Photo caption: SummerDance in the Parks and SummerDance at Spirit of Music Garden participants
City’s beloved festival invites all to come together and dance in the downtown spirit of Music Garden and several neighborhoods.
The City of Chicago and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) today announced the lineup for Chicago SummerDance, a beloved summertime tradition and cultural gathering hosted in parks across the city and downtown. From July 15 through September 10 (select dates), the free festival offers in-person movement and 40 dance lessons by professional instructors followed by music and dancing. In addition to music and dancing lessons, SummerDance’s five neighborhood events will include a variety of creative activities for the whole family. Dancers of all ages and skill levels are welcome to enjoy this free programming. Full schedule enclosed and available at ChicagoSummerDance.org.
Schedule update: This year, the SummerDance Celebration in Millennium Park will not be taking place. For the robust calendar of free dance, music, and arts programming offered throughout the summer, visit MillenniumPark.org.
Showcasing the multicultural traditions of our vibrant city, Chicago SummerDance guests and participants will enjoy 30 dance styles, including salsa, swing, cumbia, line dancing, ballet folklorico, Steppin’ and more. At its flagship location in the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park, Chicago SummerDance brings a variety of live music from a great roster of bands including Carpacho y su Súper Combo, Outcast Jazz Band, and The Moe Fitz Project.
As in past years, the festival extends into neighborhoods as part of the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks Series. This year engaging programming will be featured in Back of the Yards, Austin, North Lawndale, Morgan Park, and West Ridge, as well as at other DCASE events including Taste of Chicago and the Maxwell Street Market. For many of the neighborhoods, Chicago SummerDance is collaborating with community partners to develop content, including The Firehouse Community Arts Center, Front Porch Arts Center, Aao Mil Baithen (a project of the SpaceShift Collective), Free Street Theater, Plant Chicago, and the Ada Park Advisory Council.
A returning SummerDance partner for 2023 is The Firehouse Community Arts Center, who are presenting the North Lawndale activation in Douglass Park on August 23 (4:30 – 7:30pm). Lakena Young of The Firehouse Community Arts Center shares, “At the Firehouse we continue to motivate, enlighten, and pour into every youth who walks through our doors by letting them know that they matter. We are teaching them through the arts, that each one of them has a gift and a purpose and is not defined by their past. We are happy to partner with SummerDance again this year to elevate that message with this free participatory event.”
Among new collaborations this year, Chicago SummerDance in the Parks at Green Briar Park on August 9 (4:30-7:30pm) is being presented in collaboration with Aao Mil Baithen, a project of the SpaceShift Collective. This programming will bring classical and contemporary South Asian dance, music, and art inspired by nature to the activation. Hosts Amirah Sackett and Ashwaty Chennat shared, “We’re excited to partner with Chicago SummerDance this August. This partnership continues the work SpaceShift has been doing in the West Ridge neighborhood – where Devon Avenue shines – with the Aao Mil Baithen project. The community at Green Briar Park is currently and often is in transition, where we have many groups sharing space together and quite powerfully at a public park. Our project with Chicago SummerDance is engaging residents who have a range of familiarity with movement expressions; we want to explore with our community as we share ideas of “home” through nature, music, and dance. We invite everyone to come experience our fun and innovative take on traditional and contemporary South Asian art forms and beyond.”
Roberto Marin, also known as Carpacho, the leader of Carpacho y su Súper Combo, the beloved Chicago band that is kicking off the SummerDance series in the Spirit of Music Garden shared, ”SummerDance is one of the best events that the city offers to its residents and the world. My band Carpacho y Su Súper Combo has been one of the many musical groups that have performed over the years. We’ve enjoyed every SummerDance event; seeing people dancing, singing, and having fun is what makes Chicago unique. People forget their everyday problems when they come to SummerDance. They see their friends, dancing partners, and the band that they follow, which makes the series amazing. SummerDance is Chicago’s number one event!”
“We are excited to bring Chicago SummerDance back for another exceptional year of dance lessons, live music, and family-friendly fun. Dancers of all skill levels are welcome to experience this celebrated dance series in neighborhoods, as well as the iconic Spirit of Music Garden downtown,” said DCASE Commissioner Erin Harkey.
2023 Chicago SummerDance Schedule
Subject to change. Updates (including weather-related announcements) will be shared on Facebook, Twitter @SummerDanceChi and ChicagoSummerDance.org
Saturday, July 15 | 12 – 4pm
Chicago SummerDance at Taste of Chicago Pullman
Pullman Park, 11101 S Cottage Grove
12pm Footwork /The Urban Ark
1pm Salsa / Dance Academy of Salsa
2pm East Coast Swing / Chicago Dance
3pm Line Dancing / Just Jammin’ with Janelle and Company
Wednesday, July 26 | 4:30 – 7:30pm
Chicago SummerDance in the Parks
Davis Square Park, 4430 S. Marshfield Ave.
