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July 2010
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| New Choreography Takes Center Stage via
“Inside/Out” Choreographic Workshop, National Choreographic Competition |
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Cultivating new choreography is the lifeblood of contemporary dance and a priority for HSDC in its mission to contribute to the evolution of the art form. Two initiatives—the “Inside/Out” Choreographic Workshop and the National Choreographic Competition—support this aspect of HSDC’s mission.
“Only through experimentation will a new era of choreographic talent emerge,” explained HSDC Artistic Director Glenn Edgerton. “‘Inside/Out’ allows us to research and hear from new voices. Further, the National Choreographic Competition brings more than 100 applicants every year from which we choose only three special artists to work with our dynamic HS2 dancers. Choreographers need opportunities to hone their craft, and Hubbard Street has been the catalyst leading to some of the greatest works in contemporary dance.”
For 10 years, “Inside/Out” has provided HSDC dancers the opportunity to experiment with creating choreography and setting new work on their fellow company members. The result is a fascinating evening comprising fresh and fun pieces, some of which may make their way into HSDC’s repertoire and premiere in Chicago; examples include Brian Enos’ Diphthong (2003), Lucas Crandall’s Gimme (2004) and Alejandro Cerrudo’s Lickety-Split (2006).
The presentation of works created during this year’s “Inside/Out” took place June 17 in several galleries of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Modern Wing, with HSDC dancers and artistic staff creating dances and installations specific to the environment of the museum. The performance represented the culmination of a yearlong collaboration focused on discovering movement in art and art in movement. Choreographers included main company dancers Jacqueline Burnett, Meredith Dincolo, Laura Halm, Jason Hortin, Penny Saunders, Kevin Shannon, Benjamin Wardell and Robyn Mineko Williams; HS2 dancer Yarinet Restrepo; HS2 apprentice Emily Nicolau; Rehearsal Director and Artistic Associate Terence Marling; HS2 Director and Artistic Associate Taryn Kaschock Russell; and National Choreographic Competition winner Gabrielle Lamb. “Inside/Out” was generously supported by The Art Institute of Chicago, HSDC advisory board member Sallyan Windt and the National Endowment for the Arts.
The National Choreographic Competition (NCC), now in its 11th year, provides emerging choreographers with a two-week residency to create an original work on Hubbard Street 2 (HS2). At the end of each residency the new choreography will realize full production, including costumes and lighting, and HS2 will premiere the pieces throughout its season. Choreographers will also conduct master classes for the community. Almost 30 new works have been created for HS2 as part of the NCC, including pieces by Robert Battle, Edwaard Liang, Andrea Miller, Aszure Barton, Terence Marling, Brian Enos, Alex Ketley, Maurice Causey, Jessica Lang and Jonathan Fredrickson.
“NCC is extremely vital and important to our organization,” commented HS2 Director and Artistic Associate Taryn Kaschock Russell. “Both the level and number of applicants has dramatically changed; last year, we had nearly 100 applicants and this year the number was up to 160. More directors of emerging companies as well as dancers from very prominent companies are submitting their choreography. I had a number of applicants remark on the competition’s importance and the fact that there are so few opportunities for finding and developing new choreographic talent. I received letters of recommendation from internationally respected choreographers Ohad Naharin and Shen Wei this year in support of some submissions.”
