There’s no truth to the rumor that Chicago SummerDance’s finale will have all the bands on stage at the same time, leading dancers through 20 seconds of klezmer, 15 seconds of salsa, a full minute of big-band swing, maybe two minutes of Afro-Cuban timba and a few hops of Congolese rumba. Instead, the outdoor event separates the genres nicely. Opening Thursday with instructor Lisa “La Boriqua” and the salsa band Orlando “Maraca” Valley y Otra Vision, the event runs through Sept. 24. Lessons begin every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m., with dancing at 7:30 p.m., at Grant Park’s Spirit of Music Garden. Sunday lessons are at 2 p.m., dancing at 3 p.m. All music, from the Cajun/zydeco Bluerunners July 14 to the bluegrass Special Consensus and the Volo Bogtrotters Sept. 16, is live. All events are free. 312-742-4007.
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