Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice

Pulse Prophets

Contemporary ballet is far removed from the world of tulle and tutus. Case in point: The members of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago are classically trained, but the work they tackle tends to be breathtakingly fresh. Stop-on-a-dime, space-devouring daredevils enact three complex, kinetically thrilling compositions. The Constant Shift of Pulse, by Bessie Award-winning choreographer Doug Varone, tests the boundaries of trust and release. Minus 16 restructures four works by Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin, set to music ranging from Dean Martin ditties to cha-cha to Israeli folk. (In a parallel ongoing soundtrack, Naharin and the HSDC dancers voice their prerecorded thoughts about the piece.) A work from the company’s European repertoire rounds out Tuesday’s show.