See Chicago Dance to Celebrate 20th Anniversary With 2025 BOLD IMPACT GALA
The event will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 30 from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jul. 15, 2025
See Chicago Dance will present its 20th Anniversary Bold Impact Gala Community Celebration & Awards Presentation, will be held Tuesday, Sept. 30 from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. at Venue West. Individual tickets are $325 and will be available online on Wednesday, July 16 at 12 p.m.
Table sponsorships (with seating for ten) are still available, starting at $3,000. For information on sponsorships, contact See Chicago Dance Executive Director Julia Mayer at Julia@SeeChicagoDance.com.
The annual Gala Community Celebration & Awards Presentation gathers 250 dance supporters and artists to celebrate Chicago’s dynamic dance community and honor individuals who have made a significant and sustained impact. In 2025, See Chicago Dance presents the See Chicago Dance Legacy Award to Kevin Iega Jeff, co-founder of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, choreographer, director, dance educator, cultural community builder and creative consultant. Also being honored is Julie Nakagawa, co-founder and artistic director of DanceWorks Chicago and former director of Hubbard Street 2 with the Distinguished Service to the Dance Field Award.
NBC5 Chicago’s Lexi Sutter will serve as this year’s gala host. Event co-chairs are Mashaune Hardy and Vin Reed. The 2025 Host Committee members are Jan Bartoszek (Hedwig Dances), Pamela Crutchfield, Robin Edwards (Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center), Patti Eylar, Carol Fox+ (Carol Fox & Associates), Ted Grady, Judie Moore Green+ (Auditorium Theater, retired), Winifred Haun (Winifred Haun & Dancers), Kevin McGirr, Meghan McNamara+ (Levitt Pavilion Denver), Michael McStraw+ (Chicago Dance History Project), Niki Morrison+ (Carol Fox & Associates), Brian Smith+ (Joffrey Ballet) and Linda Swayze (Joffrey Ballet).
+ Connotes past See Chicago Dance board presidents
“This year, See Chicago Dance turns 20! In the current arts climate, that in itself is absolutely something to celebrate,” says Executive Director Julia Mayer. “At last year’s gala, we celebrated the origins of our organization. This year, we are celebrating our future. As always, we invite our supporters and our community to honor those who have made a bold impact on the city of Chicago through dance. We are delighted to be honoring Iega and Julie for their unparalleled contributions. We are also putting SCD’s accomplishments, like our magnificent new website, front and center. We want to be sure more and more people understand the value of the work we do for so many dancers and dance lovers. We hope to surpass past fundraising thresholds so we are prepared to meet the future with the resources and capacity our community deserves.”
In addition to being a community celebration, this gala is See Chicago Dance’s annual fundraiser and includes a reception, a seated dinner with awards presentation, a paddle raise, raffle of experience packages, and performances by DanceWorks Chicago and Deeply Rooted Dance Theater. More details on the evening’s program will be forthcoming.
Chicago Awards - Live Stats
Best Musical - Top 3
1.
HAIRSPRAY (Uptown Music Theater of Highland Park)
7.4% of votes
2.
RENT (Highland Park Players)
7.4% of votes
3.
THE WIZARD OF OZ (Up and Coming Theatre/Elgin Summer Theater)
6.7% of votes
Videos