We acknowledge that Hubbard Street Dance Chicago resides within the unceded, traditional homelands of many Indigenous Nations—The Council of the Three Fires: the Potawatomi, Odawa, and Ojibwe Nations; the Illinois Confederacy: the Peoria and Kaskaskia Nations; and the Myaamia, Wea, Thakiwaki, and Meskwaki Nations. The Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Kiikaapoi, and Mascouten Nations also call the region of northeast Illinois home. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago recognizes that this land was founded upon exclusions, erasures, and genocide of these Indigenous people. We ask you to join us in recognizing the past, present, and future generations of these Indigenous Nations.
Learn more about the land we occupy: www.native-land.ca.
When thinking about the essential components of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago to showcase during this special 45th Anniversary Sapphire Season, it was clear to us that we needed to present a diverse array of choreographic voices to really show you what HSDC is all about.
From the established to the cutting-edge, the eclecticism of our repertoire has always been a trademark of the Company. Folks know that whether they’re enjoying the technical complexity of a Lar Lubovitch piece, the virtuosic lyricism of Kyle Abraham, or experiencing a world premiere for the very first time—the Hubbard Street Dancers (or should I say, “the mighty Hubbard Streeters,” to quote the Boston Globe from last summer!) will deliver with precision, grace, and strength.
The beauty of art is finding connections, instant connections that inspire you or that you see yourself in, as well as moments that have you saying, “Oh my God, that’s something I’ve never seen before!” I’m hoping that in Elements, you will see all of those things; that you’ll find a sense of connection to the work, whether it is through a narrative you’re familiar with or something that’s completely new to you.
Thank you for joining us in our Element
Yours in motion, Artistic Director Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell
The mission of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is to bring artists, art, and audiences together to enrich, engage, educate, and change lives through the experience of dance.
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago grew out of the Lou Conte Dance Studio at LaSalle and Hubbard Streets in 1977, when Lou Conte gathered an ensemble of four dancers to perform in senior centers across Chicago. Barbara G. Cohen soon joined the company as its first Executive Director. Conte continued to direct the company for 23 years, during which he initiated and grew relationships with both emerging and established artists including Nacho Duato, Daniel Ezralow, Jiří Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, and Twyla Tharp.
Conte’s successor Jim Vincent widened Hubbard Street’s international focus, began Hubbard Street’s collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and cultivated growth from within, launching the Inside/Out Choreographic Workshop and inviting Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo to make his first work.
Gail Kalver’s 23 years of executive leadership provided continuity from 1984 through the 2006/07 season, when Executive Director Jason Palmquist joined the organization. Glenn Edgerton became Artistic Director in 2009 and, together with Palmquist, moved this legacy forward on multiple fronts.
In 2021, former company dancer Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell was named the fourth Artistic Director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Season 44: RE/CHARGE marked her debut season as the artistic leader of the organization, with the goal of continuing to diversify the company’s repertoire and ensemble while building on the incredible legacy and reputation that HSDC has already established. Along with David McDermott, Executive Director since 2017, the company is looking forward to expanding its audience reach and increasing the local, national, and global reputation of Hubbard Street.
For 45 years, Hubbard Street has been one of the most original forces in contemporary dance—bringing top choreographers and works to Chicago and beyond. Hubbard Street’s ever-evolving repertory, created by today’s leading choreographic voices, makes us a company that dancers aspire to join and performance venues all over the world are eager to present. To date, the main company has performed globally in 19 countries and 44 U.S. states.
At home in Chicago, Hubbard Street performs 20 times a year and delivers renowned education programs in 50 classrooms across 17 Chicagoland schools. HSDC Education utilizes the choreographic process to teach essential problemsolving skills, creativity, and collaboration—expanding our reach beyond traditional concert dance audiences, ensuring that everyone has access to worldclass dance and instruction.
Coltrane’s Favorite Things by Lar Lubovitch (Company Premiere)
Show Pony by Kyle Abraham
Nevermore by Thang Dao (World Premiere)
BUSK by Aszure Barton
Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, Artistic Director
David McDermott, Executive Director
Lou Conte, Founder The Company
Alexandria Best
Jacqueline Burnett*
Aaron Choate
Morgan Clune
Michele Dooley
Abdiel Figueroa Reyes*
Elliot Hammans
Jack Henderson
Alysia Johnson*
Shota Miyoshi
David Schultz*
Simone Stevens
Cyrie Topete
Matt Wenckowski
*Denotes Princess Grace Award Recipient
COMPANY PREMIERE
Lar Lubovitch, Choreography
Jonathan E. Alsberry, Stager
John Coltrane, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Music Jackson Pollock, Scenery
Nathan Rohrer, Costume Design
Jack Mehler*, Lighting Design
“In his time, the music of John Coltrane was described as ‘sheets of sound’, due to the aural environment created by his innovative wall-to-wall, top-to-bottom, overall constancy of sound. Simultaneously, mid-century artist Jackson Pollock was creating pictures depicting a visual environment for which the entire surface of the canvas itself was an overall ‘action field,’ the term coined to describe his paintings. In this dance, I have sought to draw a parallel between Coltrane’s sheets of sound and Pollock’s field of action.” –Lar Lubovitch
Dancers:
Duet: Alexandria Best, Shota Miyoshi
Quartet: Morgan Clune, Matt Wenckowski, Jacqueline Burnett, Aaron Choate
Trio: Elliot Hammans, Abdiel Figueroa Reyes, Jack Henderson
Music: My Favorite Things was recorded live by the John Coltrane Quartet at Tivoli Konsertsal, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1963. This selection is used by special arrangement with The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization, www.rnh.com. All Rights Reserved.
Coltrane’s Favorite Things was commissioned in part by Ronald E. Creamer Jr., Elysabeth Kleinhans, W. Patrick McMullan III, Maxine Pollak, Dale L. Ponikvar and Lewis R. Steinberg. Autumn Rhythm (Number 30), 1950. Jackson Pollock (American, 19121956). Enamel on canvas, H. 105, W. 207 in. (266.7 x 525.8 cm), George A. Hearn Fund, 1957 (57.92) © 2010 The Pollock-Krasner
Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York. Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, U.S.A. Photo credit: Image copyright © The Metropolitan Museum of Art / Art Resource, NY
Choreography copyright © Lar Lubovitch 2010
COMPANY PREMIERE: 2023
Kyle Abraham, Choreography Jlin, Music
Fritz Masten*, Costume Design
Dan Scully*, Lighting Design
Dancers: Alysia Johnson (3/23), Cyrie Topete (3/24), Abdiel Figueroa Reyes (3/25 + 3/26)
Music: Hatshepsut written and performed by Jlin.
James G. Lindsay, Music
Calvin Tran and Neftaly Silva, Co-Costume Design
Matt Miller*, Lighting Design
“Nevermore is a bridging of narratives based on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven and an Asian classic folktale The Cowherd and Weavegirl. The seamless intertextuality between the East-West narratives depicts the humanity of our experiences as shared and universal rather than distinct and separate. The Raven paints the human experience through loss and death while The Cowherd and Weavegirl offers a ritual as a way to process grief through hope and memory.” –Thang Dao
Dancers: The Company
Music: Nevermore by James G. Lindsay. Music commissioned by the Charles and Joan Gross Family Foundation. Nevermore was workshopped at the University of Arizona School of Dance. The final duet was developed in a Works & Process LaunchPAD “Process as Destination” residency at Bridge Street Theatre.
COMPANY PREMIERE: 2021
Aszure Barton, Choreography & Direction
Jonathan E. Alsberry, Stager
V. de Moraes, August Söderman, Ljova, Moondog, Daniel Belanger, Camille SaintSaëns, David Wikander, Music
Aszure Barton with Jonathan E. Alsberry, Musical Arrangement & Editing
Michelle Jank, Costume Design
Nicole Pearce*, Lighting & Stage Design
Originally created by Aszure Barton & Artists, BUSK was conceived at The Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara during a residency hosted by Dianne Vapnek’s DANCEworks. The work was further developed in residency at The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. BUSK was made possible by generous support from DANCEworks, The Banff Centre for Arts,, and the Ringling International Arts Festival, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in association with the Baryshnikov Arts Center. Additional support also provided by White Oak Conservation Center, the Howard Gilman Foundation, and The Canada Council for the Arts. BUSK, in its original form, is a full evening length work. Official premiere: Aszure Barton & Artists, October 8th, 2009, Ringling International Arts Festival.
