Christopher "Mad Dog" Thomas
Program Manager and Artistic Director for Kumba Lynx Performance Ensemble, Member of the Creation Footwork Battle Clique

Simone Stevens
Company Artist with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

Jonathan Pacheco
Company Dancer with the Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater

Devika Dhir
Freelance Dancer

Lynn Cole
Owner of Rhythm of the Street Dance Studio, Teacher, and Choreographer

Silvita Diaz Brown
Choreographer, Dancer, and Artistic Director of Sildance/Acrodanza

Exploring the internal and external forces that perceive dancers and then decide their value through the insights of Chicago dancers.

Hear about the invisible barriers dancers face in aspiring to institutionalize their form — a viable process to give non-European dance forms increased credibility and gain access to resources that will mature their career and elevate the art.

Contentment and fulfillment are not solely defined by salary or income alone for many dancers and the traditional image of "the Dancer" (sustaining yourself with a full time contract from a single, major company, touring constantly and creating constantly) is not one that the community is wholly committed to. So what is the image? And who defines it?