Dance for Life Inspires Students

Founded in 1992, Dance for Life, an annual HIV/AIDS benefit managed by Chicago Dancers United, has grown into the largest dance-performance-based AIDS fundraising event in the Midwest. This year, the Joffrey Ballet, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and more will perform in a one-night-only show at The Harris Theater for Music and Dance on August 21.

The benefit’s success has inspired several spin-off events, such as Dance for Life/The Next Generation, started 15 years ago by Diane Rawlinson and her dance students at Wheeling High School in Illinois. “These kids realized that they could make a difference in their communities,” says Keith Elliott, founder and producer of Dance for Life. “So they created a similar event, but all of the performers are youth dance groups.”

One Wheeling graduate, Casey Pennel, took this program to the college level in the late 1990s and created Art for Life, a two-day showcase of multimedia artforms, including dance, theater and music, at Northern Illinois University. And at Morgan Park Academy, a high school on the south side of Chicago, two seniors created another showcase of young talent in 2005, which takes place each year. Dance for Life gives necessary guidance for these programs, including assisting at rehearsals and donating raffle items such as Dance for Life tickets. “But all three programs are pretty autonomous,” says Elliott. “It’s just amazing to see what kids can do when they put their mind to it.”

Combined, these events raise hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for those affected by HIV/AIDS, and a percentage of all earnings by the Dance for Life Fund now goes to the Tongabezi Trust School in Livingstone, Zambia, to support HIV/AIDS programming. Info: www.danceforlifechicago.com

Originally published in Dance Teacher, August 2010