The 2010 NCC winners are:
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Samara Haddad King graduated cum laude in choreography from the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. program under the tutelage of Kazuko Hirabayashi. In 2006 Joyce SoHo presented her in its annual Joyce SoHo Presents series, and her company Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre self-presented a full season at Joyce SoHo. In the fall of 2010, LaGuardia Performing Arts Center will commission King to create an original evening-Length work in collaboration with cello-rock quartet Break of Reality. King will create for HS2 September 20–October 2, 2010. |
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Dominic Walsh, an Elgin, Illinois native, joined Houston Ballet in 1989, was promoted to soloist in 1993 and became a principal dancer in 1996. In 1998, he created Flames of Eros for Houston Ballet, which won the prestigious Choo-San Goh Award for Choreography. He has set and created works for Ballet Florida, American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, Asami Maki Ballet Tokyo, New National Theatre Tokyo and Sarasota Ballet of Florida. In 2002, Walsh launched his contemporary ballet company, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, and created Romeo & Juliet, his first full-length, multi-sensory production, in 2006. In 2007, he received his second Choo-San Goh Award and the Princess Grace Award for Choreography in 2008, both for The Trilogy: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Sarasota Ballet of Florida recently named him Resident Choreographer. Walsh will create for HS2 November 29–December 12, 2010. |
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Edgar Zendejas, born in Mexico, has been evolving as both interpretive artist and choreographer for more than two decades. He began his interpretive career in Chicago, performing as a member of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Giordano Jazz Dance. In the early ’90s, Zendejas joined Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal. After the successful premiere of his first work, Breve Enlace, he was made associate choreographer with a commission for a new work entitled Besame. Besame Mucho!. Additional choreographic commissions have included Jacob’s Pillow, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet (New York), DanceWorks Chicago, Luna Negra Dance Theater (Chicago) and Ballet de Monterrey (Mexico). Zendejas will create for HS2 April 18–May 7, 2011. HS2 will premiere his new work as part of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Family Matinee Series May 6 and 7, 2011. |
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| Lou Conte Dance Studio is a Summer Hot Spot! |
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Summer temperatures inspire getting up and moving, and Lou Conte Dance Studio is offering several opportunities to do just that.
LCDS kicked off summer with its annual summer open house Sunday, June 13. The nearly 300 people—half of whom were new to LCDS—checked out free classes in ballet, modern, jazz, yoga, Pilates, hip hop, African, tap and recently added fitness classes: Zumba® and BeMoved®, all taught by distinguished LCDS faculty. Families enjoyed a free Family Workshop and Parent & Child Class, and everyone in attendance received a “2-for-1 Class Pass.” Raffle prizes included a 10-class Class Card, a personal Pilates session with LCDS Director Claire Bataille, a Dance Explorers© Summer Camp session, HSDC merchandise and more.
In a similar spirit of encouraging people to try something new, LCDS is offering “Pay-What-You-Can” yoga classes through August 29 ($5 suggested donation). There are classes every week on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Wednesday and Sunday mornings, and beginners are welcome. Click here for a more detailed schedule.
Other activities at LCDS this summer:
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Teen Intensive for dancers finished up July 9. There were 50 dancers ages 14 to 18 taking classes in ballet, jazz, modern, Pilates and yoga and learning HSDC repertoire from HS2 dancers Eduardo Zuñiga and Ethan Kirschbaum.
- Midnight Dance Jam welcomed 45 people for a class in hip hop/funk led by Dionna PridGeon on Friday, June 25.
- The first LCDS showcase, featuring the talents of our faculty and accompanists, takes place Saturday, July 17 at 7 p.m. The lineup includes four companies—Boom Crack, Cerqua/Rivera Art Experience, Mad Shak and Winifred Haun and Dancers; four independent artists—Autumn Eckman, Becca Lemme, Dionna PridGeon and Laura Wade; and accompanists Barry Bennett and Slava Mendelson. Suggested donation is $5.
Meanwhile, kids looking to stretch their summer plans still have several options through HSDC’s Dance Explorers© Summer Camp.
In Session 1: Creative Connections, students explored concepts of dance such as shapes, energy, weight, pathway and relationships in movement. They used these concepts to watch and analyze Page One by Lesley Telford, created for and performed around the world by HS2. Inspired by Telford’s choreographic process, campers drew from their own memories, thoughts and emotions to create their own choreography using the newly explored movement concepts as tools. With no other camp like this in the city, students ages five through 12 experienced dance learning in a new way, showcasing their work at the end of the week for friends and family to great acclaim.
“My daughter has learned that dance is not just a series of steps to memorize, but rather her own unique way of moving through the world,” said parent Sabrina Craig. “The confidence she’s developed in her body is amazing.”
Creative Connections repeats August 9–13. Spaces are still available for this fascinating opportunity for campers to explore dance in truly meaningful and exhilarating ways. Click here to register.
If you have a child younger than age five, HSDC offers a Little Movers Dance Camp August 16–20 for ages three to five. In this camp, our littlest dancers will develop the foundations of movement and dance. They will discover new ways to jump, wiggle and spin while having the opportunity to make creative decisions about how they like to dance. Campers build confidence and work on development of gross motor skills like balance and coordination. With plenty of time for breaks and rest, these young campers build strength and a love for dance in this unique camp.
