The Children's Dance Theater Chicago (C.D.T.C.) began in 1993 as the FieldCrest Performers. Once the company identified its mission to partner with existing outreach programs and provide entertainment services to communities served, its name changed to The Children's Dance Theater Chicago.

In 1999, the CDTC became one of the first performing arts groups to appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show and in 2001 was the recipient of the Disney Award for exceptional performances at Walt Disney World in Florida.

Many of the company's early performances were broadcast on the cable access network for the production department of Learning Technologies.

The company's repertoire includes works from some of Chicago's emerging artists.

Our mission is to partner with community organizations, residents and youth to create and develop new and enriching productions; and to offer the young company members an understanding of the value of their existence by using fine arts to provide a cultural education.