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Welcome Here

Our vision is to be a dance company known for breaking the barrier of dance culture and expanding the dance community to reach those who haven’t previously felt included or welcomed

How We Got Started

We aim to bridge the gap between dance lovers and the dance curious: people who have yet to see themselves in the world of dance or think that it is not for them. We believe in creating works that are diverse in subject and location, relate to both those ingrained in dance culture and on the outskirts. We create to inspire and entice our audience to act: to see more shows, take a class, or talk about dance to their community.

Eastman and her board (Leah Kleinman and Meredith Williams) are dedicated to this vision.

Our Vision

Darvin Dances is inspired by founder Mariah Eastman’s passion for bringing dance to the people. She believes that dance is for everyone and ticket prices shouldn’t stand in the way of helping the general public see dance. The name Darvin comes from her grandmother (Goldy Darvin) and is also Eastman’s middle name. Goldy Darvin loved taking Eastman to see plays and dance shows when she was younger and made sure to see her dance performances when she could.

Mariah Eastman

Mariah Eastman holds a MS from Northwestern University in Leadership for Creative Enterprises and a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in Dance and Choreography.

From 2018 through 2022, Eastman produced work independently under her own name in Chicago and participated in many different dance festivals across the US. She premiered her first evening length work “Patternalia” in September 2020, a virtual performance exploring the process of dreaming through live dance, dance film and projections. Then in June 2021, she presented Café Cortado, a collaboration with local Chicago coffee shops using live stream dance, recorded interviews and dance film. In June 2022 she showed an excerpt of Café Cortado in a See Chicago Dance Month event. During Fall 2022, Eastman created Navigating the After which was a piece exploring recovery after sexual assault using live dance and audio interviews from survivors.

In 2023 she started her own company “Darvin Dances”. Since January 2023 Darvin Dances has performed in multiple productions including the following: First Draft produced by Winifred Haun & Dancers, Breaking the Silence Café produced by Resilience Chicago, Common Ground produced by The Rooted Space, On the Move produced by See Chicago Dance, St Louis Contemporary Dance Festival and more. They’ve produced concerts such as “Inclined to Decline” (Top 5 Dances in July 2023 by New City Magazine), “Back in the Saddle”, “Halloween Creepy Crawlies” and “A Gallery of Dances”.

She also received an Individual Artist grant ($6000) from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in 2024 for “Halloween Creepy Crawlies. Eastman has toured her work in New York City, Baltimore, Marthas Vineyard, St Louis and Richmond (VA).

Earlier Performances & Honors:

  • Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble’s production of A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer February 2018.

  • Chicago debut at J e l l o: Let’s Get Technical (Live from Chicago!) in April 2018.

  • Choreographed for Project Bound Dance’s One Hour Project.

  • Tidbits and Beginnings” solo premiered at the Built On Stilts Dance Festival in Martha’s Vineyard.

  • “Efforts of Contemplation” solo presented at “The Performance Party” at Arts On Site in August 2018.

  • “Live From Chicago!” was chosen to be performed at Small Plates Choreography Festival in Brooklyn, NY in October 2018.

  • “A Look in the Mirror” solo was chosen for the BUILT production at Links Hall in Chicago.

  • “Gesturing Steps” was selected for the Trifecta Dance Collective’s A New Light Choreography Showcase.

  • “Efforts of Contemplation” was chosen through an adjudication process to be performed at Baltimore Dance Invitational in February 2019. It was selected for the 17th annual Mid-Atlantic Choreographers Showcase in Richmond, VA.

  • Choreographed for Simantikos 2nd Annual Choreo Kick-off in August 2019.

Artists

Amanda Milligan

She/Her

Mandy Milligan graduated from University of Cincinnati Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Ballet performance. She received additional training at the Graham School for Contemporary Dance, Beijing Dance Academy, Dance Works Chicago, Interlochen Center for the Arts, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance and Perry-Mansfield. She has worked with companies from all over the midwest such as Mamluft & Co., Dance Kaleidoscope, Winifred Haun & Dancers, Simantikos Dance, Cocodaco Dance Company and Kanopy Dance Company. Mandy is currently Rehearsal director and dance artist with Darvin Dances. She is also the founder/director of Mandy MIlligan Movement Project.  

