When it comes down to it, summertime is all about festivals. Lollapolooza, Taste of Chicago, Jazz Fest, Rib Fest, Midsommer Fest, Pride ( ! )dance is not immune to Chicagoans' need for summertime congregation, and with performances going on all across the city, indoors and out, there is a dance festival for you.
In its eighth season, the Chicago Dancing Festival is the mother of all dance festivals and seems to get stronger every year. Thirteen companies will be featured Aug. 20-23 ( no Thursday performance ) downtown at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and a grand finale at the outdoor Pritzker Pavilion. The best part? It's all free. ( chicagodancingfestival.com )
To the far north, summer is buzzing with Loyola University's Pivot Arts Festival ( May 28-June 14 ) and the 38th International American Spanish Dance & Music Festival ( June 11-22 ).
Pivot is a massive "art meets science" festival in its second year, with a massive list of artists featured at venues in the Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods. Notable dance groups participating include Ayako Kato/Art Union Humanscape, The Dance COLEctive, Kristina Isabelle Dance, and The Seldoms ( pivotarts.org/festival ). Much of the action in the Spanish Dance & Music festival is the result of Ensemble Espanol Spanish Dance Theater, who are long time residents of Northeastern Illinois University ( where many of the events, workshops, and performances take place ).
The festival culminates in a special performance by Ensemble Espanol featuring the world-premiere of Ron de Jesus' "Mil Clavos." De Jesus began his career with Ensemble Espanol, and is returning 30 years later for the first time as a choreographer. "Mil Clavos" channels memories from his early training, infusing traditional flamenco dance with contemporary stylings. The performance runs June 20-22 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts ( NSCPA ), under the title 'Flamenco Passion'.
Also at NSCPA is a one-night double bill July 19 featuring Aerial Dance Chicago and Elements Contemporary Ballet. The program, titled "Silks and Steel," is the culmination of a year long interesting "cross-training" collaboration in which Elements' ballet dancers have trained with the aerialists, and vice versa ( northshorecenter.org ).
The Space/Movement Project, Benjamin Law & Jessica Marasa, Ashley Deran and Erica Ricketts are only half the line-up for the fourth annual PRODUCE, a dance and music mish-mash Signal Ensemble Theater is producing Aug. 8-9 in the North Center neighborhood ( artintercepts.org ).*
The Ruth Page Center for the Performing Arts has hosted nearly all of the annual New Dances series Thodos Dance Chicago ( TDC ) has produced. In its 14th year, New Dances is a jewel in TDC's season that allows its dancers to stretch their choreographic wings under the mentorship of an impressive group of panelists. This year also features work from guest choreographer Kristina Isabelle on July 18-20 ( thodosdancechicago.org ).
Dance for Life will have its first season without Keith Elliott at the helm Aug. 16. This year's gala performance includes three world premieres; appearances by Giordano Dance Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Joffrey Ballet, River North Dance Chicago, Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater and Visceral Dance Chicago; and one of the most important HIV-AIDS fundraising initiatives of the year ( danceforlifechicago.org ).
Festivals aside, there are a few additional performances worth noting. Chicago Dance Crash dancer and freelance choreographer Kaitlin Webster offers her first evening-length independent concert, titled Hydra, June 6-7 in a loft space above The Wormhole coffee shop ( hydra.brownpapertickets.com ).
Lawrence University's Rebecca Salzer presents Bird Lady May 30-June 1 at Links Hall in a cross-country collaboration with seven other artists. In the group are Chicago-based Kristina Fluty and Liz Burritt, in a concert examining the life and art of Vivian Maier ( linkshall.org ).
Last, but not least, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago ( HSDC ) closes its season with the Summer Series June 5-8 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. Nacho Duato's "Gnawa" is on the bill, in addition to a world-premiere from resident choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo titled "The Impossible." For the first time, HSDC will simulcast its June 6 performance to the lawn at the Pritzker Pavilion, for which tickets are not necessary ( hubbardstreetdance.com ).
*Disclosure: The author is affiliated with PRODUCE as a co-producer, curator and host of the event.