Remembering Mark Aguhar

March 25, 2012 – 13:45

(This text was read by Chances organizer Ally Burque at the memorial for Mark last weekend in Chicago)

I’m here today on behalf of Chances Dances, where we all came to know and love Mark as a sort of unofficial host of our dance parties. She greeted us, and everyone who came in, with compliments on our looks, our music, our general way of being on those nights. If you’ve come, you know: Mark’s presence was an unmistakable light, even in the dark club. We hope that Chances was a safe space for Mark, a place for her to be fully seen, to have her self both out and praised. Reflecting on our memories of Mark in the Chances space, we’ve come to a larger realization that we would like to share with you all today.

Mark didn’t simply enjoy the safe space of Chances, Mark WAS the safe space of Chances. She contributed something truly brave: she looked within herself, embraced what was inside, and shared that gift with us. The identities that society fails to embrace, Mark brought to the surface and OWNED with every ounce of her fabulous being. She showed everyone at Chances the beauty and power in defying the expectations set before us. With Mark’s inspiration, people at those nights could find the love and light in the things that we were told could never be just that. She gave us all permission to push further, to love ourselves harder and that doing so could be fun and charming and brave. Mark’s fiercely embraced identity helped others find theirs. While we sit today thinking about how much we will miss her, how no dance floor will ever feel quite the same without her, we know that her being truly transformed Chances and our community.

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Chances on Monday is cancelled

March 16, 2012 – 11:22

Dearest Chances community: The organizers of Chances have decided to cancel this coming Monday’s Chances Dances at Subterranean. We encourage everyone wishing to celebrate our sister Mark Aguhar to attend the memorial tomorrow (RSVP on Facebook), as well as Heavy Rotation at Parlour this coming Wednesday, 3/21.

Thank you all so much for the beautiful community response. We love you all and will see you on the dance floor.

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Chances presents: DANNI & CHARLI’S LOVE AFFAIR!

February 9, 2012 – 13:04

A Valentine’s Day double-venue double-date hosted by Danny’s and the Charleston. That’s right! 4 Chances DJs, 2 venues, 1 night, 1 love!

Swing by your old best friend with benefits, Off Chances at:
Danny’s
1951 W. Dickens
with DJs Erik Roldan and The Lady Speedstick
drinks SERVED by Courtland & Fred

And if that’s not enough, get your Sloppy Second Chances down the street at:
The Charleston
2076 N. Hoyne
with DJs Lady Miss Navy Pier and Nina Ramone
and your saucy barmaids, Sara & Alex

Tuesday, February 14th
10pm – 2am
No Cover
21+
Free treats from Paper Moon Bakery and free mixtapes for your secret crush at both locations!

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Congratulations to the Winter 2011 Critical Fierceness Grant Winners!

January 22, 2012 – 23:30

Chances Dances is thrilled to announce the results of the Winter 2011 Critical Fierceness Grant cycle! Congratulations to all the winners! We had SO MANY worthy applications and it was truly a grueling decision. Thanks also to our lovely Winter 2011 Critical Fierceness Board: Davey Ball, Jackie Boyd, Bryce Dwyer, Alicia Eler, Jeanine O’Toole, and Katie Zien. And sincere thanks to all who applied!

$500 GRANTS

DOUBLE DJ & DANIELLE PAZ

Stiletto wearin’ queer dance trio Double DJ will be collaborating with artist and videomaker Danielle Paz to create a video that will “capture the energy and charisma of DoubleDJ, but tailor the choreography and narrative arc of our performance specifically for the camera.” The piece will depict a “fantasy version of how DoubleDJ was created,” inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia and “the idea of another world existing just on the other side of the wardrobe.” The collaborators hope their effort will cross-pollinate interest between their respective communities of experimental filmgoers and queer bar patrons as well as make DoubleDJ’s choreography available on the internet for queers everywhere to enjoy.

KAN SEIDEL & PRECIOUS DAVIS

Kan and Precious will be using Critical Fierceness funds to involve a group of 10 homeless MtF trans youth in a glamourous, self-affirming photography project, culminating in the production of printed, bound portfolios as well as a gallery opening displaying their photographs and documentary about the process. The duo will be serving as mentors, assisting the girls in styling and preparing their shoots. “It is essential that struggling trans youth have an opportunity to feel that their chosen gender performance is respected and appreciated,” they write; furthermore the project will serve as vocational training, useful not only for modeling but developing “skills necessary for creating a resume or preparing for an interview in any field.”

$250 GRANTS

MEG LEARY

With the assistance of a $250 Critical Fierceness Grant, Meg Leary will create a performance piece that “establishes a conceptual and aesthetic connection” between the closing and current disuse of Thalia Hall in Pilsen and the loss of queer artists due to AIDS. Specifically, she seeks to resurrect the work of Michael Peters, the now-forgotten choreographer of such iconic works as Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video; Peters died of AIDS at 46 years old. Leary’s silent performance will take place in now-abandoned Thalia Hall, attempting to “create a sensual and evocative re-envisioning” of Peters’ Thriller choreography, thus addressing the invisibility of queer cultural contributions and connecting to the Hall itself as a deserted and unseen interior space.

