One of the reasons that Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is known all over the world is because they perform all over the world. Just this summer, audiences in Mexico, Canada, and across the United State have seen them, but when it gets to be the middle of August, if you want to see Hubbard Street perform you have to come to Chicago, and it’s been like that for twenty-seven years. Thats how long Hubbard Street Dance Chicago has been performing at Dance for Life — since the first Dance for Life, and once again this year, they’ll be at Dance for Life 2018 at Chicago’s Auditorium Theater.
They’re performing Lou Conte’s The 40s, and of course, we wanted to know more about what we’ll see when Hubbard Street takes the stage at the Auditorium Theater on August 18th. The problem is, the entire company is out globe-trotting, and it wasn’t really practical to go to Mexico, Canada or even just across the United States to try and get someone to tell us more about The 40s. Instead, we reached out to Hubbard Street Marketing Manager Hayley Ross, and she not only found us 4PHOTOS from The 40s to give us a look at the piece, but she pulled together for us some thoughts from Lou Conte himself, as well as from dancer Adrienne Lipson and Hubbard Street Artistic Director Glenn Edgerton.
“The 40s is representative of where Hubbard Street started as a company,” Ross told us. “It was very iconic when Lou Conte first choreographed it, and has been a staple in the company’s repertoire since.” All the more reason that we’re looking forward to seeing it, so here are 4PHOTOS from Lou Conte’s The 40s:
… this is a celebratory piece
“I was born in 1942 during the war, and when the war ended was one of my very first memories remembering how happy everyone was. That’s what I always tell the dancers, this is a celebratory piece.” –_ HSDC Founding Artistic Director Lou Conte, on the inspiration for The 40s
… they are so smart and so brilliant as dancers …
“There’s a lot of footwork in my choreography that the original dancers had no problem with because they were also tappers. These younger dancers have a little bit more difficulty with the articulation of all of the little patter footwork, but they are so smart and so brilliant as dancers that it’s just not a problem.” – Lou Conte on the choreography in The 40s
It’s so much fun to work with Lou …
“I’ve never tapped before, so the choreography is a little different, but what is similar is that the piece has a lot of specific quality shifts, which we handle a lot. It’s so much fun to work with Lou, and I don’t think he realizes just how much energy he brings into the studio.” – Dancer Adrienne Lipson on working with Lou Conte on The 40s
this is an uplifting and lighthearted piece that the Dance for Life audience will really enjoy!
“I chose The 40s for Dance for Life because it is the perfect closing to our 40th Anniversary season. I wanted to highlight Lou and his contributions to the company, the city and the dance world. I also think this is an uplifting and lighthearted piece that the Dance for Life audience will really enjoy!” – Artistic Director Glenn Edgerton on presenting Lou Conte’s The 40s at Dance for Life
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Hubbard Street Dance Chicago appears in the 27th annual Dance for Life celebration on Saturday, August 18 at 7:30pm at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre (50 E. Congress Parkway, Chicago, IL). Tickets are available online from the Auditorium Theatre or by phone from the Auditorium Box Office at 312.341.2300.
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