Gorton Center

Mountainfilm on Tour 2024
2024-01-26 19:00 - 2024-01-27 21:30 (America/Chicago) | Gorton Center – John & Nancy Hughes Theater, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045, United States
Held each year on the last weekend of January, Mountainfilm on Tour is one of the highlights of our cinematic year. In 2024, the festival will take place on January 26th and 27th. Mountainfilm travels year-round and worldwide with a selection of current and best-loved films from the annual festival in Telluride. This year’s program features a full-length award-winning film Deep Rising, a series of Family-Friendly short films for all ages, the adrenaline-focused and exhilarating Adventure Shorts, and the much anticipated Indomitable Spirit Medley of the festival’s finest films that capture stories of those who did not give up, back down, or let their challenges define them.
Plan Ahead: Enjoy WINTERFEST as part of your ticket & get the full Mountainfilm on Tour experience – Après ski style!In the Stuart Ski Lodge:Friday 6:00-7:00Saturday 5:00-7:00 (Food trucks on site)
As part of your Mountainfilm experience you have full access to our “Stuart Ski Lodge” where you’ll find a cozy ski-chic ambience, plenty of seating to enjoy food and drink, and live acoustic music by Dave Hiltebrand. Lake Bluff brewery will be on site both Friday and Saturday nights with craft brews, shot-“skis” and specialty “ski-style” cocktails. And enjoy the addition of food trucks on Saturday after the shorts and before the medley! So don your coolest après apparel and hang around and enjoy!
Purchase a Festival Pass and see all Mountainfilm on Tour films!
Learn more about festival screenings:
Fri. January 26 @ 7 PM – Deep Rising
Produced and narrated by Hollywood’s Aquaman Jason Momoa, Deep Rising illuminates the vital relationship between the deep ocean and sustaining life on Earth. Closely paralleled with the development of seabed mining startup The Metals Company, the film follows the organization in its early stages as it pursues funding, public favor and permission from the International Seabed Authority to mine wide swaths of the Pacific Ocean floor. The deep intonation of Momoa’s narration pulls us into the question of the hour: is opening up our earth’s last untouchable wilderness, the deep ocean, really the solution to our supply crisis, or is it yet another misplaced step on humanity’s unstoppable march toward self-destruction?

Sat. January 27 @ 2 PM – All Ages Shorts
The Mountainfilm: All Ages Shorts program offers a selection of exciting short films that are suitable for all ages.The program offers an eclectic mix of films about extreme sports, nature, and animals. Bring the whole family along for a memorable experience.

Sat. January 27 @ 4 PM – Adventure Shorts
The Mountainfilm: Adventure Shorts program provides an adrenaline rush mix of stories about appreciating the natural world and competing in extreme sport. Like any great adventure, the program has its share of grueling climbs and breathtaking descents, as well as more contemplative moments that focus on the beauty of the wild. It’s a program that’s sure to bring out the nature lover and thrill seeker in all of us.
Sat. January 27 AT 7 PM – Indomitable Spirit Medley
Exciting social impact stories that include hiking, climbing, skiing, all in one program! This collection of short films tells stories of those who did not give up, back down, or let their challenges define them. Come enjoy an eclectic film program right here in our John and Nancy Hughes Theater!
This series is co-presented with Lake Forest Open Lands Association and is supported by the Butler Family Foundation and The Community Church of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.

Mountainfilm on Tour 2024: All Ages Shorts Program
2024-01-27 14:00 - 15:30 | Gorton Center – John & Nancy Hughes Theater, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045, United States
Gorton Center and Lake Forest Open Lands present… All Ages Shorts Program!
A curated look at some of the very best Mountainfilm on Tour has to offer. The program offers an eclectic mix of films about extreme sports, nature, and animals. Bring the whole family along for a memorable experience in our John and Nancy Hughes Theater! We carefully selected films for this program that we feel will be a big hit with our community. Suitable for all ages.
All Ages Shorts Films:
Milk
Milk is an endearing and sweet short film about a young girl who buys milk for a man who can’t afford it instead of buying herself something. This heartwarming representation of true good character and selflessness is a much-needed reminder that good people do exist. This film encourages us to step away from our own selfish tendencies and embrace others so we can realize that even the smallest things can bring joy to their day. And, if this film tells us anything, those small moments of joy can lead to a brighter world.
New Zealand/ Duration: 5 min
Directed by: Celia Jaspers
Batsies
Batsies examines two women’s tender relationship with an animal that’s feared and loathed: the bat. We follow the journey of Dr. Weaver and Dr. Fritts as they conduct cutting-edge research throughout rural Texas, where wind turbines pose a new threat to bat populations. Bats save billions of dollars in agriculture costs by consuming insects that feed on crops. But the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in deepened public stigma toward these winged mammals. Through their research efforts, quirky friendship and shared bat obsession, Batsies is a fresh take on saving a creature that’s considered the ultimate outcast.
USA/ Duration: 15 min
Directed by: Elizabeth Unger
Jojo – A Toad Musical

