Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble

Adler capably weaves together stinging snippets of text and the suggestion of one woman's world unraveling in almost lyrical measures -- aided by the unsettling music/sound design by Tim Hort, Braham Fetter and Joe Griffin -- the drama remains on an intimate, subconscious plane.
Chicago Tribune

After receiving a Master’s degree in Directing and Movement from the University of Illionis at Chicago, Ellyzabeth Adler founded Project Danztheatre Company in 2001 creating a resource for dancers and actors whose interests extend beyond their primary artistic discipline. “Danztheatre” comes from the German Expressionist movement, tanztheater founded by Rudolf von Laban, who "through dance hoped to unite all art media and achieve an all-embracing, radical change in humankind." Adler hoped to foster a sense of true artistic collaboration within Project Danztheatre Company, drawing on the many artistic media to create multi-sensory dance/theatre performances.
Believing in bringing quality art experiences to children, the company included opportunities for members to work as teachers and visiting artists in the Chicago area private and public schools. In order to facilitate this growing outreach program, Project Danztheatre Company divided its work into two separate projects: the adult performing company, Chicago Danztheatre Company and the outreach program, Kids Project.
Kids Project, founded in 2002, strives to help build a foundation for artistic appreciation and greater self-esteem by introducing young students to the fine and performing arts, using children’s literature as a vehicle. CDE has since expanded its outreach program to high schools with the Teen Project. Our goal is to increase an awareness of arts and literacy in children of all backgrounds, through experiences in many artistic disciplines, including painting, photography, acting, and dance.
Since 2001, Project Danztheatre Company has created seven original productions and countless smaller festival pieces. In an effort to re-imagine the company and bring the organization back to its origins and initial mission, Adler worked with the ensemble and Board of Directors to re-establish the ensemble with a stronger emphasis on theatre. To balance the new artistic emphasis and highlight the collaborative nature of the work, the company chose a new name: Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble.
Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble continues its performance style that seamlessly weaves theatre, dance, visual art, media, and text into performances with purpose that both stimulate and engage the audience. Our commitment to community outreach remains unwavering. The change is not so much our going in a new direction, but our renewed vigor in our pursuit of the ideals on which the company was first built.