EDITOR'S NOTE: This is Eric Eatherly's final Dancin' Feats column for the Windy City Times as he moves on to new challenges in a career-building job. It's been a pleasure to work with Eric. We thank him for his contributions to the paper and wish him great success.
Summer is not only a good time to see dance in Chicago; it's also a perfect opportunity to do some dancing yourself, and the fun begins this weekend. The 12th Annual Chicago SummerDance series gets underway June 12-Aug. 24 as the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park, 601 S. Michigan, is transformed into a unique outdoor urban dance space—the largest of its kind in the United States. More than 60,000 locals and visitors will dance to the sounds of 43 different bands playing swing, salsa, soukous, cajun, balkan and klezmer ( among other types of music ) , all on one huge, recycled plastic dance floor.
Pictured: Chicago SummerDance instruction. Photo courtesy of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.
Chicago SummerDance is an 11-week festival featuring one-hour dance lessons by professional instructors, followed by two hours of live music and dancing on a 4,600-square-foot open-air dance floor. And the best part? All events are free and open to the public. SummerDance events occur Thursdays through Saturdays, 6-9:30 p.m., and Sundays, 4-7 p.m., weather permitting. The series is formatted into themes featuring world-music ensembles on Thursdays; 'popular nights' including Latin, swing and steppin' on Fridays and Saturdays; and ballroom/big band on Sundays.
This year, the series kicks off Thurs., June 12 with a performance by Afro-Puerto Rican group Plena Libre. Opening weekend continues Fri., June 13, with lessons in two-step and the honky-tonk country group The Hoyle Brothers; Sat., June 14, features jitterbug lessons and the big-band jazz of George Gee and the Jump, Jivin' Wailers; and Sun., June 15, includes rumba lessons and the Steve Cooper Orchestra.
Chicago SummerDance is the perfect opportunity to not only enjoy the warm weather but also to get some exercise and have a great time doing it, so don't hesitate to take advantage of this exciting program. For more information and for program specifics, call 312-742-4007 or visit www.ChicagoSummerDance.org .
This year the Ruth Page Festival of Dance at Ravinia kicks off with the return of one of Chicago's leading contemporary companies, CDI/Concert Dance Inc., Wed-Thurs., June 11-12. The program will be highlighted by two world premieres by artistic director Venetia Stifler, including 'Fugues,' a piece for four male dancers set to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and 'German Songs,' a dance in four sections that features couples at various phases of romance set to the music of Johann Strauss and Franz Schubert. Bennett-Gordon Hall, 200 Ravinia Park, Highland Park; 847-266-5100; $10 for reserved seats and no lawn tickets will be available.
A Dream of Arabia makes its United States debut Thur.-Sun., June 12-15, at the Lund Auditorium of Dominican Univeristy, 7900 W. Division, River Forest. Described as 'a Middle Eastern 'Riverdance,'' A Dream of Arabia is a revival of the true ancient art of Middle Eastern dance and utilizes the universal language of music and dance in a quest to unite humanity through thought and innovation. By introducing Westerners to Middle Eastern culture through this first-of-its-kind production, A Dream of Arabia works to clear up misconceptions and build a bridge across the expansive cultural divide which so often hinders tolerance between Middle Eastern and Western societies. 708-488-5000; $29.50-$95.
The Anila Sinha Foundation presents a rare and unique dance-and-drum duet featuring Pandit Birju Maharaj and Ustad Zakir Hussain accompanied by a live orchestra Fri., June 13, at the Harris Theatre for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph. Maharaj is internationally recognized as the greatest living exponent of the North Indian Classical dance 'Kathak.' Zakir Hussain is an international phenomenon both in the field of percussion and throughout the musical world. This evening of performance will be a wonderful window into the art of Indian dance and music. 312-344-7777; $35-$100.
Lucky Plush Productions brings its graceful movement and insightful theatre to the Galaxie, 2603 W. Barry, June 20-29. The company will premiere a new work by associate director Peter Carpenter, 'The Sky Hangs Down Too Close.' Inspired by Bertolt Brechts's stark 1924 drama 'Jungle of Cities,' this darkly satirical dance-theatre piece reckons with the seductive and powerful forces that move us in everyday life. 773-862-9484; $15-$20.
Chicago Tap Theatre returns to the Athenaeum Theatre Studio 3, 2936 N. Southport, for a Superhero Tap Dance Opera sequel in 'The Hourglass and the Poison Pen,' June 17-July 20. Following last year's 'The Hourglass in the Stop-Time Chronicles,' co-creators Andrew Pepoy and Mark Yonally use the art of tap dance to tell another exciting tale of superheroine The Hourglass as she battles the forces of evil. 312-902-1500; $18-$30.
Lastly, Thodos Dance Chicago presents 'New Dances' Fri.-Sun., July 11-13, at the Ruth Page Theatre, 1016 N. Dearborn. 'New Dances' is a venue for the company's main dancers to create new work on their peers, exploring dance aesthetics that range from ballet and jazz to modern and avant-garde. This year Zachary Whittenburg will be the special guest choreographer contributing to the show. The program will also feature premieres from 'New Dances' veteran choreographers Jessica Miller Tomlinson and Kelsey Yates, as well as work by Jeremy Blair, Sean Dahlberg, Kellie Hodges, Ryan Miller, Dori Santarsiere and Jackie Stewart. 312-266-6255; $20-$35.
