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July 2009
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Glenn Edgerton Appointed HSDC Artistic Director
Third in Company History to Start August 2009
In June, HSDC announced the appointment of Associate Artistic Director Glenn Edgerton to the position of artistic director, effective August 2009. Edgerton, 49, brings more than 30 years of experience working with the great dance institutions of the world, beginning with The Joffrey Ballet where, mentored by Robert Joffrey, he performed leading roles in the company’s contemporary and classical repertoire for 11 years. In 1989, Edgerton joined the acclaimed Nederlands Dans Theater and, after dancing for five years, retired from performing to become artistic director of the main company. He led NDT1 for a decade, presenting the works of Jirí Kylián, Hans van Manen, William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, Mats Ek, Nacho Duato, Jorma Elo, Johan Inger, Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon, among others. From 2006 to 2008, he directed The Colburn Dance Institute at The Colburn School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles. In 2007, Edgerton initiated a series of collaborations between The Colburn School and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and joined HSDC’s artistic leadership team fully as associate artistic director in 2008.
What attracted you to HSDC in the first place?
The profile of the company and the opportunity to work with Jim. Jim learned I was in the U.S. and wanted to bring me in to be a part of the artistic staff. When he contacted me, I was also being considered in The Joffrey’s artistic director search, given my history with The Joffrey. Eventually it became clear that my place was at Hubbard Street. I want to further the company’s role as an innovator of dance. It is part of my core values to look toward the future in a creative sense and it’s part of the inherent makeup of the company as well.
How has the last year been for you?
It’s been a terrific year getting to know the company. I get energized when I walk into the Hubbard Street Dance Center and feel the creativity; it permeates the building. I credit Lou Conte and Jim for that; it’s vital to me, and that’s what excites me about Hubbard Street. I love the company, but then, what is the company? The company comprises fantastic people—the dancers, the staff—the talent in the organization is phenomenal, and they’re just good, spirited people. We don’t have the egos that you might find in many arts organizations. That to me is paramount.
Why was this the right opportunity for you and the company right now?
Everything in my past has led me to this position. Being in the presence of such great directors as Mr. Joffrey and Kylián—they were important influences, and directing the dance program at The Colburn School gave me experience in a school setting. I feel prepared to direct the diverse components of the organization: the main company, the second company, the Lou Conte Dance Studio and our Education and Community Programs.
This is a real page-turning moment for me. NDT was just in Chicago. There have been so many coincidences with Jim returning to direct NDT and now my appointment here. We have been connected artistically since the ’80s. When I danced with The Joffrey, I performed in Kylián’s Dream Dances in a role that Jim had created. So the first time I “met” Jim was on video, and I was trying to recreate his movement quality. When I went to the Netherlands in the ’90s, my first year with NDT was Jim’s last year. With him leaving I was cast in a few roles he had performed for years. Now I’m here and having the opportunity to step into this role as artistic director, and Jim has been incredibly supportive of me as I make this transition.
Under Jim’s leadership, HSDC has established some important relationships with other cultural institutions—the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Institute of Technology—what are your thoughts on that?
These relationships are very important; they make the company unique, and they give us opportunities that we wouldn’t have if we limited ourselves to traditional performances. We will continue our existing partnerships, and I hope to develop more of them, to really broaden the spectrum. Jim has been very generous and established an atmosphere of collaboration at Hubbard Street. I want to reach out and work with like-minded partners as well.
What are your thoughts, plans—your dreams—as you prepare to lead the company into its fourth decade?
I’m excited, and I want to see “all roads of artistic expression lead to Hubbard Street at the corner of Jackson and Racine.” There are tremendous opportunities ahead. Everything that’s already in place will continue and expand. For example, our “Inside/Out” Choreographic Workshop is vital and necessary to the company, cultivating new voices; new choreography is part of my passion. My dream is to continue searching for choreographic talent from within and also find an unknown choreographer and give them a voice at Hubbard Street. The objective I had on my resume during the interview process was “To create a dance renaissance.” I feel the dancers understand and appreciate that, and they are excited to be a part of something with these ideals. We have the potential to be the catalyst for leadership, to create the new model and consequently initiate a resurgence in contemporary dance.
Fans Invited on Tour with HSDC
Oct.-Nov. Patron Trip Includes Israel, Jordan and the Netherlands
On with the dance! let joy be unconfined;
No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet
To chase the glowing hours with flying feet.
—Lord Byron, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage
Dance is universal. To see for yourself, join HSDC on a tour of Israel, Jordan and the Netherlands from October 29 through November 11, 2009. As the company shares its talent with international audiences, take in some of the world’s finest artifacts and its most moving tributes.
The main company will perform at impressive venues in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and The Hague, offering a program of Jim Vincent’s Slipstream, Alejandro Cerrudo’s Lickety-Split, Gnawa by Nacho Duato and a new work by Jorma Elo, immediately following its world premiere in Chicago during HSDC’s Fall Series.
