Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Photo by Todd Rosenberg

The 10th Anniversary of the Chicago Dancing Festival will feature the first-ever program of Chicago-based dance ensembles entitled PLANET CHICAGO, and George Balanchine’s CONCERTO BAROCCO, performed by Pennsylvania Ballet in its Chicago Dancing Festival debut.

Other highlights include Alexander Ekman’s EPISODE 31 and Christopher Wheeldon’s AFTER THE THE RAIN both performed by The Joffrey Ballet, an evening of MODERN MEN composed of all male dancers, and a new work by choreographer Randy Duncan set to an original score by five-time Emmy Award-winning, Chicago-based composer Andy Mitranas (part of Chicago Dancing Festival’s first-time collaboration with Chicago Dancers United).

This year’s event will present five programs in five days (Aug 22nd-27th) across Chicago’s downtown venues – the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park, the Auditorium Theatre, and for the first time at Navy Pier.

All Chicago Dancing Festival programs are free, and seating is general admission, but tickets for indoor events must be reserved in advance. Tickets for the Festival will become available to the general public July 19- 21.

Chicago Dancing Festival 2016 Schedule:

Tuesday, August 23 – 7:00 p.m.
Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 East Congress
Opening Night Celebration
Stars of American Ballet – WHO CARES by George Balanchine
Martha Graham Dance Company – APPALACHIAN SPRING by Martha Graham
Pennsylvania Ballet – CONCERTO BAROCCO by George Balanchine
The Joffrey Ballet – EPISODE 31 by Alexander Ekman

Wednesday, August 24 – 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 East Chicago Avenue
MODERN MEN
Aszure Barton + Artists, – AWÁA – trio section
Brian Brooks – solo excerpts from SOME OF A THOUSAND WORDS, Wendy Whelan and Brian Brooks
Joshua Beamish, CONCERTO – Joshua Beamish
Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener, – DESIRE LIAR, Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener
·Rennie Harris Pure Movement – STUDENTS OF THE ASPHALT JUNGLE by Dr. Lorenzo (Rennie) Harris

Thursday, August 25 –7:30 p.m.
Harris Theater for Music and Dance at Millennium Park, 205 East Randolph Street
Dancing at the Harris
· Aszure Barton + Artists – AWÁA – trio section
· Martha Graham Dance Company – DIVISION OF ANGELS by Martha Graham
· Hubbard Street Dance Chicago – SOLO ECHO by Crystal Pite
· The Joffrey Ballet – OTHELLO duet by Lar Lubovitch
· Rennie Harris Pure Movement – STUDENTS OF THE ASPHALT JUNGLE by Dr. Lorenzo (Rennie) Harris

Friday, August 26 – 5:30 p.m.
Navy Pier, 600 East Grand Avenue
PLANET CHICAGO

Polk Bros Park – 5:30 p.m.
Forward Momentum Chicago
A traditional South African Gumboot dance featuring over 80 young dancers from Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Park District, and schools and studios throughout Chicago.

East Performance Platform – 6:00 p.m.
Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago
A performance of contemporary and ancient African, African-American and Caribbean dance, music, and folklore.

Center Performance Platform – 6:30 p.m.
Chicago Human Rhythm Project
A tap and percussive dance piece performed by Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s resident performance ensemble
Natya Dance Theatre
A contemporary performance of the classical Indian dance-theatre art of Bharata Natyam

Polk Bros Park Fountain – 7:00 p.m.
Forward Momentum Chicago
A cumulating performance of the Gumboot dance which invites all audience members to join the dancers for a participatory event in the newly created Polk Bros Park Fountain.

Saturday, August 27 – 7:30 p.m.
Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph Street
DANCING UNDER THE STARS
Chicago Dancers United – new work created for Dance For Life by Randy Duncan
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago – ONE FLAT THING by William Forsythe
The Joffrey Ballet – AFTER THE RAIN by Christopher Wheeldon
Pennsylvania Ballet – CONCERTO BAROCCO by George Balanchine
The Royal Ballet’s Francesca Hayward and Marcelino Sambé – ROMEO & JULIET, pas de deux by Kenneth MacMillan
Rennie Harris Pure Movement – STUDENTS OF THE ASPHALT JUNGLE by Dr. Lorenzo (Rennie) Harris

For more information or to purchase tickets visit Chicago Dancing Festival