Review: Spring Series (Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, 2016)

Delivering emotional punch to the gut, feast for the eyes

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago never ceases to amaze me. Their repertoire is varied and stunning, their choreography challenging to dancers and audiences alike, and their company members athletic, expressive and unafraid. Hubbard Street's 2016 Spring Series is especially incendiary, highlighting extraordinary lives, outrageous actions and deep human emotions.

The first piece of the evening, I am Mister B... , is a tribute to George Balanchine, the controversial but groundbreaking Russian who changed the face of American ballet. Choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano displays a deep intimacy with the habits and quirks of the iconic dancemaker nicknamed Mr. B: his emphasis on women, his stark and uniform aesthetic and above all, his grand showmanship. Sansano uses dialogue, set and costumes as well as choreography to make his elegant point: the dancers, all clad in royal blue jackets, black pants and black ties, move with energetic precision on a stage bedecked with blue drapery. As the many curtains part and close, Balanchine's many layers are revealed and just as often, camouflaged. Joy permeates the piece at every point and turn, as the Hubbard Street dancers use their trademark artistic athleticism to pay tribute to a troubled but astonishing dance artist.

After intermission, the Spring Series becomes more abstract with The Impossible. Hubbard Street's resident choreographer, the brilliant Alejandro Cerrudo, puts his multifaceted mind to work in a surprising and moving piece that explores memory, love, aging and loss. Two couples, one young and one old, enact the age-old rituals of courtship and coupledom, only to be confronted by a dastardly whippersnapper and his minions. Like Balanchine before him, Cerrudo never hesitates to challenge an audience and break new ground: often, his sets play as much a part in the story as his dancers. The Impossible makes varied, creative uses of a wall, a window and a table, keeping the audience at the edge of its collective seat. Artistry abounds, and The Impossible delivers an emotional punch to the gut as well as a feast for the eyes.

Choreographer and Hubbard Street rehearsal director Lucas Crandall is the man behind the evening's closer: the world premiere of This dance takes the romantic abstraction of The Impossible one step further, with bold transitions, an unpredictable yet intelligent spirit and a tangible sense of humor. The surprises are many, the skills of choreographer and dancers alike prominent from beginning to end. Branimira Ivanova's costuming is spare with flair (she costumes all three of the Spring Series dances, and the looks are beautifully eclectic), and like Cerrudo, Crandall's music choices keep audience members entertained and intrigued. I don't want to reveal too much about the dance itself, because the beauty of is not knowing what will happen next. Suffice it to say, the overall effect is nothing short of wonderful.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago never disappoints and always delights. This year's Spring Series deftly tackles passion, creativity, grief and the resilience of the human spirit in less than two hours. I am Mister B, The Impossible and illustrate the satisfaction of thinking outside the box and playing with tradition. Hubbard Street dancers are gorgeous and graceful walking down the street - I know, I've seen some of them out and about - but add in the choreography of Sansano, Cerrudo and Crandall, and the company is simply unstoppable.

Spring Series continues through March 20th at Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph (map), with performances Friday and Saturday at 8pm, Sundays 3pm. Tickets start at $30, and are available by phone (312-337-7777) or online through their website (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com ). More information at HubbardStreetDance.com. (Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes, includes 2 intermissions)

Note: cast varies according to performance.

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, Christina Vargas (Apprentice)

behind the scenes

Gustavo Ramírez Sansano (choreography), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (music), Mario Alberto Zambrano (text), Jared B. Moore (lighting design), Luis Crespo (set design), Branimira Ivanova (costume design)

Alejandro Cerrudo (choreography, staging concept), Michael Korsch (lighting design), Branimara Ivanova (costume design)

Lucas Crandall (choreography, original concept), Tazor Radosti, Lincoln Chase, Johann Sebastian Bach, Mikael Alden (music), David Schultz (live percussion), Jason Brown (lighting design), Branimara Ivanova (costume design)

for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago:

Glenn Edgerton (artistic director), Jason D. Palmquist (executive director), Lou Conte (founding artistic director), Terence Marling (director, Hubbard Street 2), Lucas Crandall (rehearsal director), Karena Fiorenza Ingersoll (general ,manager), Alejandro Cerrudo (resident choreographer), Kathryn Humphreys (director of youth, education and community programs), Claire Bataille (director, Lou Conte Dance Studio ), Suzanne Appel (director of external affairs), Jason Brown (director of production), Ishanee DeVas (company manager), Kaitlyn Breen (lighting director), Rebecca M. Shouse (wardrobe supervisor), Kilroy G. Kundalini (audio engineer), Stephan Panek (head carpenter and stage operations), Sam Begich (master electrician), Julie E. Ballard (stage manager and properties master), Todd Rosenberg (photos)

Tags: 16-0335, Adrienne Lipson, Alejandro Cerrudo, Alice Klock, Alicia Delgadillo, Ana Lopez, Andrew Murdock, Branimara Ivanova, Chicago dance, Christina Vargas, Claire Bataille, David Schultz, Elliot Hammans, Emilie Leriche, Florian Lochner, George Balanchine, Glenn Edgerton, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Harris Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Ishanee DeVas, Jacqueline Burnett, Jade Hooper, Jared B. Moore, Jason Brown, Jason D. Palmquist, Jason Hortin, Jeffery Duffy, Jesse Bechard, Jessica Tong, Johann Sebastian Bach, Julie E. Ballard, Kaitlyn Breen, Karena Fiorenza Ingersoll, Kathryn Humphreys, Kellie Epperheimer, Kevin J. Shannon, Lauren Whalen, Lincoln Chase, Lou Conte, Lou Conte Dance Studio, Lucas Crandall, Luis Crespo, Mario Alberto Zambrano, Michael Bourgeois, Michael Gross, Michael Korsch, Mikael Alden, Natalie Leibert, Penny Saunders, post, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Rebecca M. Shouse. Kilroy G. Kundalini, Sam Begich, Stephan Panek, Suzanne Appel, Tazor Radosti, Terence Marling, Todd Rosenberg, Zachary Enquist

Category: 2016 Reviews, Dance, Harris Theatre (at Millennium), Hubbard Street Dance, Lauren Whalen, New Work, World Premier