Columbia College Chicago’s first Festival of Dance Clubs brings student-led performances from Latin to K-pop to the Dance Center March 31–April 3, 2026.

Columbia College Chicago’s School of Theatre and Dance is launching its first-ever Festival of Dance Clubs, a multi-night showcase of student choreography, performance, and collaboration across campus dance organizations. 

Running March 31–April 3, 2026, at the Dance Center, the festival brings together a range of styles—from Latin dance to K-pop—across three distinct performances, each led and produced by student groups. 

Throughout the festival, student dancers take full creative control, developing choreography, themes, and production elements that reflect both personal identity and collective expression. 

Leslie Torres, captain of the Mi Gente Dance Team, says, “We want the audience to feel seen and moved. We want them to connect back with their culture and continue to be more themselves and not afraid to show that part of their culture. Especially with what’s going on right now, we want to see more things like this in media or in life in general because no one should be excluded or judged for just their identity.” 

The Mi Gente Latin Dance Club opens the festival with a program centered on cultural expression and community, drawing from a range of Latin dance traditions while inviting audiences of all backgrounds to connect through movement. 

On April 2, the Columbia Renegades Dance Team presents a showcase shaped by collaboration and evolving identity within the group. 

“For the Columbia Renegades Dance Team,” says captain Emma Graveen ‘27, “every semester, we find our identity as a club changing in beautiful ways, as we welcome a new group of dancers who bring their specialized skill sets, such as musical theater, stage performance, or team spirit. We then name our showcase according to the semester and year that it takes place. The show is always made up of dances created, choreographed, and fully designed by members of the club. It is a fun way to all collaborate and learn from each other, and it is my personal favorite event each semester.” 

The festival concludes with C2K, a K-pop dance team that transforms its performance into an interactive, competition-style experience inspired by East Asian survival shows. 

“Our C2K showcase is inspired by survival shows across East Asia where K-pop trainees compete for spots in a girl/boy group,” says Zihomara Mercado ‘26. “Our members love watching survival shows and were really interested in using the concept for this year's showcase. They will be ‘competing’ for a spot in the final global group to become stars. We want the audience to not just enjoy the performances, but to enjoy the survival show aspect.” 

Together, the three performances highlight the range of creative voices within Columbia’s student dance community, offering audiences an immersive look at how choreography, culture, and collaboration intersect on stage. 

• Theatre and Dance
• The Dance Center

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