Whoever says that tap dance is a dying art form has not done their due diligence. This month alone, the city boasts a plethora of tap dance programming that is sure to satisfy even the most diehard tap dance fanatic. Check out the amount of tap shows and events appearing in Chicago from one end to the other and everywhere in between.

On July 1, American Ballet Theatre (ABT) rolled out of New York City on an eight-city bus tour of outdoor performances covering 3,100 miles. Chicago is the third stop, where they will perform on the Pritzker Pavilion stage in Millennium Park this Thursday. Presented free to the public by the Auditorium Theatre, where the company usually dances when in town, “ABT Across America” is a “gift to Chicago” and thank you to the Auditorium’s supporters, according to a released statement from CEO Rich Regan.

I experienced Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s “Greener Grass,” directed and choreographed by Jie-Hung Connie Shiau, virtually at my kitchen table. “Greener Grass” concludes Hubbard Street’s all-virtual season of dance films, presented for free on their website. The rain outside my window added a gorgeous texture to the erratic and experimental soundscape scored by Jerome Begin—my son eating mandarin oranges in the peripheral vision of my real life, complemented by the three women clad in blue “Orange is the New Black” style jumpsuits surveying the open emerald fields on my screen.

Despite the challenges of the past year, Chicago’s dance sector has remained resilient and is making plans to return to the studio and the stage. Chicago Dancers United (CDU) has stepped up to provide more support than ever to offset the devastating effects of the pandemic and provide a bridge back to stability for the community it serves.

Since 2001, Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble (CDE) has been “building community through the arts: one voice, one story, one person at time.” CDE stands out in both the Chicago theater and dance landscapes as a trailblazer committed to giving a voice to underrepresented and marginalized communities through a multidisciplinary artistic approach. The company strives to create an equitable, diverse and empowering space for our artists, administrators, teachers, students and audiences through both performance and arts education. 

Kicking off the North Shore Center’s Out Back Summer Series—a street-fest style concert set running through August 7 in the venue’s parking lot—Ensemble Espanol Spanish Dance Theatre returned to live performances last weekend for the first time in over a year with a life-affirming all-Flamenco program. Titled “Zafiro Flamenco,” the concert celebrates Ensemble’s 45th anniversary season.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) will welcome four new company dancers in the coming season: Alexandria Best, Michele Dooley, Michael Garcia and Simone Stevens. Under the artistic leadership of recent appointee Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, these dancers join the company after virtually auditioning alongside 900 others. 

A week before their annual fundraiser and scheduled 20th anniversary concert, Aerial Dance Chicago (ADC), like the rest of the world, shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. While those events were cancelled, ADC jumped back into the studio sooner than most and became a leader in safety protocols for the Chicago dance community. With some ups and downs over the past year, they took the time to explore new ideas which will be featured in their upcoming performances of “Searchlight.” The concert includes five premieres which, in part, are inspired by the “experience of being alive.”

Think back to the days of old-school arcade games—every avatar and virtual landscape pixelated and colorful. Now get ready to embrace it in the 21st century. Lucky Plush Productions is bringing a hardcore dose of nostalgia to Chicago on June 25 and 26 with their innovative festival, “The Map of Now.”