Jojo is a kid who lives in the city and loves nature, especially toads. He also loves music and writing rap songs. Jojo combines his love of nature and love of music to write fun environmental rap songs about how we need to protect nature. He shares a good tip at the end, so wait for it.
USA/ Duration: 8 min
Directed by: Chelsea Jolly & David Herasimtschuk
High Road
High Road celebrates the unbreakable bond between Paralympian Meg Fisher and Jack Berry, a young Para athlete whose cycling career is just beginning to unfold. Together the two navigate life’s obstacles with grace and integrity, creating space for the next generation of Para cyclists.
USA/ Duration: 12 min
Directed by: Lindsey Hagen
Meet a Mad Farmer: A-Frame Farm

Luke and Ali Peterson are not your normal farmers. They are regenerative farmers surrounded by corn and soybeans for miles. The Petersons’ farm is a sign of diversity and healthy crops. To others they might seem crazy, but the Petersons think of regenerative farming and food as a beacon of hope for a healthier farming system, showcasing that soil health can lead to healthier foods and happier farmers.
USA/ Duration: 6 min
Directed by: Kirk Horton & Brendan Davis
Paddle Tribal Waters

Paddle Tribal Waters is a positive way to celebrate the removal of the Klamath dams and support the tribal nations by ensuring their youth have a say in the dam removal. This short film encourages education about the dams while also showing how to enjoy the river’s beauty.
USA/ Duration: 9 min
Directed by: Paul Robert Wolf Wilson & Rush Sturges

Not The Science Type: Gitanjali
Gitanjali was only 4 years old when she got a science kit and started creating inventions. By now, she has made 11 innovations, including one to address the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Although she has already done more good in her life than most adults, she is far from finished on her journey to help the world.
USA/ Duration: 7 min
Directed By: Julio Palacio
Tear Down The City

Mountain biker Xavier Massicotte tears around the streets, stairs, parks and subways of Montreal in this fast-paced, flowy adventure.
Canada/ Duration: 5 min
Directed by: Hugo Dubé-Bouchard

Mountainfilm on Tour 2024: Adventure Shorts Program
2024-01-27 16:00 - 18:00 | Gorton Center – John & Nancy Hughes Theater, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045, United States
Gorton Center and Lake Forest Open Lands present… Adventure Shorts!
The Mountainfilm on Tour: Adventure Shorts program provides an eclectic mix of stories about appreciating the natural world and competing in extreme sport. Like any great adventure, the program has its share of grueling climbs and breathtaking descents, as well as more contemplative moments that focus on the beauty of the wild. It’s a program that’s sure to bring out the nature lover and thrill seeker in all of us!
Adventure Shorts films:
Tear Down The City

Mountain biker Xavier Massicotte tears around the streets, stairs, parks and subways of Montreal in this fast-paced, flowy adventure.
Canada/ Duration: 5 min
Directed by: Hugo Dubé-Bouchard

Lightfall: A Journey in Photography with Sterling Lorence

Lightfall shares the story of legendary mountain bike photographer Sterling Lorence and his process to get the perfect shot in the dank and misty mountains of Vancouver’s legendary North Shore, with riders Jackson Goldstone and Brett Rheeder.
Canada/ Duration: 14 min
Directed by: Colin Jones

Walking on Clouds

Walking on Clouds reveals the breathtaking and dizzying highline crossing between two hot air balloons above the city of Praia Grande, Santa Catarina, Brazil. At 1,901 meters off the ground, athlete Rafael Bridi achieved the highest highline record in the world.
Brazil/ Duration: 7 min
Directed by: Renan Kamizi

Somos

Through remarkable imagery of raw and remote environments, the experience of being human in wild places is told by two snowboard mountaineers as they embark on a month-long expedition deep in the Alaskan backcountry.
USA, Chile/ Duration: 15 min
Directed by: Rafael Pease

The Wild Within

This film explores the importance of our connection to nature and finding your true self through adventures in Churchill, Canada. Through this exploration, one can discover who you really want to be in this world.
USA/ Duration: 3 min
Directed by: Logan Lambert

The Nine Wheels

Mountain bike stars of the future, Emric (10) and Raoul (13) are home-schooled by their parents Toni and Laetitia. They are the Schneeberger family, aka The Nine Wheels. They live in their motorhome going from bike park to bike park across Europe, a decision prompted by the discovery of a neurodegenerative disease in Laetitia. The Nine Wheels explores what it is like to live with a disability, the power of brotherly love, the devotion of parents, and ultimately, what it is like to live life fully one day at a time.
UK, Spain/ Duration: 22 min
Directed by: Santiago Burin des Roziers

Miles to Go

In 2022 alone there have been over 300 anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed in various states across the country. Refusing to sit idly by, trans trail runner Perry Cohen (he/him) formed a team of fellow runners, who identify as trans men, with an aim to compete in trail races in states proposing and passing oppressive legislation. Miles to Go follows their journey into the world of trail running, where they find the freedom to be themselves.
USA/ Duration: 8 min
Directed by: James Saunders

Georgia Astle: Flip the Switch

Mountain biker Georgia Astle explores what can happen when you’re able to silence your thoughts and put matter over mind to achieve great things.
Canada/ Duration: 3 min
Directed by: Scott Secco

Queens of the Break
Shot almost entirely on 16mm, Queens of the Break gives credit to the first generation of women in the Santa Barbara Surf Club and their friendship that has spanned over 50 years.
USA/ Duration: 7 min
Directed by: Jordyn Romero & Jo Anna Edmison

