“It’s probably the first time in the history of any artistic director that a mayor has e-mailed things like, ‘Have you considered presenting the Merce Cunningham Dance Company? Did you know it’s their last year on tour?’ ” said Jay Franke, artistic director of the Chicago Dancing Festival,.Dance has long been a part of Emanuel’s life. After turning down the Joffrey scholarship, he studied dance at Sarah Lawrence College. He continued taking ballet classes while working in Chicago, after his marriage and the birth of his first child, even after entering politics and serving in the Clinton White House as a senior aide.
“The discipline is great, the stretch, the workout,” he said.