By Peter Thomas Ricci<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A unique feeling of anticipation proceeds every Hubbard Street Dance performance. While the core qualities of the company \u2013 its versatility, its athleticism, its experimentation \u2013 will undoubtedly remain consistent, there will surely be something new, something unexpected, something wily and delightful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hubbard\u2019s Spring Series continued that track record through two distinct, thrilling sequences. The first sequence, which featured three separate performances of short-to-moderate length, was breathtaking in its relentless drive and energy. Opening with the Bob Fosse\/Gwen Verdon collaboration \u201cSweet Gwen Suite\u201d (danced by Dominick Brown, Aaron Choate, and Cyrie Topete in the performance I saw), the number is brilliantly lit by Harrison Pearse-Pollack, and featured the dancers moving through series that seemed effortless in their timing and precision. And compared to the second performance \u2013 \u201cPercussion IV,\u201d a brilliant solo by dancer Bianca Melidor more consistent with Fosse\u2019s angst and aggression \u2013 \u201cSweet Gwen\u201d is downright playful and delightful at times as the dancers salute various Mexican forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first sequence\u2019s final performance, the world premiere of \u201cAtlas,\u201d rips the show in a different direction. Featuring three dancers (Jacqueline Burnett, Morgan Clune, and Michele Dooley for me) expanding upon the Greek mythology theme of Atlas with the weight of the world on his shoulders, the number \u201ctraces an echo of that burden in the bodies of women who move through our lives,\u201d according to a brief statement from the company. Propelled by stunning string compositions from Cristina Spinei, the performance\u2019s themes \u2013 of oppression, of exhaustion, of solidarity and organization \u2013 could not have been more timely in these wearying times; truly, numbers like \u201cAtlas\u201d demonstrate the dance medium\u2019s unique ability to translate feeling into movement and probe the depths of the human experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Spring Series\u2019 second sequence is solely devoted to \u201cLubDub,\u201d another world premiere that features the entire 15-person company. The work of choreographer Aszure Barton (who collaborated with Jenah Hensel on the costumes,\u201d the number expands on the notion of \u201cthe two sounds of the heart valves contracting.\u201d Thus, the Hubbard dancers join, intertwine, and separate in a dazzling array of movement and rhythm that left the Harris Theater audience mesmerized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am thankful for Hubbard\u2019s existence after every performance, and the Spring Series has me counting down the days until the company returns with another evening of scintillating dance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n