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Dance Thu Mar 14 2013
A Team Effort: Hubbard Street Welcomes LINES Ballet
There is a reason why Hubbard Street Dance Chicago continues to be revered as one of Chicago's most uniquely gifted and interesting contemporary dance companies. For one, they are never afraid to shy away from more experimental works, such as their yearly danc(e)volve: New Works Festival at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, described here as featuring works that are "sharp, sleek, and physically-demanding." In their latest effort, the company has collaborated with the San Francisco-based Alonzo King LINES Ballet company for their spring series. The spring series premieres tonight at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance at Millenium Park and runs through March 17.
Featuring solo works by both Alonzo King LINES Ballet and Hubbard Street, the program will also include the Chicago premiere of King's AZIMUTH, a collaborative work between the two companies. An azimuth, defined as, "an arc of the horizon measured between a fixed point and the vertical circle passing through the center of an object," is the inspiration and namesake for this work that emphasizes the greatness and many responsibilities of the dancer. Featuring 28 dancers, AZIMUTH is in many ways a "dancer's dance."
"When you get all these dancers in the studio together, you realize we're all of the same mindset and spirit in wanting to find creative ways of moving and finding expression through movement," began Glenn Edgerton, Artistic Director for Hubbard Street.
Although LINES Ballet is described as "neo-classical" while Hubbard Street can be categorized as contemporary to modern, the two groups were able to coordinate and work together, finding commonalities in the intrinsic power of dance.
"The piece has a spiritual feel to it. It has a substance to it that feels really quite strong," Edgerton began. "You just get this sense of power of all these dancers from different backgrounds, different personalities, and different cultures." Indeed, this palpable connectedness between the dancers will be recognizable through the dancers as well. "What is the emotion that they are feeling when they are watching this work?" Edgerton asked. "I would encourage every individual coming to explore their imagination through the work and to explore what they get out of it."
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Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's Spring Series closes March 17. Tickets may be purchased online and range in price from $25 - $94.