Dancers: The Company
Music: Euridice composed by V. de Moraes, performed by Slava Grigoryan, courtesy of SME Australia Pty Ltd, by arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment (Canada), published by Universal Music Publishing Canada on behalf of Universal Music Corp. Ett Bondbrollop composed by August Soderman and performed by Orphei Drangär & Eric Ericson, performed with kind permission by BIS Records, Sweden. Plume composed and performed by Ljova. Queen Elizabeth Whistle composed and performed by Moondog, courtesy of Concord; these selections are used by special arrangement with Concord Music Group, Incl, on behalf of Prestige Music. All is Loneliness composed and performed by Moondog, courtesy of Concord; these selections are used by special arrangement with Concord Music Group, Incl, on behalf of Prestige Music. Amusements composed and performed by Daniel Belanger, (p) 2007 Daniel Bélanger (exclusive licensed to Audiogram). Love Potion Expired composed by Ljova, performed by Ljova and the Kontraband. Saltarelle composed by Camille Saint-Saëns and performed by Orphei Drangär & Eric Ericson, performed with kind permission by BIS Records, Sweden. Kung Liljekonvalje composed by David Wikander and performed by Orphei Drangär & Eric Ericson, performed with kind permission by BIS Records, Sweden ©Nordiska Musikförlaget/2007 Gerhrmans Musikförlag AB.
*United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 of the IATSE is the union representing Scenic, Costume, Lighting, Sound, and Projection designers in Live Performance
Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell (Artistic Director, she/her) ascended to this role in 2021, after an extraordinary career as a professional dance artist and educator. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and began her dance training at the Baltimore School for the Arts under the guidance of Sylvester Campbell and Stephanie Powell. She was an apprentice with the Capitol Ballet in Washington D.C. and a full fellowship student at The Ailey School. While a student at The Juilliard School, she was invited by Hubbard Street founder Lou Conte to join the main company at the age of 19, thus beginning her professional dance career. After three seasons with Hubbard Street, she became a Principal Dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, under the direction of Judith Jamison. During her 13-year tenure with the company, she performed all over the world and was featured in the works of Alvin Ailey, Robert Battle, Talley Beatty, Ron K. Brown, John Butler, Donald Byrd, Ulysses Dove, George Faison, Rennie Harris, Geoffrey Holder, Judith Jamison, Louis Johnson, Alonzo King, Lar Lubovitch, Donald McKayle, Elisa Monte, Jennifer Muller, David Parsons, and Dwight Rhoden. She was invited to give a number of special performances throughout her career, including the White House State Dinner in honor of the President of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki, and the 12th Annual Kennedy Center Gala with Nancy Wilson and Liza Minelli. She has led a distinguished career as a dance educator in her hometown of Baltimore where, since 2005, she has been a Professor of Dance at Towson University and has served on the faculty of the Baltimore School for the Arts. Her research and scholarship in continuing the Ailey legacy within the Towson University and Greater Baltimore community has resulted in the Ailey II residencies from 2011-2019 hosted by Towson University and the establishment of AileyCamp Baltimore at Towson University in 2014 where she served as Director. She holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree in dance from Hollins University and is an ABT® Certified Teacher. As a scholar, her entry “Alvin Ailey” has been published by the Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism. She and her husband have three children.
David McDermott (Executive Director, he/him) manages organization-wide strategy and administrative functions including oversight of Hubbard Street’s finances, operations, marketing, and development departments. Most recently, he led Hubbard Street through a post-COVID-19 restructuring, guided its new access-first digital strategy, and directed the company’s recent move to Water Tower Place. Prior to joining Hubbard Street he served as the First Deputy Commissioner at the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. In this role, he managed the day-to-day operations of the department and played instrumental roles in major initiatives such as creating the Chicago Cultural Plan, revitalizing the Taste of Chicago, and ensured the success of the Chicago Architecture Biennial. Prior to his employment with the City, he led the Senator Durbin’s Department of Community Outreach, served as the Senator’s Political Director, and has managed political campaigns at the congressional, county, and municipal levels. He recently completed a fellowship at the University of Chicago’s Civic Leadership Academy and holds a degree in Public Policy from Trinity College at the University of Dublin.
Lou Conte (Founding Artistic Director, he/him) after a performing career that included roles in Broadway musicals such as Cabaret, Mame and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, established the Lou Conte Dance Studio in 1974. Three years later, he founded what is now Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Originally the company’s sole choreographer, he developed relationships with emerging and world-renowned dancemakers Lynne TaylorCorbett, Margo Sappington and Daniel Ezralow as the company grew. He continued to build Hubbard Street’s repertoire by forging a key relationship with Twyla Tharp in the 1990s, acquiring seven of her works as well as original choreography. It then became an international enterprise with the inclusion of works by Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato and Ohad Naharin. Throughout his 23 years as the company’s artistic director, he received numerous awards including the first Ruth Page Artistic Achievements Award in 1986, the Sidney R. Yates Arts Advocacy Award in 1995, and a Chicagoan of the Year award from Chicago magazine in 1999. In 2003, he was inducted as a laureate into the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, the state’s highest honor, and in 2014, was named one of five inaugural recipients of the City of Chicago’s Fifth Star Award. He has been credited by many for helping raise Chicago’s international cultural profile and for creating a welcoming climate for dance in the city, where the art form now thrives.
Jonathan E. Alsberry (Senior Rehearsal Director & Director of Summer Intensives, he/him) from Normal, IL is a dance educator, creator and coach focused on inspiring excellence and joy in the study of Ballet, Jazz, and Modern techniques with a constant dedication to the exploration of artistry and the creative process. Currently the Senior Rehearsal Director & Director of Summer Intensives with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, he began dancing with his mother Lyndetta and went on to graduate from The Chicago Academy for the Arts where he has since been a guest faculty member. In 2006, he received his BFA from The Juilliard School where he met Aszure Barton. Jonathan a.k.a “Jojo” is now dancer, rehearsal director, and creative collaborator with Aszure Barton & Artists and has assisted Mrs. Barton in over a dozen creations including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Bayerische Staatsballett and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In 2007 he also joined the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company and is currently a performer, rehearsal director and teaching artist with the company. He has shared two tours with Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Hell’s Kitchen Dance as well as Evolution with Alessandra
Ferri and Herman Cornejo. Other credits include The Chase Brock Experience, Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company, Luna Negra Dance Theater, Nilas Martins Dance Company, and Eisenhower Dance Ensemble. Since 2007, he has been teaching, coaching and creating work at various educational institutions including Arts Umbrella, Harvard University, University of California at Irvine, Springboard Danse Montreal, Ballet Hispánico and University of Southern California.
Craig D. Black Jr. (Rehearsal Director, he/they) from San Jose, CA is the Rehearsal Director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. He was appointed to this role in 2022 for the company’s 45th Anniversary: Sapphire Season. At the age of ten, Craig began dancing at South Bay Dance Center and continued his dance training at Abraham Lincoln High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. In 2011, Craig received his BFA from The Juilliard School. He obtained additional training at Springboard Danse Montréal, Nederlands Dans Theater, and the School at Jacob’s Pillow. Craig is a recipient of the 2010 Princess Grace Award in Dance as well as the 2011 Lorna Strassler Award for Student Excellence from the School at Jacob’s Pillow. For six seasons Craig performed and toured with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet under the direction of Tom Mossbrucker and Jean-Philippe Malaty. In 2017, Craig joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago where he danced for five seasons before transitioning into the HSDC Rehearsal Director position. He has had the privilege of dancing works by Kyle Abraham, Aszure Barton, Cherice Barton, Rena Butler, Alejandro Cerrudo, Peter Chu, Nacho Duato, Jorma Elo, William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián, Fernando Melo, Robyn Mineko Williams, Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, and Cayetano Soto Ramirez among many others. Craig has had the pleasure of co-choreographing and rehearsal directing Cardi B and Offset’s 2019 BET Awards performance. Craig is a passionate teacher and mentor. He is certified in IMAGE TECH for Dancers™ introductory through advanced level. Craig is on faculty for Dupree Dance and has served as guest faculty for the Hubbard Street Professional Program, Steps on Broadway, Peridance Center, The Joffrey Academy, and New York City Dance Alliance.
