Join M.A.D.D. Rhythms, Chicago’s premier tap collective, as they continue their 20th Anniversary all June long with appearances and performances throughout the Midwest including See Chicago Dance’s Chicago Dance Month, a COVID-19 vaccination event in Appleton, Wisconsin and a Juneteenth Celebration. Information on all of these special 20th Anniversary events and more may be found at MADDRhythms.com.
The June M.A.D.D. Rhythms events include, in chronological order:
SPECIAL EVENT
African Heritage Inc’s 11th Juneteenth Celebration
Sunday, June 13 from 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Jones Park, 301 W. Lawrence Street, Appleton, WI
FREE
In-Person and streamed LIVE at AfricanHeritageInc.org
M.A.D.D. Rhythms joins African Heritage Inc.’s 11th Juneteenth Celebration in Appleton, WI. M.A.D.D. Rhythms at the Juneteenth Get The Shot 2021 is included in an incredible lineup of performers and also features opportunities to get vaccinated, a community resource fair with area organizations and food/retail vendors.
SPECIAL EVENT
Juneteenth: The Celebration
Saturday, June 19 at 1 p.m.
Harold Washington Cultural Center
2701 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Dr.
FREE
M.A.D.D. Rhythms returns with the arts partners of the Harold Washington Cultural Center and Bronzeville businesses for its annual Juneteenth celebration. This afternoon celebration includes live dance, DJ and music, complimentary food, workshops, raffles, art and children’s activities.
Video of the 2020 Juneteenth: The Celebration.
SPECIAL EVENT
Chi-Village Festival 2021
Saturday, June 19 at 11 a.m.
Presented by Chi-Village
Location to be Announced
FREE
ChiVillage.net
Starinah “Star” Dixon of M.A.D.D. Rhythms performs at Chi-Village Festival 2021. Chi-Village Festival provides the Pan-African community-at-large with a safe space to pay homage to its ancestors, recognize its elders whose shoulders we stand on and share its talents and gifts.
SPECIAL EVENT
Chicago Takes 10 with Star Dixon and Donnetta ‘LilBit’ Jackson
As part of See Chicago Dance’s Chicago Dance Month
Virtual Event
Thursday, June 24 at 6 p.m. CDT
FREE
Chicago Takes 10 is a new virtual performance series sponsored by the Walder Foundation to provide support to performing artists and arts organizations who have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and also highlights diverse performance styles throughout the Chicago region. M.A.D.D. Rhythms’ Company Members Star Dixon and Donnetta ‘LilBit’ Jackson and Ambe’r Johnson, Ayanna London, Banks Performance Project, Clinard Dance’s Flamenco Quartet and Lee Na-Moo perform.
VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE
The Map of Now
Friday, June 25 and Saturday, June 26 from 5 - 8 p.m. CDT
Tickets: $10 - 25
LuckyPlush.com/map-of-now
M.A.D.D. Rhythms participates in Lucky Plush Productions’ latest virtual performance where they pair the aesthetics of retro video games with a turbo-charged line-up of Chicago dance, theater, music and comedy performers for The Map of Now, a radically new, interactive digital festival.
This festival-style event will be hosted on an interactive online platform called Gather.Town, through which audience members (as avatars) can choose their own adventure on a digital map of Chicago that highlights the richness of Chicago’s performing arts ecology in four performing arts venues across geographically diverse corners of the city. Each venue will be mapped out in a way that accurately represents the physical space in a retro game-like world (think Mario Bros), and when you find a seat in the venue, you can click on interactive objects that link to performances recorded in the actual venues.
Participating venues will provide space and/or other resources for artists to film their work in advance, which will enhance the audience’s feeling that they are seeing the work in the actual venue.
In addition to highlighting Chicago’s diverse artists & venues, the event will explore community connectivity in a brand new way. When an audience member’s avatar gets close to someone else on the map, there’s a video chat function that allows them to engage in passing conversations, allowing them to catch up with people they haven’t seen in a long time. People can also watch performances together or sign up for guided tours to watch a curated selection from each venue.
