Our History

The Space Movement Project is an all-female contemporary dance collective. An active member of the Chicago dance community since 2005, TSMP has presented original works at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, Hamlin Park Fieldhouse, Links Hall, Roosevelt University and the Prop Theater. In 2015, TSMP was commissioned by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events to create evening length work ‘Bottom’s Edge’ which premiered at Jay Pritzker Pavilion Stage at Millennium Park. The company has appeared in numerous local performance events including the Chicago Fringe Festival, PRODUCE, Dance Union, Bodies in Urban Spaces and Chicago Home Theater Festival. TSMP has also appeared at Beloit College (Wisconsin), the Festival Internacional Teatro Susana Alexander (Mexico), the Joyce SoHo A.W.A.R.D. Show All-Stars (New York), the Cincinnati Fringe Festival (Ohio), Durham Arts Council (North Carolina), The Dance Complex (Massachusetts) and Light Box (Michigan). In 2018, TSMP presented and performed findings of its collaborative dance making process at the Bill Evans Somatic Dance Conference at Hobart William Smith College in Geneva, NY. The group has led workshops at Elon University, Beloit College and Moving Target Boston and has performed original works by Emily Stein and Ayako Kato.

TSMP prioritizes individual artistic development both within its group and for other practicing artists and audiences. From 2010-2017, the organization managed Wicker Park studio space OuterSpace Studios. During their tenure as managers, the space hosted over 200 artists annually for regular practice and performance. In 2014-2015, the organization partnered with NYC-based dance service organization Pentacle to provide operational support for its Chicago programs. A firm believer in the power of sharing resources to facilitate community, TSMP has co-produced numerous engagements with Chicago artists at venues such as The Dance Center of Columbia College, Ruth Page Center for the Arts, Hamlin Park Fieldhouse Studio Theater, Links Hall and OuterSpace.

TSMP is a founding collaborator of GRUNT, a grassroots touring initiative that supports mid-career artists in developing opportunities to curate and present work locally and nationally. Through this initiative, TSMP has produced showings and performances in Chicago and traveled to Detroit, MI for a shared engagement with Kristi Faulkner Dance in 2017. In 2019, TSMP co-produced GRUNT Festival Chicago in partnership with Links Hall’s 40th Anniversary season and network partners J’Sun Howard and Ashley Fargnoli.