Ready to bust a move in a Chicago park this summer? The SummerDance event series returns to parks all across the city from June 28–August 25, offering an evening of free dance lessons, followed by live music that gives you the opportunity to show off what you've learned.
The majority of the dancing happens in Grant Park's Spirit of Music Garden, where you'll find new groups soundtracking the evening Thursday through Sunday during the summer (Lollapalooza weekend excluded). Highlights of this year's lineup include Bollywood dancing (August 16), a Chicago house music throwdown (August 10) and an Afrobeat night with Barcelona's Alma Afrobeat Ensemble (July 19).
As in years past, SummerDance will set up lessons and musical accompaniment in a different Chicago park every Wednesday, bringing cumbia to Ping Tom Memorial Park (July 11), Motown to Jackson Park (July 25) and salsa to Portage Park (August 8). Shkunna Stewart and the Era Footwork Crew will host a pair of Dance Downs in the Park, demonstrating footwork and bopping in Hamilton Park Cultural Center on Saturday, July 21 and Austin Town Hall Park on Saturday, August 18.
The SummerDance season will culminate with a day-long celebration in Millennium Park on August 25, featuring debut performances of original work from local dance groups and a footwork clinic at Cloud Gate.
Start plotting out your hot summer evenings by scrolling through the complete Chicago SummerDance schedule below.
Spirit of Music Garden, Grant Park
Thursday, June 28 - BRAZILIAN SAMBA, 6–9pm
Swing Brasileiro (Samba) + Passistas Samba Dance Group (Samba, Axé, Samba-reggae)
Friday, June 29 - SWING, 6–9pm
Joel Paterson & The Modern Sounds (‘30s and ‘40s Swing) + Big City Swing (East Coast Swing)
Saturday, June 30 - SALSA, 6–9pm
Son Veteranos (Salsa) + Dance Academy of Salsa (Salsa)
Sunday, July 1 - ARGENTINE TANGO, 4–7pm
Duo Scofano-Minetti (Argentine Tango) + Tango 21 (Argentine Tango)
Thursday, July 5 - DABKE, 6–9pm
Ahmed Hamad (Palestinian Traditional Dances)
Friday, July 6 – HOUSE, 6-9pm
DJ Jesse de la Peña
Saturday, July 7 - SWING, 6–9pm
The Fat Babies (‘20s and ‘30s Jazz and Swing) + Margot Toppen & Riley Wimes, Jr. (Jitterbug)
Sunday, July 8 - ARGENTINE TANGO, 4–7pm
Mariano Barreriro Tango Duo (Argentine Tango) + Tango 21 (Argentine Tango)
Thursday, July 19 - AFROBEAT, 6–9pm
Alma Afrobeat Ensemble (Afrobeat from Barcelona) + Idy Ciss (Traditional West African Dance)
Friday, July 20 - STEPPIN’ & KIZOMBA, 6–9pm
DJ Eclipse (Steppin’ & Kizomba) + Black Diamond Elite Steppers (Steppin’ & Kizomba)
Saturday, July 21 - SALSA, 6–9pm
Juan Pablo Díaz y su Orquesta (Salsa) + Latin Rhythms (Salsa)
Sunday, July 22 - ROMANIAN FOLK MUSIC & DANCES, 4-7pm
Lorenzo Feraru and his Gypsy Band (Romanian Folk Music) + Ethnic Dance Chicago (Eastern European & Balkan Folk Dances)
Thursday, July 26 - AFRICAN HIGHLIFE & SOUKOUS, 6–9pm
Occidental Brothers Dance Band Int'l (African Highlife, Soukous) + Kimosha P. Murphy (African Expressions)
Friday, July 27 - BLUES, WEST COAST SWING AND HUSTLE, 6–9pm
The Cash Box Kings (Chicago Blues) + May I Have This Dance (West Coast Swing & Hustle)
Saturday, July 28 - STEPPIN’, 6–9pm
DJ Mellow Khris (Chicago Steppin’) + Dawud and Lura Shareef (Chicago Steppin’)
