One of Chicago's premiere dance companies is setting post pandemic box office records as it wraps up another season.
Hubbard Street Dancers have been performing in Chicago and around the world for nearly 50 years.
"We've always been synonymous with excellence, always synonymous with an eclectic dance company which means we are good at doing everything, contemporary, modern, ballet, jazz, we do everything well and I think through all the years, things have changed but that through line has stayed the same." smiled Linda Fisher-Harrell, Artistic Director.
Fisher-Harrell says to wrap up their 47th year, there will be a program featuring Matthew Rushing, of the iconic Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
"More than often than not, I've danced with Matthew for a long time which makes this coloration so special. To invite him into the company and experience the artists here and for the artists to experience his artistry and vision is really a dream come true," said Fisher-Harrell.
"He's a separate choreographer, he has a separate vision. He has a different toolbox so to speak to pull from when creating work."
"Now more than ever, we are understanding the power of the art form of dance and one of the things that it possesses is the idea of bringing beauty and making it accessible." said Rushing
The program also includes Sweet Gwen Suite, a dazzling tribute to Broadway and Hollywood legends Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon.
"It's all elements of Hubbard Street, how we routed in jazz and it's boldly pushing into the future. Bob Fosse was a huge influence on Lou Conte, our founder. That's how the company was founded. It's an iconic style. Verdon came to visit once. I hope that audiences how vast the Fosse style is. They think it's one thing but it's so much more and to see that Verdon was a huge collaborator. We honor that and we're honoring Nicole Fossi, their daughter." said Fisher-Harrel.
Hubbard Street performs 20 times a year and offers education programs in 50 classrooms across 17 Chicagoland schools. The 48th season kicks off in November.