Wilmington’s first Dance Jubilee celebrates local talent and community unity

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A vibrant celebration of culture, community and the arts will happen this week as the city of Wilmington hosts the inaugural Dance Jubilee from Sept. 19 to Sept. 21. This first-of-its-kind festival will showcase diverse dance styles and highlight the city’s rich artistic talent, emphasizing the importance of homegrown creativity.

Organized by CityFest, the Dance Jubilee is part of the city’s efforts to prioritize improving the quality of life for residents through arts and tourism.

Born and raised in Wilmington, Emanuel Chacon said it’s time to revitalize the community by eliminating prejudice and addressing issues like crime, housing instability and homelessness. Chacon also wants to highlight the positive aspects of Wilmington’s diverse community through the arts.

This summer, he stepped into the role of artistic director with CityFest, driven by a desire to challenge stereotypes and create positive change.

“I accepted to help just shape, facilitate, support, cultivate and just make sure the community is more aware of the arts,” he said. “There’s a lot of, at least in my experience growing up, a lot of negative stereotypes for someone that comes from the city of Wilmington. So I’ve always just tried to represent the city as best as I can.”

Chacon, who discovered his passion for dance at the University of Delaware, recalls a time when he felt limited by the lack of dance resources available to nurture his love for the arts. This experience inspired him to organize the Dance Jubilee, aiming to provide the opportunities he once sought for others and highlighting local dancers.

“We tried to focus more on homegrown talent to highlight what’s around Wilmington and outside of Wilmington,” he said. “All these talents we were able to get nearby. The farthest talent has been our headliners from New York City Urban Bush Women.”

The Dance Jubilee promises an immersive weekend featuring a variety of performances, workshops and panel discussions. Attendees can engage with artists, community leaders and families through meet-and-greets and collaborations with the University of Delaware’s dance team.

Performances will include Wilmington’s Ballet Academy of Dance, Pieces of a Dream and more, with workshops covering styles like modern hip hop, afrobeats and pop.

“I’m excited to see our technically trained styles of dance like ballet to modern, I’m excited to see our hip hop styles of dance represented. I’m excited to see even afro and African styles represented as well as our street styles of dance,” he said.

The Jubilee’s ultimate goal is to foster unity and community, inviting everyone from the elderly to the youth to participate in Wilmington’s first dance jubilee. The event will be held at the new Urban Artist Exchange Amphitheater at 1509 Clifford Brown Walk in Wilmington.

“We just want to make sure that this wasn’t an event that catered to one specific style of dance or whether you’re a technically trained dancer, a quote-unquote ‘street dancer,’ or just someone that appreciates dance in any capacity. We wanted to make sure that we could cater to the community in a different way,” he said.

Chacon hopes this year’s event will be the first of many. He envisions a thriving future for the arts and dance community, with continued growth and celebration.

“It’s still growing and shaping and developing like this artistic community in Delaware, but it’s great to see that. The seeds are there and now we’re just trying to water those seeds and help everything grow even more,” he said.