DEEPLY ROOTED APPOINTS MAKEDA CRAYTON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOINING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR NICOLE CLARKE-SPRINGER

One of Chicago’s Only Dance Companies Led by 2 Women

 

DEEPLY ROOTED APPOINTS MAKEDA CRAYTON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOINING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR NICOLE CLARKE-SPRINGER

 One of Chicago’s Only Dance Companies Led by 2 Women

Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and its parent organization, Deeply Rooted Productions, have commenced 2023 with significant developments in its evolution, as the organization continues to grow as one of Chicago’s premier dance institutions. Now under the leadership of Nicole Clarke-Springer, artistic director since fall 2019, and, as of January 1, Makeda Crayton as executive director, Deeply Rooted is one of Chicago’s only major dance companies led by two Black women.

Priorities for Clarke-Springer and Crayton include expanding the company’s performance schedule, broadening the Dance Education program, and opening the Deeply Rooted Center for Black Dance and Creative Communities (Deeply Rooted Dance Center), a state- and city-supported facility for dance education and collaborative programs with community partners on Chicago’s South Side.

“I am thrilled to have Makeda join our team and partner with me to lead Deeply Rooted to its next level as an institution,” Clarke-Springer said. “Conceiving, developing, and implementing the company’s artistic vision is only one component of how I view my leadership role as artistic director. I want to ensure the highest level of excellence in all areas of the organization, including its financial plans. Often, the roles of artistic director and executive director are siloed into art and finance, with finance ‘managing’ the art at the expense of the company’s mission, vision, and values. Having a strong business acumen from my arts administration-dance degree from Butler University has given me a perspective on both roles. Makeda understands this and has a similar background, which allows us to work side by side with the mutual respect we need to move Deeply Rooted forward. As the old adage goes, ‘iron sharpens iron.’”

“We are ushering in the next generation of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and I am honored to continue this company’s legacy and take it to new heights,” Crayton said. “Our work during the next few years will grow and strengthen the organization’s infrastructure to position Deeply Rooted for long-term institutional sustainability. The company has expanded to a 26-week contract for our dancers, and we are making plans for more frequent performances on Chicago stages as well as resuming some national and international touring. We also intend to further develop our Dance Education programs, now in two locations, in anticipation of the opening of the Deeply Rooted Dance Center.”

Crayton continued, “Every time I introduce myself to someone, they have nothing but good things to say about our company. We want to activate that energy so we can continue to grow as an institution. And our Deeply Rooted Dance Center will be a crucial element in that growth, addressing cultural and economic disparities caused by long-standing disinvestment. It is rare for an executive director to have an intimate knowledge of the life of a performer, including the rigor required of the performers’ bodies and minds. I lived it, and I can use my experiences to add context to the business acumen necessary to maintain a financially viable dance organization.”

“We are a true reflection of what leadership is beginning to look like within the arts today,” Clarke-Springer commented. “What began as an art form dominated by men in leadership is changing. I’m excited to be a part of the transforming landscape within the industry, and I’m extremely excited to do so with Makeda Crayton.”

In other important developments, Co-Founder Kevin Iega Jeff has shifted to the role of emeritus executive artistic director and is focusing his energies and efforts on continued fundraising and community programming for the Deeply Rooted Dance Center. Daniel O. Ash, president of the Field Foundation of Illinois, is now serving as chair of Deeply Rooted’s board of directors.

Makeda Crayton has served in artistic and administrative roles on and off stage throughout her career.

Nicole Clarke-Springer found her dance home at Deeply Rooted first as an apprentice and later as a company member.

Premiering in 1996, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater reimagines and diversifies the aesthetics of contemporary dance by uniting modern, classical, American, and African-American traditions in dance and storytelling. Through its uncompromising pursuit of excellence, Deeply Rooted demonstrates the transformative power of art and beauty through dance education, performance, and cultural enrichment in Chicago and on the world stage. Deeply Rooted is rooted in traditions of American and African-American dance, storytelling, and universal themes that spark a visceral experience and ignite an emotional response in diverse audiences worldwide. Deeply Rooted collaborates with nationally renowned choreographers, across the spectrum of modern, ballet, and African dance, to reflect contemporary voices. For information, visit deeplyrooteddancetheater.org.

  

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