SummerDance Chicago 2022 - What You Need to Know
Chicago SummerDance series returns this summer! Dancers of all ages and skill levels are invited to take part (rain or shine!) in introductory dance lessons by professional instructors for free at parks throughout the city. Kicking off the festival starting in June, the summer event goes through July, August, and September with an end of the SummerDance Celebration on Sat. Sept 17th. Each event you will show up at a park, take a class, then dance the rest of the night away with live music!
For more information of Chicago’s SummerDance events, explore here.
Check out the summer schedule below!
Saturday, June 18, 12–4pm
Pullman Park, 11101 S. Cottage Grove
12pm - Salsa / Urbanity Dance Chicago
1pm - Line Dancing / Fre2Dance
2pm - Steppin' / TBA
3pm - Footwork / The Urban Ark
Wednesday, July 6, 4:30–7:30pm
Welles Park, 2333 W. Sunnyside Ave.
Haki Kino / Hawaiian fitness and dance exercises
4:30pm - Creative activities
5:30pm - Aloha Center Chicago with Lanialoha Lee, Kuma Hula (Master Hula Teacher) of Ke Kula Kupa`a O Ka Pakipika
Friday, July 8, 12–4pm
Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park
12pm - Line Dancing, featuring the Cha-Cha Slide / Janelle E. McGhee
1pm - Steppin’ / Shaun Ballentine
2pm - Polka Hop / TBA
3pm - Footwork / Christopher “Mad Dog” Thomas Music by DJ Mwelwa
Guest emcee Jennifer Billock, author of “Here Are 4 Dance Styles Born In Chicago To Mark The ‘Year Of Chicago Dance’” (Block Club Chicago; April 18, 2022), and Historic Chicago Bakeries (Arcadia Publishing; 2021)
Saturday, July 9, 11:30am–4pm
Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park
11:30am–1pm - A Walkie Talkie Dancey Party! Presented by Chicago Children’s Theatre & The Q Brothers
Followed by 30-minute dance lessons every hour and more music
1pm - Ballroom Basics (for kids and families) / Dancing With Class
2pm - East Coast Swing / May I Have This Dance
3pm - Merengue / May I Have This Dance
Sunday, July 10, 12–4pm
Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park
12pm - Salsa / La Mecca Dance Chicago
1pm - Kizomba / Shafeeha Monae
2pm - Bachata / Chicago Dance
3pm - Afrobeat / Stacy “Jukeboxx” Letrice
Music by DJ Kimani RashadMusic by Pacific Soundz & Friends of Aloha (Music of Hawaii and South Pacific)
Wednesday, July 13, 4:30–7:30pm
Douglass Park, 1401 S. Sacramento Dr.
Latin + Hip Hop
4:30pm - Creative activities
5:30pm - Dance Instructors TBA
6pm - Music Artist TBA
Sunday, July 24, 11am–3pm
Maxwell Street Market, 800 S. Desplaines St.
11am - Bachata / Latin Street
12pm - Salsa / Latin Street
1pm - Rueda de Casino (Cuban Salsa) / Latin Street
2-3pm - Open Dance
Music by Vintage Wed DJ Papi
Wednesday, July 27, 4:30–7:30pm
Palmer Park, 201 E. 111th St.
Neighborhood youth curated programming
Tanji Harper, Artistic Director of The Happiness Club, will lead community engagement with Kids Off The Block, The Urban Ark and Dance and Cheer of Excellence Academy to co-create the content of the overall program.
Wednesday, August 3, 4:30–7:30pm
Levin Park, 5458 W. Kinzie Pkwy
Afrobeat + House
4:30pm - Creative activities
5:30pm - Move Me Soul (Afrobeat, House)
6pm - Music Artist TBA
Wednesday, August 10, 4:30–7:30pm
Humboldt Park Boathouse, 1301 N. Humboldt Dr.
Salsa
4:30pm - Creative activities
5:30pm - Mayambo Dance Company (Salsa)
6pm - Music Artist TBA
Thursday, August 11, 6–9pm
Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park, 601 S. Michigan Ave.
Cumbia
6pm - Latin Street (Cumbia)
7pm - Quinto Imperio (Cumbia)
Friday, August 12, 6–9pm
Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park, 601 S. Michigan Ave.
Swing
6pm - May I Have This Dance (Foxtrot, East Coast Swing)
7pm - Alan Gresik Swing Orchestra (1936 Pop Music)
Saturday, August 13, 6–9pm
Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park, 601 S. Michigan Ave.
Steppin’
6pm - Dawud and Lura Shareef (Steppin’)
7pm - DJ Eric “ET” Taylor (Steppin’)
Wednesday, August 17, 4:30–7:30pm
Ogden Park, 6500 S. Racine Ave.
Steppin’
4:30pm - Creative activities
5:30pm - Majestic Gents (Steppin’)
6pm - DJ Myron (Steppin’)
Thursday, August 18, 6–9pm
Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park, 601 S. Michigan Ave.
Country & Western
6pm - Jeffrey Cannon & Meg Kindelin (Country Two-Step, Waltz, Polka)
7pm - Wild Earp & The Free For Alls (Country & Western)
Friday, August 19, 6–9pm
Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park, 601 S. Michigan Ave.
Salsa
6pm - Latin Rhythms (Salsa)
7pm - Afinca’o (Salsa)
Saturday, August 20, 6–9pm
Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park, 601 S. Michigan Ave.
A Dance Party for Every Body!
6pm - Desueño Dance and MOMENTA Dance Company (No Limits Latin/Fusion Adaptive Dance)
7pm - Calculated Discomfort (Disability-Led Fusion Grooves)
** Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) live captioning and ASL offered.
Wednesday, August 24, 4:30–7:30pm
Davis Square Park, 4430 S. Marshfield Ave.
Cumbia + House
4:30pm - Creative activities
5:30pm - Dance Instructors TBA
6pm - Music Artist TBA
Thursday, August 25, 6–9pm
Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park, 601 S. Michigan Ave.
Global Music and Dance Traditions
6–9pm - Dance lessons and music by Surabhi Ensemble (Global Fusion)
Dance styles to be taught throughout the night: Kinnari Vora (Indian Classical Hharatanatyam); Leticia Aravena (Flamenco); Phaedra Darwish (Dabke); Lorena Iniguez (Mexican Folk)
Friday, August 26, 6–9pm
Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park, 601 S. Michigan Ave.
House
6pm - DJ Wayne Williams (House)
Wednesday, August 31, 4:30–7:30pm
Ada Park, 11250 S. Ada St.
House
4:30pm - Creative activities
5:30pm - DJ Sundance (House)
Wednesday, September 7, 4:30–7:30pm
Portage Park, 4100 N. Long Ave.
Rueda de Casino (Cuban Salsa)
4:30pm - Creative activities
5:30pm - Edson de Cuba (Rueda)
6pm - Orquesta Charangueo (Salsa, Guaracha, Son Montuno)
Wednesday, September 14, 4:30–7:30pm
Jackson Park, Grove 6B, 1700 Columbia Dr. (south of Museum of Science and Industry)
Swing
4:30pm - Creative activities
5:30pm - Louie Stallone & Susan Fox (East Coast Swing)
6pm - Sam Fazio Quintet (Jazz)
Saturday, September 17
Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St.
National Dance Day – SummerDance Celebration
Daylong celebration of free performances and activities.
You can look at the summer schedule on their website as well.