Shirley Mordine (1936-2025)
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Dancer and choreographer Shirley Mordine passed away on May 2 at the age of 89. Shirley founded The Dance Center at Columbia College in 1969 and led the organization until 1999. A pioneering force in contemporary dance, her leadership transformed the Dance Center into a nationally recognized institution for dance education, performance, and public engagement. At the same time, she established her own company — The Dance Troupe, later known as Mordine & Company Dance Theater — and continuously shaped the field through her creative work, teaching, mentorship, and advocacy for dance as a vital part of cultural life.
When Shirley launched the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago’s Dance Presenting Series in 1974, she created the city’s only platform dedicated solely to dance performance. The series brought prestigious dance companies and artists to Chicago, often for the first time. Mordine & Company Dance Theater presented her work alongside repertory by other artists for 50 years, becoming the Midwest’s longest-running modern dance company. Shirley relocated to California in 2021, the company was dissolved in 2023, and her extensive archive was given to the Newberry Library. In recognition of her extraordinary contributions to the college and the art form, Shirley was awarded Columbia College Chicago’s Presidential Medal for Distinguished Service in 1999. Born Shirley Ann Macaulay on Jan. 8, 1936, Shirley grew up in Oakland, California. She attended Fremont High School, graduated from Mills College in 1958, and received dance training from the San Francisco Ballet School. She also studied with noted choreographers Anna Halprin and Welland Lathrop, who were key influences in forming her idiosyncratic, theatrical style of modern dance. Early on in Chicago, Shirley taught at Hull-House and Urban Gateways. She was an artist-in-residence at Evanston Township High School and took a part-time job teaching dance in the theater department at Columbia College Chicago. Shirley is survived by her former husband, Glenn Mordine, and their three children, Alex, Ann and Michael. Per her daughter, Ann — “She wasn’t just a dancer. She did something big and lasting, contributing to dance, to Chicago and to other people’s lives. She worked hard and left something meaningful behind.” With thanks to The Dance Center and Chicago Tribune. |