On Stage with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

I do not think I have ever responded faster to an email than I did when I received an invitation to volunteer as a table pusher for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s upcoming performance at Northrop. Over the past few years, I have continually gained more and more respect for the dance company that values bringing artists, art, and audiences together to enrich, engage, educate, and change lives through the experience of dance.

As a sophomore at the University of Minnesota who is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, performances at Northrop have been some of the most moving experiences in my college career. Growing up in a smaller town, I did not have many opportunities to see professional dance companies perform live. That being said, I do my best to see as many performances as I can possibly go to. I itch to leave places feeling moved, changed, and inspired. That is why I am so excited to see Hubbard Street perform live.

 This upcoming performance is one of the shows I have been looking forward to most throughout my sophomore year. I am not only in love with watching the company move with embodiment and precision, but I also respect where the company has been and where it plans to go. The company started off with four dancers, and now it has grown to become one of the most well-known professional dance companies in the United States. This could not have happened without the mission that the company started with and its consistency with that mission to use dance as a generous art from for everyone. 

If I am being honest, I am a bit nervous about the job of pushing tables for the work One Flat Thing by William Forsythe. I say this half joking half not. However, my excitement far outweighs my fears. The opportunity to see the work by William Forsythe, Crystal Pite, Nacho Duato, and Lou Conte on these incredibly talented dancers is almost too good to be true. These artists create from different places but share the passion of creating work that truly speaks to inspire change. I could not be more excited to see their visions come to life on the Northrop stage.