Deborah Goodman 2026 DCASE Dance Residency

Two dancers looking face to face with one holding the other's wrists while performing And We Are Here

Teaching Associate Professor Deborah Goodman is the 2026 recipient of the Chicago Cultural Center Dance Studio Residency through the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. For this residency, Goodman and Sydney Erlikh in collaboration with their dancers created, And Yet We Are Here, a full-length dance calling for an end to violence worldwide. Disabled bodyminds are often among those most deeply impacted by violence, conflict, and systemic injustice. The piece considers and expands on themes of war and rebuilding while embodying the resources of the disability community's collective care and access, even in the face of bullets, bombs, and brutality. This piece takes observers through the events of lives marked by tragedy and how communities come together to move forward and build a better world.

An original score by Will Bennett, funded through the residency, was composed for And Yet We Are Here. This residency includes 80 hours of rehearsal time in the dance studio at the cultural center, two public engagement events and a $25,000 award. The public engagement events were held on March 10, 2026 and June 9, 2026 in the dance studio at the cultural center.

The Chicago Cultural Center Studio Residency is supported in part by a grant from the Walder Foundation. To learn more about the Dance Studio Residency, visit the DCASE webpage link here.

Any Yet We Are Here will officially premiere at Dovetail Studios August 21 and 22. To learn about the premiere performance, visit the Dovetail Studios webpage here. Registration for tickets is required; tickets range from $15 to $30. There will be limited additional tickets available for purchase at the door. Please note that all door sales are cash only.  

Photo credit to Matt Griffo