Health & Fitness
Halftime Dreams Come True
Local dancers take the Bulls court presenting the halftime show Saturday, Oct. 19.
By Victoria Albanese
DancEd Dance company members have been performing in the Chicago Bulls’ opening ceremonies at the United Center for 5 consecutive years — giving it their all, anticipating the next opportunity to entertain Bulls fans.
Their persistence seems to have paid off, as this year the Bulls provided DancEd with the chance to take the court Oct. 19th during the sold-out Minnesota Timberwolves halftime show.
Find out what's happening in Northbrookwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
One of the largest groups to grace the Bulls court, about 150 fourth- to ninth-grade dancers, comprised of various jazz, hip hop, ballet, pom, modern, and tap company dancers from Northbrook’s DancEd Dance Centre, 3131 Dundee Road, will perform a special "large group number," as they call it, for over 20,000 Bulls fans in attendance.
"We have been doing large group production numbers for years for teams like the Chicago Rush, DePaul and UIC men’s basketball," said Dance and Artistic Director Tracy Reynolds, owner of DancEd.
Find out what's happening in Northbrookwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"But when the Chicago Bulls give you the chance to perform at the half of a Bulls game, it becomes something altogether different. Our dancers and their families are very excited."
The local dancers, from Northbrook, Deerfield, Glenview and surrounding areas, have been preparing for the big show for the past several weeks.
"It is a very large coordination effort," Reynolds explained. "We will have dancers from 10 companies all performing together in the same space with the audience on all sides.
Reynolds said she is expecting "quite a bit of nervous energy," from the dancers. "I know our dancers will rise to the occasion and have an experience that they will never forget."
In their 18th year, DancEd Dance Centre has been praised in the past as one of the best performing outside groups by Chicago Bulls management.
DancEd’s next large group production number will be at the Feb. 2 halftime show of the Northwestern Wildcats men’s basketball game against Purdue University at Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston. Then on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013, they will be back on the Bulls court at the home game with Memphis.
Many DancEd company dancers will appear on ABC’s Disney Christmas Parade in Orlando, Florida, to air on Christmas morning. The taping for this holiday special is Dec. 1-2 at Disney World.
