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Chicago’s all-free Chicago Dancing Festival made good on Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s promise last summer to expand to six days for its sixth annual. August 20 through 25, five centrally located venues will host performances, film screenings and discussions, plus an outdoor dance party in partnership with Chicago SummerDance.

Sofiane Sylve and Vito Mazzeo of San Francisco Ballet in Continuum by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. Photo: Erik Tomasson

As always, first to come will be first-served for Saturday night’s closing blowout, at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. Ditto the aforementioned “Dancing Under the Stars” event, Thursday evening in Grant Park; and Tuesday’s daylong run of dance films (including Wim Wenders’s Pina) at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

For the other three festival events, you’ll need to reserve tickets in advance — limit two per person — on the following days this week:

Tuesday, July 17, beginning at noon CST, reservations will be available for “Chicago Dancing” at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park. The program, August 20 at 7pm, features Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, the Joffrey Ballet, Keigwin + Company and more in choreography by Twyla Tharp, William Forsythe, Alexander Ekman and others. Go to the Harris Theater box office at 205 East Randolph Drive or call 312-334-7777.

Wednesday, July 18, beginning at noon CST, seats will be available for “Dancing East & West of Chicago” at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. That show happens August 22 at 7:30pm and features dancers from Phoenix’s Ballet Arizona, Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, San Francisco Ballet, and New York’s Martha Graham Dance Company and Brian Brooks Moving Company. Head to the Auditorium Theatre box office at 50 East Congress Parkway, call 1-800-982-ARTS, or visit ticketmaster.com.

Thursday, July 19, beginning at noon CST, get free tickets to “Chicago Now” at the MCA’s Edlis Neeson Theater. August 24 at 6pm, yours truly, Zachary Whittenburg, will emcee an evening of performance by Chicago artists, plus a conversation about how dance gets made in the city today, where it’s been and where it can go. Get to the box office at the MCA, 220 East Chicago Avenue, or call 312-397-4010.

Fair warning: As I wrote in my article for Dance Magazine about the fest’s fifth anniversary, these events tend to fill up within an hour or two.