Welcome to SoleStance

From Ballet To Belly!
Jazz dancers leaping for Frisbees!  Hawaiian dancers summoning the ancient hula!  Acrobats flipping through suspended fabric!  Couples dueling in an Argentinean Tango!  These are a few of the images presented in the popular annual Solestance Dance Festival.
“It's our variety that makes us unique,” exclaims Jamie Horban, the show’s founder and producer.  “No other dance festival in Chicago offers so many styles or ethnic groups on one program.”
Some of the styles that have been featured on Solestance  include  ballet, jazz, modern, tap, hip-hop, salsa, flamenco, acrobatics, Indian, Hawaiian, belly dance, Latin, ballroom, swing, gypsy, tango and Celtic. 

Each year, fifteen  talented choreographers and groups from different locations in Chicago are unified under one roof.  As a result, the audience of SoleStance experiences sixteen  different dance pieces representing an incredible variety in style and tone in the course of one night.  Horban’s purpose is to create a lively, eclectic, one-of-a-kind show that both educates and entertains.  “There is always something for everyone,” Ms. Horban comments.

In addition to providing the audience with a pleasurable viewing experience, SoleStance also has a loftier ideal. “Unifying the often segmented dance community has long been a goal of SoleStance,” comments Ms. Horban. The 31-year-old producer has made it her goal to help network artists in the Chicago community.  “Collaboration is so very important, yet it is often difficult for dancers to locate each other.” Each year, all the dancers in SoleStance return to the stage for the final piece on the program: a collaborative effort between everyone involved in the show. “Imagine a dance piece  that spans so many styles!  It really is very exciting every year to see what emerges!” exclaims Ms. Horban.