Artfully Crafted Narratives
We are passionately dedicated to building bridges within our community through the transformative power of the arts. Our core mission is to foster deep connections among community members and organizations, cultivating a supportive and collaborative environment where creativity can truly flourish. We aim to initiate meaningful conversations from an artistic standpoint, sparking dialogue and exchange that leads to a deeper understanding and appreciation of dance and the arts.
We create unique opportunities for individuals and dance artists to connect, share ideas, and work together towards common goals. We aim serve as a catalyst for innovation, creativity, and artistic expression, significantly enriching our community's cultural landscape. We seek to inspire and empower individuals to explore their artistic potential and contribute to the vibrant tapestry of our local arts scene.In the 2025 In.Grained series, TDC company member Anna Wetoska shared a deeply personal journey through loss and healing. Her choreography, a poignant memorial to her mother's battle with breast cancer, illuminated the power of connection, hope, resilience, and love. Through her artfully curated movement, Anna navigated the darkness of grief, emerging into the light of her present adulthood. This work fostered awareness and de-stigmatized the emotional landscape of loss, offering a powerful testament to the human spirit's capacity for healing.The Only Way Is Through
2025 at McGrath Center for the Performing Arts Wilmette IL
Take Care
A veteran of the TDC company, Andi Fitzgerald, presented a deeply personal and artfully curated work in the 2025 In.Grained series. Her choreography courageously addressed mental health, drawing from her own journey to find solace in artistic expression. Her work aimed to destigmatize mental health, offering a testament to the healing potential of art and human connection.“Take Care” also featured a creative collaboration with composer Saurab Bhargava. Saurab and Andi’s shared artistic journey, marked by mutual inspiration, has resulted in a series of unique music and dance works, demonstrating the power of true collaborative creation.
"It was easy to step into the world Andi envisioned: to feel the journey from struggle to peace. It is vital that we see one another in all of these moments, to hold compassion and empathy for those who are struggling as much as we celebrate life's highlights. Ultimately, it is our love for each other that supports all our humanity. We hope this piece, and this program, help shine a light on the importance of taking care - of ourselves and each other." Saurab Bhargava
“Working with Saurab has been an incredible experience. He takes the essence of a concept and translates its emotion into sound. “Day Arising” began as a simple phone conversation and evolved into a stunning seven-minute song. His music inspired the movement, and collaborating with him was an absolute joy.”-Andi Fitzgerald
2025 at Prairie Center for the Performing Arts, Schaumburg IL
We were profoundly inspired by Amanda Beedle's intentional choices in life, especially as her daughters, Annabelle and Abigail, were diagnosed with Batten disease, a rare and progressive genetic disorder. To amplify their powerful story and raise crucial awareness, we partnered with Kathy Romanski at Lurie Children's Hospital for a unique artistic endeavor.
TDC Choreographer Ava Wichser-Foerster thoughtfully translated Amanda's profoundly personal journey into a powerful dance piece. This work conveyed the emotional weight of the diagnosis, the daily challenges of care, and the unwavering strength of the Beedle family. To further connect our art with the community, our company members participated in the "Beedles Braving Batten" event, walking alongside the family and performing excerpts of the piece. This experience amplified the message of support and brought the Beedles' story directly to those who needed to hear it most.Tulips
2024 at Daley Plaza, Chicago, IL
The Power of Beauty
2024 at The Edge Theatre, Chicago, IL
In 2023, we partnered with The Grace Network, an organization supporting the nearly 15% of Chicago Public School students facing hygiene insecurity. We crafted choreography to amplify the students' stories, and through audience donations from ticket sales, we provided thousands of dollars in hygiene supplies, assembling hundreds of care kits. This collaboration powerfully demonstrated art's ability to directly impact community well-being, and we're excited to announce a deeper partnership with The Grace Network is now in development for 2025.
This performance also featured a collaboration with Lo Atelier. TDC choreographers and visual artist Lauren Lichtenstein broke down traditional boundaries to forge new avenues of expression. Their pieces explored the intrinsic connection between visual and performance art, treating both as conduits for soulful expression. Lauren hand-painted the costumes, and the music was directly inspired by the sounds of her painting process. Nothing More
2023 at Park Ridge Community Church, Park Ridge IL
A significant collaboration between TDC and Park Ridge Community Church addressed the complex relationship between God, religion, and the LGBTQ+ community. The church's creation of a pamphlet, featuring authentic stories of members grappling with their sexual identity within a religious context, provided the source material for TDC's work. TDC engaged deeply with these narratives, translating them into a cohesive and impactful dance performance. This collaborative effort, designed to promote inclusivity and understanding, was shared across three locations, amplifying the project's message.
