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Hedwignites 2025 – 40th Anniversary Gala + Performance – Friday, June 20th

Hedwig Dances celebrates a legacy in motion and a vision of 40 years and counting!

This year marks a monumental milestone for Hedwig Dances – 40 years of legacy. A legacy deeply rooted in the creative history of Chicago, and one that has reached global recognition with its visually stunning performances that connect cultures, provoke wonder, and foster community through the art of dance.

We invite you to join us for an evening of celebration as we honor 40 years of artistic achievement and the enduring spirit of our dance community! This special, milestone Gala will also feature a live performance of Artistic Director Jan Bartoszek’s first choreographed pieces, a poignant reminder of the roots that have shaped our legacy.

 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

6:00 PM | PRE-PERFORMANCE WINE RECEPTION

Cheers to 40 years!

6:35 PM | PERFORMANCE

Presenting Artistic Director Jan Bartoszek’s earliest choreographed works

Performance Titles

Since Time Began

excerpt from “Dances of Many Lands I” (1981)

Crossing Point

Lunette

excerpt from “Sweet Baby, Baby Suite” (1993)

After the Fall (1999)

Point | Line | Plane 

excerpt from Futura (2018)

Performed by Hedwig Dancers

Kaelen Gouveia, Kelly Kosiek, Paula Sousa

Heriberto Meneses, Milo Sachse-Hofheimer, Sophia Vangelatos

WELCOME

Jan Bartoszek
Founder/Artistic Director

Keynote Speaker
Paul Sacaridiz, Executive Director

The Ragdale Foundation

7:45 PM | DINNER BUFFET

Enjoy select soul warming fare, Mexican cuisine, and Japanese confection

menu items whilst celebrating with our wonderful community!

8:15 PM | PADDLE RAISE, FUND THE NEED

Your contribution is needed now more than ever to support the next generation of

artistic excellence and community-building through dance.

CHAMPAGNE TOAST
Let’s look to the year ahead!

Presenters

Paul Sacaridiz

Presenter Type
Keynote Speaker
Paul Sacaridiz has been widely recognized for his work as an artist, educator, administrator, and leader in higher education and the nonprofit sector. Most recently he was the Maxine and Stuart Frankel Director of Cranbrook Academy of Art and previously held the position of Executive Director of the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. Earlier in his career, he served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Associate Director of the Wonsook Kim School of Art at Illinois State University. As a speaker, he has lectured nationally on art, education and leadership through the Artists Communities Alliance, American Craft Council, College Art Association, International Academy of Ceramics, and the Smithsonian Institution.
In addition to organizational leadership, Sacaridiz is an accomplished sculptor, having shown his work at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Denver Art Museum, and the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, among others. He is also the recipient of numerous artist residencies including the Archie Bray Foundation, the Arts/Industry Program at Kohler Company, Ragdale, and the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts.
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