Sunday, July 29 - SWING, 4–7pm
Sons of Susan (Jazz, Blues, Swing, Western Swing & Hokum) + Kasper Dance Studio (Swing, Jive)
Thursday, August 9 - BOMBA, 6–9pm
Bomba con Buya (Bomba) + Ivelisse Diaz with La Escuelita Bombera de Corazon (Bomba)
Friday, August 10 – HOUSE, 6–9pm
Forever Monna
Saturday, August 11 - BACHATA, 6–9pm
El Caobo Internacional (Bachata DJ Set) + Stephanie “La Lobita” Wolfson (Bachata)
Sunday, August 12 - COUNTRY, 4–7pm
The Hoyle Brothers (Honky-Tonk Country) + Jeffrey Cannon (Country Two-Step)
Thursday, August 16 - WORLD MUSIC & BOLLYWOOD, 6–9pm
Funkadesi (Bollywood, Bhangra, Reggae & Funk) + Bollywood Groove (Bollywood)
Friday, August 17 - CONTRA & SQUARE DANCE, 6–9pm
Golden Horse Ranch Band (Country & Square Dance) + Annie Coleman (Square and Contra Dancing, Line Dancing, Polka, Waltz)
Saturday, August 18 - SALSA & MAMBO, 6–9pm
Mannix Martinez: A Tribute to the Legends featuring Yvonne Curet & Jeffrey Martinez (Salsa) + Mixed Motion Art (Mambo)
Sunday, August 19 - BALLROOM, 4–7p
Teddy Lee Orchestra (Ballroom) + Fred Astaire Dance Studio - West Loop (Waltz, Bolero)
Thursday, August 23 - ARGENTINE TANGO, 6–9pm
Redwood Tango Trio (Argentine Tango) + American Tango Institute (Argentine Tango)
Friday, August 24 - SALSA, MAMBO & CHA-CHA, 6–9pm
Charanga Tropical (Salsa with Strings) + Arthur Murray Dance Center (Salsa)
Taste of Chicago, Buckingham Fountain
Wednesday, July 11 - STEPPIN’, 6–9pm
DJ Eric “ET” Taylor (Chicago Steppin’) + Majestic Gents (Chicago Steppin’)
Thursday, July 12 - CAJUN, 6–9pm
Les Rôdailleurs (Cajun) + Louie Stallone & Monica Vachlon (Cajun)
Friday, July 13 - HOUSE, 6–9pm
Queens of House Music
Saturday, July 14 - CUMBIA, 6–9pm
Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto (Cumbia) + Tierra Colombiana Folkloric Dance Company (Cumbia)
Sunday, July 15 - SALSA, 4–7pm
Luis Palermo & The Brasa All Stars (Salsa) + Latin Street Dance (Salsa)
SummerDance in the Parks
Wednesday, July 11 - CUMBIA, 6–9pm
Ping Tom Memorial Park
(((Sonorama))) DJ Collective (Cumbia) + Latin Rhythms (Cumbia)
Wednesday, July 18 - SALSA & MAMBO, 6–9pm
Humboldt Park Boathouse
Afinca’o (Salsa, Mambo) + Denita Inez (Salsa, Mambo)
Saturday, July 21 - CHICAGO FOOTWORK, 2–5pm
Hamilton Park Cultural Center
Shkunna Stewart + The Era Footwork Crew
Wednesday, July 25 - MOTOWN & R&B, 6–9pm
Jackson Park Grove 6b
Lynne Jordan & The Shivers (Motown & R&B) + Dawud and Lura Shareef (Chicago Bop)
Wednesday, August 1 - FOLK DANCES & MUSIC FROM INDIA, 6–9pm
Willye B. White Park
Ishti Dance (Bhangra and Giddha of Punjab, Raas-Garba of Gujarat, Kalbelia and Ghoomar of Rajasthan, Sambalpuri from Odisha)
Wednesday, August 8 - SALSA, 6–9pm
Portage Park
Carpacho y Su Super Combo (Colombia, Salsa) + Denita Inez (Salsa, Cha-cha)
Wednesday, August 15 - STEPPIN’, 6–9pm
Jackson Park Grove 6b
National Steppers Society (Chicago Steppin’) + Ken Watkins (Chicago Steppin’)
Saturday, August 18 - CHICAGO FOOTWORK, 2–5pm
Austin Town Hall Park
Shkunna Stewart + The Era Footwork Crew
Wednesday, August 22 - SALSA, MAMBO & CHA-CHA, 6–9pm
Humboldt Park Boathouse
Agúzate DJ Crew (Vintage Salsa DJ Set) + Dance Academy of Salsa (Mambo & Cha-cha)
Saturday, August 25 - SUMMERDANCE CELEBRATION, noon–9pm
Millennium Park