HAMILTON Dance Captains Join Chicago Dance Month Celebration

Audience Architects, the leading service organization for building and engaging dance audiences in Chicago, kicks off the fifth annual Chicago Dance Month with a FREE Opening Celebration Monday, April 3 from 6 to 7:15 p.m. in the Aon Grand Ballroom on Navy Pier.

In partnership with sponsors Navy Pier and Broadway In Chicago, the Opening Celebration features a program that celebrates diverse dance styles, including jazz, hip hop, musical theatre and more with performance excerpts by Giordano Dance Chicago's Giordano II, Natya Dance Theater and Culture Shock Chicago. The event concludes with a conversation with Hamilton co-dance captains and company members Yossi Chaikin and Gabriella Sorrentino, moderated by HMS Media Executive Producer Scott Silberstein.

Yossi Chaikin was born and raised in Israel and completed his training at The Juilliard School (B.F.A. '15). Gabriella Sorrentino has appeared in the Broadway production of On Your Feet and in regional productions of A Chorus Line, In the Heights and West Side Story. She has a B.F.A. in dance from Point Park University.

Chicago Dance Month highlights the breadth, diversity and artistic richness of the Chicago dance community. In addition to the dozens of dance performances and classes taking place throughout the month, Chicago Dance Month Open Doors, Open Spaces partners are offering FREE events that welcome dance fans to an open rehearsal, a site-specific performance in an unusual venue or a discussion about the creation and presentation of dance. To introduce audiences to companies they might not have seen before, Chicago Dance Month features the Dance Around Town Sampler Pack, which offers ticket buyers a flex pass to three or more performances at venues throughout the city from April until June at a 25-60 percent discount.

Audience Architects is presenting additional free events including Showcases April 13 and 20, in partnership with sponsors Chicago Park District and Night Out in the Parks, and a Closing Celebration April 28 in the Block 37 Pedway, in partnership with sponsor Block 37.

For the most updated list of Chicago Dance Month events, visit SeeChicagoDance.com.

Audience Architects (AArch) is a dance service organization with a mission to build and engage dance audiences in Chicago and advocate for Chicago dance. AArch provides Chicago dance organizations and artists with increased visibility, expansive resources and forums to showcase and share their talents. Its flagship program, the audience development website SeeChicagoDance.com, drives ticket sales and has grown to become the most comprehensive source of information on dance in Chicago, offering feature stories and reviews, discount ticket offers and in-depth information on more than 200 dance companies and organizations. AArch also offers Moving Dialogs, a discussion series for artists and audiences, and professional development opportunities. For more information, visit audiencearchitects.com.

Pictured: (top) Yossi Chaikin and Gabriella Sorrentino, courtesy of Broadway In Chicago; (middle) Giordano Dance Chicago - Giordano II dancers by Gordon Cook Photography.