CHICAGO IS BECOMING THE DANCE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD!

The recent Dance for Life benefit at the Harris Theater was a sell-out and now I know why! It was one of the most joyous festivals of dance that I’ve attended and the crowd was so supportive of all of the dance companies’ amazing efforts. Participating companies included Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Joffrey Ballet, River North Chicago Dance Company and Same Planet Different World. WGN’s entertainment critic and reporter, Dean Richards, was the emcee/host for the 18th year and the crowd loved him. The evening began with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the rooftop of the Harris. The views were exquisite and the weather was perfect---everyone was excited and happy including moi. Co-chairs were Patti Eylar, Kevin McGirr and Joe Schroeder. (Kevin’s speech on healthcare reform received thunderous applause.) Producer/founder Keith Elliot started the event off with a bang….dancers everywhere performing multiple art forms—they were even dancing hanging onto fabric from the ceiling—a very joyous opening number with something for everyone that brought the crowd to their feet. This number, danced to “Soolaimon” by Neil Diamond, was directed by Harrison McEldowney (who is also the choreographer for the Baton). There was a tribute to Michael Jackson performed by local favorite Enrico Hampton. Hampton has been channeling Michael Jackson for over 20 years and he was perfect in every gesture and movement.  (On this same day, Hampton had a half-page article in the Chicago Tribune so I’m guessing his dance card is going to be full for quite a while.) Matthew Adamczyk represented The Joffrey Ballet with his haunting solo performance of “Aria.” WLS’s Ron Magers was the high bidder on the American Airlines trip package which included business class airfare for two to selected cities. From the excitement of the crowd, I’m pretty sure this event will be another sellout come August 2010. I suggest you get your tickets as soon as they become available! It always sells out early and has grown to become the largest performance based AIDS fundraising event in the Midwest benefitting the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Chicago House, AIDS Care, Center on Halsted and also individual members of the dance community who are in need. Visit Dance for Life's web site 

for more information. Photos from top right: sell out crowd; Anthony Ritter, Marybeth Brandabur, Justin Breitfelder and Dorothy Bousseau; Mike McRaith (director of the Illinois Department of Insurance), Tara Flocco and fiance Alexi Giannoulias; Quentin Schumacher, Michael Hawkey and The Palmer House's David Brandt; Ken Sarnoff, The Joffrey's Artistic Director Ashley Wheater and Christine Ellis; Jim Smith, Chris Long; Helen Melchior and Greg Hyder; with WGN's Dean Richards; event co-chairs Kevin McGirr, Patti Eylar and Joe Schroeder; Greg and Kasia Kay; Joffrey dancer Matthew Adamczyk; Kathy Schmalen-Abbene and daughter Emily; Peter Grigsby and Gary Metzner. For more photos from this event, click here!   

And more news from the world of dance! Don’t you just love it? I hope Chicago becomes the center of the universe for dance and if founders/artistic directors Jay Franke and Lar Lubovitch have their way, it will! Their Chicago Dancing Festival was held just recently and it was SRO - which just goes to show how much Chicagoans embrace dance! This FREE festival hosted 16 dance companies from around the world for a week-long series of events culminating at the Pritzker Pavillion in Millenium Park. Don't miss it next year because tickets go fast for this event, too! Photos from top right: David Herro, tennis great Billie Jean King and Chicago Dancing Festival co-founder Jay Franke.
 
Common Threads’ new Associate Board is hosting their first annual World Cookout at Fulton’s on the River at 315 N. LaSalle on Thursday, Sept. 17th. Chicago area chefs will unite with winemakers, mixologists and brewers to raise money for the low-income children in Common Threads’ after-school cooking programs. Top Chicago culinary stars who are generously donating their time and talents include Rodelio Aglibot (Sunda), Robert Andrea (Jake Melnick’s), Greg Biggers (Fulton’s on the River), Radhika Desai (Top Chef Season 5), Jonathan Fox (La Madia), Gale Gand (Tru), James Gottwald (Rockit Bar and Grill), Giuseppe Tentori ((Boka), Stephanie Izard (Top Chef Season 4), Bill Kim (Urban Belly), Sarah Grueneberg (Spiaggia), Mark Mendez (Carnivale), Chris Pandel (The Bristol), Toni Roberts (C-House), Paul Virant (Vie) and Dominique Tougne (Bistro 110), Rick Gresh (David Burke’s Primehouse) and Suzanne Imaz and Martial Noguier (Café Des Architectes). VIP tickets are $150 and include pre-party  and after-party access beginning at 9 p.m. at Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap at 41 E. Superior. General admission tickets are $75. I hope you can come out for this wonderful cause!  For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.commonthreads.org or call Jenny Pinto at 312-329-2501, ext. 207. By the way, if any of you are interested in attending a cooking class with the kids of Common Threads, e-mail me at [email protected]. I've taken several groups of friends in the past and it's an experience they have never forgotten! Photos from top right: Common Threads students; Fulton's on the River; Chef Stephanie Izard with Common Threads students; Chef Art Smith and Padma Lakshmi with Common Threads students.
 
