Chicago women.

There s a theory floating around that American dance presenters value male choreographers more highly than women choreographers. So when the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago planned its Spring 2008 performance series entirely with companies led by women, many dance artists were surprised, but appreciative.

"We had no specific agenda to present only women artists," says Dance Center executive director Phil Reynolds, who along with department chair Bonnie Brooks is instrumental in curating the series. "We were looking at American choreographers, and it just turned out that the most provocative and interesting work was coming from these artists."

Susan Marshall & Company opened the series in February with the Chicago premiere of her poetic, Bessie-Award winning 2006 work Cloudless. The Dance COLEctive revived Margi Cole's Written on the Body, and Mordine & Company Dance Theater premiered Quest by Shirley Mordine. The Scales of Memory, a collaboration between the New York-based, all-female Urban Bush Women and the Senegalese, all-male troupe Compagnie JANT-BI (see "Reviews and Previews," pg. 80) took the stage in March. Karole Armitage's group Armitage Gone! Dance closed the season this month, making a much-anticipated Chicago debut.

Intermediate and advanced dancers in the Chicago area had the opportunity to work with several of the touring groups via DanceMasters, a master class series operated by the Dance Center but taking place at various studios in the city. The companies in the series also offered pre- or post-performance discussions and most had FamilyDance Matinees. See colum.edu/dancecenter.