Since moving to Chicago in 2017 her choreographic work has been shown at the Links Hall, Pleasant Home, Dance Chance, Going Dutch Festival, First Draft, The Garage at Dovetail Studios and RADfest.

Sidney Valdez

She/Her

Sidney Valdez is a multidisciplinary dancer from Elmhurst, IL. After growing up dancing at DuPage Dance Academy in Elmhurst, Sidney furthered her interest in both dance and the mind-body connection at Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA where she graduated with a BS in Neuroscience and Dance. Sidney is a current Claire Bataille Legacy Program Student at Chicago Movement Collective and Staff Writer for See Chicago Dance. She also teaches dance to students of all ages in the western Chicago suburbs and is a physical therapy tech at Midwest Orthopedics at RUSH. Sidney is so excited to continue her dance career with Darvin Dances!

Ashton Craven

She/Her

Ashton Craven is a Chicago-based contemporary and tap artist. She spent her childhood training at Dance Center North, Libertyville under the direction of Stacy Keller. Ashton holds a Dance BA and Biological Sciences BS from the University of California-Irvine, where she studied with Molly Lynch, Charlotte Griffin, Lar Lubovitch, Katarzyna Skarpetowska, and Tong Wang. Her interdisciplinary thesis research culminated in a dance film using contemporary movement to explain complex microbiological topics. Ashton now trains with Chicago Movement Collective under the guidance of Ethan Kirschbaum. She has performed in collaboration with Winifred Haun and Dancer’s 3rd Coast Program in Persistent Spring and participated in the 2025 Dance for Life finale choreographed by Jonathan Alsberry. She teaches tap at various Chicagoland studios and works as an arts administrator with Ballet Chicago. Ashton is thrilled to be a company member with Darvin Dances!

Gabby Estes

She/Her

Gabriella Estes is a recent BFA alumni of the University of Arizona School of Dance. During her time there, she trained at the professional level in ballet, jazz, contemporary, modern, and commercial dance styles.  She was selected as an artist for the University of Arizona Dance Ensemble, where she performed works by Tamara Dyke- Compton, Michael Williams, Cat Cogliandro and Juel D. Lane. Most recently, she performed in the Finale for Dance For Life Chicago in August of 2025. In the past few years, she has had the opportunity to train with Boston Dance Theatre, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Visceral Dance Company, Alonzo Kings Lines Ballet, River North Dance Chicago, and Interlochen Academy for the Arts, to name a few, under partial and full scholarships. She is super excited to be a company member of Darvin Dances. 

Blake Campbell

She/Her

Blake Campbell was born in Elkhart, Indiana. At age 16, Blake got her G.E.D. and moved to Chicago to pursue contemporary dance training with COMMON Conservatory. In the past 4 years, Blake has performed works by choreographers: Terence Marling, Katlin Michael Bourgeois, Alysia Johnson, Ethan Kirschbaum, Robyn Mineko Willams, Meredith Dincolo, Jackie Nowicki, and many more. Blake had the honor of being cast in New Dances 2023 in collaboration with DanceWorks Chicago. Along with dancing, Blake is passionate about writing poetry and has won a few poetry competitions.

Our Repertoire

  • Inclined to Decline

    “Inclined to Decline” is a dance piece that repurposes rejection letters and uses them for inspiration rather than dejection. This work will explore the resilience and perseverance needed to move forward past rejection. Frolicking throughout the space, dancers will throw the letters into the air as they leap and fall to the ground. They will pull other dancers up from the ground and support each other through as each dancer finds their way to deal with the rejection letter. Some will tear the letter up and stomp on it while others will delicately lay it on the ground and leave it behind. 

