People Are Talking About…Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
Posted: 4/22/10 -- 2:30 pm
by Jim Leija
This weekend brings three performances by Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. If you’re coming to a performance, stick around after the show and enjoy coffee and baklava (from two of our favorite local businesses: Dearborn’s Masri Sweets and Ann Arbor’s own RoosRoast). Plus, you can leave your comments on the wall in the lobby at the Power Center.
Also, as a SPECIAL BONUS, if you have a question for Hubbard Street, leave it here in the comments section. A few members of the company will be answering select questions.
UPDATE! After Thursday night’s performance, there were lots of comments posted on the comment wall at Power Center. Audience members responded to the prompt, “Desribe tonight in six words or less.” You’ll see some of my personal favorites here. The comment wall will continue to grow throughout the weekend — maybe you’ll leave a comment of your own?
Jim Leija is UMS Director of Education & Community Engagement. He's an alumni of the University of Michigan College of LSA, School of Music, Theatre & Dance, and School of Art & Design. Jim lives in Ann Arbor with his partner Aric and two dog-children named Olive and Maisie.
about 4 days ago 
about 7 days ago 
Hubbard st dance Chcago.
From my point of view, the choreography is unprofessional for the "one of the most renowned dance institutions in the world", as it says in the brochure. They've got many interesting ideas and good techniques but overall, the perfomance is not impressive, defenitelly doesn't worth 50$.
Madina Anvarovna
Thank you for your comment. Unfortunately this seems to be the new trend in dance companies. The performance was all about the choreographer and not the dance or the dancers. I saw Ruth Page set her very own "Bolero" Ballet in the early seventies at the Pittsburgh Ballet Company. What a beautiful masterpiece that was.
Colette K
Hubbard Street has been my favorite dance group for some time so when the opportunity to see them on three consecutive nights arose, I booked tickets for the two nights I had free. I must have missed the fact that the three performances were going to repeat the dances. I would not have signed up for more than one night. I was looking forward to two nights of different works.
Although I found them to be the same professional, energetic troup that I had expected, I find the choreography to be less to my liking.
I made a pilgrammage to Chicago to see them insutu several years ago and was disappointed at at the direction the group took with the now former directer, Jim Vincent and the atonal, abstraction of the choreography.
Perhaps next time…
JohnB
One of the things that I like most about Hubbard Street is getting a chance to see so many different works by different choreographers. I liked some pieces more than others, but I valued getting to see works by choreographers I was unfamiliar with. Watching the dancers perform such different choreography each night isn't something we often get to see…many times it will be the work of one choreographer, or the company's artistic director. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to learn and perform so many different styles at once. It really impressed me.
@JohnB…We didn't know until a couple of months ago what the repertoire would be, but that choice by the company is based on many things–touring schedules, active repertoire, dancer availability and health, etc. I am someone who likes to see as much varied work as possible in a weekend–but this weekend I discovered an upside to repeated repertoire. Getting to see a piece multiple times allowed me to notice more…and I actually liked the two pieces much better after seeing them twice! There was so much going on in 27'52"…there's no way I would have caught it all the first night! I felt the same way about the Bill T. Jones piece we had here in January. Did anything change for you after seeing 27'52" or Walking Mad a second time?
Liz Stover, UMS Programming Coordinator
Liz Stover
My husband and I had a pretty good time at the Friday performance. The fact that all shows had a story to tell made it fun to watch. I also liked the fact that the objects on the stage were also part of the action and movement.
Pinar
Thanks for writing Madina. Sorry you were disappointed. Make sure you give us some suggestions of professional choreographers whose work you would like to see. Or professional choreographers whose work you have seen recently that you would like to see at UMS.
Michael @ UMS
Michael J Kondziolka
I enjoyed Hubbard Street the last time they were where. I was looking forward to seeing them again. All though I liked most of what I saw saturday, I felt I was looking at the same thing.
Gloria
Because I have no background in dance but attend a performance to experience a renowned dance group, my impressions are completely from an emotional level. I enjoyed the way each presentation built in energy from beginning to end with a climax in the final dance. I am amazed by the fluidity and dynamism of each dancer.
Joan Richardson
8
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