Naperville man heads up Chicago International Dance Forum
Naperville's Altin Naska is a busy man. Husband. Father of two. Entrepreneur and successful small business owner. Internationally acclaimed choreographer. Naska can now add the titles co-founder and artistic director of Chicago's 1st International Dance Forum.
Headed by Naska, the Chicago Music and Dance International, a nonprofit organization working to broaden appreciation of world dance and music forms and help local artists sustain their cultural traditions, presents the first Chicago International Dance Forum held Sunday, Oct. 23.
This day of dance celebrates the talent and diversity of Chicago's dance community with performances by some of Chicago's premier ethnic dance companies.
Held at Northeastern Illinois University's Auditorium, 5500 N. St. Louis Ave. in Chicago, the Chicago International Dance Forum features performances by eight of Chicago's most dynamic ethnic dance troupes evoking the traditions of Spain, Mexico, Romania, Bolivia, Korea, Serbia and Lithuania.
Performances are at 2 p.m. (child dancers) and 5 p.m. (professional dancers). Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children and are available at the door.
“Chicago is a dance town. This art form is revered and respected in this city and certainly Mayor Emanuel's enthusiasm and passion for this art form has helped garner increased attention to the performing arts, especially dance” said Altin Naska, co-founder and artistic director of Chicago International Dance Forum. “We are committed in becoming a cultural epicenter for dance from around the world. The dancers that are featured in this inaugural event of the Chicago International Dance Forum are at the heart of our communities and they are doing important work beyond sustaining and sharing beautiful traditions.”
Local dance companies slated to participate in the Oct. 23 event include Ensemble Espanol, the Mexican Dance Ensemble, Ethnic Dance Chicago, Miorita featuring traditional dance from Romania, Renacer Boliviano showcasing the dances of Bolivia, Choom Sarang performing Korean dance, Serbian folk dancers from Sloboda, and Laume performing traditional Lithuanian dance.
The Chicago International Dance Forum has received letters of support from a number of public officials including Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Gov. Pat Quinn, Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. Mark Kirk, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White and many more.