Dance Style: Ballet Folklorico
4:30pm Creative activities
5:30pm Dance Instruction and Music throughout the night
6pm Music
Presented in collaboration with Free Street Theater and Plant Chicago
Sunday, July 30 | 11am – 3pm
Chicago SummerDance at Maxwell Street Market
800 S. Desplaines St.
11am Salsa /May I Have This Dance
12pm Hustle & Disco /May I Have This Dance
1pm Merengue /May I Have This Dance
1:30pm Open Dancing, all styles
Music by May I Have This Dance
Wednesday, August 2 | 4:30 – 7:30pm
Chicago SummerDance in the Parks
Austin Town Hall Park, 5610 W. Lake St.
Dance Style: Line Dance – Old Cool/New Skool
4:30pm Creative activities
5:30pm Dance Instruction and Music throughout the night
Presented in collaboration with Front Porch Arts Center
Saturday, August 5 | 12 – 4pm
Chicago SummerDance at Taste of Chicago Marquette Park
Marquette Park, 6743 S. Kedzie Ave.
12pm Salsa / Mayambo Dance Company
1pm Cumbia / Teatro Tariakuri
2pm Steppin’ / Dawud and Lura Shareef
3pm TBA
Wednesday, August 9 | 4:30 – 7:30pm
Chicago SummerDance in the Parks
Green Briar Park, 2650 W. Peterson Ave.
Dance Style: South Asian Traditional and Contemporary Dance
4:30pm Creative activities
5:30pm Dance Instruction and Music throughout the night
Music by DJ Nevin and special guests
Presented in collaboration with Aao Mil Baithen, a project of the SpaceShift Collective, and hosted by Amirah Sackett & Ashwaty Chennat
Thursday, August 10 | 6 – 9pm
Chicago SummerDance at Spirit of Music GardenGrant Park, 112 E. Balbo Dr. (corner of Balbo Dr. and Michigan Ave.)
Dance Style: Cumbia
Live Music by: Carpacho y su Súper Combo (Cumbia)
Instruction by: Latin Street (Cumbia)
Friday, August 11 | 6 – 9pm
Chicago SummerDance at Spirit of Music GardenGrant Park, 112 E. Balbo Dr. (corner of Balbo Dr. and Michigan Ave.)
Dance Style: Swing
Live Music by: Outcast Jazz Band (Big Band Swing)
Instruction by: May I Have This Dance (Foxtrot, Swing/Jitterbug)
Saturday, August 12 | 6 – 9pm
Chicago SummerDance at Spirit of Music GardenGrant Park, 112 E. Balbo Dr. (corner of Balbo Dr. and Michigan Ave.)
Dance Style: Afrobeat
Live Music by: Obisoulstar (Afrobeat)
Instruction by: Stacy “Jukeboxx” Letrice
Wednesday, August 16 | 4:30 – 7:30pm
Chicago SummerDance in the Parks
Ada Park, 11250 S. Ada St.
Dance Style: Steppin’
4:30pm Creative activities
5:30pm Dance Instruction by Just Jammin’ with Janelle and Company
6pm Music by DJ Eric “ET” Taylor
Presented in collaboration with Ada Park Advisory Council and Tanji Harper
Thursday, August 17 | 6 – 9pm
Chicago SummerDance at Spirit of Music GardenGrant Park, 112 E. Balbo Dr. (corner of Balbo Dr. and Michigan Ave.)
Dance Style: Irish Folk
Live Music by: STEAM (Traditional Irish Music)
Instruction by: Theresa Murray & Francis O’Neill Club of Chicago (Irish Folk Dances)
Friday, August 18 | 6 – 9pm
Chicago SummerDance at Spirit of Music GardenGrant Park, 112 E. Balbo Dr. (corner of Balbo Dr. and Michigan Ave.)
Dance Style: Rueda De Casino (Cuban Salsa)
Live Music By: Orquesta Charangueo (Salsa, Guaracha, Son Montuno)
Instruction by: Edson de Cuba (Rueda)
Saturday, August 19 | 6 – 9pm
Chicago SummerDance at Spirit of Music GardenGrant Park, 112 E. Balbo Dr. (corner of Balbo Dr. and Michigan Ave.)
Dance Style: Swing
Live Music by: Rhythm Rockets (Swing, Rhythm & Blues)
Instruction by: Margot Toppen, Riley Wimes Jr, and MOMENTA Dance Company (Physically Integrated Swing/Charleston)
Wednesday, August 23 | 4:30 – 7:30pm
Chicago SummerDance in the Parks
Douglass Park, 1401 S. Sacramento Dr. (at Fieldhouse)
Dance Style: Experience dance history, and learn a variety of styles
4:30pm Creative activities
5:30pm Dance Instruction and Music throughout the night
6pm Music
Presented in collaboration with The Firehouse Community Arts Center
Thursday, August 24 | 6 – 9pm
Chicago SummerDance at Spirit of Music GardenGrant Park, 112 E. Balbo Dr. (corner of Balbo Dr. and Michigan Ave.)
