About
Rockford Dance Company (RDC) pursues excellence in the art of dance through performance, education and outreach. RDC is comprised of a company of dancers as well as a variety of educational classes for beginning and experienced dancers.
Pursue Excellence
Since its inception in 1973 by Jayne Poor and Chuck Hoenes, the goal to offer a quality program to our community has been our highest priority. The call to dancers in 1973 resulted in 86 dancers becoming the charter members of Rockford Dance Company. During the beginning years, the focus of the company slowly turned to ballet technique and in 1982, with the driving force of the Board of Directors, a school was established. Rockford Dance Company was an organization “On the Move” until they settled in their present home at the Riverfront Museum Park. RDC is one of five not-profit organizations (Rockford Symphony Orchestra, The Rockford Art Museum, The Discovery Center and WNIU/WNIJ) that produce quality programs in this Rockford Park District facility. The Rockford community is proud to have the best dance facility in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. This facility rivals most professional studios with five state of the art studios all with large viewing windows.
Since our inception, RDC has encouraged the highest aspirations of its dancers. Joy Xu (Artistic Director, 1987-1995) exposed her dancers to two tours of China to perform at the Arts Festival in Sheng Yang and the Shanghai Arts Festival. Margaret Faust, (Artistic Director, 1995-2011) enforced a more intense schedule of classes resulting in a higher caliber of dancers. Ms. Faust won two Mayor Arts Awards for her productions of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “The Sleeping Beauty.”
Art of Dance
RDC is committed to the individual student’s growth as a dancer and artist along with instilling the qualities that are essential to a successful life; discipline, responsibility, and teamwork.
Becoming a dancer is a process that challenges the individual to find his or her limits and then go beyond them. Dance inspires you to become more than what you are in order to express the human condition. It engages the body, the mind, and the soul.
The study of classical ballet is scientifically developed to accommodate the growing dancer's abilities and skills. As a child's skeletal and muscular structure develops over the years, the movement required is geared to what is appropriate at that stage. The end result should yield the stretch and strength needed to create a vibrant instrument, the dancers’ body.
One of our young students expressed this best: "at other schools I learned a dance, at RDC I learned how to dance."
Performance
RDC Supports a company of dancers from the Rockford Region. We challenge that company to strive for artistic excellence with a rigorous training and rehearsal regimen to produce professional performances.
The Rockford Dance Company, a pre-professional dance company, is one of four resident performing organizations of the historic Coronado Theater. Now in its 39th season, RDC produces The Nutcracker with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra annually and an evening- length ballet performance in the spring. The company also performs in a variety of small concerts throughout the year in various venues. RDC received the Mayor's Arts Award for its production of a Midsummer Night's Dream in 2004.
Most of the Company members receive their dance training through the School of Rockford Dance Company and participate in the RDC Jr. Company, the performing company of our school. Trainee, apprentices, full company members and associates commit to an extensive training program that consists of regular classes and rehearsals.
School
Since 1981 the school of Rockford Dance Company has been dedicated to providing the best possible dance education in a professional, friendly, and caring atmosphere.
Classes are offered year round for ages 3 to senior citizens. A variety of dance forms are offered for all levels of experience as well as dance related exercise classes. Our state of the art facility houses 5 studios with two way windows for parent observations. Our studios are located at the Rockford Park District's Riverfront Museum Park on the 2nd floor.