See Chicago Dance Shares Announces New Website Launch, Return Of CHICAGO DANCE MONTH And More
See Chicago Dance Executive Director Julia Mayer notes, “2025 marks the 20th anniversary See Chicago Dance—and it's going to be a very exciting year!"
See Chicago Dance has announced its calendar of events and happenings in 2025 including its new podcast series, Hear Chicago Dance, new board of directors members, the return of Chicago Dance Month in June and its 2025 Community Celebration this fall.
See Chicago Dance Executive Director Julia Mayer notes, “2025 marks the 20th anniversary See Chicago Dance—and it's going to be a very exciting year! Since we launched in 2005, it's been our honor and privilege to grow up alongside an entire generation of dancers and companies. During that time, new dance forms and community leaders have emerged; collective efforts to de-colonialize our artform have brought folks together in new and unexpected ways. SCD has plenty happening in 2025. Buckle up and join us for the ride!”
Information on these events will be updated regularly on SeeChicagoDance.com.
Hear Chicago Dance
Ongoing
Dance is more than movement—it's heritage, storytelling, and a reflection of the times. Hear Chicago Dance, a new podcast mini-series by See Chicago Dance in partnership with Polyrhythmic and Cove Collective, explores the diverse and dynamic dance community of Chicago, celebrating the voices and stories that make it thrive.
Through candid interviews, in-depth discussions, and real-life stories from dancers, Hear Chicago Dance dives into the challenges and triumphs of the Chicago dance world, from systemic inequities to groundbreaking innovations.
Launched in late 2024, the complete series is currently available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
NEW SEECHICAGODANCE.COM WEBSITE
March 2025
In partnership with Photon Software, See Chicago Dance launches its new website on March 1. See Chicago Dance was originally founded as a website for Chicago and has grown since its inception into its current iteration as a service organization for Chicago's dance community. The new website includes a completely updated design, customized search, and future-facing analytic capacity that will allow users smoother, more comprehensive access to Chicago's dance calendar of events, original content from dance community members and See Chicago Dance writers, as well as dance news, community updates, employment opportunities and more.
The site launch will also feature a completely re-designed logo, capturing the spirit of the Chicago dance community in the eternal dancing flame icon. The design and thought partner behind the re-design of the logo, Frank EE Grubich of CX & Violins, Inc. shares, "Like the eclectic community that they support, SCD's reach has expanded and evolved dramatically since their initial brand was introduced. It was my intent to capture that movement—that energy—so that it can be applied to all the new ways SCD intends to connect with Chicago's dancers and benefactors. It was an honor and a joy to be a part of SCD's next great act."
Chicago Dance Month 2025
June 1 - 30*
Various Locations
Chicago Dance Month returns, providing a month packed with performances, classes, and more, many of them free of charge, highlighting artists, companies, and genres at locations throughout Chicago. A final list of programming partners and full schedule for Chicago Dance Month will be available this April.
*Date(s) subject to change. Check SeeChicagoDance.com for the most up-to-date details.
Gala Community Celebration & Awards Presentation
Fall 2025
Venue West, 221 N. Paulina
The 2025 Gala Community Celebration & Awards Presentation, will be held at Venue West, 221 N. Paulina. The annual special event gathers members of the community, supporters, donors and artists to celebrate the dynamic Chicago dance community and honor those who have made a sustained, outsized impact on Chicago.
New Board Members
See Chicago Dance has added Bradlee Lathon, program manager, Forward Momentum, and Danielle Pender, director of human resources, Harris Theater Chicago to its current Board of Directors. Lathon and Pender join current members Amanda Banks (vice president), Debra Bernstein-Siegel, Michael Foster, Ladonna Freidheim, Erik Kaiko, Jorge Perez (president), Allyson Ratliff, Marisa C. Santiago (secretary), Kia Smith, Dawn Stanislaw (treasurer) and Sarah Venuti-Yates.
ABOUT BRADLEE LATHON, BOARD MEMBER
Bradlee Lathon is an arts education professional with years of experience building and sharing healing-centered engagement skills that drive classroom and student engagement. Lathon's work prioritizes the experiences of Black and Brown students. In addition to arts education, Lathon serves as program manager for Forward Momentum Chicago where youth is empowered through movement and creativity.
ABOUT DANIELLE PENDER, BOARD MEMBER
Danielle Pender is a dedicated dance educator with a lifelong passion for the art form. In addition to her work in dance education with Impact Dance Studio, she serves as the human resources director at Harris Theater Chicago. Pender's dual contributions as an educator and arts administrator make her a vital part of Chicago's vibrant performing arts landscape. She is committed to nurturing future generations of artists and ensuring the arts remain accessible to all.
“We are thrilled to welcome Bradlee Lathon, from Forward Momentum, and the Harris Theater's Danielle Pender to our board of directors. Their expertise in our field and enthusiasm for SCD's mission will help expand our organization's reach and capacity,” said See Chicago Dance Executive Director Julia Mayer.
ABOUT JULIA MAYER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SEE CHICAGO DANCE
Julia Mayer has been involved in and influencing Chicago's cultural scene in a variety of capacities for more than 25 years, having worked at 3Arts Inc., The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Chicago Humanities Festival, Morrison-Shearer Foundation, and Museums In the Park. In addition, she has chaired and served on numerous committees from Links Hall to Chicago Dancemakers Forum to the Chicago Park District. Mayer has been a choreographer, teacher or consultant at Columbia College, University of Chicago and in Indiana at Valparaiso University and Saint Mary's College. She has a master of fine arts degree in dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor's degree in Linguistics from the University of Chicago.
ABOUT SEE CHICAGO DANCE
See Chicago Dance is a nonprofit service organization with the mission to advocate for the dance field and strengthen a diverse range of dance organizations and artists through services and programs that build and engage audiences. Its vision is to fearlessly inspire an ever-growing inclusive community to share in and spread the power of dance in Chicago.
See Chicago Dance is the source for all things dance with the city's most comprehensive resource for dance information and one of the largest websites in the United States dedicated to the art form. Its two-pronged approach focuses on building audiences while developing a more cohesive dance community.
For audience members, See Chicago Dance offers a dynamic calendar of dance performances and experiences, Hot Deal ticket discounts, professionally written reviews and previews, and listings for more than 200 dance organizations.
For dance artists and organizations, See Chicago Dance provides a full range of Programs and Industry Resources to help build audiences, improve skills, and foster appreciation of dance in all its forms.
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