This is a rare summer dance guide, in that most selections are surprisingly indoors! To be clear, there are a lot of chances to see dance en plein air if you want to, including all Chicago Dance Month has to offer — not to mention the ever-popular SummerDance lessons in Grant Park (www.chicago.gov) and the stalwart Dance in the Parks series (danceintheparks.org) at Chicago Park District locations all over the city. But more companies chose to extend their seasons into the warm months this year, including the Joffrey Ballet in a much-anticipated new ballet. That’s just one of many air-conditioned options.
A crash course: June is Chicago Dance Month, with multiple chances to see pop-up performances in all sorts of styles and learn a few moves. On Wednesday evenings, pre-fireworks dance lessons on Navy Pier include instruction in Bollywood, swing, footwork and hip hop. The Pier also has mini-performances on Saturdays from 4-5 p.m. And there are two chances to see a progressive dinner-styled outdoor dance show with companies tucked in nooks and crannies of Palmisano Park in Bridgeport. Different line-ups appear on June 17 and 24, so you may as well see both. All events throughout June are free; details at seechicagodance.com
For the love of tap: New York scooped up tap dancer Sterling Harris — unsurprising to those who have ever seen him dance — but he returns home often to continue working with M.A.D.D. Rhythms and Chicago Tap Theatre. The latter’s final show of the year, “For All We Know,” devised by Harris with original music by trombonist Emma Blau, is based on bell hooks’ “All About Love,” with tap dance as the vehicle for love and understanding. June 5-8 at The Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway; tickets $35-$65 at chicagotaptheatre.com.
Joffrey ventures beyond the looking glass: If you thought Pea Town was wild, just wait. In what could very likely be their most ambitious production yet, the Joffrey Ballet is the first American company to tackle “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” by Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon (who also made Joffrey’s “Nutcracker”). All of Lewis Carroll’s beloved characters are there: the Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat and a tap-dancing Mad Hatter among them. June 5-22 at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive; tickets $45-$217 at 312-386-8905 and joffrey.org.
Joffrey dancers Stefan Gonçalvez, Amanda Assucena, Jonathan Dole and Victoria Jaiani will be part of the ensemble of choreographer Christopher Wheeldon's “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” (Todd Rosenberg)
Cerqua Rivera’s greatest hits: The only non-negotiable for this ever-evolving contemporary troupe is their commitment to presenting dance with live, original music. For their latest concert series, artistic director Wilfredo Rivera revisits parts of his best work, “American Catracho,” tapping into his personal story as an immigrant from Honduras. A newer piece is a variation on that theme, celebrating the Latin diaspora. Returning works by former Hubbard Street dancer Shannon Alvis and Ballet Hispanico’s Michelle Manzanales complete the evening. June 6-7 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St.; tickets $37-$79 at cerquarivera.org.
Last call for Links Hall: As their final performance series, Links Hall fittingly presents one last showcase highlighting artists from the Co-MISSION program. Launched in 2017 as a reimagination of the long-running LinkUP program, the low-stakes residency grants artists space and time to let their imaginations run wild. For its final installment, those imaginations include several works exploring memory, ancestry and personal identities. On June 28, they’ll host a send-off inviting Links lovers to celebrate its sunset. June 15-29 at Links Hall, 3111 N. Western Ave.; tickets $16-$42 at 773-281-0824 and linkshall.org.
Something new — for the last four decades: Since 1983, Chicago’s off-contract and freelance dancers have come together to create new dances (that’s what it’s called: New Dances), more recently as a joint project of Thodos Dance Chicago and DanceWorks Chicago. It’s reliably good, and often a platform for emerging choreographers to get their feet wet with a top-shelf crop of performers. June 18, 20 and 21 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St.; tickets $20-$80 at danceworkschicago.org.
The Seldoms previously presented "Superbloom" at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in 2023. (Andrew Glatt)
“Superbloom” at the garden: Premiered as a one-night-only performance at the Harris Theater in 2023, The Seldoms brings back their high-definition, full-color ode to rare wildflower events — this time in a poetic locale. For the pre-show, a group of 30 dancers will give pop-up performances on the Botanic Garden’s Esplanade — that part is free with garden admission. July 25-27 in Nichols Hall at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe; tickets $10-$27 (includes admission fee) at chicagobotanic.org/superbloom.
Dancing with the stars: Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s landmark tap dance festival, Rhythm World, now 35 years young, gathers heavy hitters from across the globe for workshops and, lucky us, a few public performances. Opening night at the Jazz Showcase is a personal favorite, and this year, that includes a full 30-minute set from artistic director Jumaane Taylor in a rangy improvisation of swing and hard bop. Additional shows at the DuSable Museum and Studebaker Theater feature solos from legends Jimmy Payne Jr., Mr. Taps, Reggio the Hoofer and Dianne Walker, as well as second-generation favorites of the festival: Jason Janas, Christina Carminucci and Cartier Williams among them. Another treat: a new choreographed work from frequent flyer Sarah Savelli celebrating what would have been Canadian jazz master Oscar Peterson’s 100th birthday. July 9-25 at various venues; tickets free (except July 16 gala) at chicagotap.org.
Not just a fundraiser: Sure, the primary objective of the annual Dance for Life gala is to raise funds for Chicago dancers with critical health needs. It’s also an opportunity to catch a terrific all-Chicago line-up including the Joffrey Ballet, Giordano Dance Chicago, Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre, Chicago Tap All-Stars, Trinity Irish Dance Company and more. Among the more is Aerial Dance Chicago, in their first-ever appearance at Dance for Life, plus a heart-pounding, feel-good finale created by Hubbard Street’s rehearsal director, Jonathan Alsberry. Aug. 16 at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B Wells Drive; tickets $45-$500 at auditoriumtheatre.org.
Biographies in motion: Four Chicago area women draw from their personal histories for BIOS Project, with danced stories of strength and resilience, composed by the women themselves: Silvita Diaz Brown, Jasmine Getz, Rachel Hutsell and Jenni Richards. It’s a departure from suburban company Ballet 5:8’s typical repertoire, which leans heavily on Biblical tales often told through full-length, narrative ballets by artistic director Julianna Rubio Slager — a sign of what’s to come with more commissioned works on the docket for next season. Aug. 22 at the Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St., Aug. 23 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St., and Aug. 31 at Ballet 5:8’s Blackbox, 11545 W. 183rd Place, Orland Park; tickets $16-$58 at ballet58.org.
Lauren Warnecke is a freelance critic.
