Our mission is simple – to empower and elevate
diverse artistic voices in contemporary ballet.
About
PARA.MAR Dance Theatre is a Chicago-based contemporary ballet repertory company, founded in 2020 and directed by award-winning choreographer, Stephanie Martinez.
Mission
Meaning together, with, and for, “PARA” represents the vision, purpose, and commitment to celebrating identity and creating community through contemporary ballet.
Together, with the belief that inclusion leads to innovation, and that dance is an essential mode of human expression, PARA.MAR’s mission is to empower and elevate diverse voices in contemporary ballet by providing performances and programming rooted in artistic excellence, radical accessibility, and reflective of the unique identities of the communities it serves.
Origin Story
In a time of crisis for the arts community, Stephanie Martinez (Joffrey Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, Luna Negra Dance Theatre, among others) was compelled to provide hope, encouragement, and opportunity to the exceptional artists who were displaced by the impact of the pandemic and at the same time, by the loud and sincere calls for diverse representation in arts leadership.
Empowered, Martinez was inspired to use her own unique voice and vision, to empower others – which would manifest in the formation of a new contemporary ballet company dedicated to providing high-caliber, accessible, live dance performances and programming together, with, and for (“PARA”) the city she calls home.
Integral to her vision was the determination that audiences “see themselves on stage”.
As a woman of Mexican and Native American heritage, creating a platform that supports and empowers diverse artistic voices was more than just an “ideal”, it was personal.
Paying homage to her own artistic and cultural heritage, Martinez would blend her last name (MAR), with the Spanish prefix “PARA”, (meaning together with and for) in the creation of a company devoted to celebrating identity and creating community through dance.
Ambitions
We believe PARA.MAR could be an important bridge and ambassador for creating cultural and community connections through dance.
Designed to be contemporary in classic settings and classical in contemporary settings, the art we make is intended for proscenium theaters, opera houses, at the same time for warehouses, parking lots, community centers, and school gyms – anywhere community happens.
Furthermore, PARA.MAR’s initial offering of donation-based performances and free community classes provided a template for the development of the company’s programming. We plan to employ this same model of sharing high-quality performance and innovative programming that is accessible for each and every neighborhood in which we perform – beginning in Chicago.
“To know Stephanie is to love her”
– Fearlessly Inspired 2020: Stephanie Martinez, See Chicago Dance
Leadership
Founder and Artistic Director, Stephanie Martinez
Over eleven years of award-winning works, Chicago-based choreographer Stephanie Martinez moves her audiences along a journey guided by the kinetic momentum of her work. With original creations for Joffrey Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, Luna Negra Dance Theater, Charlotte Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Eugene Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Ballet Memphis, Kansas City Ballet, and National Choreographers Initiative among others, Martinez’s versatility expands the boundaries of contemporary ballet movement. Martinez has created over 60 ballets on companies and collegiate programs across the country.
In 2010, Martinez assisted Broadway legend Ann Reinking in setting the Fosse Trilogy, and in 2015 was awarded Joffrey Ballet’s “Winning Works: Choreographers of Color” commission and the Chicago 3Arts Award in recognition for her work as a female artist of color. More recently, Martinez was awarded an NEA grant for her premiere Bliss! at Joffrey Ballet.
Dubbed “a chameleon” of choreography by the Chicago Tribune, Martinez’s psychologically revelatory works challenge the viewer’s notion of what’s possible.
Stephanie Martinez was also lauded as the subject of “Fearlessly Inspired, 2020” and acknowledged as a “shining example of resilience, adaptability and artistry in an extraordinary year.”
Administrative Staff & Support
Founder & Artistic Director
Stephanie Martinez
Executive Director & Producer
Adrianna Desier Durantt
General Manager
Kimberly Dulac
Business Operations & Special Projects
Jessica Leyva
Artistic Associate & Marketing Manager
Gabrielle Sprauve
Artistic Associate & Development Manager
Christopher Bloom
Artistic & Administrative Coordinator
Jayme Braverman
