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March 2010
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Spring Series Offers Three New Works
Two World Premieres by HSDC Artists, Company Premiere by Kylián |
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 Chicago audiences are anticipating the start of spring with extra excitement as HSDC prepares three new works for its 2010 Spring Series: the world premiere of At ’em (Atem) Adam by Rehearsal Director and Artistic Associate Terence Marling, the company premiere of Jirí Kylián’s 27’52” and, performed by Hubbard Street 2 (HS2), the world premiere of First Light by HSDC Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo (read more about Cerrudo’s work in the January 2010 issue of FootNotes). The final work on the program, which takes place March 18–21 at the Harris Theater, is the return of Susan Marshall’s Kiss.
Though Marling explored a variety of music for At ’em (Atem) Adam, he ended up with Gerald Marks’ “All of Me” performed by Billie Holiday, George Gershwin’s “But Not For Me” performed by Ella Fitzgerald and music by Edgar Meyer, Moondog and Luciano Berio. But for Marling the movement comes first.
“I usually don’t turn on the music for the piece of choreography right away. We started by working with a perpetually changing soundtrack. We made phrases of movement together until we had a language to work from. Then we took that language and applied it to the actual music for the piece. The dancers have made (and will continue to make) many of the musical and movement decisions in the piece. I want the dancers to have the freedom to make choices about their movement and delivery on stage to keep the piece solidly in the present.”
Though he joined the main company as a dancer in 2006, Marling is enjoying his new role. “The artists in this company are some of the best in the world. It is both an honor and a joy to share a studio with them, back to the mirror or sweating on the dance floor.”
Kylián’s 27’52” is rarely performed by companies other than Nederlands Dans Theater—in fact, HSDC is currently the only U.S. company licensed to perform it. The piece, with a commissioned score by Dirk Haubrich, features six dancers, with each of three couples costumed by Joke Visser in a different color that coincides with the characterization of their movements, according to HSDC’s Artistic Director Glenn Edgerton.
“Jirí’s work has always been difficult to categorize,” Edgerton said. “He continually creates an atmosphere around dynamic movement that is unique to each piece. One of the reasons Jirí’s choreography is so prolific is because of his consistent ability to express profound beauty in distinctive ways.
“27’52" is wonderfully challenging for the dancers, which gives them a great deal of substance to work with and consequently will develop their artistry in a terrific way. The simplicity and fragility of the piece makes it awe-inspiring to dance and to watch.”
Click here for a video to hear more from Edgerton about 27’52”.
Exelon and the Chicago Sun-Times are contributing sponsors to the 2010 Spring Series. At 'em (Atem) Adam is sponsored by John and Caroline Ballantine and Joel and Katie Cory, with additional support from members of the Choreographer’s Circle, Linda Hutson and Marc Miller and Chris Horsman. 27’52” is sponsored by the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation.
For tickets and more information, click here.
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HSDC-CSO Partnership Offers Artistic Rewards
New Cerrudo Work Previews April 15–17, 20, 2010 |
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“Live music has so much power; you can literally feel the vibrations from the orchestra in your bones.”
So says HSDC dancer Jessica Tong, commenting on the experience of performing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. For the seventh installment of HSDC’s partnership with the CSO, which dates back to 2002, the company will premiere a new work by Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo, set to Mead Composer in Residence Mason Bates’ electro-acoustic “Music from Underground Spaces.” The April 15, 16, 17 and 20 performances at Symphony Center, which also feature works by Falla and Ravel, will be conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen.
“It feels incredible to perform alongside a world-class symphony such as the CSO,” Tong comments. “I just love seeing the musicians up close and personal doing their thing. You also notice different layers of the score when it is performed live, and it opens up different possibilities within the movement for nuance.”
Tong finds challenges and rewards to performing the same work to both recorded and live music. “A live orchestra can be surprising. That unpredictability prompts a dancer to be more in tune (ha ha) with the music. With recorded music you learn to rely on certain musical cues, like a ‘click,’ that indicate when you are supposed to move. However, with live music, sometimes that ‘click’ disappears, and you have to figure out another way to know that you're supposed to move. It is important to be flexible. But it’s so exciting to be on the same stage as the musicians, I’m in awe of them!”
For Production Manager Todd Clark, the differences between preparing a traditional dance performance and the CSO collaboration are “like putting a square peg into a round hole—literally. The stage at the Harris (and most other places we perform) is a rectangle with a proscenium, and the CSO is round, with people on all sides. The lighting also is different at the CSO, starting with the fact that musicians are on stage. They need to be able to see and be seen, so you have to balance that with being able to see the dancers as well.
“So the interesting part for the audience is that the different venues offer an opportunity to see the same piece two different ways.”
The dancers also have to make physical adjustments. Tong says, “We [the dancers] have a lot of give and take conversations—‘I’ll move less here, more upstage there.’ It’s a process, all in the name of making it work. You also don't want to be the one to kick a violinist’s bow!"
Chicago audiences can see a preview of Cerrudo’s new work with the CSO in April by clicking here, then catch the official world premiere as part of HSDC’s Summer Series by clicking here. See what differences you notice!
