Naperville man to stage Chicago's World Dance Day

As people around the globe celebrate World Dance Day April 29, Altin Naska will be watching one of the most diverse crowds of Chicago dancers assembled on a professional stage.

Naska has been organizing Chicago's celebration of 2012 World Dance Day since January, reaching out to groups from various countries to join the lineup.

In years past, the Naperville man has planned performances for his own dance students at their schools or other free venues. But for the 30th anniversary of the global event, Naska wanted to do something special - and big.

Almost a dozen different countries will be featured with as many dance numbers during 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. shows at Chicago's Athanaeum Theatre.

Naska, co-founder of Chicago Music and Dance International and the Southport Performing Arts Conservatory and Entertainment, spent decades performing through Europe and the United States before putting his own dancing on the back burner to raise his kids and teach. He is an internationally recognized choreographer, dancer and master teacher.

Originally from Albania and now living in Naperville, Naska said when he came to Chicago he was struck by the proximity of so many different ethnic neighborhoods.

"It's great to have this," Naska said. " ... I said why not really bring this together."

While Naska said many people know the traditional music of Spain, few are aware of the dances of countries like South Korea. Each act will include a performance as well as a short video about the country it is native to. The dance groups also will host tables in the lobby to showcase their cultural traditions.

Samuel Cortez, director and founder of Chicago-based Mexican Dance Ensemble, said his group will perform calabaceados - a cowboy dance of Baja California Norte.

Cortez said the selection will show people more than the big dresses and charro costumes typical of Mexican traditional dance performances.

"We are a country full of different styles and influences," Cortez said. "We're going to show a little bit of the influence from Europe so they can see similarities and differences between our dances and theirs."

Cortez said the music typical to northern Mexico was influenced by the polka, which Bohemian and Czech immigrants brought in the 1800s.

Students in Naperville's School of the Performing Arts dance ensemble will perform a tap number for the audience, ending their own celebration of National Dance Week.

Joni Wiltz Berkley, managing director of the school, said the ensemble performs throughout the greater Chicago area but this show will be particularly exciting and give the students - between the ages of 9 and 18 - a chance to meet other dancers and see others perform.

The School of the Performing Arts offers mostly hip hop, tap, jazz and ballet classes, so many of the numbers during the World Dance Day show will be new.

"That's why it's so neat to expose our kids to that type of style," Wiltz Berkley said. "It will open their eyes to different styles that they don't usually get in a regular week's class."

Performers are invited to sit in the audience while other groups take the stage, creating a learning environment for participants as much as community members.

Naska said he made sure to maintain high artistic standards while incorporating Chicago's diversity into the show. Joel Hall Dance, MADD Rhythms and Chicago Dance - some of the city's most respected dance troupes - will join ensembles from Bolivia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Romania, China, Ireland, Germany, Africa, The Philippines, Spain, Mexico and Korea.

Naska said organizing events like this is harder than ever in a down economy, but he has noticed ethnic communities rising to support their dancers. Community groups have purchased blocks of tickets to cheer on their own.

"That's a great thing," Naska said. "To see that from all these communities."

Chicago 2012 World Dance Day

History: World Dance Day started in 1982, with April 29 chosen to mark the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, a French dancer born in 1727. National Dance Week in the United States has become more commonly celebrated in recent years. More than a dozen groups will participate in Chicago's Sunday event.

When: 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, April 29

Where: Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago, athenaeumtheatre.com

Who: Groups from Spain, Bolivia, Mexico, Lithuania, Romania, Korea, China, Ireland, Germany, Africa, The Philippines, Albania and Bulgaria

Tickets: $15-$35