Our History

DanceLoop Chicago (nfp), a theatrical modern dance company, was founded in 2001 by Co-Artistic Directors Paula Frasz and Dmitri Peskov, and a nine-member Board of Directors, dedicated to bringing high-quality, audience-friendly modern dance to the City of Chicago and its environs. Frasz, a 20-year veteran of the Chicago dance community and Peskov, a Russian-born choreographer, have combined their talents and energies to create a mulitcultural and multigenerational organization. Not-for-Profit status was achieved in 2002.

The premier of DanceLoop Chicago (nfp) at William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, IL on February 5, 2002, was completely sold out and prompted critic Lucia Mauro of the Chicago Tribune to call Frasz and Peskov, “...innovative fixtures on the Chicago dance scene.” Frasz and other company members then went on to choreograph and perform, ZYNGARA: The Mysterious Carnival, a circus-like dance extravaganza that ran 36 performances in 8 weeks at Walter Payton’s Roundhouse Restaurant in Aurora, IL.

In May 2002 the company held a benefit dinner for 20 donors at Charlie Trotter’s Restaurant in Chicago. In July 2002 DanceLoop, under producer Dmitri Peskov, assembled 7 choreographers for SPECTRUM DANCES 2002: Emerging and Established Voices. SPECTRUM DANCES paired experienced and neophyte dance-makers in a co-mentoring project, resulting in 2 weekends of performances at the Duncan YMCA Chernin Center for the Performing Arts in Chicago.

Today DanszLoop is regularly featured in DANCE CHICAGO, The City of Chicago's WINTER DELIGHTS ARTS FESTIVAL, and the AIDS Benefit, ARTS FOR LIFE in Rockford, IL. SPECTRUM DANCES continues to function as a choreographic paradigm for emerging and established Chicago artists while knitting the Chicago dance community in a learning and presenting opportunity. DanszLoop continues to present unusual and successful performances, benefits and special events.

DanszLoop is growing through its university outreach teaching programs in colleges and universities throughout the Midwest. Nominated for the Elizabeth Cheney Award through the Chicago Dance and Music Alliance, recepient of several government grants and numerous gifts from individual donors, DanszLoop takes its place as one of the most engrossing, exciting new dance companies in the city of Chicago.

In November of 2006, Peskov left DanceLoop Chicago to pursue his dance teaching career at Beloit College in Wisconsin and Frasz assumed the duties of Artistic Director.