41: In Search of Artistic Freedom — Wade Schaaf

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Wade Schaaf, Founder and Artistic Director at</span> <a href= "https://www.chicagorepertoryballet.com/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Chicago Repertory Ballet</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">. Wade — a Chicago native and graduate of Northern Illinois University — is a veteran ballet dancer who has danced for a number of ballet companies such as the Ohio Ballet, Thodos Dance Chicago, and others. Upon retiring from the stage, Wade went on to establish his very own ballet company, which debuted in 2011 to glowing reviews and has since become a staple of the Chicago arts community. Additionally, Wade is an experienced and passionate Pilates instructor.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To Wade, dance is all about the story, and his company has consistently woven top-notch storytelling and unique innovation together on the stage. On the podcast, Wade explains how creating his own dance company was in an effort to achieve this story-driven art that he had always dreamt about, yet he is honest about the learning curve associated with owning your own business. Throughout the conversation, Wade shares more about his dance journey, his successes, his failures, and wisdom around putting in the tough work to achieve your goals, your passions, and true artistic freedom.</span></p> <p><br /> <br /></p> <p><strong>Moving Quotes:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I thought, for me, starting a company would probably be the best option to have the most artistic freedom to create whatever I wanted to create. That’s when I set my eyes out to start a company."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Yes, there has been a big crossover between art and technology… but at the same time, concert dance is a phenomenal opportunity for people that are oversaturated with imagery all the time and have a very fast-paced life. Going to sit down in a theater and encounter something in real-time that human beings have