ASHLEY DERAN

CHOREOGRAPHER with Emily loar

SHE/HER

Ashley is a Chicago-based dancemaker, teaching artist, and photographer who received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance from Western Michigan University. In 2013, she founded Project Bound Dance and her work with co-director Emily Loar was selected as one of the "Top 10 Performances of 2019" by See Chicago Dance. Most recently Ashley’s choreography has been presented by Momenta, CPR Inhale Movement, COMMON conservatory, Chicago’s Dance in the Parks, Harvest Contemporary Dance Festival and Death’s Door Dance Festival in Door County. She is also a producer and collaborator with #The1HourProject - a collaborative endeavor that gives Chicago artists 60 minutes to create a 60 second dance film in unique spaces and places. Ashley is currently on staff at Rise Dance Center. She is endlessly thankful to family, friends, and the dance community that have continued to support Bound over the past decade.

Under the direction of Ashley Deran and Emily Loar, Project Bound Dance is a Chicago-based modern dance group rooted in the practice of collaboration. Since its founding in 2013, Bound has created work that is both curious and accessible. Creating both live concert performance and dances for camera, Bound draws from both modern dance and somatic fundamentals. Incorporating vigor, athleticism, and intricate gesture exploration, Deran and Loar weave together the vision of two distinct artistic voices to create richly textured dance performance.

Photo by A.Deran Photography