Very sad news crossed the wires today, with the passing of 21-year-old Chicago Dance Crash member Laura Maceika. The company’s obituary follows; the future of dance burns a little dimmer this week.
Chicago Dance Crash Announces the Passing of Company Member Laura Maceika
With heavy hearts, Chicago Dance Crash is saddened to lose the closest of friends and a cherished soul with the passing of company member Laura Maceika, who died this past weekend at the young age of 21. Described by Artistic Director Kyle Vincent Terry as a “poetic mover” and “the bird in flight,” the native of Woodstock, IL left high school at 16 to work toward a professional dance career, training at the Milwaukee Ballet, the Joel Hall Dance Center, and at the Performing Arts of Spring Grove under Alyce Keaggy-Brinkmann, where she met Crash Senior Company Member Lyndsey Rhoads. Maceika made her professional debut at 19 in CDC’s 2006 production of “Ghost Play,” joining Crash as a company member early the next year. By year’s end, the rebellious and unconfined ballet dancer had matured into an audience favorite, closing out the season to a standing ovation at a packed Lakeshore Theater in “The KTF Championship.”
During her short but vibrant career, Laura performed in seven Dance Crash productions, in addition to dancing with Jay-Son Tisa Dance Company and in Barefoot Productions’ “24”. She was an unequaled spirit, possessing a seamless sarcasm in life, but with a deep sense of feeling she would only fully confess on stage. She was always the first to stop whatever she was doing to promptly walk over and give a tight hug to whoever entered the studio. Laura will be loved and missed by the Dance Crash family and the Chicago dance community. Our hearts go out to her loving and supportive family, who never hesitated to make the drive to see their girl perform.
For more information, visit lauratwirls.com A Friday Viewing is from 4pm-8pm, with Saturday Service at 10am at Schneider-Leucht Merwin Cooney, 1211 North Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL. Requested attire is white with green accents. Friends and family will also be participating in the Out of the Darkness walk, a walk to make suicide prevention a national priority, in memory of Laura.
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