Falling for Hubbard

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s Fall Series will entertain you. Deftly curated, with choreographers ranging from Aszure Barton to Bob Fosse, Hubbard’s dancers ably morph through this riveting programme of showmanship.

Performance

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: Fall Series

Place

Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, IL, November 23, 2024

Words

Roísín O'Brien

Jack Henderson and Alysia Johnson in “return to patience” by Aszure Barton. Photograph by Michelle Reid

Oddly, the weakest piece of the evening is the opening offering from resident artist Barton, “return to patience,” though it is not in itself a weak piece. Opening on a minimalist white backdrop, the dancers slightly swaying forward and back, this contemplative work is performed with a light touch by the company. We see in Barton’s choreography a slight quirkiness in her sudden shifts to first position in the feet or a questioning flexed foot at the end of an extension. The dancers serenely move in and out of formations, often hovering in a flat arabesque, as though waiting for an answer. All dance well, though of particular note is Aaron Choate’s ability to give Barton’s fluid language greater space and liquidity.

After a break, we move to the second act. This is composed of three short pieces: and what pieces they are. First is Kyle Abraham’s thoroughly enjoyable and contemporary “Show Pony,” performed this evening by Shota Miyoshi to music by Jlin. Whichever straw man is still arguing that ballet, as a movement language, is a thing of the past should watch Abraham. The pliancy and style he adds to ballet is addictive. “Show Pony” is a formidable solo of prowess, of that beautiful ability of a dancer to physically experiment with speed and expectation, under a bold and integrated lighting set up from Dan Scully that sharply cuts from camp purple to crisp spotlights. Miyoshi looks like he’s having fun.

Aaron Choate in “Show Pony” by Kyle Abraham. Photograph by Michelle Reid

“Show Pony” is followed by “Prelude to a Kiss” by Lar Lubovitch, which takes its simple premise (a prelude to a kiss) and executes it, to Duke Ellington’s song of the same name. In this duet performed by Alexandria Best and Elliot Hammans, the possibility of a lover’s shape and the many intertwinings that can happen are explored through innovative structures between the two dancers. Lubovitch also captures the dizziness of being caught up in a lovestruck moment—in this case, Best being lifted and dipped overhead by Hammans. It’s slow and sexy.

And then it’s onto the big reveal of the night, Hubbard’s exciting collaboration with stager Linda Haberman to recreate “Sweet Gwen Suite” by Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon. HSDC are currently the only dance company in the world with a Bob Fosse or Gwen Verdon work in its repertoire, due to partnering with the The Verndon Fosse Legacy, of which Haberman is a key part. As the red curtain opens on an even redder backdrop, highlighting the three dancers’ starkly lit cowboy hats, the audience cheers in anticipation. “Sweet Gwen Suite” juicily lives in the camp Hollywood glamour of the tightly clothed cowboy set against a never-ending expanse. Add on exquisite musicality, dastardly good jazz technique and any opportunity to shake, wiggle and strut, and you have yourself a party. Never overstaying its welcome, this structurally simple but visually and choreographically rich short trio is a joy to watch for Fosse aficionados and new converts. Dancers Dominick Brown, Aaron Choate and Cyril Topete give it their cheekiest all.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in “Busk” by Aszure Barton. Photograph by Michelle Reid

We finish back with Barton with “Busk,” a somewhat messier but richer work than “return to patience” that nicely stays in conversation with the other choreographers on the idea of performance itself. What do we want from our entertainers? How do they live with the constant demands of entertainment? Barton’s answer here is delightfully grotesque, working with imagery and movement vocabulary from clowning and buffoonery, and using costumes of dark hoods and white gloves by Michelle Jank, and the insistent frenzy of a monastic soundtrack, arranged by Barton and Jonathan E. Alsberry. There’s a wealth of ideas, so much so that the piece can sometimes lose its way: but there’s excitement in watching a choreographer’s imagination spill over. Taut bodies spring and slide across the stage—somewhat reminiscent of her fellow Canadian choreographer, Crystal Pite—or contort their faces into grimaces or fiendish grins. There are some brilliant moments of group intensity, coupled with some star turns, in particular Elliot Hammans, who amazingly combines the tour en l’airs of a ballet dancer with the flips of a breakdancer. It’s a rich piece to conclude the evening.

This was my first time seeing Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Consider me hooked.

Roísín O'Brien

Róisín is a dance artist and writer based in Edinburgh, Scotland. She regularly writes for Springback Magazine, The Skinny and Seeing Dance, and has contributed to The Guardian and Film Stories. She loves being in the studio working on a new choreography with a group of dancers, or talking to brilliant people in the dance world about their projects and opinions. She tries not to spend too much time obsessing over Crystal Pite.

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