Jim Vincent remembers watching "American Bandstand" as a kid.
"I was about 4 years old and my mother put me in a chair while she did housework," said Vincent, artistic director for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. "All I did every day was watch the dancing on 'American Bandstand,' and that pretty much helped me decide what I wanted to do. I wanted to dance."
While no one in Vincent's family was particularly artistic, his mother did some research and Vincent found himself enrolled in jazz and tap classes. "That was back in the '60s in New Jersey when it wasn't really a cool to dance. But it led me here."
Nearly 30 years after he did his first shuffle-ball-change, Vincent found himself at the helm of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, one of the most diverse American dance institutions in the country.
Formed in 1977 by dancer/choreographer Louis Conte, HSDC forged a place for itself by incorporating ballet, jazz, modern and contemporary dance in its repertory. It has worked with many renowned choreographers, from Twila Tharp to Trey McIntyre to Daniel Ezralow and David Parsons.
This year, the company is celebrating its 25th anniversary. And it's coming to Salt Lake City for a day of celebration. The company will perform four works that Vincent hopes will demonstrate the heart and diversity of his company. Those works will be his own "Counter/Part," along with Nacho Duato's "Cor Perdut," Brian Enos' "Dipthong" and Ohad Naharin's "Minus 16."
"The trick is to choose works that will draw the audience in," Vincent said. "Contemporary dance has a reputation for being too heady and avant-garde, but this program will, hopefully, show people who have never seen contemporary dance that it can be enjoyable, but at the same time not be boring to those who know modern dance.
"The question for a dance company today is, do we go off on deep abstracts or just entertain? My goal in choosing these works is to do both."
With "Counter/Point," his first work as artistic director for HSDC, Vincent wanted to bring the music of Bach's Brandenburg Concerti to life. "I was inspired by the music. I liked the music because it is familiar to people but not too recognizable. It involves 10 dancers in a complete examination of the music."
"Cor Perdut" is a pas de deux set to the music of Maria de mar Bonet, said Vincent. "I wanted to give the program an international angle. This work is done in Spanish and was choreographed by Nacho for a birthday present."
A work that Vincent is interested in is the emotional and physical "Dipthong," created by Hubbard Street dancer Brian Enos. "We have a workshop every summer that, in a sense, puts our backs up against a mirror," said Vincent. "We reach into ourselves and take responsibility for our lives. Having one or our own choreograph a work helps us do that. We can pursue our own voices, rather than dance what someone outside has set on us. Building choreographers in our own company is another way of nourishing our environment."
Finally, "Minus 16" is a lighthearted and engaging work, said Vincent. "We use music ranging from Dean Martin to techno and lounge music. And the dancing is done in a way that engages the audience and attempts to break down the barrier between dancer and viewer."
Vincent put himself in the shoes of the audience when he decided on this repertoire. "I love seeing good dance. We all have seen mediocre dance and know there is so much better out there. I wanted to find pieces that would work on different levels. And I believe that is what makes good dance."
If you go . . .
What: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
Where: Kingsbury Hall, University of Utah campus
When: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
How much: $14-$26
Phone: 355-2787 or 1-800-451-2787 or 581-7100
Web:www.arttix.org or www.kingsburyhall.org
E-mail: scott@desnews.com