Hubbard Street Dance Chicago opened its Spring Series on May 16 at the Harris Theater. The series closes out season 47 and has me anticipating what lies ahead. The performance consisted of three dances by four choreographers. The most anticipated for me was an encore from 2021 of the Sweet Gwen Suite by legendary choreographers/dancers Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon. The second dance, a world premiere by choreographer Matthew Rushing, was called Beauty Chasers. The evening closed with the Chicago premiere of Blue Soup from current Hubbard Street resident artist and choreographer Aszure Barton.
Bob Fosse's spirit is always present at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. His pioneering style of sensual, delineated movement, props, and rhythmic "jazz hands" began here in Chicago. His wife and muse, Gwen Verdon, collaborated on choreography and performances. The Sweet Gwen Suite took me back to my childhood fascination with variety shows and musicals. The music was a mix of Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass, Johnny Mandel, and Lalo Schifrin. Dancers Dominick Brown, Cyrie Topete, and Aaron Choate ruled the stage in a glowing bronze western attire designed by Bobby Pearce. Bolero hats added to the allure of the precise and sexy moves. Harrison Pearce Burke's lighting design bathed the stage in crimson red, further heightening the drama and delineating the figure on the stage. Brown, Topete, and Choate embodied trust and fearlessness as a trio. The choreography and music originated in a past era but are timeless and belong in the American art canon in perpetuity.
Matthew Rushing's Beauty Chasers brought Whitman's I Sing the Body Electric to mind. The May 16 performance featured Bianca Melidor, Shota Miyoshi, and Cyrie Topete. The trio projected a tribal and feral power. Dante Anthony Baylor's costume design accentuated the body and the power of the warrior. The choreography had a liquid quality with bodies connecting and flowing apart. Beauty Chasers is a companion and extension to A Duo in Of Hope from Hubbard Street Winter 2024. The flow and melding of the choreography were beautifully performed. Great dancing also encompasses great acting and projecting a character. I could hear Whitman's paean to the carriage of a neck, the flexing of waists, hips, and wrists. These dancers are in top physical form with every muscle integrated into their performances.
The finale, Blue Soup, choreographed by Aszure Barton, featured the entire Hubbard Street Dance Chicago company. It was a quirky opening with a dancer as a blowsy blonde in drag, lip synching and unmasking their attire as if to reveal their identity. Barton credits poet Maya Angelou and filmmaker David Lynch as inspirations for Blue Soup. Indeed, there was a surreal Lynchian quality to the opening voiceover and shift in mood. The drag performer seemed to morph into another character, thrown about by an invisible force. The cast was dressed in electric blue, designed by Rémi van Bochove and Fritz Masten.
True to the title, Barton served a soup of visuals on identity, uniformity, and human nature. Maya Angelou is heard reciting poetry. Randy Newman sings, "I'm different and don't care who knows it." Serge Gainsbourg and Andy Williams (!) also weigh in among other artists. The dancers whirl and leap across the stage. They seemed to fly or be suspended from invisible wires with some movements. A palpable and exuberant energy filled the air. The ensemble projected a joy in their craft and ability.
Spring Series was an ebullient and masterful performance by a company in top form under Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell's artistic direction. Every performance I have covered from Hubbard Street Dance Chicago pays tribute to great choreographers and performers. I am thrilled that Chicago legends have been given the Hubbard Street treatment. Bob Fosse grew up in Uptown, and they previously paid tribute to house music legend Frankie Knuckles in Of Joy. As a Chicagoan, I am delighted that Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is a homegrown treasure.
The Spring Series from Hubbard Street Dance Chicago continued through May 18 at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park. It is worth your while to experience this ensemble's talent. For more information and a preview of Season 48, please visit https://www.hubbardstreetdance.com/.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider supporting Third Coast Review’s arts and culture coverage by making a donation. Choose the amount that works best for you, and know how much we appreciate your support!