She’s Back!

Twyla Tharp in the studio. Photo by Marc von Borstel.

Twyla Tharp is coming back to Hubbard Street!  It has been 15 years since she set her last piece on the company (I Remember Clifford) and was highlighted in their repertory with six other pieces.  Ms. Tharp is known worldwide for her contributions in dance on the stage, Broadway and in film.  In 2002, her award-winning dance musical Movin’ Out had its pre-Broadway run here in Chicago at the Shubert Theatre featuring former HSDC dancers Ron De Jesus and David Gomez.

Tharp will create a brand new work on the company with a world premiere in the Fall Series at the Harris Theater next October (13-16).  Tharp’s quote from the press release: “I look forward to working with the new dancers and creating, what I believe, will be a very special dance – one that will challenge me as well as them.”  It will be interesting to see a new generation of HSDC dancers take on her personality and movement.

HSDC is also honoring Tharp with a Spotlight Award to be presented at the Spotlight Ball on June 2nd by HSDC founder Lou Conte.  RB spoke to Conte this morning from his rural property in the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois to ask him how it felt to hear the news that she was coming back.  “It feels good,” he said.  “She’s a part of Hubbard Street’s history.  We had a good relationship for ten years.  We were the first small company she worked with.”  While denying that he had anything to do with her returning (“that would be meddling”), the fact that Tharp did so much work with the company in the 90’s was in no small part because of him.  And the fact that she will be creating a piece specifically for the HSDC dancers?  Conte says, “It’s significant.”

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