Taylor1

IsabelleTaylor

DANC341

ProfessorSarahCullenFuller

11April2016

PerformanceReview:HubbardStreetDanceChicagoSpringSeries

Ifvarietyisthespiceoflife,thenHubbardStreetDanceChicagoisoneofthespiciest.

AspostedontheHubbardStreetwebsite,theNewYorkPostsumsitupquiteaccurately.Onthe

eveningofMarch19,IhadthepleasureofwitnessingHubbardStreetDanceChicagosspring

series,equippedwiththreedynamicandexcellentpieces:IamMisterBbyGustavoRamirez

Sansano,TheImpossiblebyAlejandroCerrudo,andImprintbyLucasCrandall.Theoverall

performancewasextraordinarilyintriguing;eachpieceprovidednewanddistinctelements,

whichexcellentlyexemplifiedthecompanyswideversatility.

Rightfullyso,IamMisterBwastheintroductionpieceoftheseries.Sansanoutilized

twelvedancersinaseriesofduetsandgroupphrases,whichcirculatedonandoffstage.

Accompaniedwithanarrator,allofthedancersrepresentGeorgeBalanchinethelegendary

choreographerwhoislargelycreditedforshapingAmericanballet;butthepieceincorporated

manyothercomponentsthatexcellentlyportrayedBalanchine'sworkandhonoredhis

excellence.Intermsofchoreography,Sansanocreatedplayfullyexcitingmovementandphrases

whichwastheperfectwaytostartofftheseries.Withtheexceptionofacoupleofduets,a

majorityofthepiecewassetwiththedancersmovinginunison;thiscreatedstrongsweeping

motionsthatwereparticularlycapturing.Inaddition,theentirecastofdancersweredressed

identicallyinblackdresspants,whitebuttonupshirts,blueblazers,andBalanchinessignature
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necktie;notonlydidthisfurthercapturethegrandessenceofthelegendarychoreographer,it

enhancedthepowerfuleffectofthedancersunisonmovement.Tocontinue,Sansoanosethis

piecetoPyotrIlyichTchaikovskysthirdsuitfororchestrainGmajor.Bypairingclassical

symphonicmusicwithmorecontemporarystructuredmovement,Sansoanoschoreography

capturedmanysimilaritiestoBalanchinesneoclassicalstyle.Onefinalelement,whichIfound

tiedthepiecetogether,wasthesetssweepingbluedrapesalongthestagewingsdesignedby

LuisCrespo.ItfurtheredmyexperiencebytransportingmyselfandtheaudiencetoaBalanchine

atmosphere,whichonlymadethepiecemoreenjoyable.

ThesecondpieceperformedwasTheImpossible,whichwasmypersonalfavorite.In

thisdance,AlejandroCerrudocapturedanoldercouplereviewingtheiryoungeryearsthrougha

seriesofsurprisingandtouchingscenes.Whilethecouplesroleswerequiteobviously

portrayed,IappreciatedthatCerrudodidnotspoonfeedtheaudiencewithaneasilyinterpreted

narrativepiece;hestillmanagedtoincorporatedanoraofambiguity,whichbroughtattentionto

differentaspectsofhumanpartnership.Cerrudoschoreographyshiftedfromlightedhearted

scenes,withtheoldercouplehumorouslystrugglingwithbodilyachesandpains,totheintense

emotionoftheircharacterspast;withtheshiftingdynamics,thechoreographydepictedthetrue

realityofrelationshipsfromenjoymenttohardships.Inadditiontothecouple,scenesthat

involvedtherestofthecastsuchastheallmalesectionwereequallyascapturingandpowerful

inpaintingdifferentemotions.Anotherimportantcomponentwasthepiecesincredibly

absorbingmusicprovidedbyvariousartists.Pairedwiththedancersbeautiful,extended

movement,thewholeordealcreatedanemotionalexperiencethathadmeattheedgeofmyseat

fortheentiretyofitsperformance.
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Ifoundthefinalpiece,Imprint,tobethemostdynamicandambiguousofthethree.

Crandallschoreographydepictedthedancersrespondingtourbanimagery,which,ashestated

intheperformanceprogram,soughttocreateandexperiencebothvisceralandvisual

(Crandall).WhileIwasabletoidentifydifferentaspectofurbanlife,Ifoundthatsomeofthe

inconclusiveelementsweremoredistractingtomyexperiencewiththepiece.Hischoreography

wassplitintothreedistinctscenes.Thefirstentailedthedancersexecutingspecificwalkingand

runningpatternsalongstarkphrasework.Theentirecastwasdressedinskintight,black

costumeswithturtlenecksthatextendedabovetheireyesandcoveringtheirfaces,and,in

addition,thefemaledancersworeparticularlyhighblackheeledbooties.Crandallpairedhisfast

pacedwalkingandrunningpatternswithretrolikemusicbyTaborRadosti.Allofthese

componentscombinedaccuratelycreatedtheeverydayhighspeed,rigidlifestyleofanurban

citizen.Whilethissectionwasinteresting,Iwantedtoseemoreactualdancing.Amajorityofit

wasmadeupofwalkingandrunning,whichseemedalittlerepetitiveovertime.Crandallthen

movedintohissecondsection,whichwasmorefunandexcitingconsideringitwassettoNitty

GrittybyLincolnChase.Inthisportionofthepiecethedancersallletloosewithsilly,

humorousmovementthatmatchedtheupbeat,happyfeelingprovidedbythemusic.Iinterpreted

thissectiontorepresentthenightlifeofurbancultures,whichwasapleasuretowitness.The

finalsectionofCrandallsdancerequiredthemostinterpretation,andIfoundittobethemost

humanistic.Eachdancerremovedthereblackcostumesandcontinuedthepieceinnude

undergarments,which,fromtheaudiencesperspective,lookedasiftheywerenotwearingany

clothing.Crandallsmovementcreatedintertwinedconnectionsbetweeneachdancerand

portrayedmoreraw,humanqualities.Whiletheculminationofeachsectionaccuratelycaptured
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differentaspectsofanurbanatmosphere,Ifounditabitmoredifficulttofollowcomparedtothe

pervioustwopieces.Nevertheless,Crandallprovidedanexperiencethatwasinterestingand

everchangingformyselfandtheaudience.

DespiteonlybeingmysecondexperiencewithHubbardStreetDanceChicago,itonly

enhancedmypositiveoutlookonthecompanysinsanelyoutstandingabilities.Thisspringseries

performanceprovidedsomanydifferentdimensionsthattheperformanceendedupbeingmore

ofaneducationalexperiencethatanythingelse.Eachpiecegavemeanewoutlookondanceand

choreography,andIcannotdisagreewithTheNewYorkPostsstatementinanyway.