events
our new home
We're home! Thanks to a new partnership with Black Ensemble Theater, we're thrilled to announce our new home at 4511 N. Clark! Join us in the coming weeks for opening events, dedications, and more -- and then stay with us as we bring you more classes, more opportunities to "awaken the dancer in your soul!"
new fall schedule
We have NEW CLASSES lanching October 15! We’re adding SEVEN new classes to our Fall Schedule to keep you on your leg this holiday season.
community thriller flash mob
It's baa-aaaack: our Thriller Halloween Class & Flash Mob! Join Melissa Metro for an hour of classic Thriller moves - and then make your neighbor's night!
joel hall dancers @ dance africa chicago
The Joel Hall Dancers proudly join the companies of Dance Africa Chicago for the performance of Rebirth on October 26 at Kennedy King College, and classes at Sizemore Academy on October 27.
joel hall masterclass @ dance africa chicago
The Joel Hall Dancers proudly join the companies of Dance Africa Chicago for the performance of Rebirth on October 26 at Kennedy King College, and classes at Sizemore Academy on October 27.
joel hall dancers @ chicago live!
Joel Hall Dancers bring the iconic El Gato Negro to Navy Pier! Join us and some of the brightest and best of the city at Chicago Live!
community urban jazz
First Company member Melissa Metro leads a FREE class in our new home, part of the activities around Chicago Live! at Navy Pier - and our 50th anniversary!
refocus: 50 years of the joel hall dancers
Join the Joel Hall Dancers as we celebrate FIFTY years of WERKQ. Refocus celebrates the inspiring and genre-defining Urban Jazz dance that is the legacy - and future - of Joel Hall Dancers & Center.
joel hall dancers @ divination
The Joel Hall Dancers join fellow members of the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project in Divination on August 24. Come see the world premiere of Usher, created by Artistic Director William Gill.
chicago legacies: dance leaders and their perspectives
Sarita Smith Childs, assistant professor of dance at Northern Illinois University, moderates a conversation between Joel Hall Dancers Co-Founder Joel Hall, Red Clay Dance Company Founder Vershawn Sanders-Ward, and Winifred Haun, founding artistic director of Winifred Haun & Dancers, on their goals for founding a dance company - and how the concept of legacy informs their work.
50th Anniversary events are sponsored in part by the Helen Brach Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Donate today to make a difference and support the work of JHDC - or email give@joelhall.org to learn how you could support the various events and programs of JHDC.
community floor WERKQ - a barre technique
Join our pioneering founder, Joel Hall, in 90 minutes of his Barre technique, “Breathing Jazz Floor WERKQ.” Bring a yoga mat and foam roller and get on the floor and condition your body with Chicago’s legendary father of Urban Jazz Dance. This free open-level class is a great way for everyone to experience the iconic style that has inspired Chicagoans for fifty years.
50th Anniversary events are sponsored in part by the Helen Brach Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Donate today to make a difference and support the work of JHDC - or email give@joelhall.org to learn how you could support the various events and programs of JHDC.
community urban jazz
Join Melissa for 90-minutes of the iconic dance style pioneered by the Joel Hall Dancers
new barre class: joel hall breathing jazz floor WERKQ
First Company Member Melissa Metro leads a weekly class in our iconic Barre technique: Joel Hall Breathing Jazz Floor WERKQ
new barre class: joel hall breathing jazz floor WERKQ
First Company Member Melissa Metro leads a weekly class in our iconic Barre technique: Joel Hall Breathing Jazz Floor WERKQ
new barre class: joel hall breathing jazz floor WERKQ
First Company Member Melissa Metro leads a weekly class in our iconic Barre technique: Joel Hall Breathing Jazz Floor WERKQ
new barre class: joel hall breathing jazz floor WERKQ
First Company Member Melissa Metro leads a weekly class in our iconic Barre technique: Joel Hall Breathing Jazz Floor WERKQ
new barre class: joel hall breathing jazz floor WERKQ
First Company Member Melissa Metro leads a weekly class in our iconic Barre technique: Joel Hall Breathing Jazz Floor WERKQ
new barre class: joel hall breathing jazz floor WERKQ
First Company Member Melissa Metro leads a weekly class in our iconic Barre technique: Joel Hall Breathing Jazz Floor WERKQ
chicago black dance legacy project auditions
The Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project seeks dancers for its performance in August 2024 at the Pritzker Pavilion
free class: indigo blue jazz
Talia Howard leads a family-oriented FREE Jazz dance class at the Logan Center for the Arts on Saturday, June 1.