Well Worn Life with Dani Reyes-Acosta

Well Worn Life is a short documentary film series that reveals the recipes of outdoor-minded individuals who love life deeply and live it to the fullest extent. Dani Reyes-Acosta is a mountain athlete, land cultivator and storyteller whose path consistently seeks the limits of possibility. Reyes-Acosta is constantly moving through the landscapes of Southwest Colorado — by bike, on foot, on splitboard and clinging to the side of a boulder — to see where she fits into it.
USA/ Duration: 6 min
Directed by: Daniel Mitchell & Trent Sugg

A Baffin Vacation

Erik Boomer and Sarah McNair-Landry set off on a bold, multi-sport, 45-day expedition traveling through the remote landscape of Baffin Island in search of cliffs to climb and unexplored rivers to whitewater kayak.
USA, Canada/ Duration: 13 min
Directed by: Sarah McNair-Landry & Erik Boomer

Mountainfilm on Tour 2024: Indomitable Spirit Medley
2024-01-27 19:00 - 21:30 | Gorton Center – John & Nancy Hughes Theater, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045, United States
Gorton Center and Lake Forest Open Lands present… Indomitable Spirit Medley!
Social impact and exciting stories that include hiking, climbing, skiing, all in one program! This collection of short films tells stories of those who did not give up, back down, or let their challenges define them. Come enjoy an eclectic film program right here in our John and Nancy Hughes Theater!
Indomitable Spirit Medley films:
Mink!

Told by her daughter Wendy, Mink! is the story of the remarkable Patsy Takemoto Mink, a Japanese American from Hawaii who became the first woman of color elected to the U.S. Congress, on her harrowing mission to co-author and defend Title IX, the law that transformed athletics for girls and women in America.
USA/ Duration: 20 min
Directed by: Ben Proudfoot

Pass It On: Tami Knight

Pass It On celebrates three locals who spread their love of Squamish climbing into the fabric of the broader community. In this short segment, we get to meet the charming Tami Knight, a route developer of the late ‘70s and ‘80s.
Canada/ Duration: 4 min
Directed by: Jen Randall
Inseparable: Myia

As one of only 30 fluent Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) language speakers left in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), Myia Antone teaches as a way to preserve her language for generations to come. Seeking to learn more about her culture and language, Antone uses her mountain bike as a needle weaving through her ancestral lands and language. While biking with other Indigenous women, Antone utilizes the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh language to point out geographical features and native plants on rides. Weaving complex conversations through nuanced layers of generational trauma, Inseparable: Myia ultimately paints Indigenous joy and community as vital elements for a path forward.
USA/ Duration: 12 min
Directed by: Andrew Harrison Brown

Beyond the Summit

After becoming the first person to ski the Seven Summits, team athlete Kit DesLauriers found herself searching for purpose beyond herself. Through an epic adventure of athleticism, survival and conservation, she found it. Beyond the Summit explores her two weeks of traversing the Arctic on skis, telling the story of a diminishing snowpack in one of the most pristine wilderness areas in the world: the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
USA/ Duration: 33 min
Directed by: Natasha Mynhier

Advennture

Although separated by the Atlantic ocean, longtime friends Sämi Ortlieb and Rob Heule find common ground through shared ski experiences from their respective homes in Glarus, Switzerland and Alberta, Canada.
Switzerland, Canada/ Duration: 5 min
Directed by: Sämi Ortlieb

Renaissance

A ballet dancer finds her true expression by rediscovering her passion for movement in the mountains. Through Emily Rudenburg’s transition to climbing, she finds healing and herself.
Canada/ Duration: 5 min
Directed by: Mike McKay

The Orchestra Chuck Built

In 2016, the League of American Orchestras conducted a study that revealed a shocking statistic: only 1.8% of the professional orchestra workforce in the US is Black. From an old church rec room in the inner city of Los Angeles, former lawyer-turned-conductor Chuck Dickerson is on a mission to change that. With his majority Black and Latino youth orchestra — the largest of its kind in the country — Chuck is creating opportunities for his community that did not previously exist. The Orchestra Chuck Built is a loving portrait of a tireless mentor and the orchestra members whose lives have been transformed by music.
USA/ Duration: 22 min
Directed by: Christopher Stoudt

From the Shadow of a Mountain

Markelle Taylor started running as a way to turn his life around after incarceration in San Quentin, in the shadow of Mount Tamalpais. Today he runs free in the oldest trail race in America, on a mountain that was once unreachable.
USA/ Duration: 6 min
Directed by: Alex Massey

Georgia Astle: Flip the Switch

Mountain biker Georgia Astle explores what can happen when you’re able to silence your thoughts and put matter over mind to achieve great things.
Canada/ Duration: 3 min
Directed by: Scott Secco

Waiting, Hoping

For many migrant families stuck along the U.S.-Mexico border, staying in their home country was never an option. After traveling heroic distances to escape threats of violence, Claudia and her family have been waiting at a shelter in Juárez for nine months. Battling episodes of depression, Claudia wonders if she can continue to care for her son and remain a beacon of hope. As they await the phone call to have their asylum case heard, English classes and cooking with friends become bright spots in her life. This deeply personal story echoes the thousands of migrant families who are stuck along the border, waiting for a phone call from immigration that could change everything.
USA/ Duration: 10 min
Directed by: Tim Kressin

