4th ANNUAL CHICAGO LATINO DANCE FESTIVAL — OPENING NIGHT
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Logan Center for the Arts
Time: 7pm Start | Tickets: FREE to attend; Please RSVP – Suggested $20 Donation (Helps Support Latino Artists in Chicago)
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
The Chicago Latino Dance Festival, now in its fourth edition, is one of the first festivals in the country dedicated to celebrating and uplifting Latino dance. Produced by the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago (ILCC), an organization dedicated to uplifting Latino voices through the arts, the festival honors the vast diaspora of nations that make up “Latino” culture — including Spain, Portugal, and other countries where Spanish and Hispanic traditions have endured, as well as Brazil, an essential part of the Latino experience.
EL PALENQUE DE DELIA (Colombia) CANCELLED 🥲
2026 Chicago Latino Dance Festival Opening Night Line-Up
TIERRA COLOMBIANA
Dance Style: Colombian Folkloric
Country/Identity Represented: Colombia
Founded in February 1992 by Guilibaldo “Gil” Criollo, Martha Jiménez, and Gabriel Rodriguez, Tierra Colombiana, Inc. — also known as Tierra Colombiana Dance Ensemble — is the oldest Colombian folkloric dance company in Chicago and throughout the Midwest. Under the artistic direction of Edgar Serna, the company stands today as the only Colombian dance company in Chicago and the Midwest.
Tierra Colombiana is a realization of cultural pride and education. Its mission is to present and promote the artistic culture of Colombia in all its authenticity through dance, music, and theater — a mission born from the need for greater Colombian cultural awareness. The company works in conjunction with Chicago’s diverse and international artistic community.
Through its work, Tierra Colombiana promotes the dynamics of Colombian culture as expressed by the people of every city, region, and ethnic influence across the country, reflecting Colombia’s geographic, climatic, and human contrasts. Colombia’s population is principally mestizo — a mixture of Native Indian, Spanish, and African descendants — a social diversity that has shaped the extraordinarily rich culture Tierra Colombiana brings to the stage at the 4th Chicago Latino Dance Festival.
ANNIELA HUIDOBRO — CHINELA
Dance Style: Modern
Country/Identity Represented: Mexico
Anniela Huidobro is a local dance artist and educator, originally from Mexico, whose practice explores the body as a site of memory, testimony, and resistance. Her work engages with Latin American migration, systemic violence, and cultural identity, centering the Chinelo as a figure of protest, agency, and belonging. She reconnects contemporary performance practices with cultural and ancestral roots and has been an artist-in-residence at the Chicago Cultural Center and a 2026 Chicago Dancemakers Forum Dance Project Grant recipient.
*CHINELA, la que brinca y brama* is a work that gives voice to the lives and courage of migrant women. This piece uses the symbol of the *Chinelo* to convey a wide range of emotions—from joy and celebration to the discomfort and rage provoked by forms of systemic violence stemming from the social, cultural, and political context.
BALLET FOLKLÓRICO DE CHICAGO
Dance Style: Mexican Folkloric Dance
Country/Identity Represented: Mexico
Ballet Folklórico de Chicago (BFC), founded in 2018, is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and celebrating the rich cultural traditions of Mexico through the art of folklórico dance while making high-quality cultural programming accessible to the Chicago community.
BFC prioritizes providing affordable dance education for children, youth, and adults, creating opportunities for students to connect with their Mexican heritage, develop cultural pride, build confidence, and grow as artists and leaders.
Beyond the stage, BFC strives to strengthen the community through education, scholarships, youth leadership and employment opportunities, community partnerships, and inclusive cultural experiences.
SECOND CITY SAMBA
Dance Style: Samba
Country/Identity Represented: Brazil
Second City Samba is a Chicago based community samba school that performs the awesome sounds of Brazilian batucada from the Pelourinho to the Sambodromo. While focusing on rhythms from Salvador and Rio de Janeiro, the group joins the Dill Costa Dance Group to bring an authentic representation of these styles.
SALSA CONGRESS (VARIOUS)
Dance Style: Salsa (multiple companies)
Country/Identity Represented: Mixed / Pan-Latino
The Chicago International Salsa Congress (CISC) is the longest, continuously running salsa congress in the Americas. The CISC, celebrating its 25th year, has participated in the Chicago Latino Dance Festival since its inception bringing new artists every year representing the best and brightest dance acts in salsa and bachata with a focus on the younger generation.
Continente Azul
From Lane Tech High school, this salsa team brings high energy and rhythm to the stage, this is the next generation of dancers.
Coached and led by choreographer Jonathan Barrera, they embody the spirit of Latin dance through every performance. This teen group is our 2x winners of the Chicago International Salsa Congress “Best of the Emerging Artist Showcase” back to back for 2025 and 2026. This is Continente Azul!
The Jonas Brothers
This dynamic duo specializes in Salsa rhythms and blending the rich traditions of Latin dance with modern movement, creativity, and individual expression. Through their partnership, they celebrate Hispanic heritage by honoring the rhythm, culture, and passion that make Latin dance so vibrant. Their performances bring energy and connection to every stage, creating an experience that celebrates tradition while embracing a fresh, contemporary style.
True Value Latin Dance
This vibrant group of salsa dancers celebrates Hispanic heritage through rhythm, movement, and culture. With their passion for salsa and love for performance, they bring energy, confidence, and Latin flavor to every stage. Their dance honors the rich traditions of Hispanic culture while showcasing the beauty of unity, expression, and community.
Eddie Andino
Specializing in Salsa and Bachata, he is known for combining technical precision, musicality, powerful body movement, and authentic Latin flavor into every performance
Representing Puerto Rican roots, a deep love for Latin dance, and a relentless commitment to his craft.
—
Join us for an unforgettable opening night celebrating the richness and diversity of Latino dance — from Colombia’s Pacific coast to the modern stage, from Mexican folklórico to Brazilian samba to the pan-Latino energy of salsa. These are the dances that influence and are performed around the world – see what’s new, what has remained the same and connect with Latino Culture through the movement of body and music.