THE LAND LINE

The Land Line is a new, Chicago-based, collaborative quarterly journal “for work that is raunchy, flamboyant, interdisciplinary, and intellectually rigorous.” Critical Fierceness money will help with the printing and dissemination of future issues, which will prominently feature work by Chicago queers and allies. The Land Line prints “research-based essays, cultural criticism, engaging interviews, nonlinear comics, radical art, and experimental poetry side-by-side in a free publication under the banner of staunch amateurism.” A list of locations where you can find their first issue is on their website, as well as a call for submissions for issue number two!

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We’re looking forward to seeing these projects come to fruition over the coming months, and to our next cycle this summer! Mark your calendars–June 30th is the deadline!

Love and admiration,

Team C/D

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Chances Dances Responds to Violence at Queer Social Club

December 24, 2011 – 13:51

Early morning on December 8th, 2011, at Archie’s Bar on Iowa and Rockwell Streets in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood, several queer community members and a bar employee were physically assaulted during an event organized for and by LGBTQ people. As it has been reported that hate speech was used during this incident, we believe that these folks were targeted because of their queerness. To the best of our knowledge, no significant action was taken by the proprietors of Archie’s until a statement was released on Facebook two weeks later — after queer community members, mostly under the name of the Pink Panther Justice Bureau, began raising awareness.

We condemn violence. We condemn violence against queer people because they are queer. We also condemn the dismissal and silencing of survivors of violence – and as such, we write this letter in solidarity with the survivors of the aforementioned assault. We stand in solidarity as they pursue a course of action to reinstate a sense of safety and well-being for themselves and their fellow queer people. We also stand in solidarity with their decision to make the account public by coming forward to local police.

We acknowledge that many members of our community have contentious relationships with the police, who have often antagonized and actively persecuted queers, people of color, trans and gender non-conforming people, activists, people with disabilities, sex workers and other members of our community.  Whatever our personal relationships with the police may be, it is still necessary to support our community members when they seek help or protection from violence via police or the state. By maintaining a vocal, supportive, and watchful presence, we can increase awareness of hate crimes, and work towards ensuring that survivors of violence are not re-victimized or further antagonized by coming forward to the authorities.

We also acknowledge that there are many survivors of anti-queer violence who decide not to pursue legal action or otherwise make incidences of violence public. This means that as a community of queer people, we need to demand the full and unconditional support of the establishments and venues we frequent. As organizers and participants in local queer events, we must support each other when our larger social, economic, or legal systems fail to do so. If harassment or violence occurs at any of the parties listed below, we hope that you feel comfortable bringing these situations to us, in a private or public fashion. We promise to respect and abide by your decision on whether or not to make the incident, your identity, or any other information public as long as it does not pose a potential risk for others. We will work with you to hold those responsible accountable and to begin the process of healing.

We firmly believe in creating safe spaces for our community and allies to live, socialize, and work. We know that this is a promise we cannot fulfill without the participation of everyone involved, especially the owners, managers and staff of venues which host queer events. We also know that regardless of our collective good intentions, the world can still creep in and become disruptive and that even the safest space can become unsafe. This is why we must stand together, support each other, and continue to have conversations amongst one another that look toward a future that is both more inclusive and free from bigotry and abuse. We must be willing to call out those individuals and establishments that silence and deny support to survivors of violence, while also turning well-intended mistakes into an opportunity to grow together, discuss solutions, and rebuild safe and loving spaces together.

Written with love by the organizers of Chances Dances:
Rita Bacon, Allison Burque, Aay Preston-Myint, Erik Roldan, Ethan White and Latham Zearfoss

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WINTER 2011 CRITICAL FIERCENESS GRANT!

December 16, 2011 – 01:01
THE NEXT CYCLE OF THE CRITICAL FIERCENESS GRANT IS UPON US!

The Critical Fierceness Grant is a microgrant for queer arts in Chicago presented by Chances Dances! Up to $500 in financial assistance is available for Chicago-based artists or artistic initiatives who identify themselves or their work as queer.

*Deadline = December 31st, 2011*

DOWNLOAD AN APPLICATION, CHECK OUT PREVIOUS WINNERS, AND LEARN MORE HERE: http://www.chancesdances.org/fierceness

Questions? Email us at chancesdances@gmail.com

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Chances presents: CRANBERRY SAUCE!

November 16, 2011 – 11:52

A pre-holiday celebration of our queer Chicago dance party family featuring DJs from Chances Dances, Queerer Park, CULT, Heavy Rotation, and Slo ‘Mo, all in one place!

Your host for the evening will be the one and only Trannika Rex, and Northern Lights’ Go-Go Gothic Dancers will be shaking it all night long!

Admission is just $5 all night long and as always, benefits the Critical Fierceness Grant (http://www.chancesdances.org/fierceness)

The first 20 people through the door get a FREE PAIR OF CHANCES PANTSES!

