n outburst of vitality and excitement stormed Kingsbury Hall last week as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago took command of the stage. The 21-member troupe brought an electrifying program to Salt Lake City, stunning the audience with a taste of big-city flavor. The best part was that we didn’t even see it coming.
The company performed four completely different pieces in front of a packed audience. Contemporary in style, the pieces were alike in that they were not merely dances. They were works of art performed by dancers, who, by splashing a unique blend of color and vibrancy into every creation, made each one individual and truly meaningful.

“counter/part” was the first piece of the evening. Choreographed by company director Jim Vincent, this piece featured five men and three women. With music by Johann Sebastian Bach, the dancers moved in a regal manner and wore costumes from the Baroque era. The choreography played off the many accents and rhythms in the music.

The beginning was bright, playful, and gave an overall feeling of happiness. Some interesting lifts and intricate trio work caught the eye. An orange backdrop with five short pillars complemented the style of the piece. A lovely pas de deux occurred toward the end and had a darker, almost mysterious feel to it. Big, sweeping movements were beautiful to watch, and as the piece came to a close, the entire cast was dancing joyously.

The next piece was “Cor Perdut” (Lost Heart), choreographed by Nacho Duato. This piece is an alluring pas de deux performed by Cheryl Mann and Tobin Del Cuore. Inspired by the Catalan version of the song “Bir Demet Yseman” by Maria del Mar Bonet, Duato’s choreography interpreted the beautiful, hypnotic rhythm of Tunisian percussion instruments. Members of the audience sat mesmerized as the dancers took them to another world. It was a world of expression, where nobody holds back and everyone is free to let his or her imagination take. over. The gorgeous red, flowing costumes magnified the passionate, lyrical movement of the dancers. The pair maintained good contact with each other and danced with a sense of urgency. Dynamic and tempo changes were especially exquisite, and after the piece was finished, a longing for more remained.

Brian Enos, a company member, choreographed “Diphthong,” a new work in preview. This piece was fun and energetic, with music by Zap Mama. The sharp, cutting-edge choreography really showed off the dancers’ sparkling clean technique. Black biker shorts revealed their long lines and agile steps. Shannon Alvis, a former member of the Utah Ballet, was dazzling as she hit each striking pose with meaning and linear beauty.

The company’s signature piece, “Minus 16” by Ohad Naharin, closed the show. We knew we were about to discover something fresh and exuberant when the piece actually started during the last intermission. With the lights still on and people still milling about, a single performer emerged from behind the curtain and quietly began to dance.

Sporting a black suit, he continued to make spastic, comical movements in the middle of the stage, while jazzy big-band music could be heard faintly from a distance. As members of the audience slowly took notice, they took their seats to pay attention. One by one, each performer entered the stage with a wild display of humorous moves.

Suddenly we were transported to a big semicircle complete with hats and chairs while the same routine was repeated over and over again. The concept of watching the same movement repeated numerous times was a thrilling experience—as each time the movement got faster.

First there was a little dance around the chairs. The hats were thrown from their heads and they all sang a phrase out loud. This was all done in unison. Several times this was repeated, each time with the removal of a new item of clothing, such as their jackets, shoes, shirts and pants. (Yes, their bodies were still covered at the end of it all.) As the dancers gathered up their clothing in silence, the audience watched with anxious anticipation for what was coming next.

A prerecorded interview with each company member allowed us to learn something about the performers. Every member danced to his or her own interview. This was one of the most interesting parts of the whole show because it gave the audience a chance to get inside the dancers’ heads and really get to know each one as a unique individual. Some of their stories included experiences of coming to America, being a shower singer, making the best guacamole and having the most tattoos.

The relatively calm atmosphere was soon broken by techno music and everyone started to dance together. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, certain audience members were invited to the stage to dance with the company. It was a special moment as a certain realization came clearly into focus. What we were really celebrating that night was the joy of life and each individual through the sensational performance of this stellar company.
marissa@red-mag.com