KYLE ABRAHAM is a 2013 MacArthur Fellow who began his dance training at the Civic Light Opera Academy and the Creative and Performing Arts High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He continued his dance studies in New York, receiving a BFA from SUNY Purchase and an MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, an honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from Washington Jefferson College, and is currently serving as a visiting professor in residence at UCLA. In November 2012, Abraham was named the newly appointed New York Live Arts Resident Commissioned Artist for 2012–2014. Just one month later, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater premiered Abraham’s newest work, Another Night, at New York’s City Center to rave reviews. That same year, Abraham was named the 2012 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award recipient and 2012 USA Ford Fellow, before serving as a choreographic contributor for Beyoncé’s 2013 British Vogue cover shoot. Abraham received a prestigious Bessie Award for Outstanding Performance in Dance for his work in The Radio Show, and a Princess Grace Award for Choreography in 2010. The previous year, he was selected as one of Dance Magazine’s 25 To Watch for 2009, and received a Jerome Travel and Study Grant in 2008. His choreography has been presented throughout the United States and abroad, most recently at Fall for Dance Festival at New York’s City Center, Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Joyce Theater, The Los Angeles Music Center, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Théâtre de la Ville, Maison de la Danse, Tanz Im August, On The Boards, Danspace Project, Dance Theater Workshop, Bates Dance Festival, Harlem Stage, Montreal, Italy, Germany, Sweden, France, Jordan, Ecuador, Dublin’s Project Arts Center, The Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum located in Okinawa Japan, The Andy Warhol Museum, The Byham and The Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. In addition to performing and developing new works for his company, A.I.M, Abraham recently premiered Untitled America, a 3-part commissioned work for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and finished touring The Serpent and The Smoke, a new pas de deux for himself and acclaimed Bessie Award-winning and former New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Wendy Whelan as part of Restless Creature and choreographed for the feature-length film, The Book of Henry with acclaimed director, Colin Trevorrow. Abraham recently premiered a solo work for American Ballet Theater principle, Misty Copeland in October 2019.
Artist and choreographer ASZURE BARTON has collaborated with celebrated dancers and companies including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Misty Copeland, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, English National Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, National Ballet of Canada, Nederlands Dans Theater, Sydney Dance Company, and Teatro alla Scala, among many others. She is a Bessie Award Honoree and has received numerous honors including the prestigious Arts & Letters Award, joining the ranks of Oscar Peterson, Karen Kain, and Margaret Atwood. She was the first Martha Duffy resident artist at the Baryshnikov Arts Center and is an official ambassador of contemporary dance in Canada. She is the founder of Aszure Barton & Artists, an interdisciplinary international dance project.
Learn more about the choreographers & the works on stage on pages 23–26.
THANG DAO resides between Los Angeles and New York City where he works as a freelance choreographer, educator, and coach. He is a graduate of Hollins University (MFA’ 21) and New York University (MA’ 09). Dao received his formal dance education from the Juilliard School and Boston Conservatory (BFA’ 01). Dao has choreographed for Ballet Austin, Ballet Austin II, Ailey II, Ballet X, Philadanco, Taiwan National University of the Arts, Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Program, Missouri Contemporary Ballet, Kennesaw State University, Troy University, Michigan State University, and the Boston Conservatory along with many universities and performing arts schools nationally and internationally. His works have toured throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia with acclaimed reviews. His ballet Stepping Ground, choreographed for Ballet Austin for the 1st Biannual New American Dance Talent, received the Audience Choice Award all four nights. Dao was the recipient of the 2008 Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship, the 2009 Special Project Grant, and the 2012 Vilcek finalist for Creative Promise in choreography. In 2012, his work Waiting Women was featured at NYCDAF Gala: Destiny Rising at the Joyce Theater in New York. Dao was part of the creative team for the James Brown Project: Get On The Good Foot commissioned and produced by the Apollo Theater in collaboration with Philadanco under the artistic direction of Otis Salid. In 2017, Dao garnered 1st Prize for his choreography at the DAP Festival in Pietrasanta, Italy. Dao was the recipient of the 2022 #launchPAD residency, an initiative of Works & Process at the Guggenheim. Dao is ecstatic for the opportunity to work with the artists of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago under the incredible direction of Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell. Follow Dao on Insta@tawndu. www.thangdaodancecompany.com.
LAR LUBOVITCH is one of America’s most versatile and widely seen choreographers. He founded the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company in 1968. Over the course of 53 years, it has gained an international reputation as one of America’s top dance companies, produced more than 120 dances and performed before millions across the U.S. and over 40 countries. Many other major companies throughout the world have performed the company’s dances, including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the Joffrey Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, and more. Lubovitch has created ice-dancing works for Olympians John Curry, Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill, Brian Orser, JoJo Starbuck, and Paul Wylie, and he has created feature-length ice-dance specials for TV: The Planets for A&E (nominated for an International Emmy Award, a Cable AceAward, and a Grammy Award) and The Sleeping Beauty for PBS and Anglia TV, Great Britain. His theater and film work includes Sondheim/ Lapine’s Into the Woods (Tony Award nomination), The Red Shoes (Astaire Award), the Tony Awardwinning revival of The King and I (on Broadway and in London’s West End), Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame in Berlin, and Robert Altman’s movie The Company (American Choreography Award). In 2016, he premiered The Bronze Horseman, based on the Pushkin poem, for the Mikhailovsky Ballet in Russia. In 1987, he conceived Dancing for Life, which took place at Lincoln Center. It was the first response by the dance community to the AIDS crisis, raising over one million dollars. Together with Jay Franke, in 2007 Lubovitch created the Chicago Dancing Festival, in collaboration with the City of Chicago and the Museum of Contemporary Art. It presented 10 seasons entirely free to the public. Recent awards: 2007 named Chicagoan of the Year by the Chicago Tribune; 2008 named similarly by Chicago Magazine; 2011 designated a Ford Fellow by United States Artists and received the Dance/USA Honors Award; 2012 his dance Crisis Variations awarded the Prix Benois de la Danse for outstanding choreography at the Bolshoi Theatre; 2013 honored for lifetime achievement by the American Dance Guild; 2014 awarded an honorary doctorate by The Juilliard School; 2016 received the Scripps/American Dance Festival Award for lifetime achievement and the Dance Magazine Award, named one of America’s Irreplaceable Dance Treasures by the Dance Heritage Coalition and appointed a Distinguished Professor at UC/Irvine. In honor of his company’s 50th anniversary, in 2018 he was presented with the Martha Graham Award for lifetime achievement.
Alexandria Best (she/her, Raleigh, NC) is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina where she began her dance training and love for this expressive art form. In her formal training years, Best acquired knowledge from various instructors across programs such as American Ballet Theatre, Arts Umbrella, Carolina Ballet, French Académie of Ballet, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. During this time she also had the opportunity to perform various works by Rena Butler, Alexandra Damiani, Jessica Hendricks, Jiří Kylián, Florian Lochner and Alice Klock (also known as “FLOCK”), and Crystal Pite. Best is a graduate of Pace University, where she received her BFA in Dance, and is in her second season with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Alexandria is elated to be continuing her time with the company and for all the opportunities and experiences coming forth this season. Company member since 2021.
