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Joffrey artist Jeraldine Mendoza and ensemble. (Photo by Cheryl Mann)
The dancers have had a particularly difficult time during the last 18 months of the pandemic. After all, dancing is an art form that requires daily practice. And grabbing a kitchen counter like doing basic creases, arabesques and stretches isn’t the same as joining other members of the business in a big studio with a good floor, where you can maintain your stamina, repeat with partners, and (in the best-case scenario) breathe without the suffocating effect of the masks.
But Chicago dancers persevered, found safe ways to dance masked or from a distance, and perfected virtual performance. And on Thursday evening, 10 companies are joining forces to celebrate 30 years of “Dance for life, The concert that serves as an annual fundraiser for Chicago Dancers United, a nonprofit founded in the AIDS era that has since evolved into a way to help the dance community cope and to cure seizures. (The dancers very often work freelance for modest salaries and limited health insurance benefits, and during the pandemic they needed even more help than usual.)
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (Photo by Todd Rosenberg)
In recent years, the Dance for Life program has been presented inside the Auditorium Theater. But this year, it has adapted to the times and takes place in the open air, on the stage of the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park with free admission for the first time (although the reserved seats are chargeable and there is there is a solid base of supporters for the event and its cause). As always, the dancers donate their talents.
Unsurprisingly, Michael Anderson, president of Dance for Life, noted that the number of health and wellness grant applications has increased over the past year and a half, although the rare company (notably the Joffrey Ballet ) was able to keep his dancers on the payroll. . And, as Anderson noted, Chicago’s DCASE Cultural Grants Program also provided support, as did J&L Catering for this concert.
South Chicago Dance Theater, Ahmad Hill. (Photo by Michelle Reid)
Companies performing (in works that have a particularly youthful vibe, some of which were premiered within the past year) include: The Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Giordano Dance Chicago, Visceral Dance Chicago, The Trinity Irish Dance Company, Movement Revolution Dance Crew, Dance Works Chicago, Para.Mar Dance Theater, South Chicago Dance Theater and (on film) Winifred Haun and Dancers. Of course, to top it off, there will be the traditional grand finale featuring an all-new work by choreographer Randy Duncan that brings together a vast array of Chicago dancers. (This year’s music is by Ira Antelis, who also developed a We Have Loved Memorial Site for the families and friends of those lost during the pandemic.)
“Dance for Life” takes place Thursdays from 6:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., with doors opening at 5:00 p.m. For more information visit: chicagodancersunited.org.
Follow Hedy Weiss on Twitter: @HedyWeissCritic
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