Hundreds of advanced students and professionals will convene at Genesee Theatre July 23 to perform hip hop, ballet, Mexican, Irish, contemporary and jazz dance steps showing off their physical and artistic abilities.
It’s the second year of Lake County Dance Showcase, which had its inaugural run in Lake Forest last year. It was so well-received that the Waukegan Arts Council decided to bring it to the Genesee Theatre and add more performers this year, said Lori Nerheim, the not-for-profit council’s president.
The doors open at 5 p.m., for the audience to browse a French flower market, watch a mime performance and have some drinks in the lounge.
“It’s going to be fantastic. This is one of our signature events,” Nerheim said. “Our whole mission is advancing the cultural life of Waukegan through the arts. We have showcased many of the other art forms from visual arts to theater to architecture. Then we started talking about doing dance.”
Nerheim found Kristy White, who teaches at the Lake Forest Dance Academy and other Lake County dance studios. White helped her organize the first showcase at Gorton Community Center in Lake Forest last year.
“Everyone left saying this exceeded our expectations. We had no idea this was going to be as good as it was,” Nerheim said. “We decided it was important to bring it to Waukegan this year, to the gem of Lake County, Genesee Theatre, a place to convene all these amazing dance groups from across the county and the Chicago area.”
One of the returning dance groups is Alats Dance Club. These young performers “have tremendous energy,” Nerheim said. “They are very creative in terms of their choreography. All of the dance studios were blown away by their performance. They were the hit of the show last year.”
New this year is Ballet Folklorico Regional Mexican from Beach Park, who asked the Waukegan Arts Council if they could be part of the showcase, Nerheim said. The colorfully clad entertainers perform traditional Mexican folk dance.
Other performers include the Buffalo Grove Studio of Dance, the Dance Academy of Libertyville, the Lake Bluff School of Dance, the Lake Forest Dance Academy, Hip Hop Force, Forum Jazz Dance Theatre, Illinois Dance Conservatory, O’Hare School of Irish Dance and Waterford Dance.
Nerheim said after last year’s performance, audience members told her how engaging the presentation was, she said. “It moves really quickly and it appeals to everyone no matter your age or background.”
White, who grew up in Waukegan and has been dancing since she was 3 years old, said the arts council provides the community a chance to appreciate creative art.
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“I love that the Lake County Dance Showcase gives dancers a chance to share their talents as well for an audience to be entertained,” she said.
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance writer.
Lake County Dance Showcase
When: 6 to 8 p.m. July 23
Where: Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan
Tickets: $10
Information: eventbrite.com/e/lake-county-dance-showcase-2016-tickets-24348418776