Hubbard’s Phenomenal Fall Series Stresses The Urgency Of Human Connection

Dec 02, 2025 admin_bitlc Features, Music News, Musical Theatre, Reviews 0

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By: Peter Thomas Ricci

The numbers are not encouraging: 20 percent of U.S. adults experience “a lot” of loneliness on a daily basis (amazingly, that number is down from 25 percent four years ago); 58 percent of Americans fear they use their smartphones too much (that one is up from 39 percent in 2015); and around 25 percent of Americans in their early 20s are not in school, not working, and not starting a family. Such statistics underscore a striking decline in intimacy and social engagement in these United States, and upon experiencing Hubbard Street Dance’s latest performance at Steppenwolf Theatre, a thought seized me: Dance, in all its emotional resonance and spiritual timbre, is a most urgent antidote to those problems. 

Through four distinct performances, the Hubbard crew explore a stunning range of emotions and experiences in the modern world, including not only loneliness and disconnection, but also sexuality, belonging, community, and ecstasy. This is not, however, “The Nutcracker” – Hubbard’s performances of “Black Milk,” “Percussion IV,” “A Duo,” and “Impasse” evolve and develop without any conventional narrative; we are allowed to infer and interpret, but there is nothing in the way or character or story. Rather, what we have is the fierce urgency of a visceral dance performance: The movement of bodies, the sound of breathing, the impact of feet and hands upon the stage, the shadows and fog of impeccable lighting – even absent any clean or safe interpretations, these Hubbard performances are a direct answer to the present maladies of isolation and neglect.

The show touches upon those themes from a variety of angles. “Black Milk” – which at the matinee performance I attended featured Dominick Brown, Aaron Choate, Elliot Hammans, Shota Miyoshi, and David Schultz – was arguably the most demanding of the show’s performances. Very much an experience of space and discord, the dancers were accompanied by nothing more than haunting solo performances on marimba by the percussionist Paul Smadbeck as they moved (and sometimes collided) through a tale that felt pre-modern – thing toga-esque costuming and streaks of mud upon bare torsos – but also confronted a tech-centric world of disconnect.

After an intermission, the Bob Fosse-choreographed solo number “Percussion IV” (sensationally performed by Michele Dooley at the matinee) was pure 70s exuberance – confrontational, energetic, apologetic, it made me want to race home and revisit Fosse’s work in “All that Jazz.” The show then took a dive to the sublime in “A Duo,” where Alexandria Best and Morgan Clune wove and intersected through the stunning electronic sounds of Marina Herlop and the vibrant greens and blacks of Rémi van Bochove’s costumes and Nicole Pearce’s lighting. Such cool and icy textures were a necessary preamble to the explosion of “IMPASSE,” the closing performance that featured the entire 15-member Hubbard ensemble (the featured photo above is from that number).

“IMPASSE investigates our shared humanity,” the show program explained, “by illuminating how societal pressures contribute to the loss of self.” Primarily starring three ensemble members (with Simone Stevens particularly brilliant), the choreography of Johan Inger escalated through the soaring jazz fusion sounds of French-Lebanese musician Ibrahim Maalouf; as more Hubbard dancers joined the stage, an intimate trio devolved into a controlled chaos of multiple movements and actions, with the original trio fighting for their space and individuality. And even as the performance provokes and challenges, there is an intimacy – even a comfort – to such connection in these wily, uncertain, disconcerting times.

Hubbard has long distinguished itself among Chicago’s rich dance scene for daring performances that are, nonetheless, welcoming and accessible, and the company’s fall series was no exception. 

For more info including tickets, shows and dates, click here

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• Chicago, Dance, Fall Series, Hubbard Street Theatre, Theatre review

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