Rudolph Dance Off: One Of The Most Festive Things To Hit Chicago This Season

Forget those 10 Lords a Leaping. This season, Chicagoans only need two.

Meet co-workers and pals Matt Monnin and Peter Frederiksen. The spunky and enterprising duo have been generating buzz lately with their festive dance battle, dubbed the Rudolph Dance Off. It's one of the more creative endeavors to hit the town in a jam-packed holiday season filled with events all begging to be milked for attention. But this one--it's a keeper.

The concept? Have some fun. Just dance. Twenty-five dances in the 25 days.
The guys take turns sporting their grooviest dance moves to a variety of pop tunes around a boombox placed in front of a unique and different Chicago locale every outing. The dances are posted online and viewers get to vote for their favorite. It's that simple.

But watch the guys in action and you'll soon realize that their spirited endeavor is more than just a dance off. It's a powerful reminder to, well, lighten up, have some fun and pursue your passions--without thinking about recognition and monetary reward. And in a world where we're told by the minute that fame and status hold more value than, say, following your bliss (shout out to Deepak and Oprah here!), this dance soiree is downright refreshing.

Monnin, who is 34 and lives in Lakeview, and Frederiksen, 27, a Logan Square resident, are taking the competition in the spirit of fun. But the guys have some help behind the scenes. Steph Krout is art director on the project, Joel Witmer directs and Chris Mauck shoots and edits. The gang actually are co-workers at Chicago's Ableson Taylor and the genesis of the idea came from Monnin and Frederiksen's co-workers.

The Dance Off announces a winner on Christmas Day. In the meantime, dive in and see where it all began back at Day One and watch some of the other dances.