Jacqueline Burnett (she/her, Pocatello, ID) received her ballet training in Pocatello, Idaho, from Romanian Ballet Master Marius Zirra. She moved to NYC in 2005 for the Ailey School/Fordham University BFA program, graduating magna cum laude with honors (2009). She joined HSDC in 2008 as a Center Apprentice and joined the main company in 2009. Jacqueline received a Princess Grace Honorarium in 2011 and with HSDC was part of DanceMotion USA 2013,a cultural diplomacy tour in Algeria, Morocco, and Spain. Jacqueline has served as an Artistic Lead and teacher for HSDC Summer Intensives, a repetitor for Penny Saunders, and a freelance dancer with Robyn Mineko Williams and Artists and Seattle Dance Collective. Jacqueline recently choreographed for Milwaukee Rep’s Murder on the Orient Express directed by Annika Boras and co-choreographed with David Schultz a new commission for Danza Visual in Mexico City. Company member since 2009.
Aaron Choate (they/them, Lexington, KY) is a recent graduate of The Juilliard School class of 2022. In 2018 they were named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and a YoungArts Gold Medalist. They have worked with renowned choreographers such as Ohad Naharin, Justin Peck, Jamar Roberts, and Bobbi Jene Smith, and have restored works by Trisha Brown, Ted Shawn, and Paul Taylor. Aaron is an avid choreographer and was lucky enough to present their piece One Hundred People in a Line at 92nd Street Y in 2022. In 2021, they received the George J. Jakab Grant Award from Juilliard to create their first fully realized collaborative dance film. Upon graduation they were awarded the Juilliard Career Advancement Fellowship. Aaron is honored, humbled, and thrilled to be joining HSDC for their first season. Company member since 2022.
Morgan Clune (she/her, Barrington, IL) graduated from The Chicago Academy for the Arts in 2018. She went on to receive her BFA in dance from The Juilliard School in 2022. She was recognized as a National YoungArts Winner in New York for Contemporary dance in 2018. At Juilliard, Morgan performed works by Ohad Naharin, Aszure Barton, Bobbi Jene Smith, Justin Peck, and more. Morgan was awarded the Martha Hill Prize upon graduation for her achievement and leadership in Dance as well as a Juilliard Career Advancement Fellowship for her promise as an entrepreneur and engagement in the arts. She is beyond excited to begin her professional career with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago! Company member since 2022.
Michele Dooley (she/he/they, Philadelphia, PA) is a dance artist and teacher from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She began her dance training at The Institute of the Arts, graduated from The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, and later earned her BFA in Dance from The University of the Arts. Michele has completed programs with Bates Summer intensive, BalletX Summer Program, and DCNS Summer Dance Intensive and has worked with choreographers Gary Jeter, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Aszure Barton, Jermaine Spivey, Milton Myers, Spenser Theberge, and Nora Gibson. She has had the privilege of working with Eleone Dance Theatre and Spectrum Dance Theater. She is thrilled to be back for her second season with the company! Company member since 2021.
Abdiel Figueroa Reyes (he/they, Las Vegas, NV) was born and raised in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, before moving to the United States at the age of 11. His professional dance training began at The Rock Center for Dance, where he was a studio company member. He graduated from Las Vegas Academy of the Arts as a Dance Major in 2016 and joined Hubbard Street’s Professional Program under the direction of Alexandra Wells in 2017. In 2019 he joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago as a main company member. DanceMagazine named him Top 25 to Watch and recognized him as 1 of 4 LatinX Dancers Breaking Boundaries in 2020. Figueroa is delighted to be a Princess Grace Award Winner 2022 and excited to continue in his fourth season with the company. Company member since 2019.
Elliot Hammans (he/him, Santa Fe, NM) began his formal dance training in 2008 with Robert Sher-Machherndl and continued his ballet and modern dance education with Moving People Dance in Santa Fe, NM, under the direction of Curtis Uhlemann. Hammans joined Moving People Dance Company as an apprentice in 2010, trained on full scholarship at the Alonzo King LINES Dance Center in San Francisco, and attended Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s 2011 and 2012 Summer Intensives. Following one season with Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance and studies abroad at Austria’s Tanzzentrum SEAD (Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance), Hammans earned his BFA in Dance in 2014 from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. Hammans joined Hubbard Street 2 as a full company member in August 2014 and was promoted to Hubbard Street’s main company in August 2016. Company member since 2016.
Jack Henderson (he/him, Livermore, CA) grew up in Livermore, California where he began dancing at his local dance studio, Tiffany’s Dance Academy. He attended summer intensives and workshops during this time, including San Francisco Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, and Hubbard Street intensives. In 2017, he moved to Vancouver, BC, to attend Arts Umbrellas pre-graduate program under the direction of Artemis Gordon. In 2018, Jack joined the graduate program at Arts Umbrella, performing repertoire and new creations by Crystal Pite, Lukas Timulak, Amos Bental, Ihsan Rustem, and Jonathan E. Alsberry, to name a few. He is very excited about joining a team of such dedicated and talented artists. Company member since 2022.
Alysia Johnson (Alysia/she/her, Dallas, TX) first found dance at Dallas Black Dance Theatre and later went on to graduate from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts where she studied ballet, modern, and composition. A graduate of The Juilliard School and a two-time recipient of Juilliard’s Entrepreneurship Grant, she has served the Dallas dance community by founding and directing programs that cater to young artists in the DFW metroplex since 2015. Recently, Alysia was awarded the Princess Grace Honoraria Award for dance and she is endlessly thankful for the dance community at large for their support and unmatched creativity. Company member since 2018.
Shota Miyoshi (he/him, Kanagawa, Japan), a native of Japan, started to train in jazz and ballet at Nakura Jazz Dance Studio. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from SUNY Purchase college in 2022. He has performed works by Norbert De La Cruz, Jamar Roberts, Martin Løfsnes, Doug Varone, George Balanchine, Martha Graham and José Limón. Additional training includes MOVE|NYC|’s S.W.E.A.T and Paul Taylor Summer Intensive. He hopes to become a versatile dancer who is able to collaborate with a variety of musicians in order to create something the world has never seen before. Company member since 2022.
David Schultz (he/him, Grand Rapids, MI) began his training in Michigan with the School of the Grand Rapids Ballet, where he then performed for four seasons with its company, the Grand Rapids Ballet. David joined Hubbard Street 2 in 2009 and was promoted to the main company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, in 2011 where he has worked with many of the world’s leading contemporary choreographers. He is a recipient of a 2012 Princess Grace Award. As a choreographer David has had the honor of creating works for DanceWorks Chicago, Chambered Squared, Boston University, and a Co-choreographed piece with Jacqueline Burnett for Danza Visual in Mexico City. When he is not dancing, or choreographing David has spent many years studying music and has performed and scored many pieces for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago as well as for his own works. Company member since 2011.
Simone Stevens (she/her, Atlanta, GA) earned her BA in Dance and Minor in Anthropology from Kennesaw State University in July 2017. One year post-grad, Stevens moved to Chicago and trained on scholarship at the Lou Conte Dance Studio where she was mentored by Laura Wade, Ethan Kirschbaum, and Kristina Fluty. During that time, Stevens also freelanced throughout the city and performed works choreographed by Alice Klock, Alysia Johnson, Hanna Brictson, LOUD Bodies, and Joshua Peugh among others. Most recently she performed as a company member with Katlin Bourgeois’s Ensemble180 and was on faculty with Ethan Kirschbaum’s Chicago Movement Collective before joining Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In Stevens’s first season as a member of HSDC, she will be performing works choreographed by Jermaine Maurice Spivey, Aszure Barton, Rena Butler, Ohad Naharin, Nacho Duato and others. Company member since 2021.
Cyrie Topete (she/her, Peoria, AZ) is from Peoria, Arizona, where she trained in competitive dance beginning at the age of thirteen. She then graduated from The Juilliard School where she received her BFA in the summer of 2022. Cyrie was given the FENDI Vanguard Award and is a YoungArts winner. She also attended programs including, Springboard Danse Montreal, Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Program, B12 in Berlin, Germany, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and more. She has also performed works by Crystal Pite, Ohad Naharin, Alan Lucien Øyen, Bobbi Jene Smith, Peter Chu, Justin Peck, Aszure Barton, Jenn Freeman, and Jamar Roberts. Cyrie is extremely honored and excited to embark on this new journey with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago! Company member since 2022.