Soundscape

Soundscape features Erik Weihenmayer, a global adventure athlete and author who is fully blind, as he ascends a massive alpine rock face deep in the Sierra Nevada. Using expert camera work and emotive, novel animation to bring to life a concept by adaptive climbing pioneer Timmy O’Neill, the film is a surprising and soulful adventure in echolocation, touch and imagination.
USA/ Duration: 14 min
Directed by: Timmy O’Neill

All Level Yoga with Areta
2024-01-30 09:00 - 10:00 | Gorton Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
Areta will guide you through a traditional vinyasa flow yoga class incorporating poses, breath work and meditation. This bi-weekly one-hour practice will help release tension and bring you back into balance while opening, lengthening and strengthening the body. Whether you are new to yoga or an experienced practitioner, this mindful flow class will leave you feeling renewed and energized. Bring a mat and a water bottle.
Traditional Vinyasa Flow Yoga is a dynamic style of yoga that emphasizes the synchronization of breath and movement as practitioners flow through a sequence of poses. It combines the ancient practice of yoga with a modern approach that focuses on creating a fluid and rhythmic movement pattern. Vinyasa Flow is known for its creative sequencing and the way it allows practitioners to explore their bodies, breath, and minds harmoniously.
Taking a yoga class can offer a variety of physical, mental, and emotional benefits including improving cardiovascular health, reducing stress and tension and leaving you feeling more energized and revitalized.
Areta has been teaching yoga in Lake Forest and in yoga studios along the North Shore for 10 years and is E-RYT 500 Certified. Areta’s passion is bringing yoga to EVERY BODY, and has additional certifications in Meditation, Adaptive Yoga for Disabilities, Senior Yoga, Love Your Brain for traumatic brain injury, Yoga for Eating Disorder Recovery, Yin Yoga, and Yoga for 12 Step Recovery. Areta teaches yoga to inspire and empower physical well-being, spiritual balance and awakening for everyday life. She is a long-time resident of Lake Forest and a disability advocate and volunteer yoga coach for the Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA).

FAN: Writing for Busy Readers: Communicate More Effectively in the Real World
2024-01-30 19:00 - 20:00
Busy readers routinely decide how valuable a message is without actually reading it. In one recent survey, people reported skimming nearly 40 percent of their emails and 20 percent of their texts. We may have been taught the fundamentals of writing well in school—but how do we write effectively in this current hyper-interactive environment? Writing for Busy Readers: Communicate More Effectively in the Real World by Todd Rogers, Ph.D. and Jessica Lasky-Fink, Ph.D. is both an essential guide of practical writing advice and a fascinating adventure through the science of why these strategies work.
The book begins by unpacking the science and psychology of how (busy) people read, then details six research-backed principles for effective writing. Along the way, the authors provide intriguing insights drawn from the leading scientific research and hundreds of their own original, randomized experiments on the topic. The principles for effective writing are rooted in the universals of human nature: the mind’s limited attention and focus, the rules of thumb it uses, the behaviors of busy people, and the ways that we give and receive information through written messages.
Rogers is a Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a behavioral scientist specializing in the science of effective communication. He is the faculty director of the Behavioral Insights Group, faculty chair of the executive education program Behavioral Insights and Public Policy, senior scientist at ideas42, and academic advisor at the Behavioral Insights Team. Rogers will be in conversation with Angela Duckworth, Ph.D. (FAN ’12, ’16), co-founder of Character Lab, Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, faculty co-director of the Penn-Wharton Behavior Change for Good Initiative, founding faculty co-director of Wharton People Analytics, and author of the international bestseller Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.
This event suitable for youth 12+. It will be recorded and available on FAN’s website and YouTube channel.

BONUS AFTER-HOURS EVENT: Attendees who purchase a copy of Writing for Busy Readers from FAN’s partner bookseller The Book Stall are invited to attend an AFTER-HOURS event hosted by Rogers that will start immediately after the webinar. Details on the webinar registration page.

Fascial Stretch Therapy
2024-01-31 12:00 | Gorton Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
Private Sessions with Josh Watson of Lake Shore Fit@Home!
Eliminate chronic pain, increase mobility and improve flexibility and strength. Fascial Stretch Therapy is a neuromyofascial manual therapy method that focuses on the connective tissue system rather than isolated muscle treatment. FST therapists assess active, passive, and resisted range of motion in functional positions and movements.
Josh Watson has been a personal trainer and stretch therapist in Lake Forest for the past decade. After graduating from Illinois State University with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, he spent the past eight years at Northwestern Medicine in Lake Forest and currently the past two years running his own in-home business “LakeShore Fit@Home”. He works with a variety of age groups and health conditions and is a huge advocate for stretching for all populations and sports. His knowledge base includes a variety of certifications and modalities that’s helped him work with CEOs, entrepreneurs, golf athletes and division one athletics.
Please contact Josh directly to schedule a private stretching session at Gorton! – Josh Watson lakeshorefitathome@nullgmail.com or 847-702-2226

