photo by steed media service

Finale Choreographer, Dance for Life

Choreographer Randy Duncan speaks to the world through complex, synchronized movements. There is a meaning behind each shift, flux, twist and gesture that Duncan seeks to relay to the audience. "Make sure you have something to say. There are dancers or choreographers [who] do movement for movement's sake, which is a good thing. [But] as long as you know that's what you're doing fine," said Randy Duncan, Finale Choreographer for Dance for Life. "There are others who have a message behind what they are saying [with the dance]." For the finale of "Dance for Life" (DFL), Duncan prefers the latter.

DFL is an annual dance event that brings together some of Chicago's best dance companies, including The Joffrey Ballet, to raise money to fight HIV and AIDS. The organization started 16 years ago by a group of dancers who wanted to do something about the HIV and AIDS epidemic that claimed the lives of their friends. DFL has quickly become the Midwest's largest performance-based fundraiser, raising over $3 million for various AIDS organizations since its inception.

Choreographing since 1979, Duncan has an extensive repertoire including work on his first film, "Save the Last Dance," with actor Julia Stiles. The Chicago native said having something to say is one of the best things about what he does overall, and he always tries to correspond his orchestrated movements with a theme or subject.

"For the finale for DFL it is about community, it is about togetherness, it is about helping each other and you can see that through the dance," he said. "Some folks want to talk about trees, love, hate.as long as you have something to say, and not just to get up there to do some sort of recital as you did as a kid, that's different," he said. -tarin harris

For more information, e-mail Duncan at randy@duncandance.com .

Share this article with a friend

More business professionals