Matt Wenckowski (he/him, St. Charles, IL) received his early training at Moves Dance Studio in North Aurora and trained as a competitive dancer with Excel Dance Productions. In 2009, Matt joined the Joffrey Academy’s pre-professional programs under the direction of Alexei Kremnev and Anna Reznik, performing in The Nutcracker and more. He studied at Lou Conte Dance Studio under the guidance of Claire Bataille and joined DanceWorks Chicago in 2013 under the direction of Julie Nakagawa. In 2015, he joined the Grand Rapids Ballet performing soloist roles in classical and contemporary works. He’s performed pieces by Alejandro Cerrudo, Trey McIntyre, Ben Stevenson, George Balanchine, Yuri Possokhov, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Val Caniparoli, Robyn Mineko Williams, Penny Saunders, and more. Matt is thrilled and grateful to be part of HSDC and would like to thank his parents for all they’ve done to support him. Company member since 2022.
NOW ON SALE
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s annual fundraising gala, Spotlight Ball 45 , will be on Thursday, May 11, 2023 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. Scan the QR code for tables, tickets, and more.
After the performance, pick up a complimentary Museum Pass from Coat Check to return another day and enjoy everything the MCA has to offer! You may also show this Elements program at the MCA Admission Desk, which will be valid for free entry for two visitors until April 30, 2023.
Hubbard Street patrons also get 10% off purchases at the MCA Store and food at Marisol until April 30, 2023 by displaying this program!
Nathan Rohrer (Costume Design) has been a successful costume designer for nearly 20 years, and his work has been seen in nearly 200 dance and theatrical productions. Nathan has designed for companies including Giordano Dance Chicago, Visceral Dance Chicago, Chicago Repertory Ballet, Deeply Rooted Productions, and many others. He has also worked with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Marriott-Lincolnshire Theatre, Northwestern University, and countless other performing arts entities nationwide. Nathan is the Costume Shop Manager and an instructor at the University of Chicago, and he is an adjunct faculty member at Lake Forest College. He was the resident costume designer at Thodos Dance Chicago for nine years, and he is a founding member of Chicago Repertory Ballet. Nathan Received his design training from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. nathanrohrerdesigns.com
Jack Mehler (Lighting Design) . Based in New York for over 25 years, Jack Mehler designs a wide variety of live performances including Lar Lubovitch dances for Atlanta Ballet, Austin Ballet, Ballet Florida, Jose Limon, Joffrey Ballet, Lar Lubovitch Dance, Martha Graham, San Francisco Ballet, and others. He received the 2012 Korean Musical Theatre Award (Korean Tony) for Elisabeth and the 2013 award for Rebecca. Other dance work includes Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Ballet Austin, BalletMet, Ballet Memphis, Ballet West, Buglisi Dance Theatre, Donald Byrd/Spectrum Dance (Gypsy award), Houston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and many others. Theatre work includes Cleveland Play House, Manhattan Theatre Club, North Shore Music Theatre (four IRNE nominations), Paper Mill Playhouse, Princess Cruise Lines/ Stephen Schwartz, Riverside Theatre, Seattle Rep, Walnut Street Theatre. He is a founding board member of ACT of Connecticut.
Fritz Masten (Costume Design) has designed for theater internationally. He is pleased to have work being shown by Hubbard Street for the second time.
Dan Scully (Lighting Design) is a New York based lighting and projection designer, working in all forms of live performance. Recent work includes designs for the Royal Ballet of England, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Carnegie Hall. Previous credits include Rocky (Broadway), Jedermann (Salzburger Festspeile), and productions at Trinity Rep, Westport Country Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, Asolo Rep, 92Y, La Jolla, among others. Dan is the resident designer for Kyle Abraham / AIM. MFA–NYU/Tisch.
James G. Lindsay (Music) is a notable composer whose exceptional talent has earned him recognition from some of the most distinguished artists and organizations in the country. His work has been championed by members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, establishing him as a rising voice in the world of classical music. His original compositions have been broadcast by WCNY Classic FM radio, and his film scores have premiered at festivals including DOC NYC, the Madrid International Film festival, the Nice (France) International Film Festival, and several others. Recent commissions include original compositions for the Thang Dao Dance Company, The Big Muddy Dance Company, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.
Calvin Tran (Co-Costume Design) Bravo’s The Ultimate Collection break out star—Calvin Tran has anchored himself as one of New York’s most innovative contemporary designers. For more than twenty years, Tran has brought his talent and vision to the fashion industry with cutting-edge silhouettes and architectural bodies. Having been featured in dozens of publications, including W Magazine, The New York Times, and the Chicago Tribune, Tran’s designs embody modern sexiness with classic elegance. He has a discerning eye for form and flair, creating designs that transcend trends to timeless pieces. His style retains inspiration from classic simplicity while tinged with hints of sensuality to reflect strong contemporary women. With loyal fans like Drew Barrymore, Aisha Tyler, Gina Gerson, Brooke Shields, Molly Ringwald, Michelle Williams, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jeannie Mai Jenkens, Mama Mai, Indya Moore, and Iman, Tran continues to leave his signature industry-wide. Tran has created costumes for Ailey II, Alvin Ailey worldwide promotional campaigns, Scott Rink, and Fashion Group International, where he was the recipient of the Style-breaker/ Rule-breaker Award. Tran is ecstatic to collaborate with choreographer Thang Dao.
Neftaly Silva (Co-Costume Design) is a Mexican American fashion designer and tattoo artist. He studied industrial design at Arizona State University before attending The Illinois Institute of Art Chicago where he earned a BFA in fashion. Neftaly’s styles are balanced between hyper-technical and deconstruction of new and recycled materials. In the early 2000s, Neftaly opened his tattoo boutique where he is working as an owner and artist. His entrepreneurial spirit lead him to open his fashion house Silva Espadas with his brothers in 2011. You can find his products on Silva Espadas website, Calvin Tran, One of a Kind, and various designer markets around Chicago.
Matt Miller (Lighting Design) Based in Chicago, IL, Matt’s lighting portfolio includes a broad variety of projects in the industry including Dance, Theatre, Music, Corporate Events, Installations, Filmed Projects, and more. His design credits include work for such companies as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Yeager Design, The Joffrey Ballet, Microsoft, Ballet Idaho, Mercedes, Kurt Elling, Starbucks, Atlanta Ballet, Verizon, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Airbnb, & Google, to name a few. Matt was previously the Lighting & Technical Director at Hubbard Street, where he designed over thirty new works and toured extensively throughout the U.S. and internationally. Matt is an alumnus of the University of Nebraska Lincoln, as well as a proud member of United Scenic Artists 829. Special thanks to his wife Marisa and son Milo. www.mmiller-lighting.com.
Michelle Jank (Costume Design) is a creative consultant and designer. Her aesthetic vision is executed across the worlds of film, fashion, jewellery, costume and theatrical design, show production, and fashion styling. As well as showing and exhibiting her own solo garments and jewellery designs, she has collaborated creatively with some of the world’s greatest design agencies and creative clients. Her stage projects have included costumes and creative direction for The Sydney Dance Company, collaborations with the American Ballet Theatre, the Netherlands Dance Company, the Baryshnikov Center for the Arts in New York, the New York City Ballet, English National Ballet, Deutsche Oper Am Rhein, and Munich State Ballet. The Powerhouse Museum in Sydney and the National Gallery of Victoria are home to several of Michelle’s custom garments, on display in their permanent collections, receiving a citation for her contribution to fashion design and the arts.
Nicole Pearce (Lighting & Stage Design) is a multidisciplinary artist living in Queens, NY. Her work has been seen across the United States, Cuba, England, Germany, Japan, Korea, Italy, New Zealand, and Russia. Recent works include The Look of Love choreographed by Mark Morris with the Mark Morris Dance Group, Catch Me If You Can directed by Molly Smith with Arena Stage, and Children’s Songs choreographed by Jessica Lang with American Ballet Theatre. Her installation of 1,000 paintings entitled Tiny Paintings for Big Hearts is open to doctors, nurses, staff, and patients of Elmhurst Hospital in Elmhurst, NY.
