Clinard Dance Theatre is a constantly evolving ensemble of performers and collaborators lead by Artistic Director Wendy Clinard that was formed in 1999. The ensemble has been comprised of professional puppeteers, dancers, musicians, and visual artists. Collaborations have included artists from Zimbabwe, Spain, Morocco, Syria, and India, as well as many well-respected Chicago and U.S. artists.

All of Clinard Dance Theatre's work starts with a seed from great artists - authors, painters, sculptors, and dancers. How our works relate to our current social and political environment is always the impetus for the theatre experience we produce and offer with great joy and sincerity to the public.

In our collaborations we build from the universal to the particular, from ideas born of observation to observations that give birth to an idea; we work to integrate our experiences born of passion to an evocation of what is most deeply personal. Our collaborator’s backgrounds converge offering an understanding of our human predicaments in the buried generations of humanity and eternity.

Notes from one collaborator, poet Ken Kessel. Ken wrote an original libretto for their work “Un Sueno Fuera del Lugar”:

In early summer 2008, I worked with Clinard Dance Theatre to begin to bring “Un Sueno Fuera del Lugar” to life, and in September 2008, performed in the opening excerpt, as well as watching performances of Clinard’s fully-realized “Jondo Portraits.” 

From all three perspectives --- creative collaborator, performer and audience member – one has the sense of being on the edge of something about to happen.  Wendy has a soft intensity, an abiding faith in people and their inherent creativity, a breadth and depth to her focus and a beckoning inclusiveness that bring out the best in those around her.   Her strength and creative passion is inspiring and contagious.
 
It is hard to do justice to the wonder of being present at the birthing of such a piece.  Poetic lines transform into staccato polyrhythms of tongue clicks, “palmas” and foot taps, then take the shape of an ancient and  plaintive Flamenco melody or rhythm. These become brushstrokes on rice paper, conversations between cello, guitar and percussion and then somehow the flow of the body in dance.  We lose track of where ideas originated and bring to life something that has pieces of all of us, yet transcends any one of us individually.