Fall Series 2015
Choreographed by William Forsythe
Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph (map)
thru Oct 18 | tix: $35-$106 | more info
Check for half-price tickets
Intelligent and challenging
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago presents
Fall Series 2015
Review by Lauren Whalen
William Forsythe is an enigma: raised in the States, he’s made his career as a dancer and choreographer primarily in Germany. Forsythe’s work is challenging, forcing the audience to question and analyze the beats, steps and breaths of the dancers executing it. His choreography is at once precise and wild, functional and fantastic. He’s celebrated worldwide – in fact, Forsythe couldn’t make opening night due to an installation of his work on three floors of a European museum. Forsythe’s early piece Quintett has been part of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s repertoire for a few years now, but for the first time, the company is staging an all-Forsythe program, including a Hubbard Street premiere and a piece that has never been performed in the United
Forsythe actually worked with Hubbard Street on all three pieces, along with a team of staging artists who’ve worked with the choreographer. The personal touches are evident; the always-expressive dancers more emotive and vulnerable than ever. Costumes are bright and simple across the board: T-shirts, socks, a simple dress here and there. Set pieces are spare, but make their presence known: a giant projector and large white walls in Quintett, and a host of steel tables in One Flat Thing, reproduced. The music Forsythe chooses ranges from a homeless man singing about Jesus on a loop juxtaposed with an orchestral background in Quintett, to almost complete silence (save for the dancers’ breathing) in opener N.N.N.N. Effects and choreography are eclectic to be sure, but the fine hand of Forsythe is everywhere. He wants us to be entertained, but he wants us to think about why.
N.N.N.N. is a study in breath, movement, pattern and dependency. As music is nearly nonexistent, popping up extremely subtly here and there, the dancers must time the piece themselves. Two men and two women slide around the stage in stocking feet, manipulating one another’s limbs, testing the weight, breathing in unison and staggered as they break apart and come together. The result is dynamic, intelligent and nearly indescribable: like an art installation, N.N.N.N. is not to be discussed but experienced. This United States premiere sets the bar for American choreographers: go further, confront your audience, and never, ever pander.
I’ve never been a fan of the second piece, Quintett, and I’ve seen Hubbard Street perform it several times. In the past I’ve found the piece tedious: the music is repetitive, the choreography heavy on running and jumping. Likely thanks to Forsythe’s guidance, this Quintett is entirely different. The version feels young, in both choreography and execution, but rife with the best parts of youth: the wild, free abandon that most of us lose upon entering adulthood. This Quintett has a loose, playful energy that’s enjoyable yet profound, and I didn’t want it to end.
Meant to evoke the South Pole, One Flat Thing, reproduced begins with a bang, or rather a collective scrape. The piece opens with dancers pushing twenty tables forward, establishing an environment that’s cold and savage. Composer Thom Willems’ score begins softly and builds to an almost-deafening roar, and the large group of Hubbard Street dancers hold nothing back, their bodies raging and rollicking across, over and under tables. One Flat Thing, reproduced is intense and breathtaking, demanding the audience’s attention and captivating from start to finish.
There’s never a dull moment with William Forsythe: the man is a force, constantly innovating and stimulating dancers and viewers alike. He forces one to completely engage, to detach from reality and live entirely in the moment. Hubbard Street’s Fall Series is not to be missed: the thought-provoking glory of Forsythe will haunt audiences in the best possible way.
Rating: ★★★½
Fall Series Season 38 continues through October 18th at Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph (map). Tickets are $35-$106, and are available by phone (312-334-7777) or online through their website (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at HubbardStreetDance.com. (Running time: 1 hour 35 minutes, includes two intermissions)
Photos by Todd Rosenberg
artists
cast
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: Jesse Bechard, Jacqueline Burnett, Alicia Delgadillo, Jeffery Duffy, Kellie Epperheimer, Michael Gross, Jason Hortin, Alice Klock, Emilie Leriche, Florian Lochner, Ana Lopez, Andrew Murdock, Penny Saunders, David Schultz, Kevin J. Shannon, Jessica Tong
Hubbard Street 2: Katlin Michael Bourgeois, Zachary Enquist, Elliot Hammans, Jade Hooper, Natalie Leibert, Adrienne Lipson
HS2 Apprentices: Oscar Carrillo, Christina Vargas
behind the scenes
For Fall Series: William Forsythe (choreography), Stephen Galloway (costume design), Cyril Baldy, Amancio Gonzalez, Ayman Aaron Harper, Thomas McManus, Mario Alberto Zambrano (staging artists), Thom Willems (composer), Todd Rosenberg (photographer)
For Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: Glenn Edgerton (artistic director), Jason D. Palmquist (executive director), Karena Fiorenza Ingersoll (general manager), Terence Marling (director, Hubbard Street 2), Lucas Crandall (rehearsal director), Kathryn Humphreys (director, Youth, Education and Community Programs), Claire Bataille (director, Lou Conte Dance Studio), Suzanne Appel (director of external affairs)
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