Private Guitar & Bass Lessons with Dave Hiltebrand
2024-01-31 12:00 - 13:00 | Gorton Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
PLEASE REACH OUT TO DAVE HILTEBRAND DIRECTLY TO SCHEDULE A LESSON! – Dave@nulldavehiltebrand.com
Learn a comprehensive approach to playing guitar or bass including technique, getting a good sound,
playing in different styles, ear training and use of effects. Some basic experience is encouraged.
*Contact Libby Johnson with any issues – Libby@nullgortoncenter.org
Dave Hiltebrand has been a full-time musician for over 25 years. Since graduating from DePaul University School of Music, Dave has had extensive experience as a performer, composer and studio musician. Highlights include the national tour of Jersey Boys, co-writing and co-producing two national top-ten songs, composing work for The Oprah Winfrey Show, Nike and Allstate, TV appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Empire and Betrayal, and tours to South Africa, Cuba, Spain, Italy and Egypt. His debut solo guitar album Yoguitar, Vol. 1 was released in 2016. Dave is currently an adjunct professor of Digital Music at Elmhurst University.
website: www.davehiltebrand.com
Instagram: @davehiltebrand
YouTube: @dave-hiltebrand

Gentle Flow Yoga with Areta
2024-02-01 09:00 - 10:00, 2024-02-08 09:00 - 10:00 | Gorton Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
This gentle flow class is warm and light, ideal for anyone wanting a slower-paced class. We move to create flexibility and sustain our range of motion through supportive passive openings and longer holds and props. This class is for any age, body type, and level of experience. As you progress, you will learn how to incorporate breath connection and meditation techniques into your practice. Please bring a mat and a water bottle.
Taking a yoga class can offer a variety of physical, mental, and emotional benefits including improving cardiovascular health, reducing stress and tension and leaving you feeling more energized and revitalized.
Areta has been teaching yoga in Lake Forest and in yoga studios along the North Shore for 10 years and is E-RYT 500 Certified. Areta’s passion is bringing yoga to Every BODY and has additional certifications in Meditation, Adaptive Yoga for Disabilities, Senior Yoga, Love Your Brain for traumatic brain injury, Yoga for Eating Disorder Recovery, Yin Yoga, and Yoga for 12 Step Recovery. Areta teaches yoga to inspire and empower physical well-being, spiritual balance, and awakening for everyday life. She is a long-time resident of Lake Forest and a disability advocate and volunteer yoga coach for the Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA).

Summer of Soul
2024-02-01 15:00 - 17:00, 2024-02-01 19:00 - 21:00 | Gorton Center – John & Nancy Hughes Theater, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045, United States
Documentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African-American music and culture and promoted Black pride and unity.
Director: Questlove
Stars: Dorinda Drake, Barbara Bland-Acosta, Darryl Lewis
The First Thursday Series at Gorton is sponsored by the Sheffield Foundation

FAN: HBCU Made: A Celebration of the Black College Experience
2024-02-01 19:00 - 20:00
HBCU Made: A Celebration of the Black College Experience, edited and with a foreword by Ayesha Rascoe, host of National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition Sunday, is a joyous and moving collection that includes a distinguished and diverse set of contributors including Oprah Winfrey, Stacey Abrams, Branford Marsalis, and Roy Wood Jr., along with other prominent and up-and-coming alumni. HBCU Made beautifully pulls back the curtain on the lived experience of prominent graduates while also shining a bright light on the significant contribution that HBCUs have made to American culture.
HBCU Made, the first book of its kind to feature famous alumni sharing direct accounts of their Black college experience, presents a collection of vulnerable and candid personal essays about the schools that nurtured, challenged, and educated them. From political figures to respected writers, from outstanding dancers to prominent performers, this array of voices describe why they chose their HBCU, their first days on campus, the excitement of homecoming, and the relief of finally feeling understood.
Rascoe, a proud alum of Howard University, will be in conversation with Natalie Y. Moore, a fellow Howard alum and an award-winning journalist covering segregation and inequality for WBEZ, Chicago’s NPR affiliate. Moore is the author of The Billboard, a play about abortion, and the acclaimed book The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation (2016). Ms. Moore’s reporting tackles race, housing, economic development, food injustice, and violence and her work has been broadcast on the BBC and Marketplace, and on NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition.
This event suitable for youth 12+. It will be recorded and available on FAN’s website and YouTube channel.

BONUS AFTER-HOURS EVENT: Attendees who purchase a copy of HBCU Made from FAN’s partner bookseller The Book Stall are invited to attend an AFTER-HOURS event hosted by Rascoe and Moore that will start immediately after the webinar. Details on the webinar registration page.

Creative Cooking Camp (Poland)
2024-02-02 10:30 - 13:30 | Gorton Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
THIS CAMP HAS BEEN CANCELLED. PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR FUTURE EVENTS!
Join Sarah Berto with Confidence with Etiquette for a fun mini camp! Children will ‘visit’ Poland and make Kopytka with vegetables and crepes along with a berry smoothie.
At the table the children will learn how to eat the food they’ve just made using correct table manners. They will enjoy games and activities from the country they visite and at the end, they will clear the table leaving the space better than it was before! Ages K – 8th.

Broadway's Next Hit Musical
2024-02-03 19:30 - 21:00 | Gorton Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
Every song is fresh. Every scene is new. Every night is different. It’s all improvised and it’s all funny.
The New York Times calls Broadway’s Next Hit Musical “Hilarious!” Time Out NY says “At last! A musical of, for, and by the people.”

