Catching Up with Linda Swayze
An exciting announcement as a new dancer:
“One memory that I can think of is when I first joined the company as an apprentice. I remember being in Studio 3 and Mr. Gonzalvez was at the head of the studio and he was calling out the names of the dancers going to London. I had just been there no more than four months and he called my name! My heart began racing because I had never been out of the country and the very fact that I was going on my first tour abroad- well I was just over the moon! That’s one experience I really remember- that set it up for the different tours I went on after that. We did so much touring during that time.”
On a favorite role:
“Another memory I have was being cast to dance ‘Allegro Brilliante,’ which I really enjoyed doing because it’s such a ‘dancey’ piece. I worked my way from being in the studio just learning the piece and then being cast in the second cast and eventually being in the first cast. At that time Pierre Lockett was my partner. It was a really great time! I believe the first time I danced ‘Allegro’ was at Sadlers Wells when we were touring in London.”
On touring:
“Then of course there is the memory of being in Spoleto, Italy, and working on a raked stage- that was my first time working on a raked stage and we were doing ‘Serenade’ and I was one of the Russian Girls and trying to do those pirouettes on a raked stage was absolutely nerve-wracking! (laughs) But true to form as dance artists, we did it, and we did it with flair… plus I wanted the part, so of course I could do it.”
On relationships:
“There were a lot of memories. Not only dancing memories, the dancing memories were fantastic, but also the relationships that were forged from the time I was at Dance Theatre. Some of those dancers have gone on to do some wonderful things- some of them I’m still in contact with: Endalyn Taylor who has recently been named the Dean of the School of Dance at UNCSA in North Carolina. Francesca Harper is now the director of Ailey II and I remember being with her and dancing with her in the studio at Dance Theatre of Harlem. Pierre Lockett has an arts organization here in Chicago that’s thriving very well. Christina Johnson is working on the west coast doing some phenomenal things. I’m saying all that to say: there were some wonderful relationships that were forged during that time when I was there.”
On Arthur Mitchell:
“I can’t even begin to say how much I learned from Arthur Mitchell. So many life skills that I learned from Arthur Mitchell, as I look back now, it was really not only that we were making history at that time, but I really appreciate how he fought to prove that Blacks can do ballet and do it at a high level. I really appreciate his vision. I appreciate so many things that I just didn’t think about at the time when we were in the studio with him and traveling with him when he would share his pearls of wisdom. I’m really glad that I had that experience because if I hadn’t had that experience, I would not have had the track that I have found myself on over the years. I can truly say that the arts have been very transformative for me and have taken me to so many places that I would not have dreamed of as a young girl on the south side of Chicago. A girl who didn’t fall prey to teen pregnancy but a girl who loved the arts so much and there were people that gathered around me that pushed me. Those are some great memories that have catapulted me to where I am now.”
On visiting teachers at Dance Theatre of Harlem:
“Tanaquil LeClercq, yes, I was an apprentice at the time she came to Dance Theatre and I can’t honestly say I worked with her but I saw her in the studio and that was the wonderful thing that Arthur Mitchell did. There was a group of dancers he knew that was willing to come to Harlem to teach us and to give us classes- there was Freddie Franklin, Tanaquil LeClercq, there was Pat Wilde, Victoria Simon, Mr. Bill. There were quite a few teachers from New York City Ballet that would come work with us. I cannot forget Mary Hinkson- she came from Martha Graham and would teach us the Graham technique. There were other teachers from Graham that taught us at Dance Theatre because they believed in (Arthur Mitchell’s) vision and they believed in us. Agnes de Mille was another one. She came and she set ‘Rodeo’ and ‘Fall River Legend’. Whenever she came, she had an entourage of people around her because she was in a wheel chair. I mean, just, exposure, exposure exposure! That’s the thing that I feel is so very important for our youth is for them to get that exposure, because it opens up your mind and pulls something out of you that would not normally be pulled out of you if you did not have the exposure. There were quite a few great teachers that would come through to teach at Dance Theatre of Harlem.”
Linda Swayze is the Director of Community Engagement at the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. She serves as its third leader in its twenty-five years of continued operations and wears the unique hat within the Joffrey organization by being the only person acting as both Executive and Artistic Directors of a department. Linda heads a team of five Community Engagement associates and a dozen contracted teaching artists. Linda oversees the Community Engagement’s annual involvement with an average of 30 public schools, making it the largest dance education provider to the Chicago Public Schools system. The Community Engagement provides dance classes for grades pre-K through 12 through its three signature programs: Bridge, Dance Explorations, and Middle School Dance Clubs. Community Engagement is flexible and friendly, offering custom residencies, partnerships with vendors such as After School Matters and providing scholarships, performance tickets, and dance attire for students to attend in-studio programs at the Joffrey Tower: Joffrey Bridge, Extensions Pro I & II, and Exelon Strobel Dancers. Linda’s visionary approach as an inclusive leader is establishing Community Engagement as a pillar of the arts in Chicago. She is part of the leadership panel, The Green Team, at the Joffrey Ballet, sits on various committees and holds membership with the National Dance Education Organization. Linda began her journey with the Joffrey Ballet in 2008 as a teaching artist for Community Engagement at Pierre Lockett’s invitation. In 2015 she was named Supervisor of Programs by Erica Lynette Edwards. She has been Director of Community Engagement at the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago since 2020. Linda holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Loyola University and a Master’s in Arts Administration from DePaul University.