For al fresco dancing, nothing beats Chicago in the summer. The city’s longtime SummerDance series, which runs from June through September, skips around to various neighborhood parks and provides a live band soundtrack — for free – with lessons at the start.
What’s more, an enthusiastic live dance scene powers nights around the city. If you want to put on your dance shoes every night, you can – and likely have multiple options.
Still, with your summer bucket list growing long, it’s helpful to know where the best parties are. Here are nine where you can’t go wrong.
Bachata, Cumbia and more
Ongoing
There’s no shortage of Latin-inspired dance nights across the city, but our favorites are associated with Latin Street Music and Dancing, which backs no less than five different events throughout the week. For traditional and modern bachata, the newest night is at West Town’s Empanada Mama on Sundays starting at 7 p.m. On Tuesdays, Barcocina in West Town kicks off its bachata lesson at 9 p.m., followed by a night of tropical beats. We’ve heard the best bachata night is at The Loft in Lincoln Park on Thursdays. Lessons in bachata and zouk start at 9 p.m., and the dancing goes until the wee hours.
’90s nostalgia for Earlybirds
Ongoing
Described as a “a dance party for ladies who got sh*t to do in the morning,” Earlybirds is true to its name. Its early June edition starts at 5 p.m. and ends by 9 p.m., with a goal of inviting its patrons to dance the night (evening?) away — and be in bed before 10 p.m. The soundtrack features “nostalgic music from the ancient times of your youth … and beyond” which, for its target market of Gen X and older Millennials, translates to dance, pop and hip-hop hits mostly from the late 1980s to early 2000s. Want to join the fun? Watch the club’s Instagram account (@EarlyBirdsChicago) for ticket releases and get ready to smash that “buy” button: Tickets often sell out in minutes, followed by waitlists 500-people strong.
Country line dancing
Ongoing
Line dancing isn’t just for folks down in Texas. The Second City Country Dance Association has been hosting LGBTQIA+ line-dance nights — primarily at Charlie’s in Northalsted — for as long as we can remember. Wednesday and Saturday nights kick off at 7 p.m. with free lessons at 8 p.m., then ease into a welcoming crowd of two-stepping and line-dancing through 11 p.m. No partner? No problem! As the SCCDA says, “You’ll find a friendly and diverse crowd of men, women, trans, young, old, gay, bi, and straight friends of the LGBTQIA+ community,” and they’ll find you a partner if you show up solo.
Swing dancing
Weekly on Thursdays
Despite its name, the Ballroom Dance Chicago folks aren’t one-trick ponies. Case in point is the group’s weekly Swing Dance night at the Green Mill. Every Thursday at 8 p.m., $10 cash gets you in the door for swing dancing with a live band playing the best of the golden oldies. Lessons aren’t included, but the swing-curious should keep an eye on the calendar for opportunities for formal lessons, sometimes with a live band.
West African dance
July 24 at Austin Town Hall Park
If you’ve always been curious about West African dance but haven’t made the time to sign up for a class, mark your calendar for July 24, when Austin Town Hall Park hosts this thematic SummerDance evening. The theme is “Drum Talk” and kicks off with creative activities at 4:30 p.m., followed by West African instruction by Baba Eric and Footwork by Terrayne Ellis from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Then, DJ Sirprize takes to the turntables to turn the park into a dance party.
Soul dancing
Ongoing and July 27 at Color Club
There’s never been a shortage of soul dancing parties in this town. But lately, the most active one is the Heart of Chicago Soul Club, with near monthly events primarily on the North Side. Check out the group’s one-year anniversary party on July 27 at Color Club, where DJs will be showing off their favorite 45s while soulful crowds get sweaty on the floor.
Chicago’s longtime SummerDance series, which runs from June through September, skips around to various neighborhood parks and provides a live band soundtrack for free.
Courtesy of Patrick L.Pyszka, Samuel Sotelo-Avila/City of Chicago
Kathak and Dabkeh
Aug. 7 at Green Briar Park
Of everything on the city’s SummerDance series, we’re looking forward to Aug. 7 at Green Brian Park, highlighting centuries-old dance styles from Indian and Levantine regions, respectively. Both styles often incorporate circle dancing and line dancing — great for beginners looking to mingle with a crowd. Instruction for both styles starts at 5:30 p.m., but there are activities from 4:30 p.m. onward, so come early.
Steppin’
Aug. 9 at Grant Park
Did you know steppin’ was invented right here in town? Branching off from the Bop in the early 1970s and coming into its own in the 1980s, steppin’ is the classic move when it comes to dancing to classic R&B. Get your fix on Aug. 9 at Grant Park, when Club Crib selects the tunes for a night of steppin’ in collaboration with SummerDance. Learn the moves from James “Pete” Frazier starting at 6 p.m., and get ready to step onto the dance floor at 7:15 p.m.
Reggae
Aug. 14 at Douglass Park
If you think you know how to groove to reggae music, think again. Though many songs in the genre are slow and chill, reggae-style dancing incorporates any number of moves — the Rockaway, the Bogo and so forth — that each call for different positions. Learn them all on Aug. 14 at Douglass Park, where instruction by Tyjah kicks off at 5:30 p.m. followed by music by DJ Papa G. Salsa features at this SummerDance event, too, and we’re curious how they’ll live together on the dance floor.
Lauren Viera has covered Chicago’s arts and cultural scenes for more than 20 years. She is the author of The 500 Hidden Secrets of Chicago (Luster) and lives in Logan Square.
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