Hubbard Street Dance Shatters The 4th Wall In 'Space, In Perspective'
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 22, 2017 3:34PM
Kellie Epperheimer, Adrienne Lipson and Elliot Hammans in Peter Chu's Space, In Perspective. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.
The instructions for Space, In Perspective are simple: "Follow a dancer." Hubbard Street Dance begins its 40th anniversary season by not only breaking the fourth wall but shattering it, leaving the audience on the stage looking out at the theater's empty chairs (and a smattering of dancers looking back at you).
If you know anything about Hubbard Street Dance, you know "we like to take risks," Artistic Director Glenn Edgerton says during a short introduction in the lobby of Harris Street Theater. And then you're off… watching performances on stairs, in elevators, outside on the loading dock, the mezzanine, backstage; dancers and Edgerton himself guide the fractured audience to land eventually on the main stage with the full corps.
Hubbard Street Dancers Andrew Murdock, Elliot Hammans, and Adrienne Lipson in Space, In Perspective by Peter Chu. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.
Though there is something magical in being so close to performers that you can see the sweat, hear the breath, and feel the breeze of their movement, the idea could be gimmicky with any other company. But with Hubbard Street, it's anything but. Concepting and choreography from guest choreographer Peter Chu (FOX TV’s So You Think Can Dance, Artistic Director of chuthis) and Edgerton challenges norms, but also brings the audience up close and personal with groundbreaking art. The final act's on-stage choreography is mind bending, even if it wasn't just a piece of white tape separating you from the dancers. Accompanied by a score from Djeff Houle (Musical Director for Criss Angel’s MINDFREAK Live!) that sounds straight out of a dystopian outer space thriller, there is an urgency and compelling wonder that captivates the intimate space.
There’s a slight creep factor at times like when elevator doors open and close with seemingly unaware dancers inside, but there are also playful moments as dancers engage and mix with the intertwined audience. The whole concept could be viewed as a social experiment challenging the roles of performer and spectator that those who are lucky enough to experience (capacity is limited to 400 for each performance) will be unpacking in their minds for a quite a while.
Hubbard Street Dance's Space, In Perspective runs this weekend only at Harris Theater. For tickets and showtimes, visit their website.