Lar Lubovitch
In Lubovitch’s energetic, animated piece, he explores the relationship between the work of two mid-century artists: John Coltrane and Jackson Pollock.
The “sheets of sound” phrase was first coined by music critic Ira Gitler to describe the 1958 Coltrane album Soultrane. Similarly the term “action painting” was applied to Pollock’s work to describe his gestural drip painting style, resulting in rhythmic patterns of paint dancing across huge, full canvases.
“Damn the rules, it’s the feeling that counts.”—John ColtraneJohn Coltrane, April 1966 Chuck Stewart Jazz Photographs, Courtesy of Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. ©Chuck Stewart. Detail of Autumn Rhythm Number 30 by Jackson Pollock. Image courtesy of galleryIntell.
Show Pony had its Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Company Premiere in February at The Joyce Theater in New York City. As part of the Joyce’s Perspectives on a Dance social media series, Dancer Abdiel Figueroa Reyes had this to say about performing the virtuosic tour de force:
“When I’m performing Show Pony, I approach the work with a sense of fearlessness. I think the solo requires the intention of being very fully in your power, of being courageous in your expression, in your voice, and everything that you carry, while also there is a respect for the work that we’re doing and a love towards actually sharing with the audiences.
So it’s not only about showcasing ourselves and being in our excellence, it requires this connection with the audience so there can be that genuine exchange about, ‘I’m showing you my art, I’m showing you myself.’”
When Linda-Denise approached you with a new commission for the Company, what was your initial inspiration for the work?
When we discussed what I was going to create, she said, “Create the work that you want.” As an artist, I’ve always assimilated. I’ve always taken on stories that—yeah, I like them, but I really didn’t identify with them. I was always looking for stories that I could see myself in.
I wanted to use the opportunity with Hubbard Street to develop something that was more meaningful for me, and so when I was researching [the legend of] the Bridge of Magpies, I saw something incredible to fuse with [Edgar Allan] Poe’s The Raven. As I was reading the two texts, it felt like they were having a conversation, and that was really inspiring to me.
Tell us about Day 1 in the studio. What was it like working with the Hubbard Street Dancers?
Day 1 was like a first date—I was so nervous and filled with anxiety. I started with a phrase just to see how each dancer would interpret my movement, and I let the process unfold. By the end of the day, I knew I was in the room with generous artists ready to convey my message.
What is unique about this cohort of dancers is the genuine love, respect, and comradery they have for one another. With that comes a safe space for everyone in the process to be their unique self while being part of the creative energy and community.
What do you hope the audience takes away from their experience of Nevermore?
I’m eager to provide accessibility to dance for young people like my nieces and nephews, who don’t go to see ballet or dance because there’s nothing for them to access and no identity for them to draw from. I hope to share with the audience a work that reflects my identity as an Asian-American choreographer, that connects us rather than divides us.
BUSK choreographer
Aszure Barton has been named Hubbard Street’s next Resident Artist
Partnering with HSDC, Barton embarks on a three-year, processbased period of collaboration, creation, and mutual growth with the Company.
“Making dances has always been about bringing people together to facilitate deeper connections,” says Barton. “I’m continually looking for new insight with collaborators that inspire and challenge me, and I’ve really enjoyed working with the Hubbard artists in the past, so I’m honored that Linda-Denise is interested in collaborating. The coming-together is just so exciting!”
Stay tuned for upcoming event, programming, and season announcements to learn more about what this exciting partnership has in store.
As you enjoy today’s program, we invite you to Delve Into Dance with us and enrich your experience by considering some of the following questions before, during, and after the performance:
n How does the music/soundscape contribute to your experience of the piece?
n Do any of the pieces evoke other art forms or societal/cultural influences?
n What emotions do particular movements or moments bring up for you?
n Do you think the choreographers created their pieces with a specific message or story to convey? If so, what?
HSDC is proud to offer the oldest Parkinson’s dance program in the Midwest. Hear from cofounder Sarah Cullen Fuller about the genesis of the program and her hopes for the future.
Tell us about the creation of The Parkinson’s Project. When I was very young, my father was injured in a car accident, and that kind of laid the groundwork for the way I view the world; how people move, who has access to things, who does not—so then in college I was interested in answering the question, “How can you create access for dancers with disabilities?” Later on, when I was a member of Hubbard Street’s main company, my husband Brian, a chiropractor, stumbled across an article in Scientific American about Argentine Tango and the benefits of it for people with Parkinson’s Disease. I read the article while I was touring with the company, and I thought, “You know, it would be so cool if we could start something like this at Hubbard Street.”
What exciting things are happening in the fields of Adaptive, Physically Integrated, or Disability-Forward Dance right now?
They’re becoming their own fields in their own right. You’re starting to see a lot of research in higher education related to the fields; you have artists like Alice Sheppard with Kinetic Light who’s performing at places like the MCA and at the Joyce and all over the country—so I would say that there is more exposure. These grassroots movements are now becoming codified, and there are more opportunities for the scope of artists with disabilities to be working than there have been ever in the past. So I’m really excited about that.
What are your hopes for the future of The Parkinson’s Project?
I would love to see it co-exist with other models of dance that have access for all at their core: multigenerational, hinging upon equity and inclusion, with an invitation to dance on the table at all times, for everyone.
April 11, 2023–May 9, 2023
Every Tuesday at 10am CST over Zoom
May 16, 2023–June 6, 2023
Every Tuesday at 11:15am CST in-person at the HSDC Studio at Water Tower Place
June 13, 2023–July 4, 2023
Every Tuesday at 10am CST outdoors in Seneca Park (In collaboration with Seneca Park & Eli M. Schulman Playground Summer Series in the Park)
Open this QR code with your camera app to learn more about The Parkinson’s Project and register!
Moments before each performance, our Dancers take hands center stage in a cherished Hubbard Street ritual known as Circle Places. Circle Places celebrates each individual artist as they come together to form a powerful collective.
Transform your Hubbard Street experience and become a member of the Circle Places Society—a brand new benefits program for HSDC supporters. Donate during Sapphire Season to unlock special discounts, advance access to announcements, and exclusive invitations to events and behind-the-scenes looks throughout the season!
Visit hubbardstreetdance.com/support-us/circle-placessociety or scan the QR code to learn more.
Your contribution provides critical funding to change lives through the experience of dance.
Our incredible Dancers are essential to who we are, but they’re only part of our story. The other part? You!
Support from people like you is essential in helping Hubbard Street Dance Chicago enrich, engage, educate, and change lives through the experience of dance.
Nurtures young minds through our award-winning education programs that reach over 1,000 students in primary through high school levels in more than 50 classrooms across Chicago. We encourage students to be inquisitive, make mistakes, and celebrate the process of learning by connecting their bodies and brains.
Brings the world’s best and brightest choreographic voices to Chicago to work with our Dancers and the broader community, including public school students. It also shares the exceptional talents of our Dancers across the country and the world when we tour.
Generates essential conversations to help us explore new creative possibilities. The virtual workshops and comprehensive study guides we create help address diversity, prejudice, culture, and appropriation in the arts.
Pushes contemporary dance in new directions. Besides showcasing world premiere works, we’ve streamed select performances to 31 countries for free, and films from our virtual season have won numerous awards!
Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell
Artistic Director
David McDermott
Executive Director
Artistic Staff
Jonathan E. Alsberry
Senior Rehearsal Director & Director of Summer Intensives
Craig D. Black, Jr. Rehearsal Director
Krista Ellensohn Manager of Training Operations
Administrative Staff
Abby Olson
General Manager
Belina Mizrahi and Corinne Kibler, Arts FMS Financial Management Services
External Affairs
Katie Grogan
Director of Development
Melissa Rosenberg
Individual Giving Manager
Ashley Echevarría Development Coordinator
Nikki Horwitz
Grants Coordinator
Erik Kaiko Director of Marketing & Communications
Megan Moran
Manager of Marketing & Communications
Youth, Education, and Community Programs
Eboné Harden Director of Education
Teaching Artist Faculty
Jamie Brunson
Rebeca G. Griffin
Anne Kasdorf
Danielle “Dani” Kfoury
Daisy Rueda
Julia Rzonca
Molly Strom
Desiree “Desi” VanDyke
Education Special Projects
Michelle Modrzejewski
June Tanoue
Production
Harrison Pearse Burke Director of Production
Kate Darby Stage Manager and Head of Props
Casey Doyle
Head of Audio
Jack Horwitch Head Electrician
Kevin Upham
Head Carpenter and Stage Operations
Board of Directors
Steven Collens Chair
Kristin Conley President
Camille E. Rudge Treasurer
Jodi Patt Secretary
Larry Gilbert
Immediate Past Chair, VP of Development
Yasmine Winkler
VP of Membership
Ross B. Bricker
Heather Caruso
Mara S. Georges
Ronda Joubert
Solange Sandy Lloyd
Jasminka Milpak
Marc Miller
Debra Moritz
Alison L. Richards
Life Directors
John W. Ballantine+
Corinne Brophy
Meg Callahan
Edythe R. Cloonan++*
Pam Crutchfield
Sondra Berman Epstein+*
Stanley M. Freehling*
Charles R. Gardner
Paul Gignilliat
Sandra P. Guthman+
Gail Kalver
James Mabie++*
Marie E. O’Connor++*
Byron Pollock++*
Timothy Schwertfeger++
Jack D. Tovin
Randy White
William N. Wood Prince+
+ Past Board Chair
++ Past Board President
*In Memoriam
Program Book
Erik Kaiko Editor
Communiqué Graphic Design Designer
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the following corporations, foundations, government agencies, and individuals who made gifts to Hubbard Street Dance Chicago between December 1, 2021 and February 1, 2023. Their support kept the company moving and made the performance you enjoy today possible.
$100,000 and above
Athletico Physical Therapy
Polk Bros. Foundation
Pritzker Foundation
$50,000–$99,999
Chicago Athletic Clubs
City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
Julius N. Frankel Foundation
Lloyd A. Fry Foundation
Sherman Fairchild Foundation
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
The Shubert Foundation
$25,000–$49,999
Crown Family Philanthropies
Elizabeth Louise Smith Fund at The Chicago Community Foundation
Illinois Arts Council Agency
Prince Charitable Trusts
Anonymous
$10,000–$24,999
Carl R. Hendrickson Family Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee
Daniel H. Lome Foundation
ITW
John R. Halligan Charitable Fund
National Endowment for the Arts
PPM America, Inc./
Jackson National Life Insurance
Sage Foundation
The Siragusa Family Foundation
Anonymous (1)
$5,000–$9,999
Charles & M.R. Shapiro Foundation
Dr. Scholl Foundation
Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation
The Irving Harris Foundation
The Poetry Foundation
$1,000–$4,999
Chevron Council for Canadian American Relations
The Deline Charitable Foundation
Kovler Family Foundation
Princess Grace Foundation
Plus Power LLC
Sahara Enterprises, Inc.
$100,000 and above
Nancy A. Lauter and Alfred L. McDougal Charitable Fund
$25,000–$99,999
Ginger Farley and Bob Shapiro
Martha Struthers Farley and Donald C. Farley, Jr. Family Foundation
Larry and Marla Gilbert
Sandra and Jack Guthman
Richard L. Rodes
$10,000–$24,999
Ross B. Bricker and Nina Vinik
Meg and Tim Callahan
Collens Family Fund at the Chicago Community Foundation
Steven and Caralynn Collens
Kristin Conley and Andrew Sudds
Mara Georges and Michael Mutz
Marc Miller and Chris Horsman
Debra and Blake Moritz
Kristen Otterson
R. Penny Rodes DeMott*
Burton X. and Sheli Z. Rosenberg
Solange Sandy Lloyd and Arnold Schraa
Yasmine and George Winkler
$5,000–$9,999
John and Caroline Ballantine
John Blosser
Joel and Katie Cory
Jana French and Peter Gotsch
Charlie Gardner and Patti Eylar
Howard and Gail Lanznar
Kay Mabie
Ron and Elise Magers
Jimmy Passarelli
Jodi Patt and Wesley Crampton
Eleanor and William Revelle
Camille and Kevin Rudge
Jim Suehr
Judy Wise
Anonymous (2)
$2,500–$4,999
Ted Grady
Bruce and Jamie Hague
Michael Heffernan
Kristy Moran
Thomas J. O’Keefe
Eric and Tammy Steele
Jack and Niki Tovin
Randy and Lisa White
$1,000–$2,499
Greg Albiero and Mark Zampardo
Sandra Bass
Dianne Blanco
Andrew and Shaun Block
Steven and Jacqueline Chilow
Jeff Corbin and Massimo Pacilli
Kathy DeHoff
Thomas Durica and Susan Jacob
Thomas J. Feie
James Huberty and Marc Giles
Michael Grant and Carol McMahan
In the Works Fund
Jastromb Family
Philanthropic Fund
Jonathan and Sally Kovler
Kevin Kranzusch
Rebecca N. Lin
Walter Mah
Mary Lou Marinas
Kathleen Miles
Sally and Ted Miller
Steve and DeeDee Morcos
Stacey Newman
Susan C. Nutson
Claire and Michael O’Grady
Kesha Pate
Eleanor Pollack
Victoria Priola
Jeaneane and John Quinn
John and Chris Ricketts
Janice Rodgers
Lee Rosenberg
Bonnie and Michael Rothman
Allyson Sand
Carleen Schreder
Charles and Bea Schutz
Maureen and Jeff Toner
Peter Vale
Holly Wathan
Benna and Hal Wilde
Michael and Debbie Zimmerman
Anonymous (4)
$500–$999
Sid Bala and Jayanthi Subbian
Linda Bierig
Jeanne Brett
Nicole Brown
Hugo and Catherine Chavez
Sandi Cooksey and Todd Clark
Barbara and Michael Davis
Joseph Deal
Scott Deininger
Cindy Delmar
Jennifer Edgcomb
Cathy Ethridge
Molly Flanagan
Julie L. Gentes
Meredith George
Jack Gerber
Lynn and James Grogan
Eloise Hirschey
Ed Hu
Andrea Hutchinson
Pat Iaconetti and Lisa Emerick
Max Kaplan
Veronica Levine
Molly Lindberg
Jim and Beverly Maguire
Susan Bass and Stephen Marcus
David McDermott and Molly Graber
Susan K. Mowery-Schalk
Jennifer Nelson
David Oskandy and Martha Garcia Barrafan
A. Paton
Barbara Reed
Lauren Robishaw
Robert and Marsha Rosner
Synove Rubalcaba
James Schulte
Kyle Seltzer
Mary Kay Shaw
Kevin Simmons
Wayne F. Tjaden
Paul Waas
Debra Widmer
Anonymous (3)
Karen Alpan
Jonathan Basofin
Marc Beem and Susan Berkowitz
Larry Berlin
Erick Brethenoux
Giovanna Breu
Janet Carl Smith and Mel Smith
Kellie Clune
Barry and Lisa Cohen
Victoria Darrow
Brian Dukerschein
Salena and Doug Elish
Elizabeth Fama and John Cochrane
Martin and Laly Furrer
Martin Grochala and Fred Reuland
Elizabeth Halajian and Andrew Burdick
Harry and Lyne Halme
Jacqueline Haywood
William Horton
John Jawor
Susan and Steve Kaufman
Gina Kennedy
Pilar and Brian Korgel
Mark Larsen
Zarah Latif and Sandeep Mannur
Donald L. MacCorquodale
Meghan McNamara and Paul Reetz
Kristin McNeil
Michael McStraw
Viktoras Petroliunas
Andrew and Judy L. Porte
Anne Rogers
Holly Ronzi
Hadassah Solomon Rosen
Susan F. Rossen
Steve Roy and Lloyd Kohler
Earl and Sandra Rusnak
Richard Rusz
Jessica Seet
William and Edith Shannon
Randel Steele and Margaret Gonzales
Patricia Sternberg
Marjorie Stinespring
Carol Stone
Mary Toll and William Heimann
Hal and Lisa Tovin Gift Fund
Sandra Van Tilburg
Michael and Linda Welsh
Janice Wernette
Meade Whitaker
Karen Wilmot
Hubbard Street appreciates the support of all its donors and regrets the inability to list those who contributed less than $250 due to space limitations.
