Audience Architect Presents CHICAGO DANCE MONTH

Chicago dancers and dance fans can put some "spring in their step" when Audience Architects, the leading service organization for building and engaging dance audiences in Chicago, presents the fifth annual Chicago Dance Month April 1-30.

Chicago Dance Month highlights the breadth, diversity and artistic richness of the Chicago dance community. In addition to the dozens of dance performances and classes taking place throughout the month, Chicago Dance Month Open Doors, Open Spaces partners are offering FREE events that welcome dance fans to an open rehearsal, a site-specific performance in an unusual venue or a discussion about the creation and presentation of dance. To introduce audiences to companies they might not have seen before, CDM25 Hot Deal ticket partners are offering at least 25 percent off full-price tickets to their performances with offers available beginning March 15.

Audience Architects is partnering with Chicago Dance Month Sponsors to present FREE special events, including:

Monday, April, 3, 6-7:15 p.m., Navy Pier, Aon Grand Ballroom, 600 E. Grand Ave., Door 11: Chicago Dance Month Opening Celebration, in partnership with sponsor Navy Pier-features a program that celebrates diverse dance styles, including jazz, hip hop, musical theatre and more with performance excerpts by Giordano Dance Chicago's Giordano II, Natya Dance Theater, and Culture Shock Chicago.

Thursday, April 13 and 20, 6-7:30 p.m., locations TBD: Chicago Dance Month Showcases, in partnership with sponsors Chicago Park District and Night Out in the Parks, artists TBD

Friday, April 28, 4:30-6 p.m., Block 37 Pedway, 108 N. State St.: Chicago Dance Month Closing Celebration, in partnership with sponsor Block 37, artists TBD

"During the past five years, Chicago Dance Month has brought attention to hundreds of performances and events throughout the Chicago area, and literally thousands of people have attended these events," said Audience Architects Executive Director Heather Hartley. "Chicago Dance Month invites Chicagoans to experience our world-class dance industry in a variety of ways, such as attending a performance, taking a class or catching a behind-the-scenes peek at a rehearsal. The month-long celebration simultaneously shines a spotlight on dance and our city as one of the country's primary cultural centers."

AARCH member organizations offering Open Doors, Open Spaces events-unique opportunities to connect more deeply with Chicago dance organizations at free "behind the scenes" workshops, rehearsals and conversations that offer a glimpse into the creative process-include Natya Dance Theatre, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Culture Shock Chicago, the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, Ruth Page Center for the Arts, Project Bound Dance, CoCoDaCo Dance Project, Synapse Arts, Perceptual Motion Inc., Ballet Chicago, Winifred Haun & Dancers, Duncan Dance Chicago, Elements Contemporary Ballet and Ballet 5:8.

Companies providing CDM25 Hot Deals of at least 25 percent off their performance tickets on SeeChicagoDance.com include Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, Concert Dance Inc., J. Lindsay Brown Dance, and Synapse Arts.

Chicago Dance Month is sponsored in part by Block 37, Broadway in Chicago, the Chicago Park District, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Navy Pier and Wintrust Bank.

For the most updated list of Chicago Dance Month events and CDM25 Hot Deal offers, visitSeeChicagoDance.com.

Audience Architects (AArch) is a dance service organization with a mission to build and engage dance audiences in Chicago and advocate for Chicago dance. AArch provides Chicago dance organizations and artists with increased visibility, expansive resources and forums to showcase and share their talents. Its flagship program, the audience development website SeeChicagoDance.com, drives ticket sales and has grown to become the most comprehensive source of information on dance in Chicago, offering feature stories and reviews, discount ticket offers and in-depth information on more than 200 dance companies and organizations. AArch also offers Moving Dialogs, a discussion series for artists and audiences, and professional development opportunities. For more information, visit audiencearchitects.com

Programs of Audience Architects are made possible with support from the Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development, Alphawood Foundation Chicago, the Chicago Community Trust, the Joyce Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Sage Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the National Endowment for the Arts, NIB Foundation and numerous generous individuals.

(Photo Credit: Audience Architects)