We Brought You The Second City and now we bring Broadway’s Next Hit Musical!
Have you heard of the TONY awards? Well, Broadway’s Next Hit Musical is…The PHONY Awards! Audience members write down made up song titles and master improvisers gather these suggestions and present them as “nominated songs” for this coveted award. Straight from New York, this talented troupe of improv actors create spontaneous scenes and songs filled with dancing, catchy melodies, and tons of laughter, turning audience suggestions into a full blown improvised musical – complete with memorable characters, witty dialogue, and plot twists galore. This show tours the United States and plays regularly in New York City at The Triad Theater, The Tribeca Film Festival, and at The New York Musical Theater Festival. Theater Week hailed the show as “brilliant” and The New York Post called it “remarkable.” Don’t miss the next great American musical – it could be written by YOU!

Valentine's Tea
2024-02-04 15:00 - 16:30 | Gorton Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR FUTURE DATES!
How special is the time shared… one-on-one with your daughters?! Come and enjoy delicious treats from around the world, and two different types of teas (decaf Earl Grey and Botanical fruit blends). Find out where tea bush grows, what the tea ritual in China entails, and what makes tea important in India. We will also talk about how tea is celebrated in Europe (Italy, France and Germany). All ages

All Level Yoga with Areta
2024-02-06 09:00 - 10:00, 2024-02-13 09:00 - 10:00 | Gorton Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
Areta will guide you through a traditional vinyasa flow yoga class incorporating poses, breath work and meditation. This bi-weekly one-hour practice will help release tension and bring you back into balance while opening, lengthening and strengthening the body. Whether you are new to yoga or an experienced practitioner, this mindful flow class will leave you feeling renewed and energized. Bring a mat and a water bottle.
Traditional Vinyasa Flow Yoga is a dynamic style of yoga that emphasizes the synchronization of breath and movement as practitioners flow through a sequence of poses. It combines the ancient practice of yoga with a modern approach that focuses on creating a fluid and rhythmic movement pattern. Vinyasa Flow is known for its creative sequencing and the way it allows practitioners to explore their bodies, breath, and minds in a harmonious way.
Taking a yoga class can offer a variety of physical, mental, and emotional benefits including improving cardiovascular health, reducing stress and tension and leaving you feeling more energized and revitalized.
Areta has been teaching yoga in Lake Forest and in yoga studios along the North Shore for 10 years and is E-RYT 500 Certified. Areta’s passion is bringing yoga to EVERY BODY, and has additional certifications in Meditation, Adaptive Yoga for Disabilities, Senior Yoga, Love Your Brain for traumatic brain injury, Yoga for Eating Disorder Recovery, Yin Yoga, and Yoga for 12 Step Recovery. Areta teaches yoga to inspire and empower physical well-being, spiritual balance and awakening for everyday life. She is a long-time resident of Lake Forest and a disability advocate and volunteer yoga coach for the Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA).

The Mindful Moms Group
2024-02-06 11:00 - 12:00 | Gorton Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
THIS CLASS HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
Being a mom ain’t easy – AND we know that social support is key to learning, growing, and living life to our full potential. In this class, moms will explore both the ways motherhood is socially and culturally influenced as well as where parenting can be a gateway to healing and transformation. We’ll explore concepts like “matrescence” and the “Myth of the Perfect Mother” while integrating restorative and reflective mindfulness practices to deepen our self-understanding, self-compassion, and connection. This is for new and seasoned moms!
A clinical psychologist and certified mindfulness meditation teacher, Dr. Angele Close has been teaching workshops and courses on mindfulness, self-compassion, and emotional processing for over a decade. She now brings her years of training and knowledge from these traditions, informed by Internal Family Systems, into her work with moms. Her personal experiences as a mom of three and her journey of healing and awakening through motherhood has ignited a passion to help other moms get more out of motherhood. Dr. Close has a private practice as well as provides consultation, courses, and workshops through the Insight Timer platform where you can listen to her many highly rated guided meditations.

Drawing with Ink, Pencil & Charcoal with Joalida Smit
2024-02-06 16:00 - 17:30 | Gorton Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
THIS CLASS HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
In this class Joalida will teach your teen contemporary art-making using pencils, charcoal and ink. Focusing on black and white helps developing artists to focus on the more technical aspects of drawing: light, shading and composition. Charcoal and ink is also a very expressive medium and great for teens to learn how to use expressive mark-making in their art.
Younger teens with drawing skills may benefit from this art class as it will teach the fundamentals of drawing.
The Wednesday class focuses on painting on paper and canvas and drawing skills are assumed and not taught directly. Ages 12 – 17
Materials list

Willow charcoal sticks
set of charcoal pencils
set of drawing pencils (2B, 4B, 6B)
Black India ink
Sketchbook with textured surface (larger than document size preferred)

Why take an art class?

Teens can benefit from taking an art class for a variety of reasons. It supports cognitive and emotional development. In particular, it facilitates executive functioning through planning and organising ideas and solving problems as they emerge during the process. It is a stress-release and can be therapeutic,providing a unique way for teens to communicate thoughts, emotions, and ideas that might be difficult to express through words alone. It builds self-esteem, facilitates personal growth and social-emotional development as budding artists develop their skills in the presence of others.
Regardless of their career aspirations, engaging in artistic activities within a class environment can contribute to a teen’s overall personal development and well-being.
Photo credit of Joalida: James Gustin

