SEE CHICAGO DANCE’S 20th ANNIVERSARY SHARES PERFORMERS AND ORGANIZATIONS AS PART OF THE RETURN OF CHICAGO DANCE MONTH

May 21, 2025 admin_bitlc Features, Music News, Reviews 0

The 12th Chicago Dance Month Kicks Off with a Celebration at Navy Pier’s Lake Stage, Saturday, May 31, from 3 – 5 p.m. This year’s Chicago Dance Month includes more than 30 Dance Artists and Companies.

CHICAGO – See Chicago Dance, the dance industry’s nonprofit service organization celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, is proud to announce organizations and performers participating in Chicago Dance Month, May 31 – June 28. Now in its 12th year, Chicago Dance Month provides more than 30 artists and companies the opportunity to share why Chicago’s dance scene is so strong. This summer celebration, featuring many free events, begins with a Chicago Dance Month Kickoff Celebration, Saturday, May 31 at 3 p.m. at Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave.

“For the last 20 years, See Chicago Dance has been connecting audiences to dance and dance artists to the resources they need,” said See Chicago Dance Executive Director Julia Mayer. “Dance Month is the most visible example of how we do both. This June, by partnering with Navy Pier and Night Out in the Parks, we are providing 34 artists and companies (out of 108 applicants) with performance opportunities in 14 different events. More than 50% of them are performing in Dance Month for the first time, demonstrating the relevance of this program and the vitality and growth of the Chicago dance community in recent years.”

Mayer continues, “Over the last 12 years of the program, curation decisions have been internally managed by SCD staffers. With recent organizational changes, we saw the opportunity to make the curation process more participatory and equitable. So, this year, we piloted the Community Curatorial Committee, a cohort of community members [makers, performers, administrators and the like] representing the breadth and dynamism of Chicago’s dancing communities. We are thrilled with their selections and cannot wait for the larger public to experience this year’s lineup!”In addition to the events listed below, See Chicago Dance will highlight 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 regularly on the organization’s newly re-designed, state-of-the-art website, SeeChicagoDance.com.

EVENTS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED INCLUDE*:Chicago Dance Month Kickoff CelebrationNavy Pier’s Lake Stage, 600 E. Grand Ave. Saturday, May 31 3 – 5 p.m. FREE

Chicago Dance Month begins with an opening celebration at Chicago’s Navy Pier featuring a dynamic mix of performances from companies and artists that span genres and cultural traditions. Audiences are encouraged to bring a blanket, have a picnic and enjoy the performances.

The Chicago Kickoff Celebration performers include Ayodele Drum and Dance, Chicago Dance Crash**, Chicago Mexican Folkloric Dance Company**, Hiplet NEXT**, MOMENTA Dance Company, Natya Dance Theatre, Praize Productions, Inc. and Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater.
Pier DanceNavy Pier’s Wave Wall Platform, 600 E. Grand Ave. Wednesdays, June 4 – 256:30 – 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 areWednesday, 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 MovesNavy Pier’s Wave Wall Platform, 600 E. Grand Ave. Saturdays, June 7 – 284 – 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 areSaturday, 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 MovePalmisano Park, 2700 S. Halsted St.Tuesdays, June 17 and 245:30 – 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 DANCEJulia 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 COMMITTEEChicago 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 DANCESee 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.# # #

Navy Pier and 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.