Last week, our fair city exploded with the sights and sounds of dance. From Millennium Park to Harris Theatre to the MCA Stage, some of the most renowned dancers in the world—including The Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey II and The Royal Ballet—graced the stage to perform for the Chicago Dancing Festival. The fabulous four-day fest was co-founded and co-Artistic Directed by Jay Franke, a local dancer, who helped create the festival in 2007 (along with famed choreographer Lar Lubovitch) as a way to feature not only the world’s best dance talent, but to do it against the stunning Chicago skyline. Here, Franke offers a glimpse inside his graceful routine, offering insight on how he keeps his poise.

(Note to selves: Check www.chicagodancingfestival.com for CDF 2011 tickets! This year’s fest sold out in two hours!)

jay's favorite...

your MUST HAVE…cannot live without…have tried everything and this is hands down the best…

Crème 83 lotion by Yonka. Worth every penny.

The first thing I notice about someone is…

their smile

My current scent…

Mark Birley for Men. It’s a clean, masculine scent that works for ballet class or a fancy dinner.

I am always searching for …

vintage barware

My favorite place to shop is…

Bergdorf New York and Uniqlo

The first thing I do when I wake up is…

I am diabetic, so I check my blood sugar

The last thing I do before I go to bed is…

check my blood sugar

I could never live without…

my iPhone

I could easily live with out…

airport security lines

What are you reading?

Books about designer David Hicks

Favorite restaurant…

MK restaurant

Last concert you went to…

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

Going green?

No plastic bags, reusable only!

Favorite sinful food?

My Nana’s Apple Pie with Blue Bell ice cream

The most embarrassing CD in my collection is…

Brittney Spears Greatest Hits

Favorite fashion trend of all time…

the skinny tie

Currently obsessed with…

Chicago Dancing Festival

The best part of my day is…

a morning walk to coffee

Secret guilty pleasure…

Champagne