2007, Forum Dance Theatre premiered Eddy Ocampo's choreography entitled "Gekkoh," at the Jazz Dance World Congress at Harris Theatre in Chicago, IL. Ocampo Won the event's Gold Shoe Award for his choreography after the group's phenomenal performance.
- In 2001 Forum Dance Theatre participated in an International Dance Collaboration with the Ekaterinburg Contemporary Dance Company in Ekaterinburg, Russia.