Today we’d like to introduce you to Carrie Patterson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Carrie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
From Atlanta, Georgia I grew up training heavily in ballet at the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education, and spending summers training at Houston Ballet, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Luna Negra Dance Theater. I graduated cum laude with a BFA in Dance Performance and minor in Psychology from Butler University in Indianapolis, IN.
After graduating, I spent a year dancing with the Louisville Ballet before moving to Chicago in 2012. Once in Chicago, I worked with Thodos Dance Chicago and Project606 Dance. In 2013, I began dancing with Nomi Dance Company which I am a current dancer and workshop director. In 2013, I met Krissie Odegard Geye and director of Dance and Music Academy. I fell in love with her vision and mission of empowering young minds through the arts. I began teaching full time at Dance and Music Academy and co-directing the youth company.
In 2015, Krissie and I were talking about how as a staff at Dance and Music Academy we all dance professionally and most of us dance together, why not form our own professional dance company together? Krissie and I both believe in the power of art and dance to call upon the community for change, growth, and empowerment, while art can also be a marker of where society is at in a particular time in history and serve as a voice of the community. With this, we created Trifecta Dance Collective, a non-profit dance community with a mission to Engage, Empower, and Expand the community experience through the arts.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As most arts organizations and beginning non-profits can relate, the struggle we face is funding. We are lucky to have a great support system and people who believe in our mission and their generous support through our fundraisers and Indiegogo campaign.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Trifecta Dance Collective story. Tell us more about the business.
Trifecta Dance Collective is a professional Contemporary dance company serving the Chicagoland area.
Our mission is to enrich the community experience through the arts. It will do this by using the Trifecta: Engage, Empower, and Expand.
We also have community programs with youth Metamorphosis: Fearless Evolution Youth Showcase and The Honor Project to collect goods for Operation Support Our Troops America. We are also the resident professional company at The Dance and Music Academy located in Edgebrook and Glenview.
In our first 2 seasons, we have performed at festivals in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, West Virginia, New York, Oklahoma, and Minnesota. One performance was at Anita’s Way in Times Square, was quite special. We performed alongside our youth company in a public space for passersby to be exposed with the joy and love we share in our art.
What sets us apart is our commitment to make sure each project is serving our community in some way.
Trifecta Dance Collective’s latest project challenges the societal definitions of beauty and wisdom in its full-length work, “In grained.” This project is in collaboration with vibrant, Chicago-based senior citizens to create a product that shares their stories, lessons, and inspiration. The participants have collaborated in the artistic process. Together we have created a beautiful work of love, loss, and life.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I am lucky to work alongside strong women who all share the same belief in our mission and inspire me daily.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.trifectadance.org
- Email: tridancecollective@gmail.com
- Instagram: tridancecollective
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trifectadancecollective/
Image Credit:
Siglerphotographics, Peter Marks, Sara Simple Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
