Joffrey Ballet's Free Event Returns to Millennium Park in June

The Joffrey Ballet has announced an evening of free public performances in Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavilion—the heart of downtown Chicago. Created as a gift to all Chicagoans, The Joffrey Ballet’s Joffrey for All Free Performance features dance classes on the lawn followed by a mixed repertory program by Joffrey Company Artists, the Joffrey Academy of Dance, and Community Engagement students. It starts at 5:30 pm on Sunday, June 16, 2024.

The Joffrey Ballet’s Joffrey for All Free Performance commemorates the Joffrey’s mission to create a Joffrey for All. In the last decade, Joffrey has launched several initiatives to welcome dancers of all backgrounds into the Chicago dance community. These include offering more than $500,000 in scholarships and financial aid annually to increase access to professional and educational opportunities regardless of financial barriers, and a state-of-the-art studio space at 1920 S. Wabash to expand the Company’s access to students from Chicago’s south and west sides.

In addition, the Joffrey for All strategic plan forms pathways for every person to experience the joy of dance. Launched in summer 2023, Dancing with Parkinson's, offered by the Joffrey Ballet’s Community Engagement division in partnership with Northwestern Medicine, is a supportive space to explore dance for people with Parkinson's and their caregivers. The Joffrey Academy of Dance also offers Adaptive Dance programs for neurodivergent students and students with diverse movement abilities to improve their mind and body awareness while engaging in creative expression. 

The first-ever Joffrey for All Free Performance took place in June 2023 and welcomed over 7,500 guests. This year, the weekend-long festivities kick off with Joffrey’s Midsummer Celebration, a ticketed fundraising event at City Hall Events in the West Loop on Friday, June 14, in support of Joffrey for All initiatives, followed by the free performance in Millennium Park on Sunday, June 16. Tickets and additional information can be found on the Joffrey’s website.

The Joffrey is grateful for the support of the celebration’s Presenting Sponsors Anne L. Kaplan, The Negaunee Foundation, The Women’s Board of The Joffrey Ballet, Zell Family Foundation; and Co-Chairs Crain’s Chicago Business, Brendan Fernandes, Sonja and Conrad Fischer, ITW, Sally and Jon Kovler, Nichelle Mayberry and Willie Mayberry, and Sarah Wills. Special thanks to Midsummer Sponsors Allstate, GCM Grosvenor, The Northern Trust Company in partnership with Yolanda & Jason Tyler and Luann & David Blowers, Jennifer Zobair, Chuck Smith and Skadden, Rita Spitz and David Blears, The Marina and Arnold Tatar Fund for Live Music, and Mr. and Mrs. Joel V. Williamson.