Marking the 100th anniversary of Bob Fosse’s birth, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago brings a program blending Broadway legacy and contemporary experimentation to the Peace Center on April 25.
The 14-member company, a champion of contemporary dance since 1977, will spotlight two works by Fosse alongside pieces by contemporary choreographers Matthew Rushing and Aszure Barton.
The Fosse segment features “Sweet Gwen Suite,” a collection of dances he created with his then-wife Gwen Verdon in the 1960s, set to music by Johnny Mandel and Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass.
It displays Fosse’s characteristic style — precise, rhythmic and slyly theatrical.
“Fosse is one of the great choreographers. It’s an honor to be presenting his work,” said Jonathan E. Alsberry, the company’s senior rehearsal director and director of summer intensives.
Rave reviews
The dance company is bringing a program that recently won rave reviews at the Joyce Theater in New York City. Brian Seibert, dance critic with The New York Times, called Hubbard Street, the “best-in-class purveyor of trends in contemporary dance.”
Also by Fosse is “Percussion IV,” a 1978 virtuosic and playful solo (featuring Shota Miyoshi) set to all-percussion score.
Closing the program is “Blue Soup,” by Aszure Barton, a bold, full-company work that blends humor, surreal imagery, and emotional depth. Known for her inventive and unpredictable style, Barton crafts a series of striking stage pictures — at times whimsical, at times unsettling — that ultimately cohere into a meditation on individuality and transformation.
The Peace Center program highlights Hubbard Street’s hallmark versatility, moving fluidly between tradition and experimentation. Hubbard Street performs regularly in Chicago and New York City while also frequently touring, with more than 50 performances worldwide every year.
Alsberry, who has been with the company for nine years, said Hubbard Street is a tight-knit group that extends its good feelings to dance fans.
“As an organization, it’s all about community. We operate as a big family, and we look for opportunities to expand that to our audience,” Alsberry said.
Echoing the company’s mission statement, he added, “It’s all about awakening the human spirit through contemporary dance.”
Want to go?
What: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
When: April 25, 8 p.m.
Where: Peace Concert Hall, 300 S. Main St., Greenville
Tickets: $49.50-$71.50
Info: 864-467-3000 or peacecenter.org