Winter Wellness Warm Up & Social (Yoga & Live Music)
2024-02-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Gorton Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
Join Areta and Dave for Yoga, Live Music, Wine and More!
Come out and join us for a gentle yoga class set to the soulful sound of live acoustic guitar. We will gather in the lovely Stuart room warmed by a roaring fire and illuminated by candle light. The one hour class will include grounding movements, some breath work and end with a guided meditation together with the healing vibrations of live music, leaving you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. Plan to stay and enjoy a post wine and cheese social with your community.
Areta has been teaching yoga in Lake Forest and in yoga studios along the North Shore for 10 years and is E-RYT 500 Certified. Areta’s passion is bringing yoga to Every BODY and has additional certifications in Meditation, Adaptive Yoga for Disabilities, Senior Yoga, Love Your Brain for traumatic brain injury, Yoga for Eating Disorder Recovery, Yin Yoga, and Yoga for 12 Step Recovery. Areta teaches yoga to inspire and empower physical well-being, spiritual balance, and awakening for everyday life. She is a long-time resident of Lake Forest and a disability advocate and volunteer yoga coach for the Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA).
Dave Hiltebrand has been a full-time musician for over 25 years. Since graduating from DePaul University School of Music, Dave has had extensive experience as a performer, composer and studio musician. Highlights include the national tour of Jersey Boys, co-writing and co-producing two national top-ten songs, composing work for The Oprah Winfrey Show, Nike and Allstate, TV appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Empire and Betrayal, and tours to South Africa, Cuba, Spain, Italy and Egypt. His debut solo guitar album Yoguitar, Vol. 1 was released in 2016. Dave is currently an adjunct professor of Digital Music at Elmhurst University.
website: www.davehiltebrand.com
Instagram: @davehiltebrand
YouTube: @dave-hiltebrand

Drawing & Painting for Teens with Joalida Smit
2024-02-07 16:00 - 17:30 | Gorton Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
These sessions will guide your teen to find their unique voice and individual style. Bring your own ideas or work on a contemporary portrait from materials in my studio. We will explore different mediums, techniques and genres in a fun supportive environment, where your budding artist can develop and grow at their own pace. Ages 12 – 17
*Your child may be asked to leave if they do not comply with the rules of the art room.
Why take an art class?

Teens can benefit from taking an art class for a variety of reasons. It supports cognitive and emotional development. In particular, it facilitates executive functioning through planning and organising ideas and solving problems as they emerge during the process. It is a stress-release and can be therapeutic,providing a unique way for teens to communicate thoughts, emotions, and ideas that might be difficult to express through words alone. It builds self-esteem, facilitates personal growth and social-emotional development as budding artists develop their skills in the presence of others.
Regardless of their career aspirations, engaging in artistic activities within a class environment can contribute to a teen’s overall personal development and well-being.
Photo credit of Joalida: James Gustin

Speed Dating: Fall in Love with Your Next Book
2024-02-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Gorton Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
This Valentine’s season, prepare to fall in love….with a book! Who says Valentine’s Day has to be about romantic love?
Join professional facilitators Alice Moody and Ann Walters for this special event where you’ll discover your perfect literary match (or two!) – and mingle with new and old friends.
Simply bring any favorite book close to your heart that you can’t wait to share. Engage in fun, fast-paced, one-on-one conversations where you describe your book and learn about someone else’s before moving on to your next “date.”
Valentine cocktails, mocktails, treats, rating sheets, raffle prizes, and more! Come alone or bring a friend… it’s time to fall head over heels with your next great read!
About Alice & Ann:
Alice Moody & Ann Walters began Between the Covers Book Discussions in 2016. As professional facilitators, they’ve led hundreds of talks at libraries, independent bookstores, community centers, and private homes and venues. In addition to hosting pop-up recommendation events, they run a popular online literary subscription series, now in its third year. Before founding their current venture, Ann was a longtime bookseller at Lake Forest Book Store and blogged at Books on the Table. Alice, a writing coach and workshop leader, created Short Stories Live, a unique experience that melds live performance with literary discussion. Both Alice & Ann believe in the power of books to build connections and broaden our understanding of humanity.

All The President's Men
2024-02-08 15:00 - 17:00, 2024-02-08 19:00 - 21:00 | Gorton Center – John & Nancy Hughes Theater, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045, United States
“The Washington Post” reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the details of the Watergate scandal that leads to President Richard Nixon’s resignation.

Director: Alan J. Pakula

Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jack Warden

Breathwork Foundations
2024-02-08 18:00 - 19:00 | Gorton Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
THIS CLASS HAS BEEN CANCELLED. PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR A RESCHEDULED DATE!
You do it 20,000 times a day and almost all of them unconsciously. Learn the messages you are sending your body with the way your are breathing. Experience how to optimize your breathing physiology, understand how to take a proper breath and some simple protocols you can use to change your state in minutes. Learning the foundations of conscious breathwork opens a portal to positively influence the physical and non-physical parts of ourselves.
James Stewart was born and raised in Australia, as an adult traveled extensively in pursuit of elevated levels of fulfillment and freedom. He is always looking to discover new effective tools to optimize physical and mental performance. Conscious breathwork practices are his go-to tools when coaching teams and individuals who desire efficient methods to holistically improve health, performance and gain an empowered sense of self.

