Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.

Under the artistic direction of Lou Conte, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) made its Manhattan debut, following seventeen years of successful appearances across the country and abroad. Half of Chicago, it seemed, was present at the Joyce on opening night to cheer and to share the well-deserved accolades received by Conte's dazzling dancers. Showmanship, radiant technique, and an open, unmannered stage presence are hallmarks of the troupe. While the programs at the Joyce presented choreography by Conte, Daniel Ezralow, and Margo Sappington, and the local premiere of Heroes by James Kudelka, many in the audience were most interested to see four works by Twyla Tharp that made up the major portion of the repertoire for the engagement. HSDC is the first contemporary dance company other than the choreographer's own troupe allowed to dance the Tharp pieces.

Sue's Leg, with original lighting by Jennifer Tipton and costumes by Santo Loquasto, has never looked better, even in its video production with the original cast. Sandi J. Cooksey--long, sassy and able to send her body in multiple directions simultaneously--is a stunner, even in this ensemble of thoroughbreds. Along with Josef Patrick, Ron De Jesus, and remarkable Krista Swenson, Cooksey delighted viewers with the rugged nonchalance that is integral to this work. Swenson, also an extremely talented actress, is a petite fireball who has managed to take the role Tharp made for herself and give it fresh twists and nuances. Credit for maintaining the choreography's integrity, while also allowing for new dimensions brought by this cast, goes to Todd L. Clark, who staged the work.

Baker's Dozen, one of the finest of Tharp's many achievements, was both elegant and droll, with Shan Bai and Matt Rivera the incandescent center of a glowing ensemble, also directed by Clark. With Nine Sinatra Songs, recreated by David A. Finn, audiences got a sense of the sweetness that these dancers can project as well. Christine Carrillo in "Softly As I Leave You," along with Lisa Deyo in "All the Way," added innocence to the rough-and-tumble in Oscar de la Renta evening wear that makes this dance a cultural textbook of its era. In The Golden Section (made in 1981 as the finale for the Broadway production of The Catherine Wheel), the Hubbard Street dancers pulled out all the stops. This choreography is crafted to astonish with a series of pyrotechnics that encapsulates the Tharp vocabulary.

Ezralow's Read My Hips, which naughtily rotates some costume pieces, and SUPER STRAIGHT is coming down gave a fiercely urban tone to the repertoire, as did Step Out of Love, by Margo Sappington, with its all-female cast. Kudelka's Heroes is a much more formally constructed piece set to John Adams's "The Chairman Dances," from his opera Nixon in China. Choreographed for four men and a single woman, the dance explores the repetitive competitions in modern life and features sleek, black gladiatorial outfits by Santo Loquasto. Conte was represented by his vintage tribute to Broadway, The 40s, and two excerpts from his touching and insightful Rose from the Blues. Cooksey melted hearts in "Georgia" and the wonderfully volatile Laura Elena Haney danced "Mae" with David Gomez.

My first report on HSDC was written in 1978, when the troupe was made up of four talented women under Conte's direction. While everything about the ensemble has enlarged and become grander, one aspect is much the same. Lou Conte remains focused--on his fondness of truly fine dancing and his determination to share an enthusiasm for topnotch performance quality with the entire world.