power + pride: 50 years of joel hall dancers & center
Help us finish the 2023-2024 season stronger and better positioned for an even more FABULOUS season of dance and community in 2024 & 2025. Support JHDC TODAY!
joel hall dancers youth company @ thwack
The Joel Hall Dancers Youth Company performs in a free concert on Saturday, May 4 at 7 pm. Checkout the next generation of dance talent!
joel hall dancers & mac @ the logan
The Joel Hall Dancers join its fellow Mayfair Arts Center residents in a community concert showcase, produced by “The MAC.”
joel hall dancers @ trifecta dance festival
Mark your calendars: the Joel Hall Dancers return to the Trifecta Dance Festival on March 20, 2024! Use code JHD when purchasing your tickets to show your love and support for the Joel Hall Dancers!
fresh legacies: a conversation with joel hall dancers & center
Join Joel Hall and William Gill in conversation with Nicole Clarke-Springer about the origins and future of the Joel Hall Dancers. Get insights into how the company came to be and how it will preserve its history while building its future.
urban jazz day: ruth page center for the arts
Part of the 50th Anniversary Events for Joel Hall Dancers & Center, join members of the Joel Hall Dancers family for FREE classes in the signature technique that sets them apart from other companies, Urban Jazz.
new weekly class: adult ballet (beginner/intermediate)
Join Emmanuel Ramirez for a new WEEKLY Adult Ballet class, Fridays from 11 AM - 12:30 PM at the Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture (3rd floor)
flavors festival of youth dance
Flavors shines a spotlight on the creativity and talent of Chicago's emerging young dancers. Don't miss your chance to experience the incredible variety of styles from companies across the city!
the roots of black dance in america
Joel Hall Dancers, in partnership with Urban Gateways, brings its in-school educational program The Roots of Black Dance In America to The Art Center Highland Park.
joel hall masterclass series
TWO ICONS + YOU.
Claim your space to learn from the best! Chicago’s Iconic Choreographer Joel Hall leads a Floor WERKQ series in his Barre technique at the equally iconic South Shore Cultural Center. You can learn from the best and get yourself holiday-ready through classes designed to meet you at your level.
joel hall dancers youth company + chicago jazz philharmonic jazz academy
The Joel Hall Dancers Youth Company joins the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic Jazz Academy in an exciting collaboration of music, dance, and youth. Join them on December 16 when they debut a new dance piece set to classic tunes from Earth, Wind & Fire - performed live by the Jazz Academy!
joel hall masterclass series
TWO ICONS + YOU.
Claim your space to learn from the best! Chicago’s Iconic Choreographer Joel Hall leads a Floor WERKQ series in his Barre technique at the equally iconic South Shore Cultural Center. You can learn from the best and get yourself holiday-ready through classes designed to meet you at your level.
joel hall masterclass series
TWO ICONS + YOU.
Claim your space to learn from the best! Chicago’s Iconic Choreographer Joel Hall leads a Floor WERKQ series in his Barre technique at the equally iconic South Shore Cultural Center. You can learn from the best and get yourself holiday-ready through classes designed to meet you at your level.
embrace the joy
As we look ahead to 2024 and our 50th-anniversary plans, there is a lot of work to do. Please consider supporting JHDC as we continue to recover from the pandemic, rebuild our class studio schedule - and prepare performances and new programs that enrich Chicago.
Embrace the joy this season of giving brings and support JHDC. Visit our giving page to see the ways you can help us awaken the dancer in everyone’s soul!
joel hall masterclass series
TWO ICONS - YOU.
Claim your space to learn from the best! Chicago’s Iconic Choreographer Joel Hall leads a Floor WERKQ series in his Barre technique at the equally iconic South Shore Cultural Center. You can learn from the best and get yourself holiday-ready through classes designed to meet you at your level.