International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago hosting first Latino Dance Festival

CHICAGO (CBS) -- There's sure to be lots of dancing over the next few weeks as the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago hosts its first Latino Dance Festival.

The four-week event kicked off on Sunday and runs through Oct. 12.

Thirty-seven local groups will participate, representing all sorts of Latino dance styles.

Organizer Mateo Mulcahy saw a need to showcase various Latino dance cultures all in one place, so he applied for a grant to create the first Chicago Latino Dance Festival.

"The artistic community here – the Latino artistic community – is enormous, and there are lots and lots of dance groups, but there hadn't been a comprehensive festival," he said.

Among the groups performing in the festival is the Mexican Folkloric Dance Company, which is celebrating 42 years.

Artistic director José Luis Ovalle González said Mexican folkloric dance is influenced by dance styles from around the world – including France, Africa, Asia, and of course Spain.

"So that developed about 220 dance forms in the country," he said. "Within a state, within a city, according to their neighborhoods, they dance differently from one another."

The Mexican Folkloric Dance Company is set to perform on Sept. 30 at the Global Peace Picnic at Humboldt Park.

The Latino Dance Festival is happening at multiple venues. The next scheduled performances take place Sept. 23, Sept. 30, and Oct. 12. You can find details at the International Latino Cultural Center website.