Chicago Dancing Festival

was founded by internationally renowned choreographer and Chicago native Lar Lubovitch and highly esteemed Chicago dancer Jay Franke to produce and promote the finest of dance to Chicago. It was founded to heighten awareness of dance in Chicago, increase accessibility to the art form and provide aspiration for local artists. Its mission is to present a wide variety of excellent dance, enrich the lives of the people of Chicago and provide increased accessibility to the art form, thereby helping create a new audience. Its vision is to raise the national and international profile of dance in the city, furthering Chicago as a dance destination.

Lar Lubovitch: Founder, Artistic Director

One of America's most versatile and highly acclaimed choreographers, Lar Lubovitch founded the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company 40 years ago. In the years since, he has choreographed more than 100 dances for his New York-based company, which has performed in nearly all 50 American states as well as in more than 30 foreign countries. Born in Chicago, Lar was educated at the University of Iowa and the Juilliard School in New York. lubovitch.org

Jay Franke: Founder, Artistic Director

Jay Franke first danced with the Lubovitch company in 2005. Jay began his formal training at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas. In 1993 he was selected as a Finalist for Presidential Scholar in the Arts and accepted into the Julliard School. Upon receiving his BFA in Dance from the Julliard School, Franke went to work with the Twyla Tharp Dance Company, “THARP!” Franke has since danced with The 58 Group, Lyric Opera Ballet Chicago, and most recently Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.

Evin Nicole Eubanks: Executive Director

In this role, Evin Nicole Eubanks is responsible for leading the Festival's operations, including the planning and execution of the Festival's performance season. Eubanks has an extensive background in theatre arts, having served in a variety of operations, stage management and production roles, and most recently as Board Chair of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. Outside of the performing arts, Eubanks comes to the Festival from UBS Global Asset Management, where she has worked for the past 10 years. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts from Texas Tech University and serves on the board of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and the Advisory Board of San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet.

Todd Clark: Director of Production

Todd Clark is in his 5th year as the Director of Production for the Chicago Dancing Festival. He is a freelance Production Stage Manager and Lighting Designer for corporate and theatrical industry. Recent projects include Stage
Management for Wyndham Worldwide, Audi and Fortress Investment Group; Production Manager and Lighting Director for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago; Production Manager for the US Premier of Tanguera at New York’s City Center; lighting design for the operas La Boheme, Dead Man Walking and Midsummer’s Night Dream directed by William Shomos and Production Management for DanceWorks Chicago. He has won three “EMMY” Awards for Lighting the PBS dance documentaries “River North Rising”, ‘Every Dancer Has a Story” and “Getting There”. He graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts a long time ago.
www.tlclight.com

Millennium Park

Millennium Park is an award-winning center for art, music, architecture and landscape design. The result of a unique partnership between the City of Chicago and the philanthropic community, the 24.5-acre park features the work of world-renowned architects, planners, artists and designers. Among Millennium Park's prominent features are the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States; the interactive Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa; the contemporary Lurie Garden designed by the team of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel; and Anish Kapoor's hugely popular Cloud Gate sculpture. Each year, the Park hosts hundreds of free concerts, activities and events. Since its opening in July 2004, Millennium Park has welcomed more than 12 million people, making it one of the most popular destinations in Chicago.

Museum of Contemporary Art

The MCA is proud to partner with Chicago Dancing Festival, and enjoys working year round with numerous arts and community organizations, making the MCA a shared resource for the cultural life of our city. The MCA is an innovative and compelling center of contemporary art where the public can directly experience the work and ideas of living artists, and understand the historical, social and cultural context of the art of our time. One of the few museums in the United States to illuminate today’s culture by actively integrating the performing and visual arts, the MCA presents more than ninety extraordinary dance, theater, music, and multimedia performances thrilling audiences year round in an intimate 300-seat theater. For more information contact the MCA Box Office at 312-397-4010 or by visiting www.mcachicago.org