Dance Style: Steppin’
Live Music by: The Moe Fitz Project (R&B)
Instruction by: Dawud and Lura Shareef (Steppin’)
Friday, August 25 | 6 – 9pm
Chicago SummerDance at Spirit of Music GardenGrant Park, 112 E. Balbo Dr. (corner of Balbo Dr. and Michigan Ave.)
Dance Style: Salsa
Live Music by: Orquesta el Macabeo (Salsa)
Instruction by: La Mecca Dance Chicago(Salsa)
Saturday, August 26 | 6 – 9pm
Chicago SummerDance at Spirit of Music GardenGrant Park, 112 E. Balbo Dr. (corner of Balbo Dr. and Michigan Ave.)
Dance Style: House
Music by: DJ Lori Branch and VITIGRRL
Friday, September 8 | 11am – 4:45pm
Chicago SummerDance at Taste of ChicagoGrant Park (at Buckingham Fountain)
11am DJ and Open Dancing
12pm Line Dancing / Fre2Dance
1pm Peruvian Folk Dance / Center of Peruvian Arts
2pm Balboa (Swing) / Desiree Roffers
3pm Reggaeton / Latin Street
4pm DJ and Open Dancing
Saturday, September 9 | 1 – 4:45pm
Chicago SummerDance at Taste of ChicagoGrant Park (at Buckingham Fountain)
1pm Salsa / Latin Rhythms
2pm Country Two-Step / Second City Country Dance Association
3pm Zouk / Urbanity Dance Chicago
4pm Dabke / Phaedra Darwish
Sunday, September 10 | 11am – 4:45pm
Chicago SummerDance at Taste of ChicagoGrant Park (at Buckingham Fountain)
11am DJ and Open Dancing
12pm Steppin’ / Majestic Gents
1pm Eastern European Folk Dance / Ethnic Dance Chicago
2pm Bollywood / Meher Dance Company
3pm Bachata/ Desueño Dance
4pm DJ and Open Dancing
Accessibility
All programming in the Spirit of Music Garden and Chicago SummerDance in the Parks (Ada Park, Austin Town Hall, Davis Square Park, Douglass Park, Green Briar Park) events will have ASL interpretation. For more information, visit ChicagoSummerDance.org.
Night Out in the Parks
Chicago SummerDance in the Parks is presented as part of the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks series, supported by the Mayor’s Office and Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. The Night Out in the Parks program presents cultural events year-round in neighborhood parks throughout the city. The Chicago Park District in partnership with 100 local artists and organizations, present engaging events and performances that enhance quality of life across Chicago and amplify the artistic and cultural vibrancy in every neighborhood. Through multiple disciplines, which include theater, music, movies, dance, site-specific work, nature programs, and community festivals, the series aims to support Chicago-based artists, facilitate community-based partnerships and programs, cultivate civic engagement, and ensure equity in access to the arts for all Chicagoans. For more information, please visit www.nightoutintheparks.com.
Chicago Park District
The Chicago Park District has served Chicago residents for more than 85 years. It is a Gold Medal Award-winning organization, which recognizes excellence in park and recreation management across the nation. For more information about the Chicago Park District’s more than 8,800 acres of parkland, more than 600 parks, 26 miles of lakefront, 12 museums, two world-class conservatories, 16 historic lagoons, over 75 nature areas, thousands of special events, sports and entertainment programs, please visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com or contact the Chicago Park District at 312/742.PLAY or 312/747.2001 (TTY). Want to share your talent? Volunteer in the parks by calling, 312/742.PLAY. Follow us on Facebook @ChicagoParkDistrict and on Instagram and Twitter @chicagoparks.
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) supports artists and cultural organizations, invests in the creative economy, and expands access and participation in the arts throughout Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. As a collaborative cultural presenter, arts funder, and advocate for creative workers, our programs and events serve Chicagoans and visitors of all ages and backgrounds, downtown and in diverse communities across our city — to strengthen and celebrate Chicago. DCASE produces some of the city’s most iconic festivals, markets, events, and exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park, and in communities across the city — serving a local and global audience of 25 million people. The Department offers cultural grants and resources, manages public art, supports TV and film production and other creative industries, and permits special events throughout Chicago. For details, visit Chicago.gov/DCASE and stay connected via our newsletters and social media.
DCASE programming is supported by the Chicago Transit Authority.