“My son has developed his creativity, while gaining control and coordination,” said parent Finn Murphy. “He loves this and literally bounces from the moment we enter the building.”
Spaces are still available for Little Movers but going fast. Click here to register.
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| A Fun Night Out with HSDC: Twilight on the Rooftop and Spotlight Ball |
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Watching an HSDC performance is always a thrilling experience, and so is attending our special events. Spotlight Ball guests joined the dancers for some energetic moves on the dance floor in May, and, coming up later this month, HSDC fans have a chance to celebrate the company and toast its success this season.
HSDC’s third annual wine-tasting event Twilight on the Rooftop takes place Tuesday, July 27 at The James Chicago, 55 E. Ontario. Event Chair Alyssa Rapp and Steering Committee members Sara Albrecht, Ross Shelleman and Lyndon Taylor are planning a wonderful evening that will celebrate one of the most respected arts institutions in the city while sharing some of California’s most phenomenal wines. The evening, sponsored in part by Russell Reynolds Associates, features 12 wineries from Napa and Sonoma Valleys, including Blackbird Vineyards, Chateau Montelena Winery, Corison, Crocker & Starr Wines, Donelan Family Wines, Fisher Vineyards, Miner Wines, Modus Operandi Cellars, Patz & Hall, Pride Mountain Wines, Spring Mountain Vineyard and Vineyard 29. Tickets for the walk-around wine-tasting from 7 to 9 p.m. are $95 per person; $145 VIP tickets include time with the vintners tasting wine from each winery not available later in the evening. Click here for tickets.
On May 5, nearly 600 corporate, foundation and civic leaders shared the spotlight with HSDC at the Spotlight Ball at the Hilton Chicago, raising nearly $650,000 to help support HSDC’s education, community and artistic programming. The evening featured a raffle and silent auction of high-end goods and the presentation of the inaugural Spotlight Awards to Sandra P. Guthman, president and CEO of the Polk Bros. Foundation, and Northern Trust, represented by Sherry Barrat, president, Personal Financial Services, for their ongoing and unparalleled impact on HSDC, in addition to being major benefactors of the arts and arts education throughout Chicago. After a mini-performance by HSDC, starring gala guests, cover band Maggie Speaks had guests up on the dance floor for the remainder of the evening. Click here for more photos from the Spotlight Ball.
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| Donor Spotlight: Sallyan Windt |
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When Sallyan Windt responded to a mailing seeking marketing volunteers for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, she may not have envisioned herself still advocating for the company two decades later. Luckily for HSDC, she remains a dedicated supporter and an active member of the Hubbard Street family.
“As a dancer manqué from Sarah Lawrence and Perry Mansfield, I was thrilled to find an opportunity to actually work for a dance company,” said Windt. “And so my long association with HSDC began at 218 S. Wabash. I could write a novella about that place, but suffice it to say, our West Loop Gate headquarters is a grand tribute to the amazing dancers and staff who work there.”
Windt joined the HSDC board in 1993, serving for 12 years before moving to the Advisory Board in 2005. Since the beginning, she has supported HSDC’s commitment to increasing its repertoire and the company’s mission to contribute cutting-edge work to the art form of contemporary dance.
“When I came aboard, Hubbard had just finished the big Tharp project, and the buzz around that catapulted the company into the stratosphere. Highlights from those heady days include the first New York opening at the Joyce, the premiere of Ohad’s Minus 16, watching Danny Ezralow literally chart his choreography on graph paper and the kick of seeing the troupe perform to such local acclaim at Ravinia.”
This year Windt sponsored HSDC’s annual “Inside/Out” Choreographic Workshop, a unique opportunity that allows HSDC dancers to explore their artistic aspirations as they take on the role of choreographer, developing their own dances and setting them on fellow company members. This year’s “Inside/Out” took place June 17 in several galleries of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Modern Wing (see related story in this issue).
“I/O at the Modern grabbed me from the start,” Windt exclaimed. “Cross-pollinating artistic visions only enriches dialogue between the arts, and that’s a good thing. At first it seems like Esperanto, but fluency evolves and ultimately all the participants enjoy the interplay. Even the audience, stunned and perplexed at first, gets it—and is richly rewarded.”
HSDC is proud to continue its tradition of fostering creativity, experimentation and innovation, and we are grateful to Sallyan Windt for her support and involvement in this special event.
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