Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival 2019

Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival was founded in 2010 as a way to share and celebrate the work of practicing contemporary dance artists and companies. NICOLE GIFFORD (PRODUCER) IS THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF NICOLE GIFFORD DANCE AND HAS BEEN PERFORMING, CHOREOGRAPHING PRODUCING DANCE IN CHICAGO SINCE 1998. A GRADUATE OF WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, SHE EARNED HER BAS IN ENGLISH, WITH MINOR DEGREES IN DANCE AND CREATIVE WRITING. NICOLE ENJOYS LAYERING HER CHOREOGRAPHY WITH POETRY LIVE MUSIC, FOCUSING SPECIFICALLY ON JAZZ-FUSION, FOR ITS IMPROVISATIONAL ELEMENT. HER WORK HAS BEEN PERFORMED AT MANY CHICAGO DANCE FESTIVALS INCLUDING AROUND THE COYOTE, DANCE CHICAGO, FULL CIRCLE, REBOUND AND OLD TOWN SCHOOL OF FOLK MUSICS WORLD DANCE NIGHT. NICOLE HAS CO-PRODUCED SEVERAL DANCE CONCERTS SINCE 2005, SHARING THE STAGE WITH CHICAGO ARTISTS MARQUEZ DANCE PROJECT, JAY-SON DANCE PROJECT AND CORE PROJECT. THANKS TO A DANCE BRIDGE RESIDENCY THROUGH THE CHICAGO CULTURAL CENTERS DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, SHE WAS RECENTLY ABLE TO PRODUCE MILES ELECTRIC; AN EVENING LENGTH WORK OF DANCE PERFORMED ENTIRELY TO LIVE MUSIC FROM MILES DAVIS' ELECTRIC PERIOD. HER WORK HAS ALSO RECEIVED SUPPORT FROM THE ILLINOIS ARTS COUNCIL. NICOLE WORKS FULL TIME TEACHING BALLROOM DANCE TO ADULTS AT MAY I HAVE THIS DANCE AND THROUGH THEIR YOUTH PROGRAM, DANCING WITH CLASS. More Info below.