2022 at The Rooted Space, Chicago IL
Heal
This performance was in partnership with Emerald Place Memory Care Facility, where TDC facilitated a special dance residency that fostered human connection in the face of memory loss. Weekly dance classes brought residents and their spouses together, providing a rare opportunity for shared experience. For many couples, separated by the progression of Alzheimer's/Dementia, these classes were a cherished time to reconnect. The power of music often sparked moments of clarity, enabling residents to recognize familiar songs and share meaningful dances with their partners. Being part of these moments of shared joy and connection was an incredibly moving experience for everyone involved
Finding Home
2021 at the On Your Feet Foundation Fundraiser, Evanston IL
This performance was part of a year long collaboration with Erasing the Distance, a Chicago-based non-profit, uses performance to combat mental health stigma and promote dialogue. TDC translated Erasing the Distance's interview-based monologues into dance performances, aiming to raise awareness and spark conversations about mental health through the adoption process. The collaboration's impact was significant, leading to numerous side projects. These included a salon performance with the On Your Feet Foundation, a partnership to adapt a children's book on coping strategies into a performance for elementary students, and the launch of the TDC Library of Humanity Initiative.Sign Off
2019 at the Sign Off Foundation Fundraiser, Chicago IL
Our collaboration with Sign Off was a powerful catalyst for genuine human connection. The moment attendees handed over their phones, a shared vulnerability emerged – a collective acknowledgment of how much we rely on technology as a social shield. This initial discomfort quickly gave way to deeper engagement. Without recording devices, the audience could fully immerse themselves in our performance, fostering a heightened emotional connection with the dancers and the art. Conversations flowed freely, sparked by the unique setting of the artifact-filled mansion and the shared experience of being truly present.
Beyond the immediate impact, we believe this event prompted introspection, encouraging participants to reconsider their relationship with technology and prioritize real-life interactions. This ripple effect can strengthen community bonds, shift us towards more mindful technology use, and inspire future initiatives that champion authentic, in-the-moment experiences. Ultimately, this partnership proved that by removing the digital barrier, we rediscover the profound power of unfiltered human connection.Takeda Pharmaceuticals commissioned TDC to create a performance honoring the company's veteran employees. To achieve this, Trifecta members engaged in interviews with the veterans, gathering their stories and experiences. These narratives were then transformed into an original dance piece, performed for hundreds of Takeda employees at a corporate event. The veterans' stories, brought to life through movement, resonated deeply, shattering the perception of dance as abstract and inaccessible, and instead revealing its power to connect and illuminate personal narratives.2019 at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Deerfield IL
Take Flight
Displaced
2018 at DePaul University, Chicago IL
TDC and DePaul University's Dax Program forged a powerful artistic partnership, resulting in a performance that humanized the statistics of student homelessness. By collaborating, learning, and artfully depicting the stories of Dax Program students, they brought awareness to a critical issue. The performance's impact was evident in the generous donations received from audience members, directly benefiting the Dax Program.The partnership culminated in a powerful performance at the World's Big Sleep Out. This global event, which saw over 60,000 people sleep out in solidarity with those experiencing homelessness and displacement, aimed to raise awareness and funds for this critical issue. TDC's performance, which artistically portrayed the experiences of Dax Program students facing housing insecurity, was a significant part of this event. The performance served as a compelling and artistic means to deepen understanding of the challenges faced by housing-insecure students.Legacy
2018 at the Vittum Theater, Chicago IL
The Our Lady of Perpetual Help Widowed Support Group's partnership with TDC was a deeply moving testament to the power of shared stories and artistic collaboration. The women of the support group, in an act of profound vulnerability, opened their hearts and shared deeply personal narratives, spanning their entire life journeys. From cherished childhood memories to the joys and challenges of marriage, and ultimately, the profound grief of widowhood, their stories formed the foundation for the dance performance. TDC transformed the personal stories into physical expression, embodying the emotions and experiences shared by the women., The performance served as a powerful celebration of the women's resilience, community dedication, and the transformative power of art to connect, heal, and honor the enduring strength of the human spirit.
