Contemporary dance team to perform at Fresno State

By Eisa Al Nashmi

Everyone loves dancing, whether they are good at it or not. So watching a group of young and talented dancers performing a new and different dance style could be something worthwhile.

Contemporary dance deals with many kinds of dance forms integrated together to form something new and unique. It is a diverse dance style that is choreographed by young talents.

The group will perform six different dances Sunday. Some of those dances are choreographed by the winners of a national competition started by Hubbard Street 2.

“ It is those young and talented choreographers that will push the art of dancing forward and make it better,” said Julie Bottcher, artistic director of Hubbard Street 2, a dance group from Chicago that will perform at Fresno State on Sunday.

The group consists of six dancers between 17 and 25 years old. Bottcher said each dancer is different and they all bring diverse experiences to the company, but they also have things in common.

“ They have the love of dance, a strong mind, a big heart and a capable body,” Bottcher said.

The combination of all these things will help them achieve their goal of communicating with each other and with the audience using the art of movement, Bottcher said.

“Even though we are a small group, we hope that the audience gets to know the dancers by looking at how every dancer’s personality shines through their movement and different styles,” she said.

Bottcher said Hubbard Street 2 performs a collection of dances choreographed by different people rather than having one main choreographer.

“ All of the dances have something very special behind them,” Bottcher said.

The piece titled “Trace Fulfillment,” uses a classical ballet technique and involves a lot of gestures and personality from the dancers. “Dirti Rok” blends hip-hop with capoeira, a form of Brazilian martial arts. The dance involves energy and athleticism.

“ Hopefully the audience member can find something in each piece that is of interest to them,” Bottchi said.

Bottchi and the group are very excited to perform in Fresno for the first time, and she said the students will learn so much from their performances.

“ Students will have a fun and exciting time and they will also get to see artists about their age doing something they love with a great amount of passion,” she said.

Hubbard Street 2 was invited by the Centerstage committee of USU Productions. Centerstage is in charge of bringing cultural performing arts events to campus, said Krisitie Godfrey, USU Productions program adviser.

“Centerstage exposes students to cultural performances they have not seen or experienced before,” Godfrey said.

Godfrey said Hubbard Street 2 will give students an opportunity to experience a highly well known dance group and to see what contemporary art is all about.

“The group is from Chicago, so they will bring a different feel and flavor to Fresno,” she said.

The group will perform at 7 p.m. Sunday in the Satellite Student Union. Tickets are available at the USU information booth. Tickets in advance are $7 for students, $10 for alumni and $12 for the public. At the door, tickets will be $10 for students, $15 for alumni and the public.