An accomplished dancer and educator who got her start with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago will return to the company next month as its new artistic director.
Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell will assume the role on March 1, succeeding Glenn Edgerton, who stepped down in 2020 after 11 years with the company.
“Ms. Fisher-Harrell has the vision, experience and relationships to rebuild excitement for dance as a vital and dynamic contemporary art form as we gradually return to the stage in the next year,” Steven Collens, chairman of the troupe’s board of directors said in a statement. “Her extraordinary career to date as an artist and educator make her the ideal individual to advance Hubbard Street’s rich culture of learning, growth, and the creative process.”
A native of Baltimore, Fisher-Harrell joined Hubbard Street in 1989 and performed in pieces including Daniel Ezralow’s “Read My Hips” and Twyla Tharp’s “Baker’s Dozen” and “The Golden Section.” She went on to become a principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and in 2005 segued into education, teaching at Towson University, the Baltimore School for the Arts and Ailey Camp Baltimore.
“From the moment I laid eyes on Linda-Denise, when she was just 19, I knew she was perfect for Hubbard Street,” said Hubbard Street founder Lou Conte. “Not only is she a talented and skilled dancer, she is passionate, smart, hard-working and an exemplary role model. I am confident that she has the skills to guide Hubbard Street into the future.”
Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell rehearses with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at Chicago’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion in 2009.
Sun-Times file
Fisher-Harrell said she hopes to create “a more accessible, exciting and diverse future for the company. Together we will continue to push contemporary dance and society forward by presenting challenging and diverse voices. We will seek to further integrate Hubbard Street into the Chicago community, augmenting our work in Chicago’s public schools and building authentic collaborations with organizations and artists throughout the city. Most importantly, we will work to inspire audiences, filling their hearts with joy in these challenging times.”
