Dance Reviews

Jul 27, 2008 - The fabulous Hubbard Street Dance Chicago visits Reno's Artown festival in impressive fashion

By Jack Neal

The sensuous Hubbard Street Dance Chicago troupe of 22 dancers are a marvelously matched set. With few exceptions, the company’s work in its special vernacular of identical dance (as in matched set) drains star individualism from its repertory.

But there’s such an elegance and joy and exceptional discipline to what the Hubbard Street presents, it’s the beauty of ensemble that stands out. It’s also the beauty of its impressive and balanced list of male and female dancers that stands out. Performing a one-night-stand Saturday night (7/26/08) at Reno’s Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, it was the company’s first appearance in Reno - although its second company, Hubbard Street 2, was in Reno two years ago.

Frankly, the program presented by Hubbard Street 2 had more excitement, but that’s probably what happens when one is climbing the ladder to success rather than sitting on the top step. It wasn’t, however, just the dancers – the flagship Hubbard dancers are superb. It was the program “2” presented. It had a variety that was most attractive.

Nonetheless, opening with a riveting piece called “Bardo,” from the canon of Japanese choreographer Toru Shimazaki, Hubbard “1” undulated to and through a series of ultra athletic moves that created one human tableau of mystic beauty after another. With music by Dead Can Dance, it’s an intoxicating work that an audience needs to accept for the high it creates without giving much thought to what it means. It’s lovely to behold, so who cares? Much of “Bardo’s” success rests with Ryan J. O’Gara’s absolutely transformational lighting designs (a big plus also for O’Gara for two out of the three other offerings programmed).

Sex does rear its lovely head. How sad? Sensuous and sexy, “Lickety-Split” – set to the music of Bay Area songwriter Devendra Banhart – explores the hot-and-heavy courtship (one step away from mating) of three couples. Alejandro Cerrudo’s cool-side-of-sizzling choreography leaves some things to the imagination, but not much. One duet ends with man touching his head to the woman’s pelvis. It does have, however, socially redeeming qualities. It’s nicely shaped and beautifully staged and has a rather cool wit.

“The Constant Shift of Pulse,” set to John Adams’s piano music from “Hallelujah Junction,” is very busy. The music is busy. The crossing and re-crossing the stage for the dancers is constant. Doug Varone has choreographed and captured the essence of the music with virtuosic moves made thrilling by virtuosic dancers. The wide-open use of stage space makes “The Constant Shift of Pulse” especially exhilarating.

The programmatic triumph for this very special dance event in Reno was “Gnawa,” a hypnotic invention in movement by Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato. As with the program-opening “Bardo,” “Gnawa” is a mystic work veiled majestically in what is best described as a pulsating spirituality. The dancers inhabit space and time in perfect coordination through a series of transporting movements that provide stunning and lyrical visual effects.

It is with “Gnawa” that the Hubbard Street’s perfection of ensemble is most impressive. Impressive, too, are Modesto Lomba’s exotic costumes.

All four works provided a marvelous look, see and hear for that which the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is most noted – being one of America’s foremost modern dance companies. The Hubbard’s appearance here was another triumph of booking for Reno’s Artown (July) festival, which raps up Thursday night.

For what to see and hear as Artown concludes call 775-322-1538. For my recommendations about what to see and hear for Artown and elsewhere in Northern Nevada and Northern California go to nevada-events.net and click on Master Calendar.