Lead individual sponsors of the Untitled Cerrudo/Bates project are Meg and Tim Callahan with additional support from Dirk Denison and Jane and Michael Strauss. The project is funded in part by the National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Ford Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Community Connections Fund of the MetLife Foundation. The development of the Untitled Cerrudo/Bates project was supported in part by the Choreographic Fellowship, made possible by a gift from the Davee Foundation.
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Spotlight Ball Honors Key Supporters
Sandra Guthman, Northern Trust To Receive Spotlight Awards |
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The Spotlight Ball is an annual highlight of HSDC’s season and one of the city’s most popular fundraising events. This year’s gala benefit will take place Wednesday, May 5 at a single venue: the Hilton Chicago’s Grand Ballroom.
The 700-plus guests will enjoy a festive evening of cocktails, dinner, dancing to the music of Maggie Speaks, a special mini-performance by HSDC and the chance to win highly coveted prizes through a raffle and silent auction. The evening’s Master of Ceremonies will be ABC7’s Ron Magers.
New this year is the presentation of the Spotlight Awards, recognizing donors who have had an ongoing impact on HSDC as well as the arts and arts education throughout Chicago. In this inaugural year, HSDC will honor Sandra P. Guthman, president and CEO of the Polk Bros. Foundation, and The Northern Trust.
“When Hubbard Street decided to establish these new awards, the choice for the inaugural recipients was clear,” said Executive Director Jason Palmquist. “Northern Trust and Sandy have been two of the biggest champions of the arts and arts education in our city. Their commitment to Hubbard Street in particular is unparalleled and has helped the company evolve into one of the leading contemporary dance companies in the world.”
Guthman, a longtime supporter, currently serves as chair of HSDC’s advisory board and is a past chair of the Board of Directors. Polk Bros. has been funding HSDC for more than 20 years: as Leading Foundation Supporter of HSDC’s Education & Community Programs for at least seven years and by playing a major role in the acquisition and renovation of the Hubbard Street Dance Center.
Northern Trust has also been an important funder for more than 20 years, providing consistent support for HSDC’s Education & Community Programs as well as general operations and special events. In addition, a Northern Trust representative has served on HSDC’s Board of Directors for many years, including current board secretary Maureen Mosh, assistant general counsel at Northern Trust.
Chair of this year’s Spotlight Ball is HSDC board member Jane Strauss. “I’m thrilled and honored to chair this event and to help raise funds for Chicago’s premier dance company. Gala guests will be supporting some of the most important work happening in contemporary dance anywhere in the world and one of the most widely recognized dance education programs in the Chicago Public Schools.”
Event co-chairs are Sondra Berman Epstein, Mellody Hobson, James W. Mabie, Patrick Sheahan and Robert A. Wislow.
To receive an invitation to this much-anticipated event, please call 312-850-9744, ext. 164.
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| Donor Profile: Sandra McNaughton |
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Sandra McNaughton fell in love with HSDC the first time she saw a performance in the early 1980s. Since that time, her interest in dance has expanded into a passion. She is not only a Hubbard Street season subscriber, but she also supports the company as a DanceMaker, takes classes at HSDC’s Lou Conte Dance Studio and even occasionally travels to see the company on tour.
When asked why she enjoys supporting the company, Sandy replied, “To be able to help support such a high level of artistic achievement in an art form that is central to my interests is thrilling. The company exudes creative energy, yet keeps a refreshing sense of humor. They always seem to be open to new ideas, new creative challenges.”
As a supporter, Sandy has been thrilled with her many opportunities to get to know the artists, attend behind-the-scenes events, see works like Lickety-Split in their earliest stages of development at the “Inside/Out” Choreographic Workshop and even watch a performance from the wings of the Harris Theater. “Seeing all of the activity going on behind the wall in Johan Inger’s Walking Mad was unforgettable!” She has also enjoyed meeting many other people who share her love for dance.
Classes at LCDS have been an important part of Sandy’s life. Since 2002, each week she takes multiple jazz classes and she recently tried Zumba®, a fun and high-energy fitness class combining Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves that is a new addition to the LCDS schedule. She has appreciated the classes and her insightful instructors, who have exposed her to many forms and influences. “The more I take classes the more I want to see dance performances of all kinds, and the more performances I see, the more I want to take classes.”
We’re grateful for Sandy’s long support of every part of HSDC, from performances on stage to rehearsals in the studios to classes at LCDS!
To find out more about the benefits of becoming a subscriber, VIP Member or DanceMaker, contact Meg Cockrell at mcockrell@hubbardstreetdance.com.
To learn more about classes at the Lou Conte Dance Studio, click here.
Did you know that LCDS offers quarterly Open Houses where you can try out beginner-level classes FREE? The Winter LCDS Open House took place Sunday, February 28, offering free classes in ballet, modern, jazz, yoga, Pilates, hip hop, African, tap, Zumba® and BeMoved™. In addition there were two Creative Movement Family Workshops for children ages three through eight. Save the date for the next Open House: Sunday, June 13!
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