HSDC to Honor Baryshnikov in 2014 (!)

Photo credit: Mark Seliger
Photo credit: Mark Seliger

On the heels of its successful season opener at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago dropped a big and very exciting bomb on us yesterday.  Next May, HSDC’s annual Spotlight Ball is to include a special appearance by dance legend Mikhail Baryshnikov (along with all the usual perks of a fancy benefit). Mr. Baryshnikov is to add Hubbard Street’s Spotlight award to his collection of achievements that include Oscar and Tony award nominations, Kennedy Center Honors, and a National Medal of Honor.

Not bad for a ballet dancer.

Mr. Baryshnikov had this to say:

“I look at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s history and truly appreciate its goals and mission. The company has roots in classic forms and techniques, but is always evolving, always looking for something new in dance. Hubbard Street’s directors and administrators nurture the next generation of dance artists, and believe strongly in the importance of arts education.”

I think it’s safe to say that every member of the HSDC office is grinning ear to ear right now. I’m also pretty sure that the price tag for the Spotlight Ball is going to be worth every penny given the chance to meet Misha, or at least photobomb him.

Spotlight Ball Reservations begin at $600 per guest; table reservations and sponsorship opportunities start at $6,000. All proceeds from the Spotlight Ball support Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s education, community and artistic programs. To purchase tickets, please contact Jeanne Newman, Hubbard Street’s Manager of Individual Giving and Special Events, at 312-850-9744 ext. 130, or via email at jnewman@hubbardstreetdance.com.

Author: Lauren Warnecke

Lauren Warnecke is a freelance dance critic, contributing to the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Magazine. She is senior editor of See Chicago Dance. Lauren covers dance across the Midwest and writes regularly for Dance Magazine and Pointe with additional bylines in Milwaukee Magazine, St. Louis Magazine and Dance Teacher. Forthcoming publications include essays on ballet training in Chicago (University of Illinois Press) and Shirley Mordine (University of Akron Press). In 2020, Lauren published an opinion piece on the impact of COVID-19 on the arts in the South African journal Agenda. Lauren holds degrees in dance and kinesiology and has presented research on dance training practices at the National Dance Education Organization and the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science. She has co-facilitated critical dance writing intensives in Chicago and Durban, South Africa, and participated in writing residencies at the National Center for Choreography, Bates Dance Festival and JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience. Lauren teaches dance history and kinesiology for dancers, with part-time appointments at Loyola University Chicago and Illinois Wesleyan University.

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