DJs:
John Twatters & Erik Roldan (Chances)
Black Gold (Queerer Park)
Baby Bamboo (CULT)
Owen Dmc (Heavy Rotation)
and a special slow jams set from Tess (Slo ‘Mo)

ALL GENDER EXPRESSIONS ARE WELCOME!

Chances presents: CRANBERRY SAUCE
9pm – 2am // $5
The Hideout
1354 W Wabansia
Chicago IL
*The Hideout is accessible for people with disabilities*
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SUMMER 2011 CRITICAL FIERCENESS GRANT RECIPIENTS!

August 4, 2011 – 16:18

The Critical Fierceness Grant
The Critical Fierceness Grant
The Critical Fierceness Grant
******************************************A micro-grant for queer art in Chicago

Chances Dances is excited to announce the recipients of the Summer 2011 Critical Fierceness Grants: Renegade Lingerie, Youth Empowerment Performance Project, Nikki Patin, and Xina Xurner! Thanks to a ton fabulous community support, buckets of dancefloor sweat, and a whole lot of hard work, we were able to award $1500 in grant money to four amazing projects this cycle.

Many of the artists will be present at Chances at the Subterranean on August 15th, so come hang out with us and these fabulous queer cultural workers!

Thanks go out to all our amazing and talented applicants–your work was thoroughly interesting and deeply appreciated and we encourage you to apply again and tell your friends!

PROJECT INFO:

RENEGADE LINGERIE / MUGSIE PIKE ($500)

Mugsie Pike is a “lingerie and underwear designer, radical seamstress, and activist” who founded Renegade Lingerie as “a way to support people traditionally excluded from the market – transgender and genderqueer folks, plus size and petite people, dis/differently-abled people, etc.” Critical Fierceness funds will help Pike to with prototyping costs for the affordable and ethical production of Tool Belts–stand-to-pee packing harnesses for trans men.

www.renegadelingerie.com

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PERFORMANCE PROJECT ($500)

YEPP offers street-based LGBTQA young people “the opportunity to explore themselves and their stories through performance with the long term goal of establishing a youth-led theatre initiative.” Operating as a safe space for “artistic creativity and emotional support,” five YEPP ensemble members have rehearsing weekly since March of this year, working toward a three-night stint at Links Hall on August 19-21. “This premiere performance will encapsulate the aforementioned values by portraying the unique stories of each ensemble member, investigating any feelings of hurt, times of struggle, and methods of survival with the intention of allowing the ensemble members to celebrate their strengths.” Funding from their grant will go toward providing stipends to the performers, ensuring they are compensated for their efforts.

Check out this footage of  YEPP in action on Facebook!

NIKKI PATIN ($250)

Writer and performer Nikki Patin will be using Critical Fierceness funds to assist in the early stages of her Vitruvian Woman project. From her application: “Vitruvius stated that a good structure is solid, useful and beautiful. He also said that the human body is the greatest design in the known Universe. I want to transform my body, according to this theory. My hypothesis is if my body is strong (solid), then it can become useful as a tool of expression and performance (beauty). [...] My body takes up most of my focus through trying to live through chronic pain, not to mention surviving the stigmatizing energy that accompanies living in a fat, female, queer body of color. Without denying or ignoring the marginalization that accompanies each of these labels, I want to examine my own internalized isms while loving myself more consciously and thoroughly than I ever have.”

www.nikkipatin.com
www.thevitruvianwoman.com

XINA XURNER ($250)

Xina Xurner is artist Concha LaBoo (Marvin Astorga) and drag diva Lil Elote (Young Joon Kwak), making “cunty noise-influenced house music that oozes sex, death, and decay.” With their CF Grant funding, they plan to print  “Xines” (books containing lyrics, images, contributions from other artists, and an audio CD) for distribution at shops and record stores as well as “mini-Xines,” smaller versions of the larger Xine that can be handed out at shows and performances.

Give them a big LIKE on Facebook right here.

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Chances does Pride at Berlin! All six DJs and drag all day!

June 23, 2011 – 21:46

Hello Chances Dancers, if you’ve been scratching your beautiful heads about what to do after the parade on Sunday, look no further: Show ‘em why we were voted BEST DANCE PARTY of 2011 in the Chicago Reader’s reader poll and come hang at Berlin from 3pm-10pm on June 26th. All six Chances DJs will spin, and stunning performances by Xina Xurner, Ishtar Bukkake and the House of An, Miztress Vana, Trannika Rex, D’Juana Cyber and Trandroid will be peppered throughout.

COME ALL OUR CHILDREN – WORK AND BE SICKENING!

at BERLIN
954 W. Belmont Ave.
Chicago, IL. 60657-4438
(773) 348-4975
www.berlinchicago.com

rsvp on Facebook: here

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CRITICAL FIERCENESS SUMMER 2011!

June 4, 2011 – 19:37


It’s that time again, queers of Chicago! Applications for the Summer 2011 cycle of the Critical Fierceness Grant are available for download. Click here or on the link to the left to be taken to the CF Grant page. You and/or your collective could receive up to $500 to make your big gay project a reality! WERK!

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