See Chicago Dance, the dance industry's nonprofit service organization celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, kicked off the 12th Annual Chicago Dance Month, happening now through June 28, with a record-breaking crowd at their celebration event at Navy Pier, Saturday, May 31. Chicago Dance Month, a month-long celebration of Chicago’s dance community, provides more than 30 artists and companies the opportunity to share why Chicago’s dance scene is so strong. This year, Chicago Dance Month performers were selected by the inaugural Community Curatorial Committee, a seven-member cohort of respected artists, administrators and other community stakeholders.
Ayodele Drum & Dance performed at the 2025 Chicago Dance Month Kickoff Celebration, from See Chicago Dance, at Navy Pier, May 31, 2025. Photo by Michelle Reid Photography
Chicago Dance Month events and Hot Deal discount offers will be added to future releases and updated regularly on the organization’s newly re-designed, state-of-the-art website, SeeChicagoDance.com.
“The great weather and an incredible lineup, including eight companies and 50 performers representing eight distinct dance forms, with three companies never seen on the Kickoff stage before, we had our largest Kickoff turnout in the program’s history, with more than 350 guests,” said Executive Director Julia Mayer. “We look forward to continuing this momentum throughout the month as we mark our 20th anniversary as an organization and the 12th anniversary of Chicago Dance Month.”
Hiplet Next performed at the 2025 Chicago Dance Month Kickoff Celebration, from See Chicago Dance, at Navy Pier, May 31, 2025. Photo by Michelle Reid Photography
EVENTS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED INCLUDE*:
Pier Dance
Navy Pier’s Wave Wall Platform, 600 E. Grand Ave.
Wednesdays, June 4 - 25
6:30 - 8 p.m.
FREE
Enjoy free dance lessons on Navy Pier’s Wave Wall Platform every Wednesday in June. These sessions are great for those who love socializing, learning new dances, and being outdoors. Make it a date night or social event by sticking around for Navy Pier’s iconic fireworks display every Wednesday night following these exciting dance classes.
Companies and individuals participating in Pier Dance are
Wednesday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m.: Bollywood Culture and Groove**
Wednesday, June 11 at 6:30 p.m.: Traffic Jam Swing**
Wednesday, June 18 at 6:30 p.m.: Christopher “Mad Dog” Thomas**
Wednesday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m.: Movement Revolution Dance Crew
Wave Wall Moves
Navy Pier’s Wave Wall Platform, 600 E. Grand Ave.
Saturdays, June 7 - 28
4 - 5 p.m.
FREE
In partnership with Navy Pier, dance comes to the Wave Wall stage, located across from the iconic Ferris Wheel grand staircase, with pop-up performances from a rotating roster of dance companies every Saturday in June.
Companies and individuals participating in Wave Wall Moves are
Saturday, June 7 at 4 p.m.: Dilshad Khan Kathak** and Phillip "Phree" Wood**
Saturday, June 14 at 4 p.m.: Clinard Dance's Flamenco Project and Niko8**
Saturday, June 21 at 4 p.m.: Chicago Tap Theatre and Yielded Vessels**
Saturday, June 28 at 4 p.m. - part of Navy Pier Pride: Fever Dream Dance Collective** and Queer Dance Freakout**
On the Move
Palmisano Park, 2700 S. Halsted St.
Tuesdays, June 17 and 24
5:30 - 7 p.m.
FREE
A series of short, site-specific performances that winds its way through public parks, inviting audience members to discover hidden pockets of movement.
- Tuesday, June 17 at 5:30 p.m. with Silambam Houston**, Aerial Dance Chicago, Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council Ballet Folklórico, Chibuck Movement**,Raks Inferno and Shubukai.
- Tuesday, June 24 at 5:30 p.m. with Bodies of Water**, Chicago Flying Fairies Culture and Arts Center, Anniela Huidoboro Castro**, Michelle Haskell**, Sildance/Acrodanza, Symbiosis Arts** and Winifred Haun & Dancers.
*Performers, companies and programs are subject to change.
**First-time Chicago Dance Month performer.
ABOUT JULIA MAYER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SEE CHICAGO DANCE
Julia Mayer, who was named Executive Director of See Chicago Dance in 2020, has been involved in and influencing Chicago’s cultural scene in a variety of capacities for more than 25 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. 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 master of fine arts degree in dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics from the University of Chicago.
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY CURATORIAL COMMITTEE
Chicago Dance Month programming is intentionally curated to ensure a diverse range of dance forms and performances, offering a large platform for a variety of companies and performers while reflecting the cultural richness of Chicago. In early 2025, See Chicago Dance convened a group of seven community leaders to serve as a new Community Curatorial Committee to assist in the curation of Chicago Dance Month, a task previously handled internally by staff. This group focused on developing performance rosters for Chicago Dance Month’s Kick Off performance on Saturday, May 31, 2025 and “On the Move” with Night Out in the Parks, and included representatives from Asian Improv Arts Midwest, Ishti Collective, the Peruvian Arts Center and ReinventAbility.
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–and newly designed–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 in all its forms.
Night Out In The Parks are the sponsors of the free 2025 Chicago Dance Month programming
2025 Chicago Dance Month is sponsored in part by general operations grants to See Chicago Dance from the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council and a project grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Grand Stage is the membership sponsor for See Chicago Dance.
The 2025 Chicago Dance Month Kick Off Cast and See Chicago Dance Staff at the 2025 Chicago Dance Month Kickoff Celebration, from See Chicago Dance, at Navy Pier, May 31, 2025. Photo by Michelle Reid Photography
Ayodele Drum & Dance performed at the 2025 Chicago Dance Month Kickoff Celebration, from See Chicago Dance, at Navy Pier, May 31, 2025. Photo by Michelle Reid Photography
Chicago Dance Crash performed at the 2025 Chicago Dance Month Kickoff Celebration, from See Chicago Dance, at Navy Pier, May 31, 2025. Photo by Michelle Reid Photography
Chicago Dance Crash performed at the 2025 Chicago Dance Month Kickoff Celebration, from See Chicago Dance, at Navy Pier, May 31, 2025. Photo by Michelle Reid Photography
Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater performed at the 2025 Chicago Dance Month Kickoff Celebration, from See Chicago Dance, at Navy Pier, May 31, 2025. Photo by Michelle Reid Photography
Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago performed at the 2025 Chicago Dance Month Kickoff Celebration, from See Chicago Dance, at Navy Pier, May 31, 2025. Photo by Michelle Reid Photography
Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago performed at the 2025 Chicago Dance Month Kickoff Celebration, from See Chicago Dance, at Navy Pier, May 31, 2025. Photo by Michelle Reid Photography
MOMENTA Dance Company performed at the 2025 Chicago Dance Month Kickoff Celebration, from See Chicago Dance, at Navy Pier, May 31, 2025. Photo by Michelle Reid Photography
MOMENTA Dance Company performed at the 2025 Chicago Dance Month Kickoff Celebration, from See Chicago Dance, at Navy Pier, May 31, 2025. Photo by Michelle Reid Photography
Natya Dance Theatre performed at the 2025 Chicago Dance Month Kickoff Celebration, from See Chicago Dance, at Navy Pier, May 31, 2025. Photo by Michelle Reid Photography
Natya Dance Theatre performed at the 2025 Chicago Dance Month Kickoff Celebration, from See Chicago Dance, at Navy Pier, May 31, 2025. Photo by Michelle Reid Photography
Praize Productions, Inc. performed at the 2025 Chicago Dance Month Kickoff Celebration, from See Chicago Dance, at Navy Pier, May 31, 2025. Photo by Michelle Reid Photography