It’s no surprise that audiences generally mob Chicago Dancing Festival events: they’re free and good. But this year the CDF will be packing ’em in onstage, too—at least for two dances. The fest commissioned New York-based choreographer Nicholas Leichter to create a piece for 36 kids age 14 to 18, enrolled in the hip-hop culture program run by Chicago nonprofit After School Matters. Set to Estelle’s “Wait a Minute (Just a Touch)” and Manu Dibango’s 1972 proto-disco song, “Soul Makossa,” Leichter’s Touch of Soul herds teenagers into nearly martial onslaughts. Yet there’s no herd mentality here. The final section features the whole group in a veritable avalanche of personality and talent.
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8/20-8/25: Mon-Sat, various times, programs, and locations, 773-609-2335, chicagodancingfestival.com, reservations required for some events, free.
