Auditorium Theatre 2021-2022, Issue 5, Giordano

12 | AUDITORIUM THEATRE :: GIORDANO DANCE CHICAGO Bios continued 37 years, under Nan’s direction, GDC has established a high-profile reputation for excellence in the Chicago dance community, as well as in the national and international dance worlds. Nan has guided the development of a large and diverse repertoire. Nan’s concert choreography credits include five works in GDC’s repertoire. On the commercial side Nan has choreographed several television commercials. Nan teaches master classes throughout the United States and has toured internationally as guest teacher in many countries including Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Mexico, and Israel. She is also the driving force behind Jazz Dance/Science & Health, GDC’s outreach program in four under-resourced Chicago Public Schools. Nan received the Manford Byrd Jr. Wizard of Oz Award for Outstanding Service from Howland School of the Arts. Nan is Artistic Director of Jazz Dance World Congress (JDWC), an event that draws dancers, choreographers, and teachers from more than 30 countries. Nan served three years on the Illinois Arts Council Dance Panel as well as on the Community Arts Assistance Program Dance Panel for the City of Chicago, Department of Cultural Affairs. She currently serves on the International Ballet Competition, National Honorary Committee, and the Advisory Board for Dance Magazine . She was recognized as a cover story in Dance Teacher Magazine’s January 2018 issue. Nan was also honored by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who declared June 9, 2018, Nan Giordano Day for her leadership and contributions to the Chicago community. In August 2018, Chicago Dancers United honored Nan (along with Lou Conte) with the Dance for Life Impact Award, recognizing her contributions to the Chicago dance community and Dance for Life. In celebration of Nan’s landmark year, the Chicago Tribune released their “2018 Chicagoans of the Year,” of which she was spotlighted as the city’s “Dance” honoree. In summer of 2019, Nan was honored with the Grace Wakefield Lifetime Achievement Award by Star Dance Alliance at the Circle of Excellence Gala. Most recently, Nan launched a virtual project in Latin America, Illuminate the Possibilities. MICHAEL MCSTRAW Executive Director Michael McStraw is a member of and outstanding advocate for the Chicago performing arts community. As a professional dancer, semi-professional musician, arts administrator, dance educator, board member, and arts patron, Michael has been a positive and constant influence in the community for the past 38 years. Raised in Western Pennsylvania, his life includes a BS degree in Geology from Allegheny College, a Master of Fine Arts degree in Modern Dance from the University of Michigan, and a stint as an agricultural extension agent in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone, West Africa. He danced extensively with the area’s premier contemporary dance companies, including Mordine & Company Dance Theater, an organization he also managed, Jan Erkert & Dancers, and DanszLoop Chicago, of which he was a founding member. Michael was a member of and soloist with Chicago Master Singers for over 12 years and has performed extensively at numerous area churches and synagogues. Michael’s return to full-time arts administration ended a successful 17-year career in the pharmaceutical industry, most notably with G.D. Searle and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America.