SIDNEY CHUCKAS
Sidney Chuckas
Sidney Chuckas (he/they) creates, advocates, and educates through their art spanning the fields of dance, architecture, music, and technology. Originally from Evanston, IL, Chuckas’ life experiences, 20 years of dance training and performance, and experience in art curation, architecture, and visual mediums have led them to dive deeply into their passion for innovation, social change, and sustainability. Chuckas’ larger mission is to restore, amplify, and preserve the voices and narratives of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ creatives in the spaces they are a part of.
As a current dancer with Ballet BC they have performed works by Sharon Eyal, Marco Goecke, and Mehdi Walerski, premiered roles in works by Dorotea Saykaly, Shay Keubler, Johan Inger, Roy Assaf, and Out Innerspace, and commercially danced for Brandy, Chance the Rapper, and Paris Jackson.
Chuckas’ current works explore concepts related to the human condition: our connections, conflicts, and dreams. Often through a sci-fi or dystopian lens, Chuckas aims to utilize movement, soundscape, and stage design to take those witnessing their work on an emotional journey. Through their love of world-building, bold physicality, and detailed dramaturgy, Chuckas believes that by harnessing one of dance's most remarkable superpowers, the act of storytelling, they can call people into action: to dream boldly, act bravely, and love deeply.
Dance Piece / Performance: MANZANAR
Description:
"Even after having been programmed to live for thousands of years within the cold, vacant landscape of a brutalist lecture hall, still, their place in the vast universe beyond has yet to be defined. There is always room for self-improvement and plenty of time to do so if you dare."
MANZANAR abstractly explores the relationship between surveillance and racial justice through the story of a humanoid (part human and part android) whose existence has depended on humanity’s desire for self-improvement in a future meritocratic system. With references to George Orwell’s novel 1984, Hampton Fancher and David Peoples' film franchise Blade Runner, and Karen Yamashita’s novel Tropic of Orange, protagonist MANZANAR experiences the vulnerability and violence of coming to terms with life as a co-dependent and surveyed system of programming. With a desire to have a soul of their own, MANZANAR experiences the uncomfortable yet necessary human journey toward enlightenment and freedom even though it may lead to their ultimate demise.
Project created by: Sidney Chuckas
Key Collaborators:
Composer: Ben Waters
Projection by Peter Smida, edited by Sidney Chuckas
Mentors: Lisa Mariko Gelley and Josh Martin
Writer: Misha Maseka
General Technical Requirements:
Black Marley, no wings required (or Germans/tabs), A small set (a small area rug, a chair, and a coat rack), a projector, and a screen.
Length of Performance: 22:30 (No intermission required)
Audience Type: General Audience, any age
Does the work require tech residency?: It does not require a tech residency, but the opportunity would be graciously welcomed!
How many days/hours of on-site rehearsal do you require pre-performance?: 1-3 days
Number of Performers on Tour (including choreographer): 1
Number of Support Staff on Tour: (# and role) There are no support staff on the current team but I am currently looking for a stage manager and lighting designer to help run the tech and performance.
How do you define this work?: Contemporary Dance/Dance Theatre
Does your work include outreach / community engagement?: It currently does not include outreach, but I would love to make this a part of the work (teaching improvisational and storytelling workshops and discussing the power of world-building and abstraction).
Performance history of this project:
World Premier: October 13, 2023 at KW Production Studios (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
Project Availability: Spring 2024, Fall 2025, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025
Email: sidney.chuckas@gmail.com
Website: sidneychuckas.wixsite.com
Facebook: Sidney Chuckas
Instagram: @sidneychuckas
Located: Evanston, IL, USA
Footage by Vitantonio Spinelli
Edited by Sidney Chuckas
Photos: Yvonne Chew