HSDC board member Meg Callahan, a tour co-chair with board member Jane Strauss, commented, “The trip presents a rare opportunity for donors to spend time with and get to know Hubbard Street’s beautiful, fun and brilliant dancers, our fabulous new artistic director Glenn Edgerton as well as fellow HSDC devotees. One of the highlights for me, I know, will be when we all—dancers, staff and donors—visit and float in the Dead Sea together.”
Starting in Tel Aviv, highlights include Neveh Tsedek; the Bauhaus neighborhood, a UNESCOWorld Heritage site; and Rabin Square, as well as a visit to the Suzanne Dellal Cultural Center, home of the Batsheva Dance Company, to hear what’s happening in Israel’s contemporary dance scene. Tour members will trace the shore of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth, to the Qumran Caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in the mid-1900s. Then it’s on to Masada, another UNESCO World Heritage site, to view ongoing excavations.
In Jerusalem, the tour will focus on both the old and the new city, exploring sites chronologically: the Judean Hills, the Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, the Church of All Nations, a walking tour of the Western Wall (Judaism’s holiest site) to the Oriental bazaars and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The tour leads to the Yad VaShem Holocaust Museum, Israel's official memorial to Jewish victims of the Nazis.
The Jordan portion of the tour includes the town of Madaba, home to the earliest surviving map of Jerusalem, part of a huge mosaic floor created around A.D. 560. Petra, one of Jordan’s finest archaeological sites, includes a cooking lesson on traditional Jordanian cuisine, a four-wheel-drive safari through the desert landscape of Wadi Rum and a visit to the city of Amman.
In the Netherlands, the tour ends in the Hague, home to more than 150 international legal organizations including the International Court of Justice. On a walking tour, sites include the Mauritshuis, home of Rembrandt and Vermeer masterworks, and the Houses of Parliament. At the Netherlands Dans Theater, new Artistic Director Jim Vincent will talk about contemporary dance in Holland. On a day trip to Amsterdam, stops include the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh Museum and the world-renowned Rijksmuseum. There also will be an excursion to Haarlem for a private curator’s tour of the Teyelers Museum, featuring items not seen by the public, including a collection of Rembrandt etchings. In St. Bavo’s, guests will enjoy a short private concert on the cathedral’s famous organ.
The itinerary is subject to change. Patrons may choose to attend one, two or all three countries (Israel, Jordan, the Netherlands). Call 312-980-8046 with questions or to reserve your place.
Click here for more information [PDF].
An Eye on the Future:
Summer Intensive Prepares Next Generation of Dancers
Sustaining the dynamic presence of HSDC on the stage and in schools requires a perpetual source of exceptional dancers with technical mastery in a variety of dance disciplines and the inspired artistry needed to perform the creative visions of collaborating choreographers. To address this challenge, HSDC has established a Dancer Development Program to provide access to specialized training opportunities for aspiring dancers to prepare them for a professional career in contemporary dance.
One component of this program is the HSDC Summer Intensive (SI), a program for advanced and professional-level students ages 14 to 24, now in its second summer. Chosen from a series of auditions at highly respected dance schools around the country, dancers participate in concentrated ballet and modern technique classes, repertoire rehearsals, dance history lectures and health and wellness presentations, studying with HSDC faculty and guests artists.
Last summer, 24 dancers ages 18 to 24 participated in the SI’s pilot program at the Hubbard Street Dance Center for two weeks. The Chicago program has grown to 85 dancers studying for seven to eight hours a day, five days a week for three weeks. In addition, the SI has expanded to two weeks at the Colburn School for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles, welcoming 25 students ages 14 to 17.
“The Summer Intensive is part of our continuum in developing the next generation of dancers,” explained incoming Artistic Director Glenn Edgerton. “From this program, we might select dancers to be with us year-round as scholarship students at the Lou Conte Dance Studio. From there, some might move on to join Hubbard Street 2 and later, the main company.
“Also, because we hold auditions around the country and now have a program in Los Angeles, this program increases our visibility and enhances our national profile. It demonstrates our desire to cultivate and contribute to the future of contemporary dance.”
Each of the two SI programs ends with an in-studio performance, open to parents and friends.
Click here for more information.
Party with HSDC at Twilight on the Rooftop!
Celebrate summer with HSDC at the second annual Twilight on the Rooftop on August 19, featuring tastings from acclaimed wineries and a mini-performance by Hubbard Street 2. It’ll be a night to remember! Click here to purchase tickets.
Past Events:
HSDC wrapped up its 2009 Summer Series with the fabulous Spotlight Ball on June 5, featuring a main company performance at the Harris Theater and post-show party at The Fairmont Chicago. Other early summer events have included the Lou Conte Dance Studio Open House of free classes on June 14 and the “Inside/Out” Choreographic Workshop on June 27, this year a “site-specific” event at the Hubbard Street Dance Center.
Check out photo slideshows for each of these events:
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Spotlight Ball 2009
Click here to view slideshow
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LCDS Summer
2009
Open House
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“Inside/Out” 2009 Choreographic Workshop Performance
Click here to view slideshow
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Newsflash: For a story on HSDC dancer Meredith Dincolo, click here
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