Theatre News Wire

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, one of the world's premier contemporary dance companies, will offer its audiences a first-ever opportunity to see a full evening of works by two esteemed Israeli choreographers from Batsheva Dance Company - a new collage, currently untitled, by Artistic Director Ohad Naharin and the world premiere of Too Beaucoup created for the company by Batsheva House Choreographer Sharon Eyal. This historic Spring Series will take place at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Drive, in four performances only, March 17-20, 2011.

With an extensive touring roster around the globe, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is known internationally as one of the United States' dance ambassadors to the world. This spring, Hubbard Street will bring the best of Israeli artistry to Chicago. As one of the only companies in America to perform Naharin's repertoire and the only American company to present Eyal's choreography, this program is one of the most important developments in Hubbard Street's artistic evolution - uniting Chicago audiences with Israel in a cultural expression through dance.

"Ohad Naharin's choreography has been an influential force in Hubbard Street's repertoire over the years," commented Hubbard Street Artistic Director Glenn Edgerton. "He has provided us with many noteworthy works, and it is exciting that he will return to create this collage, a showcase of work that Chicago has not seen before. It is an honor for the company to offer our audience excerpts of his creations reconstructed in a way that takes on a new expression."

Naharin's new creation for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago will be a collage of past works, all based on and inspired by the synergy of the "Gaga" method of movement researched and developed by Naharin himself. This new medley, set on the company by former Batsheva dancer Yoshifumi and Naharin, will feature a uniquely varied soundtrack perhaps including music by Maxim Warrat, Stabat Mater by Vivaldi, Mabrouk Wo Arisna by Ali Hassan Kuban, Neroli by Brian Eno, Mount Carmel by Rayon, and The Beach Boys' You're Welcome.

Hubbard Street's history with the choreographic genius dates back more than 10 years, when the company premiered Minus 16 on its fall 2000 program in Chicago. The piece became an audience favorite, performed by the company over several more seasons. Hubbard Street also added Naharin's Passomezzo (2001), Queens/Black Milk (2002) and Tabula Rasa (2005) to its repertoire.

In fall 2009, Hubbard Street returned to Israel after nine years to perform in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem. During this trip, the company had the opportunity to work with Naharin and his "Gaga" movement method in preparation for the revival of Tabula Rasa during the 2009 Winter Series.

It was during this trip that Edgerton decided to introduce Chicago audiences to some of Naharin's more recent works through a new collage, as well as Naharin's protege and Batsheva House Choreographer Sharon Eyal. In winter 2010, while Edgerton was in Tel Aviv for the International Exposure for Dance in Israel Festival, he was able to observe Eyal in rehearsal for her most recent work Bill. In awe of her choreographic talents, the all-Israeli program was sealed.

Too Beaucoup is a full-company work created for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago by Sharon Eyal and her co-creator Gai Behar. This world premiere is the choreographic sequel to Bill, a piece created by Eyal and Behar for Batsheva Dance Company in 2010, inspired partly by the video artist Bill Viola. Bill is about things people experience very strongly, which change without notice - like a view passing by. Too Beaucoup, meaning "too too much" in French, aims to manipulate and replicate precise and robotic movement that offers a sense of watching a 3-D video. Because of this, music, costumes and lighting become just as important as the movement. With costumes by Gaï Behar and lighting by Avi Yona Bueno, the soundtrack is designed by Israeli musician and DJ Ori Lichtik, and is an amalgam of genres including music by Gang of Four, Depeche Mode, Ivan Pavlov, Beck, Cole Porter, Vice, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, and Oren Barzilay.

"Our spring program with both Ohad's and Sharon's work represents the best of what Israel and its dance community has to offer," Edgerton concludes, "and I'm very proud to have a program no other company is doing."

Performance Schedule and Pricing for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's Spring Series, March 17-20: Thursday, March 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, March 18 & Saturday, March 19 at 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday, March 20 at 3:00 p.m.