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    Choreographer: Mariah Eastman

    Dancers in 2023: Vinny Haberman, Peyton Jones, Madison Meade and Mandy Milligan

    Dancers in 2024: Blake Campbell, Peyton Jones, Madison Meade and Mandy Milligan.

    SEE THE WORK

  • Four dancers performing in front of lake Michigan

    Navigating the After

    In "Navigating the After" Eastman explores the multifaceted recovery process after sexual assault using live dance and anonymous interviews from survivors. From the initial grieving process to wrestling with the identity of a survivor, she uses gesture phrases and partnering to delve into recovering from sexual assault.

    Choreographer: Mariah Eastman

    Dancers: Robin Davis, Alissa Heroux, Carly Liegel and Mandy Milligan

    SEE THE WORK

  • Halloween Creepy Crawlies

    Halloween Creepy Crawlies is a family friendly dance production that explores the mysteries of Halloween through a lost ghost’s search for her haunted home. On her way, she is helped by Ballerina Witches, Jazzy Vampires, Modern-Dancing Mummies, a Tap Dancing Skeleton and even a Jack O’ Lantern named Jake!

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    Choreographer for Professional Dancers: Mariah Eastman

    Choreographer for Children: Alicia Wilson

    Dancers: Ashton Craven, Emily Carroccio (2024), Mikaela Dalton (2024) , Robin Davis (2024), Gabby Estes, Rene Kenefic (2025), Madison Meade (2024), Mandy Milligan and Sidney Valdez

    SEE THE WORK

  • Cafe Cortado

    It's an accepted fact that Chicago has delicious coffee and a captivating dance scene. What hasn't been done before is a combination of the two: using dance to highlight the individuality of Chicago's coffee shops and shine a light on the well deserving small shop owners. Café Cortado focuses on the perseverance of PiniPico Brazilian Café and Sputnik Coffee Company. This piece is a virtual performance that takes place in both coffee shops and includes interviews from the shop owners.

    Choreographer: Mariah Eastman

    Dancers: Ashley Chung, Keila Hamed - Ramos, Abigail Roberts, Angela Risi and Julia Schaeffer

    SEE THE WORK

  • Efforts of Contemplation

    Efforts of Contemplation features a solo dancer wandering the landscape of her life decisions and contemplating if she made the right ones. Through a series of slides, rolls and falls – the dancer looks through the lenses of alternate universes and reflects about the life she has versus the one she could have had if she had made different choices.

    Choreographer: Mariah Eastman

    Dancer: Meredith Williams

    SEE THE WORK

  • Holiday Dance Carol

    An annual Chicago tradition, the Holiday Dance Carol goes from house to house delivering this short holiday dance. The idea is to knock on people's doors and, instead of singing a carol, proposing a holiday dance.

    Choreographer: Mariah Eastman

    Dancers: Angela Risi, Emily Rice, Robin Davis, Sarah Stearn, Heather Kristan and Lynda Piatt

    SEE THE WORK

  • Patternalia

    Patternalia is a production choreographed by independent choreographer Mariah Eastman exploring the process of dreaming using live dance, projections and dance film inside a virtual performance experience. The music includes repertoire by Kevin Macleod and "End" by Ryan Davis. Eastman has collaborated with Krista Zozulia (who filmed the dances) and Jordan Kunkel (editor and videographer) to create the dance films. The cast is composed of 6 dancers: Kalina Bartlett, Amanda Boike, Delia Constantino, Keila Hamed Ramos, Julia Schaeffer and Angela Vecchione. New York graphic designer Tess Havas created the illustrations for the projections.

    Choreographer: Mariah Eastman

    Dancers: Kalina Bartlett, Amanda Boike, Delia Constantino, Keila Hamed Ramos, Julia Schaeffer and Angela Vecchione

    SEE THE WORK

Want to book us?

We would love to work with you! Darvin Dances has several kinds of bookings - we can come teach a class and perform a short work, present one of our evening-length works, or come by your holiday party with the Holiday Dance Carol!