AMEBA

The ideas behind AMEBA first began to form in the basement of a Chicago apartment in December of 1999, when an excited group of about 20 local artists met to discuss ideas for new types of collaborations. Among the artists present at this meeting were dancers, choreographers, acrobats, musicians, composers, circus artists, gymnasts, martial artists, actors, scientists, creative carpenters, graphic designers, photo/video artists and web designers. Those who were present at this first meeting can attest to the power of such diverse artistic talent all crowded into the tight space of one basement room. The possibilities seemed endless. Brian Duke, a musician that was present at the meeting compared the ideas of this group to an "Amoeba" or something that was free-form, moved with a flexible, changing shape and would quickly evolve. So, the group soon adopted the name AMEBA, which also became an acronym that stood for "A Moving Energy By Artists." The organizers of the initial meeting, Chloe Jensen and Kip Conwell would eventually take the reigns as co-directors, but in the very beginning there was a natural determination to allow the group freedom to explore and discover its own direction.

In the first few months, AMEBA artists met outdoors and at local studios for jamming sessions, where the group experimented with combining the different artistic and athletic skills that were present. It was these jams that became the early breeding ground for innovative collaborations. The first piece of original choreography was created in these jams and performed in May 2000 at Links Hall in Chicago. This ten-minute work included original music, original video and a unique synthesis of modern dance, acrobatics and circus arts. It captured the creativity and expression of the arts and the energy and excitement of athletics all in one place, an idea that has become a central theme of our mission and our approach to creating, performing and teaching.

From the year 2000 to 2003, AMEBA self-produced three concerts in Illinois, two concerts in Wisconsin and has participated in various festivals, performances and dance community events throughout Chicago and the Midwest. On May 13, 2003, AMEBA Acrobatic & Aerial Dance became an official Illinois Not-for-Profit corporation, and was recognized as a 501-c-3 tax-exempt organization by the IRS.

AMEBA remains dedicated to creating, performing, producing concerts, teaching classes and training professional artists in unique athletic-artistic disciplines. As AMEBA continues to grow and evolve, there is always a sense that anything is possible and that if we truly do move with a flexible, changing shape, we can work beyond the assumed limits of human movement and creative potential. We hope that you will want to join us for this adventure.