FAN: The 5 Principles of Parenting: Your Essential Guide to Raising Good Humans
2024-02-08 19:00 - 20:00
In the age of high-pressure parenting, when so many of us we feel like we’ve got to get everything exactly right the first time, Aliza Pressman, Ph.D. is the compassionate, reassuring expert we all need—and the one whose advice we can all use. Already beloved by listeners of her hit podcast, Raising Good Humans, Dr. Pressman distills it all in her new book, The 5 Principles of Parenting: Your Essential Guide to Raising Good Humans. She offers a handful of strategies: Relationship, Reflection, Regulation, Rules, and Repair.
No matter how you were raised, how your coparent behaves, or how your kids have been parented up until now, you can start using The 5 Principles of Parenting to chart a manageable course for raising good humans that’s aligned with your own values and with your children’s unique temperaments. Whether you’re in the trenches with a toddler or a tween, it’s never too late to learn to use these 5 principles to reparent yourself and help your kids build the resilience they need to thrive.
Dr. Pressman is an assistant clinical professor in the Division of Behavioral Health Department of Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital where she is cofounding director of The Mount Sinai Parenting Center. She will be in conversation with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D., author of The Bottom Line for Baby and co-author, with Dan Siegel, MD (FAN ’16) of The Power of Showing Up, The Yes Brain, and two New York Times bestsellers: The Whole-Brained Child and No-Drama Discipline.
This event suitable for youth 12+. It will be recorded and available on FAN’s website and YouTube channel.

BONUS AFTER-HOURS EVENT: Attendees who purchase a copy of The 5 Principles of Parenting from FAN’s partner bookseller The Book Stall are invited to attend an AFTER-HOURS event hosted by Pressman that will start immediately after the webinar. Details on the webinar registration page.

Valentine's Wine Blending
2024-02-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Gorton Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
Do you like wine and want to learn more about how wine blends are made? Have a fun wine-blending experience this Valentine’s weekend! Come learn how to blend red wine using wine varietals from Raymond Vineyards, Napa Valley, California. This blending class will help you discover the joys of the winemaker’s art, creativity, and exploration while creating your own wine blend!
Class includes wine education, tasting four different red wines, winemaking experience,& blending materials. After creating your wine, you will have the option of getting your wine bottled with a personalized label!
The Boisset Wine Collection offers exclusive vineyard wines from their 30 wineries between Napa Valley, Sonoma, & Burgundy. Emily Long will be guiding you through the tasting tour. Wine education materials & light food pairings will be included.

Giordano Dance Chicago
2024-02-10 19:30 - 21:30 | Gorton Center – John & Nancy Hughes Theater, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045, United States
After a milestone anniversary year, Giordano Dance Chicago steps into its next season with Gorton Center, taking the Giordano you love to the edge of expectation, continuing to push the boundaries of jazz dance.
America’s original jazz dance company is celebrating 61 years of expanding jazz dance! From its origins in the family-run studio of Gus Giordano, the godfather of jazz in dance, to its current incarnation as a professional organization with worldwide performances in over 1,300 cities, GDC’s imprint on the art form is profound and far-reaching. The company’s new works continually expand the boundaries of jazz and contemporary dance, stunning audiences across the globe.
MEET THE DANCERS! (POST SHOW M&G IS NOW CLOSED)
Join us for a champagne and dessert reception right after the show! Chat with the dancers, meet Nan Giordano and learn more about how this amazing company does what they do-on a personal level. Please note: M&G tickets sold separately

8/18/19 7:19:32 AM — 2019 Dance For Life Gala ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2019

“Giordano is, and always will be, American jazz dance royalty” – Chicago Tribune
“Joy and inspiration permeated each piece” – Big Island Music Magazine, Hawaii
“From the first moment that Giordano Dance Chicago steps on stage, the audience knows that this evening will be electric” – Chicago Tonight

FAN: Everyday Dharma: 8 Essential Practices for Finding Success and Joy in Everything You Do
2024-02-12 19:00 - 20:00
We’ve been conditioned, from an early age, to believe that one day we’ll reach a moment of “arrival.” But no matter how much we achieve or acquire we still don’t feel as satisfied or as fulfilled as we thought we would be. Exhausted, we become burned out and cynical, questioning the purpose of it all.
An expert on happiness and work, Suneel Gupta argues that for too long society has been fixated on the Future of Work and ignored the Future of Worth. We’ve compartmentalized work and well-being and ignored the fact that both are essential for sustained success. We’ve assumed that outer success leads to inner well-being–despite history showing us that this has never been the case. In his new book Everyday Dharma: 8 Essential Practices for Finding Success and Joy in Everything You Do, Gupta helps us break this negative cycle. A captivating storyteller, he weaves personal stories, history, science, Eastern philosophy, and Western modalities in this engaging, enlightening, and prescriptive book.
As the founding CEO of RISE and a visiting scholar at Harvard Medical School, Gupta travels the world, deconstructing how extraordinary performers overcome their most difficult moments. His work has been featured by outlets including Vanity Fair, Fast Company, and the New York Times. He will be in conversation with Debbie Millman, host of the Webby Award-winning podcast Design Matters, one of the first and longest running podcasts in the world; chair of the first-ever Masters in Branding Program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City; co-owner and editorial director of PrintMag.com; and the author of seven books on design and branding.
This event suitable for youth 12+. It will be recorded and available on FAN’s website and YouTube channel.

BONUS AFTER-HOURS EVENT: Attendees who purchase a copy of Everyday Dharma from FAN’s partner bookseller The Book Stall are invited to attend an AFTER-HOURS event hosted by Gupta and Millman that will start immediately after the webinar. Details on the webinar registration page.
