Chicago Dance Month Kick-Off Celebration
- Navy Pier’s Lake Stage, 600 E. Grand Ave.
- Saturday, May 28
- 3 - 5 p.m.
- FREE
Chicago Dance Month kicks off with an opening celebration featuring a variety of performances from Chicago’s dance community.
Featuring performances by Chicago Tap Theater, Chicago Repertory Ballet, Raks Inferno, Visceral Dance Chicago and additional companies to be announced.
See Chicago Dance, the dance industry's nonprofit service organization, is proud to announce that this June will see the return of its popular annual offering, Chicago Dance Month. Now in its tenth year, Chicago Dance Month provides a multitude of performance opportunities for artists and companies that are eager to get back in front of audiences.
“This year, in conjunction with the citywide Year of Chicago Dance, our Chicago Dance Month programming will be more extensive and inclusive than ever,” said See Chicago Dance’s Executive Director Julia Mayer. “We are significantly increasing the number of performers we are featuring throughout the month; adding dance instruction and opportunities for social dancing; and partnering with Ayodele Dance & Drum, the company in residence at the beautiful Sherman Park at 52nd and Racine, to present two outdoor progressive performances that will feature dozens of dancers and a range of dance forms. Beyond our SCD programs, Chicago Dance Month offers increased visibility for our community and plenty of opportunities for audiences to experience the rich breadth of Chicago dance with live performances all over the city.”
In addition to the events listed below, See Chicago Dance will spotlight the work of scores of artists and organizations during this citywide celebration. Chicago Dance Month events and Hot Deal discount offers will be added to future releases and updated at SeeChicagoDance.com.
EVENTS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED INCLUDE*:
Thursday Pier Dance
- Navy Pier’s City Stage, 600 E. Grand Ave.
- Thursday, June 2 through Thursday, June 30
- 6 - 7:30 p.m.
- FREE
A new Chicago Dance Month event this year, each Thursday a dance company teaches an introductory dance lesson to movers of all ages and skill levels at Navy Pier’s City Stage.
Featuring interactive instruction with Bellydance By Phaedra, Meher Dance Company, Andres Meneses of Latin Street Music & Dancing and additional companies to be announced.
Wave Wall Moves
- Navy Pier’s Wave Wall Platform, 600 E. Grand Ave.
- Saturday, June 4 through Saturday, August 22
- 3 - 3:30 p.m.
- FREE
Pop-up dance performances and interactive dance classes running about 15 minutes each that will feature a rotating roster of dance companies each Saturday throughout the summer.
Featuring performances by Ballet 5:8, Maywood Fine Arts, Shubuki/Asian Improv Arts Midwest and additional companies to be added.
On the Move
- In Partnership with Chicago Park District and Night Out in the Parks
- Tuesday, June 7
- Tuesday, June 21
- 4:30 – 6 p.m.
- Location: Sherman Park, 1301 W. 52nd Street.
Performances in a progressive episodic dance events that feature a series of short, site-specific pieces. Winding through public spaces, audiences will be invited to
follow a map and discover hidden pockets of performances. This event is in partnership with the Chicago Park District and Night Out in the Parks.
Hosts and Arts Partners in Residence Ayodele Drum & Dance, with J. Lindsay Brown, dropshift dance, Helen Lee/Momentum Sensorium, Synapse Arts and additional companies to be announced.
*See Chicago Dance will follow all current safety protocols from national, state and local governments. Programs and performers may change due to any updates without notice.
ABOUT JULIA MAYER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SEE CHICAGO DANCE
Julia Mayer became See Chicago Dance’s executive director in August 2020. Mayer has been involved in and influencing Chicago’s cultural scene in a variety of capacities for more than 20 years, having worked at 3Arts Inc., The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Chicago Humanities Festival, Morrison-Shearer Foundation and Museums In the Park. In addition, she has chaired and served on numerous committees from Links Hall to Chicago Dancemakers Forum to the Chicago Park District. For more than two decades, Mayer has been a choreographer, teacher or consultant at Columbia College, University of Chicago and in Indiana at Valparaiso University and Saint Mary’s College. She has a masters degree in Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics from the University of Chicago.
YEAR OF CHICAGO DANCE
In deep partnership with the local dance community, Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) have designated 2022 as the Year of Chicago Dance. This citywide, year-long focus on dance is the first of its kind in the U.S. The collaborative initiative will activate Chicago’s dance industry to address critical issues facing dancers and the field of dance including funding, space, and capacity building — and to consider the sustainability of this work. The Year of Chicago Dance will, of course, also include dance performances, social dancing, and special events for the public in dozens of venues throughout the city.
ABOUT SEE CHICAGO DANCE
See Chicago Dance is a nonprofit service organization with the mission to advocate for the dance field and strengthen a diverse range of dance organizations and artists through services and programs that build and engage audiences. Its vision is to fearlessly inspire an ever-growing inclusive community to share in and spread the power of dance in Chicago.
See Chicago Dance is the source for all things dance with the city’s most comprehensive resource for dance information and one of the largest websites in the United States dedicated to the art form. Its two-pronged approach focuses on building audiences while developing a more cohesive dance community.
For audience members, See Chicago Dance offers a dynamic calendar of dance performances and experiences, Hot Deal ticket discounts, professionally written reviews and previews, and listings for more than 200 dance organizations.
For dance artists and organizations, See Chicago Dance provides a full range of Programs and Industry Resources to help build audiences, improve skills and foster appreciation of dance.
Aerial Dance Chicago from Chicago Dance Month 2021. Photo by Michelle Reid