Every summer since 2006, the Chicago Dancing Festival has tried to put dance within reach of everyone. The citywide extravaganza, on the cusp of its tenth anniversary, is billed as “the nation’s largest dance fest” and remains entirely free. It’s come a long way from a decade ago, when cofounders Jay Franke and Lar Lubovitch didn’t know if the concept would make it past year one.
So what’s in store for the next ten years? “Truthfully, my hope is to get through the tenth anniversary,” Franke jokes. “The hope is that we achieve a beautiful starry night at the Pritzker on Saturday, get through the eye of the needle, and then address what happens next.”
