Busy month ahead for Naperville's Élan Dance Company

Naperville Park District's Élan Dance Company will perform in three different venues this month.

The company will take the stage at the Naperville Millennium Carillon Saturday, May 10; at the Senior Suburban Orchestra concert in Downers Grove May 17; and at the park district Dance Academy's annual recitals at the Naperville North Performing Arts Center May 18.

The May 10 performance is at 11 a.m. on the plaza at the base of the carillon along the downtown Riverwalk as the opening show for the Spring Fever Reliever event hosted by Naperville Park District. The event is free for all ages and held as a celebration of the arrival of spring and the anticipation of summer.

One week later, on Saturday, May 17, the company will appear as guest performers at the Senior Suburban Orchestra's Family and Friends Concert at 2 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 5211 Carpenter St.

Élan Dance Company will perform a structured improvisational dance to Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt Suite No. 1."

"We are excited to collaborate with the Senior Suburban Orchestra and to dance to the music of a live orchestra," Élan choreographer Melissa Sallee said. "Improvisation provides an opportunity for the dancers to grow in their ability to move confidently with live music and to express feelings evoked by the music."

Élan dancers are prepared for structured improvisation by the mentoring in choreography they receive.

"As a company, we value creativity and development of young artists and support their growth through mentoring," Sallee said.

Élan Dance Company also will perform at the Naperville Park District Dance Academy's recitals at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 18, at the North Performing Arts Center at Naperville North High School, 899 N. Mill St. It's a free event and all seating is general admission.

Those interested in joining Élan Dance Company are invited to audition for placement Tuesday, May 20, in Room 123 at the Alfred Rubin Riverwalk Community Center, 305 W. Jackson Ave. There are specific times for each age group. Visit visit www.napervilleparks.org to learn more.

Élan Dance Company is a program of the Naperville Park District and is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. Élan's mission is to be a creative, accessible and inclusive pre-professional dance company, offering young dancers an entry point into the world of dance performance.