ARCC Ballet Academy Choreographer for 2012

Jeff Hancock (Chicago, IL)

Jeff Hancock, a founding member of River North Dance Chicago, has also danced for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, guested with Joe Goode, Jan Erkert & Dancers, Dance Kaleidoscope, Watson Dance, and Same Planet Different World Dance Theater, where he was Co-Artistic Director, as well as a long list of independent choreographers and artists. He has appeared in many productions with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, where he last worked with Wayne McGregor of Random Dance, and Sir Peter Hall. West Side Story, Song and Dance, Oklahoma, Romeo and Juliet, and Disney are some of the tours he has been a part of, nationally and internationally.

He choreographed "Once Upon A Dream," an original musical for Princess Cruise Lines new ship the Ruby Princess. Recently, he choreographed "RENT" for Northwestern University, "1-click" for Chicago Dance Crash, and "Sabotage: Chocolates and Dynamite" for The Dance COLEctive. He has set choreography on River North Dance Chicago, Hubbard Street 2, Columbia College, Northwestern University, the Edinburgh Festival, Ruth Mitchell Dance Theater, Dance Chicago, Same Planet Different World, The Next Dance Festival, and Ohio Northern University among others.

He is currently a Lecturer at Northwestern University and adjunct at Columbia College Chicago, and has been teaching since 1990, at a variety of schools, festivals, organizations, and Universities, including University of Arizona Tucson, Butler College, Lou Conte Dance Studio, Chicago National Association of Dance Masters and others. He has developed outreach programs with Same Planet Different World Dance Theatre and River North Chicago Dance Co. He is very active in the local dance community teaching company class for several companies, and maintains relationships with many High Schools, choreographing and teaching Master classes. He has been nominated for Ruth Page Awards for his dancing and choreography, and is an Illinois Arts Council grant recipient.