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Photo of Joel Hall

joel hall

(He/Him) Joel Hall — a native of Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighborhood — established and co-founded the Chicago City Theatre Company in 1974. This unique performing arts organization includes the Chicago City Theatre Company, the professional concert dance company, Joel Hall Dancers, and a training facility, the Joel Hall Dancers & Center. Hall was the Artistic Director and prime choreographer for his dance company and the Chief Dance Instructor for the training studio. He has now mentored dancers who direct Joel Hall Dancers II and Joel Hall Dancers Youth Company.

william gill

William Gill (he/him) is a Chicago native who has taught and danced professionally throughout the US and internationally for the past 25 years. Will has worked with such noted dance legends as Donald Byrd, Alonzo King, Donald McKayle, and Milton Myers, (just to name a few), all while dancing for the acclaimed Dallas Black Dance Theatre for 9 seasons.

One of many highlights with Dallas Black was when Will performed the legendary solo “Ostrich” at the Austrian Dance Festival, choreographed by the renowned Asadata Dafora. Since his return to Chicago, will has been teaching and choreographing at the Joel Hall Dancers & Center, Chicago Multicultural Dance Center, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Praize Productions, as well as Roosevelt University, where he was on Staff as a professor of dance in the Chicago College of Performing Arts.

Will is also resident choreographer for the highly acclaimed and internationally known visual artist Nick Cave. He had the pleasure of working with Nick on his successful exhibit “Heard” when it toured across the United States, including New York's Grand Central Station, Australia, and Hong Kong. Recently will has been named the new artistic director of Joel Hall Dancers & Center, where he artistically began as a company member.

Photo of William Gill, Artistic Director
090724_Usher_med size_M Monaghan

The Joel Hall Dancers are a Chicago-based, internationally renowned Black Jazz dance company founded by Joel Hall and Joseph Ehrenberg. The Company performs the dynamic and exhilarating works of its 50-year repertoire of “Urban Jazz” for diverse audiences locally, nationally, and internationally. The Joel Hall Dancers live to awaken the dancer in everyone’s soul and to share the legacy of Joel Hall’s artistry with the world. If you are interested in becoming part of the Joel Hall Dancers, a professional performing company, please contact [email protected].

•Choreography for In the Shadow of Nina Simone was hailed with the African American Arts Alliance "Black Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance"

•Named one of Chicago’s Cultural Treasures in 2021

•Founding member of the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project

•Recipient of the "New Business of the Year Award" from the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce

•Dance Magazine has hailed the Joel Hall Dancers as “Jazz Dance at its best”

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