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Experience the Chicago Dancing Festival 2012 Without Tickets

Shari | August 17, 2012 | Comments (0)

The highly-anticipated Chicago Dancing Festival is this week from August 20 – 25. While three of the events are “sold out” there are three events that don’t require a ticket.

Tuesday, August 21
Dancing Movies at the Museum of Contemporary Art
This day of dance films features four screenings of dance on film that highlight innovative collaborations between contemporary dance artists, filmmakers and musicians. Selections include the Academy Award-nominated PINA (2011); All is Not Lost (2011), a collaboration between the rock band OK Go and Pilobolus; Fanfare for Marching Band (2012), a collaboration between Chicago dance filmmaker Danièle Wilmouth and the punk circus marching band Mucca Pazza; and the documentary First Position (2011). Curated by Sarah Best, this event gives you an opportunity to walk in and participate whenever it fits your schedule. Be sure to stop by at lunch or after work to see one of these:

12 noon and 5.45 pm | Fanfare for Marching Band (2012)

12 noon – 8 pm in the lobby | All is Not Lost (2011)

2 pm and 6 pm | PINA (2011)

12.15 pm and 4 pm | First Position (2011)

Thursday, August 23
Grant Park | Spirit of Music Garden at 6:00 p.m.
Chicago Dancing Festival partners with SummerDance Chicago
SummerDance Chicago, the largest annual outdoor dancing series in the United States, is one of our great summer traditions. According to the website, SummerDance Chicago is presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, bringing people of all ages and skill levels together on the 4,900-square-foot, open-air dance floor made of 100% recycled materials each summer. The series offers free, introductory one-hour dance lessons by professional instructors followed by music and dancing. The Chicago Dancing Festival installment includes NY Style Mambo dance lessons by Del Dominquez from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. and live music and dancing featuring El Caobo from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 25

Jay Pritzker Pavilion | Millennium Park at 7:30 PM

The final event of the Chicago Dancing Festival brings together dancers from some of America’s top dance artists and companies joining together for an unforgettable evening of dance. Who will you see? How about a line-up including stars of the New York City Ballet, Anna Sophia Scheller and Gonzalo Garcia; the Houston Ballet; the Martha Graham Dance Company; the Stars of San Francisco Ballet, Stars of San Francisco Ballet
Sofiane Sylve and Vito Mazzeo, and the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. After School Matters® also has a dance troupe performing. Can you imagine the thrill of being a high school student dancing among such illustrious company? The dance I can’t wait to see if Bolero Chicago, choreographed by Keigwin + Company. This performance brings together Chicagoans from across the city and suburbs and professional dancers. The group created the dance during the past few weeks through intensive collaboration and rehearsal.

The Chicago Dancing Festival has already been written up in local and national newspapers as a cultural treasure. You can participate for free by attending one of these three events. Don’t miss your chance to see these world-class performances on film and in person.

Shari blogs about life with twins at Two Times the Fun. Image courtesy of the Chicago Dancing Festival.

Tags: All is Not Lost, Anna Sophia Scheller, Bolero Chicago, Chicago Dancing Festival, Dancing Movies, Daniele Wilmout, Del Dominquez, El Caobo, Fanfare for Marching Band, First Position, Gonzalo Garcia, Houston Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. After School Matters, Keigwin + Company, Martha Graham Dance Company, Mucca Pazza, Museum of Contemporary Art, New York City Ballet, OK Go, Pilobulos, PINA, San Francisco Ballet, Sarah Best, Shari L. Schmidt, Shari Schmidt, Sofiane Sylve, SummerDance Chicago, Two Times the Fun, Vito Mazzeo

Category: Chicago

About Shari: Shari is a mom, wife, marketing communications professional, gardener, Chicago Blackhawks fan, college sports fan, traveler, quilter, community volunteer, sister, daughter, aunt, friend, Siberian Husky owner, book lover, and ChicagoNow blogger about family-friendly activities (Get Out and Have Fun Around Chicagoland). You can find Shari blogging about life with twins at Two Times the Fun and tweeting @slcs48n1. View author profile.