Recently, I was invited by Patrick Plante for lunch at 676 Restaurant at the Omni Hotel, located at 676 N. Michigan. I had never been and quite frankly, hardly knew where the place was. Well, I have to tell you that this beautiful restaurant is a little jewel with the most beautiful views of Michigan Avenue AND LET’S TALK ABOUT THE FOOD! OMG, chefs Kevin Atkinson and Daven Wardynski create the most gorgeous and tasty dishes imaginable! All of the dishes use seasonal ingredients and the day we were there they were serving tomato and Michigan white bean soup with truffles and a goat cheese “crouton,” seared fois gras with a pink peppercorn pancake and sour strawberries, Maine lobster spring rolls, seared sea scallops with braised kale and golden raisin pesto and hot rock Gulf shrimp tacos. The dessert tasting was simply decadent and included butterscotch crème brulee with shortbread cookies, bittersweet chocolate truffle mousse cake with raspberry sauce, warm Michigan apple crisp with bourbon caramel and cinnamon ice cream and vanilla bean cheesecake with lemon-blueberry compote and maple tuille. The staff could not be sweeter and the room, designed by Hollywood set designer Curtis Schnell, is gorgeous and dramatic. If a guest inquires about a dish, they even send you off with the recipe!! I highly recommend 676…..you’ll be pleasantly surprised! For reservations, please call 312-944-6664, ext. 559. Photos from top right: inside 676; with my host Patrick Plante; the Omni Hotel (center). 
 
Chuck and I were recently feted by my longtime dear friend, Rhonda Sanderson, at a double anniversary party at Gibson’s. We, along with Hedwig and Bob Golant, enjoyed a private, elegant and intimate evening  with several friends. My goddaughter, Samantha Amato, planned the evening to a T right down to the heart-shaped place cards which doubled as seed packets. There were lots of toasts and memories shared and I can’t thank her enough for this wonderful evening and for being such a good friend! Guests included Charley Jordan, Alan Sax, Sheryl Dyer, Hazel and Warren Barr, Greg Hyder, Jim Smith, John Regas, Gale and Jay Gottlieb, John Amato, Emory Golant, Nadine and Ira Epstein, Jannie and Elliot Pearlman, Keith Shirley, Maureen and Jerry Guon and Tracey and John Vercillo. I hope we can all be together again on our 50th! :) Photos from top left: Bob and Hedwig Golant, Rhonda Sanderson and us; Rhonda, me, Nadine Epstein and Jannie Pearlman; Bob Golant, Chuck, Warren Barr, Elliot Pearlman and Ira Epstein; Hedwig Golant, Hazel Barr and Gale Gottlieb; Maureen Guon with John and Tracey Vercillo; John Amato, Rhonda and Samantha Amato. For more photos from this amazing evening, click here! 

Guests attending opening night of the Lyric Opera on Sept. 26th (Tosca), will be among the first to preview its two new restaurants. Florian Opera Bistro and The Sarah and Peer Pederson Room will be open on performance days only, exclusively to ticketholders for that date’s performance. Rich, jewel-tone reds and golds create a gem-like quality in the Pederson Room while the Florian will feature a fantastic collection of historic and contemporary opera photographs from the Lyric’s collection. Jewell Events Catering has created menus for matinee and evening pre-opera dining and pos- matinee dining. George Jewell says, “I’ve drawn from my European training to create menus that are classic, yet innovative, to create a gem of an evening or afternoon for guests.” The Pederson Room is by reservation only and the Florian is casual chic with an a la carte menu and guests will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. If George Jewell is involved, I KNOW it has to be good! Congrats to the Lyric and George! I can’t wait to try them both… :) Photos from top left: the Pederson Room; caterer extraordinaire George Jewell; Florian Opera Bistro.
 
Well, since this little blog seems to be covering just about everything this week, I don’t want to forget to mention two boutiques that I recently came upon. Both of them are in the Fulton Market Street area and couldn’t be cooler! The first, Fix at 1101 W. Fulton, has only been opened a month and is owned by the dynamic sister team of Maggie and Jennifer Gelber. They carry men’s and women’s clothing with new and exciting designers like Elizabeth & James, Black Halo, Nightcap Clothing, Graham & Spencer, Dekkori, Ginette_NY, Rich & Skinny, Rag & Bone and Mackage to name a few. Their accessory choices were really unique and included Dekkori boot covers that changed a simple pump into one of the season’s hottest looks for $127. There was also a terrific leather bracelet-keychain that took the worry out of walking the dogs and not having enough hands for everything you needed to carry ($49) and their gold/diamond jewelry line by Ginette_NY covered every price point. Around the corner was another cool store called Koros at 1019 W. Lake owned by Kristen Skordilis and Tom Bynum. They carry amazing oversized necklaces by Marlaina Stone with a small, but unique selection of hot styles. I fell in love with a tulle belted vest by Bynum & Bang which would look great over jeans. The store is visually remarkable too! I hope these two chic shops turn this area into Soho Midwest soon! Good luck Maggie, Jennifer, Kristen and Tom!! :) Photos from top right: Fix owners Jennie and Maggie Gelber; Dekkori pump covers; keyring bracelets; Koros co-owner Tom Bynum; Marlaina Stone necklace; Bynum & Bang vest. For more photos, click here!
 
Well, this is all for this week and thanks again for reading CandidCandace! I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day and had their flags proudly displayed somewhere for the world to see! God Bless America and see you next week!
 
Love,
Candace :)
 
P.S. Congratulations are in order for Harriet Ross, Keith Elliott, Gail Kalver and Danny Kopelson (Chicago Dancers Board of Directors) for being honored by the Illinois Arts Alliance for their amazing dedication to the world of dance. I also want to congratulate Lynne Bredfeldt who will be honored on Sept. 16th with the “Rising Star Award” and finally, a very happy first birthday to Graham Kostic’s wonderful web site, Glossed & Found! MOVERS AND SHAKERS ALL!