Mardi Gras in July! Celebration Kicks Off Red Clay Dance Company’s 15FORWARD Anniversary Season
On July 23, 2023, Red Clay Dance Company marked the beginning of its 15FORWARD Anniversary Season with Mardi Gras in July!, a free, family-friendly cultural celebration along 63rd Street in Chicago’s Woodlawn community. The event took place from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM and served as both a community gathering and a joyful kickoff to a yearlong season of performances, engagement, and artistic celebration.
The name Mardi Gras in July! draws inspiration from the birthplace of Mardi Gras — Mobile, Alabama — where founder and Artistic Director Vershawn Sanders-Ward has family roots. Though not always broadly credited, Mobile is recognized as the site of America’s first Mardi Gras celebration. In honoring this heritage, Red Clay Dance Company fused cultural lineage with community celebration to honor its 15-year legacy of arts engagement and investment in Chicago’s Southside.
The day’s festivities included a sidewalk parade down 63rd Street, led by stilt walkers and live Azania drums, bringing movement and rhythm directly into the neighborhood. Participants gathered first at Woodlawn and 63rd before processing toward Red Clay’s Center for Excellence, culminating in an ending bantaba (community circle) and dance celebration. Community members were welcomed with remarks from Sanders-Ward, representatives from the Board of Directors, and Chicago Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor.
The celebration invited participation from all ages and backgrounds. Free dance classes were offered on a first-come, first-served basis, alongside face painting, refreshments like popcorn and moon pies, and community tables with local partners including the Woodlawn Chamber of Commerce. Music, movement, and celebration positioned the event as both a cultural anchor and an invitation into the company’s extended creative community.
Local media and community coverage highlighted Mardi Gras in July! as a vibrant example of place-based arts engagement, underscoring Red Clay’s role not just as a performance company, but as a cultural institution deeply rooted in Chicago’s Southside arts ecology