For any corrections to program name listings please contact the Development Office at giving@ hubbardstreetdance.com
Tribute and Memorial gifts are a meaningful way to recognize individuals who have a connection to Hubbard Street. For more information or to make a gift please contact the Development Office at giving@hubbardstreetdance.com
In honor of Abby, Linda-D, David, and all the amazing HS dancers
Kesha Pate
In honor of Sara Albrecht
Dedrea Gray
In honor of Jonathan Alsberry
Harriet and Irwin Ross
In honor of Michael and Nancy Basofin
Jonathan Basofin
In memory of Claire Bataille
Elizabeth Stewart
In honor of Craig D. Black, Jr.,
Andrew Murdock, and Kevin J. Shannon
Kesha Pate
In honor of Craig D. Black, Jr., and Kevin Shannon
Kristen Otterson
In honor of Jacqueline Burnett
Nicole I. Dean
In honor of Jacqueline Burnett and David Schultz
Anne M. Gaffney
In honor of Steven Collens’s birthday
Terry and Todd Holzman
In memory of Edythe R. Cloonan
Broad Street Homecare
Randy and Lisa White
Lauren Wolven and Family
In honor of Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell
Meg and Timothy Callahan
Paula Gilbert
Randy and Lisa White
Josianne Pennington
In honor of Sara Fox
Seth Lawrence Fox
In memory of Frances Glickman
Barbara Vertel
In honor of Katie Grogan
Sarah R. Mischner
In memory of Susan Heston
Brian Heston
In honor of Chris Horsman’s birthday
Donald Santoski and April Brazell
In honor of Caryn Jendro and Phil Fensel
Geri Colesworthy
In honor of Christina King
Brian King
In memory of Malcolm M. Lloyd, MD
Solange Sandy Lloyd
In honor of David McDermott
Kesha Pate
In honor of Marc Miller
Sally and Ted Miller
In honor of Marc Miller and Chris Horsman
Michael Grant and Carol McMahan
In honor of the Parkinson’s Project
Richard and Marjorie Ettlinger
Dale Schlafer
In memory of Byron Pollock
Sheldon Holzman
In honor of Rich Rodes
Kevin Kranzusch
Karen Teitelbaum
In honor of Camille Rudge
Carole Hildebrandt
In honor of Kevin J. Shannon
Meredith George
Kristen Otterson
William and Edith Shannon
Barbara Grunewald
Mary Kay Shaw
In honor of James Schulte
Sid Bala
In honor of Connie Shiau
David J. Briggs
In honor of Jack Tovin
Hal and Lisa Tovin
In honor of Jessica Tong
Ed Hu
In honor of the retirement of Marilee C. Unruh
Karen Kirby
Alexandra Wells
Arts Consulting Group
Athletico Physical Therapy
Campbell & Company
C5 create with no limits
Allied Integrated Marketing
Advertising
Athletico Physical Therapy
Official Provider of Physical Therapy
Chicago Athletic Clubs
Official Health Club
Arts Consulting Group
Executive Search and Strategic Planning
Taylor Ford, Jeremy Harris, Greg Smith
Accompanists
Chanel DaSilva, Kimberly Dulac, Randy Duncan, Meredith Dincolo, Ethan Kirschbaum, Andrew Murdock, Julie Nakagawa, Ashley Rockwood,
Laura Wade, South Chicago Dance Theatre*,
Red Clay Dance Company*, Deeply Rooted
Dance Theater*
Company Teachers
Savills
Real Estate
Quarles & Brady
Legal Services
Chicago Athletic Clubs
Microsoft Corporation
Taste Media Group
Tessitura
Franczek P.C.
Legal Services
Jenner & Block
Legal Services
Michelle Reid
HSDC Resident Photographer; Season 45
Identity Photography
Imani Sade
Season 45 Identity Styling
Frank Ishman
Headshots and Bio Photography
David Schultz
Rehearsal Photography
Motion/Pictures Dance Project
Inside the Studio Production Team
Carol Fox & Associates
Public Relations
Communiqué Graphic Design
Graphic Design
*Community Class Partners
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is grateful to the following individuals who have included us in their estate plans. Our future is more secure because of their generosity.
Meg and Tim Callahan
Josephine H. Deutsch*
Marge* and Lew Collens
Denise Stefan Ginascol and John Ginascol
Jane Ellen Murray
Edward and Gayla Nieminen
Sarah J. Nolan
James F. Oates*
Edna K. Papazian*
Byron Pollock*
Alyssa J. Rapp
Richard L. Rodes
Richard Schieler*
Landon N. Stigall*
Sandra Van Tilburg
J. Randall White
*deceased
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the following donors to the Endowment for Health and Wellness and the Endowment for Artistic Programs, which was established with a generous grant from the Ford Foundation.
$100,000 and above
Meg and Tim Callahan
Pamela Crutchfield
The Davee Foundation
Josephine H. Deutsch Trust
The Ford Foundation
Jay Franke and David Herro
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Jim* and Kay Mabie
Nancy A. Lauter & Alfred L. McDougal Charitable Fund
Timothy R. Schwertfeger and Gail Waller
$50,000–$99,999
Sara Albrecht
John and Caroline Ballantine
Deborah Bricker
Sidney and Sondra
Berman Epstein
Sandra and Jack Guthman
Mrs. Eleanor Wood Prince
William N. Wood Prince
The Rhoades Foundation
Earl and Sandra Rusnak
Randy and Lisa White
$25,000–$49,999
Lew Collens
Harold Florsheim
Paul and Ellen Gignilliat
Bernard and Averill Leviton
Dale and Dana Machalleck
James F. Oates
Randy White and Hope Wollman
$10,000–$24,999
Dean Balice
Katherine and Christopher Barber
Roger and Julie Baskes
Joseph and Anne Bohne
Janice Y. Burnham and Raymond B. Carney
James and Edie Cloonan
Joel and Katie Cory
Allan and Ellen Drebin
Susan and Bryan Erler
Trudy Giesel
Denise Stefan Ginascol and John Ginascol
Mary Louise Gorno
Jacqueline Hurlbutt and Norman Waite
Sarah J. Nolan
Dina Norris and Steve Young
Byron and Judy Pollock
Sally and Ellis Regenbogen
Eleanor and William Revelle
Dana and Andre Rice
Kevin and Camille Rudge
Warren D. Shifferd Jr.
Richard and Ann Tomlinson
Robert and Nancy Unglaub
Earl and Susan Webb
Sallyan Windt
$5,000–$9,999
Julia Antonatos
Sanchen Barnum
William and Donna Barrows
The Sidney and June Barrows Foundation
Corinne Brophy
Carla J. Eyre and Peter F. Gallagher
Charlie Gardner and Patti Eylar
Judith Grubner and Craig Jobson
Stephanie Hickman
Linda Hutson
Marc Miller and Chris Horsman
Pat Pulido Sanchez and Manuel Sanchez
John Schwartz
Kenneth Shanoff and Steve Young
Deborah and Kelly Stonebraker
Jack and Niki Tovin
$1,000–$4,999
Kathy Catrambone
Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation
Carolyn Clift
Thomas and Lois Colberg
Jocelyn B. Hamlar and Leighton J. Toney
Jastromb Family
Philanthropic Fund
Rachel Corn Kluge and Scott Kluge
David Mekemson and Irene Petruniak
Maureen Mosh
Donald Ratner
Patrick J. Schieble
Richard Turner and David Jenkins
$250–$999
Bill Nygren Foundation
Todd Magazine
Sheila Owens
Steven and Frances Shapiro
*deceased
To close this milestone Season, Summer Series: Facets celebrates the company’s 45-year legacy of multifaceted artistic excellence and pushing the bounds of what contemporary dance is and can be.
Hubbard Street Dancer Abdiel Figueroa Reyes. Photo by Michelle Reid, styling by Imani Sade