The Space & Time to Create

In 2023, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago announced that internationally renowned choreographer, Aszure Barton, would usher in a new chapter of the company’s collaborations with outside artists as its first Resident Artist since 2018. Last year, Barton conceived, choreographed, and premiered her work, A Duo, as part of this three-year residency and Hubbard Street’s Winter Series "Of Hope." Now, Barton and Hubbard Street will present the New York premiere of A Duo at The Joyce from March 25-30. A Duo, in both process and product, represents the goals of the residency and Barton’s personal goals as an artist. 

In a video by Hubbard Street announcing the residency, Barton mentions that this opportunity came at a time when she sought safe spaces to create more freely, unbound by the typical limitations that exist in most other programs. When crafting the residency, Hubbard Street Artistic Director, Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, worked with Barton to figure out what that model might look like. “I think the beauty of this partnership,” says Fisher-Harrell, “is that we want to work together on what the process is…It’s leaving that safe space for process and creation.”

One of the ways, they found, to foster this environment, is through the benefit of time. Whereas some other programs expect their resident artists to churn out completed works within a few weeks, Barton, with the extended three-year duration of this residency process, is able to prioritize curiosity, leave enough room for experimentation, and establish trust.

Indulging in the luxury of time has been not only transformative for Barton, but the dancers as well. Simply, the time to figure things out allows space for them to really succeed in accomplishing the multiplicity of tasks that Barton’s movement demands.  “Some element of what we’re doing is seemingly impossible,” says Hubbard Street Dancer, Aaron Choate, “but eventually you get it. Something that I thought wasn’t possible, is.” On a deeper level,  the intimate relationship between dancer and choreographer formed over the longer creative process gives the dancers not just mastery over the movement but a sense of ownership and trust with Barton. Choate continues, “Since she’s been making so much of the material on us and about us, it feels like we can be ourselves onstage. There’s a safety in that.” 

Now, Barton reflects on her experience so far, the creative process for A Duo, and what she’s looking forward to next year and beyond. 

In an earlier interview, you mentioned a certain sensitivity that you feel as an artist and how the residency at Hubbard Street came at a perfect time as you were trying to create more space for yourself to feel safe. What does safe mean to you in this context? How does the environment at Hubbard Street facilitate this safe space? How has the safety of the space impacted your ability to create? 

 Trust. When there’s trust, so much is possible.

Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell described that one of the goals of this residency program is to decentralize the idea of "process" in the hopes of finding a fluid process conducive to your work. What have you learned about yourself and how you work through this program? How do you think your practice will be impacted after you leave Hubbard Street?

Being in creative process with others is thrilling for me so I was extremely moved when LD and her team welcomed my own ongoing insanity! It’s also really beautiful to have the opportunity to return to places we feel good in, to build on conversations; to return can mean to go deeper and this is how it has felt working with the dancers of Hubbard Street. Like I said, to trust and be trusted goes a long way.

When Hubbard Street comes to The Joyce this week, they’ll perform the New York Premiere of A Duo. What was the process like developing this piece while in the residency? What inspired you?

Dancers who are really comfortable and confident in their own bodies are inspiring to work with, so creating this work together with Aaron Choate and Abdiel Figueroa Reyes was GREAT. I loved being with their positivity, their commitment, their creativity, openness, and play. The 3 of us also aligned in our respect for music, so we had such a blast dissecting and eating up the music of Marina Herlop - which is amazing! 

Many choreographers dream of having such a talented ensemble to build with. How have the dancers at Hubbard Street influenced your personal choreographic style? 

Oh yes, it is dreamy working with them! Creating, for me, is a conversation, so it’s inevitable that the work is deeply interconnected with the dancers dancing it. In my process, I LOVE multitasking the body because it generates an extreme awareness, and unexpected language. By layering the mind with tasks and challenges, the dancers are able to think with the entire body, not just the intellectual mind, and the dancers at Hubbard Street have totally embraced this. Not only are they on board with my obsession with organizing and disorganizing the body, but, like I said earlier, we also align in our neuroses about music! These dancers will dissect every note and geek out about it with me, which is such a treat. They are FABULOUS and I adore them.

You’re in the second year of this residency, next year will be your last. How does A Duo represent this growth? What are you looking forward to in your next and final year?

I am interested in building relationships, so this experience has been really nourishing. The beauty of what we get to do as artists in the dance world is build a network of close allies, community. It’s about contribution; our coming-together is a beginning, not an ending. Whether my work is being danced or not, I feel like I will carry these beautiful connections forward. I am also hopeful that more institutions will join in and adopt this way of being, offering more/extended platforms to connect and collaborate. I am truly honored to be a part of the company’s story. And as for next year, I’m looking forward to being surprised!

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago returns to The Joyce this week with a slew of New York premieres, including Aszure Barton’s A Duo. Get your tickets here!