— ■ ■ ■
t > 1 •' -■ A’ I
Courtesy Photo
AMI DIFRARCO’s aew album,
“Little Plastic Castle” will hit
stere shelves aatfuawide today.
The album, which is heiufl
released ea DIFraace’s ewa
Righteous Babe Recerds label, is
her 12th album.
DiFranco’s
‘Castle’ leads
new releases
By Jim Zavodny
Staff Reporter
Folk singer/songwriter and
righteous babe Ani DiFranco
releases her 12th album today on
her own record label. The new
album, titled “Little Plastic
Castle,” is the follow-up to 1997’s
“Living In Clip,” DiFranco’s most
successful record to date.
Columbia Records debuts two
of its new rhythm and blues/soul
singers this week with albums from
the En Vogue-like group Destiny’s
Child and solo youngster Kimberly
Scott.
Rap artists dominate the two
new movie soundtracks coming out
today. The latest Wayans Brothers
film, “Senseless,” includes previ
ously released tracks from the
Gravediggaz, Roni Size and Moby,
among others. The Wu-Tang Clan,
ONYX and Nas grace the sound
track of the new movie “Ride,”
which was formerly titled “1-95.”
Electronica, the music indus
try’s most recent fad, represents
itself on a new compilation titled
“Digital Empire: Electronica’s
Best.” Appearing on the album are
two of techno’s English champi
ons, Prodigy and The Chemical
Brothers, along with America's The
Crystal Method and a host of other
block rockin’ samplers.
New Releases: February 17,
1998
B-Tribe: “Sensual Sensual”
(Mesa/Atlantic)
Michael Crawford: “On Eagle’s
Wings” (Atlantic)
Deep Forest: “Compares” (550
Music)
Destiny’s Child: “Destiny’s
ChUd” (Columbia)
Ani DiFranco: “Little Plastic
Castle” (Righteous Babe)
Various Artists: “Digital
Empire: Electronica’s Best” (K-tel)
Jagged Edge: “A Jagged Era”
(So So Def/Columbia) f;
Original Movie Soundtrack:
“Ride” (Tommy Boy)
Kimberly Scott: “Kimberly
Scott” (Columbia)
Original Movie Soundtrack:
“Senseless” (Gee Street/V2)
ByLizaHoltmeier
Staff Reporter
In the beginning, it consisted of four dancers and a
choreographer performing at senior centers.
TWenty years later, it is a 22-person ensemble, per
forming across the nation at places like Jacob's Pillow, the
American Dance Festival and Kennedy Center.
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, which performs at the
Lied Center for Performing Arts this Friday, has become
one of the premiere dance companies in the United States.
Its repertoire, which is described as contemporary modem
and ballet, includes such well-known choreographers
as Twyla Tharp and Bob Fosse.
Lou Conte, a former Broadway dancer and
Joffrey scholarship winner, founded the
‘ company^ hr *977. At-the time, the coatpa^
ny’s four dancers had limited performances,
and their repertoire consisted entirely of
pieces by Conte.
Conte realized early on that he wanted to
bring in other choreographers, said Carrie
Ranck, communications manager for Hubbard
Street. She said Conte didn't want to be like Paul Taylor
or Martha Graham, choreographers whose companies
exclusively showcase their own works.
Shortly after its inception, Hubbard Street began
commissioning works by other choreogra
phers.
Margo Sappington is one choreogra
pher who has played a marked role in
the Hubbard Street repertoire.
“She has very different ways of
moving,” said Josef Patrick, who has
danced with Hubbard Street for 12 years.
“The company has five pieces by her, and
you wouldn’t know they were by the same person.”
Friday's program includes one of Sappington's
pieces.
The company formed one of its most
important artistic relationships in 1990
with choreographer Twyla Tharp. In
the past eight years, Hubbard Street has
become a showcase for Tharp’s classics as
well as her new works.
“I love the quirkiness of Tharp’s choreography,”
Patrick said. "It looks like it’s not choreography. It
looks like something everybody can do, but yet it’s
very intricate.”
Patrick said working with Tharp had been a trea
sured experience.
"Shea kind of like an Italian mother,” Patrick j
said. "She’s very strong and demanding, but it’s Jj
only because she cares and wants you to look
good.”
Tharp's additions to Hubbard Street’s num
bers include the ballroom-like "Nine Sinatra
. Songs” and die apocalyptic “Fait Accompli”
Kevin O’Day, a former member of Tnarp’s
company, also has forged a strong relation
ship with Hubbard Street.
"You can definitely see the influence i
Tharp has had on him,” Patrick said. “The j
way he approaches things is similar,”
However, Patrick added that O’Day’s
choreography tended to take more from
classical ballet technique.
Because the style of choreography
Hubbard Street performs varies, dancers
must be versatile in a variety of movement
“When I first joined the company, the choreography was jazzi
er and more in the musical theater style,” Patrick said. "*
we’ve become a company for major contemporary
jazz."
Despite these changes, the dancers’ training while at:
Street is still rooted in the traditions of ballet.
Ranck said it was no surprise that the majority of Hubbard
Street's dancers have previous experience with other city ballet
companies or conservatories.
‘That ballet base is important for strength and technique,”
Ranck said.
Like most dance companies, Hubbard Street has a strong out
reach program in addition to its repertoire
~ building.
Two years ago, the company
established a minicompany for
young, preprofessional
dancers.This,grojij^<gj£five dancers
learns pieces from me Hubbard
Street repertoire and then per
forms in Chicago schools.In the
spring, the same schools are invited to
performances by the main company.
While on tour, the company
maintains its educational goals
through master classes with
area dancers.
While in Nebraska,
Hubbard Street will teach
a master class in Omaha
co-sponsored by the
L Omaha Modern
fe Dance Collective
■k and tile Moving
(Jo. it will be
held at the
University of
Nebraska at
O m a h. a
Dance Lab on
Thursday from
6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
To register, call (402) 554
7 . 2670.
The company’s Friday night performance will
begin with “Lady Lost Found.” Daniel Ezralow, a former
Pilobolus dancer, choreographed this piece to English folk
songs by Percy Granger.
Following Ezralow’s piece will be “Mirage” by Margo
Sappington, with music by Vaughn Williams. This piece is a
modern balletic duet based on the legend of Narcissus and
Echo.
£ The third piece of the evening will be “Sechs Tanze,” choreo
graphed by Jiri Kylian to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Six German
Dances.”
The last piece of the evening will be “I Remember Clifford” by
TWyla Tharp to various jazz classics by trumpeter Clifford Brown.
Tharp originated this piece for the Hubbard Street dancers. It
depicts a young man who begins as an outsider, but eventually
becomes one of the group.
Hubbard Street nas performed in Lincoln a number of times
before. Patrick said he was looking forward to this performance
because Lincoln audiences tended to be younger and more vocal
than the audiences the company draws in Chicago.
“Since the Lied Center is by the university, we drew a lot of col
lege students the last few times we Patrick said.
“Theybrou^htajot o:
Lied Center. Tic!
J For reservations,
