Dancers in brown sleeveless shirts and pants appear in standing and lunging positions on a black stage

Groove, in formed

Giordano Dance Chicago

In the fall of 2019, Giordano Dance Chicago welcomed the return of celebrated choreographer, Peter Chu, and the world premiere of his second work for the Company, Groove, in formed.

With his return, Chu desired to explore the rhythmic composition of jazz dance by examining many cultural and social dances that influenced and shaped the art form over the decades. Drawing on these inspirations, audiences may recognize such moves as the Roger Rabbit or the Charleston, which have all been deconstructed and put back together with Chu’s personal style and interpretation to create Groove, in formed. Set to an original music score by Jake Kelberman, the dancers and audience are taken on a musical journey that begins with free-flowing trumpet and later accompanied by drums, bass and organ, and culminates with a simple repetitive tick of the high-hat that signifies the pulse or heartbeat of jazz dance.

“The genius of this work is in how what appears to be individual, isolated dance movements actually informs the collective community on stage, underlying the interconnectedness of everything, even in a seemingly disconnected world. A true masterwork for this time.”
- Around The Town Chicago

Giordano Dance Chicago premiered Peter Chu’s Groove, in formed on October 25, 2019, at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, with lighting design by Jacob Snodgrass and costume design by Nathan Rohrer. This recording was filmed by HMS Media on January 31, 2020, at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL.

Peter Chu
Originally from Cocoa Beach, Florida, Peter Chu is a distinguished artist who strives to push the physical bounds of dance. He began his training as a competitive gymnast, later nurturing his artistry at Dussich Dance Studio where his evolution into dance began. As a BFA student at The Juilliard School (under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy), Chu was pushed further as a technical mover and began an explosive journey into choreography. Upon graduation, he was awarded the Hector Zaraspe Prize for Choreography.

A remarkable and multi-faceted artist, Chu has danced with BJM _Danse and EZdanza, as the lead in Christina Perri’s Jar of Hearts music video, in Celine Dion’s Vegas spectacular A New Day, and with Crystal Pite’s company Kidd Pivot.

In 2008, Chu formed a Las Vegas project-based company—chuthis. His multi-disciplinary dance company combines innovative lighting and sound with live contemporary movement. In 2018, chuthis. presented paper cuts in an empty bag at Zuiderstrandtheater in The Hague, Netherlands, as a part of the Shortcuts XL program, and was the company in residence at Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp. Part of the mission of chuthis. is to provide movement education programs for the next generation of artists. Through the chuthis. Movement Intensive, an annual summer event, and chuthis. Moves, a 2-3 day custom workshop for both national and international dance schools, the chuthis. team fosters technical/artistic development and mind/body familiarity while igniting an adventurous side of dance.

Chu has been an honored recipient of choreographic awards & commissions, including the Hector Zaraspe Prize, A.C.E. Capezio Award, & Hubbard Street Dance International Commission Project. He was also named a Blodgett Distinguished Artist by Harvard University for 2018. Additionally, Chu has served as the Rehearsal Director for Nederlands Dans Theater 2, and as a Guest Rehearsal Director for NDT1.

Chu has created works for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Staatstheater Augsburg, Germany, Charlotte Ballet, Charlotte Ballet II, Orlando Ballet Theatre, Hubbard Street 2, Giordano Dance Chicago, So You Think You Can Dance, Naomi Stikeman’s Çaturn, Houston MET Dance, New Dialect, SALT Contemporary Dance, The Juilliard School, Harvard University, Point Park University, Nederlands Dans Theater Summer Intensive, Springboard Danse Montreal, SUNY Purchase, Western Michigan University, & Brigham Young University Contemporary Dance Theatre, among others. Teaching highlights include Harvard University (Guest Lecturer), HSPro, Springboard X | shift perspective, Axis Connect, Hubbard Street Studio Series, The Dance Teacher Summit, and Movement Invention Project.

Giordano Dance Chicago
Giordano Dance Chicago’s artistic product is high-energy, high-impact performance that connects with audiences on a deeply personal level. From our origins in Gus Giordano’s family-run studio to our current incarnation as a professionally run organization with over a half-century of worldwide performances (28 countries, 46 states, and more than 1,300 cities), our imprint on the art form of jazz dance is far-reaching and significant. Our education initiatives embrace the dance community nationwide from students to performing professionals, studio owners, and teachers. GDC’s outreach focuses on the local community, educating and inspiring students in Chicago public schools.

Sprouting from a mission to expand the art form of jazz dance, Giordano Dance Chicago’s dynamic and ever-growing performance, teaching, and community activities allow us to claim a worldwide presence with an unmistakable Chicago base. This global standing has at its heart the belief that our biggest impact is one-on-one with the individuals who participate in or observe what we offer on stage and in the classroom. Our contributions over the past 58 years include: a vast repertoire of more than 175 original works; the mentoring of new and emerging choreographers; the commissioning of innumerable musical scores and production designs; education of tens of thousands of under-resourced public school and community students; the creation of generations of professional dancers, many of whom travel to Chicago to study with an internationally-recognized authority; and performances to millions of audience members worldwide.