The Auditorium To Present Chicago's Own Hiplet Ballerinas in DIPPED IN VERSATILITY

The Auditorium to present Chicago's own Hiplet Ballerinas in the company's first solo performance at the venue. Titled Dipped in Versatility, the mixed repertory program is presented one night only Saturday, May 17 at 7:30 PM.

Invented by former Dance Theater of Harlem principal dancer Homer Bryant, Hiplet (pronounced hip-lay) is a technique that combines classical pointe, hip-hop, and other styles of dance and makes ballet more accessible to general audiences.

The program, which showcases the Hiplet Ballerina's mastery of multiple genres, also includes the world premiere of Garden choregraphed by Hiplet Associate Artistic Director and Company Member Taylor Edwards and Tre Daniels.  Dipped in Versatility tickets, starting at $39.00, are available at auditoriumtheatre.org or by calling The Auditorium's Ticket Service Center at 312.341.2300.

"Hiplet is important. It is Afro-centric. We are pulling from urban traditions, and we put in the Jazz, Latin, and African, but we stick to the classical Ballet discipline,” said Bryant “A lot of normal people have been deterred from dancing because they don't fit into the rigid standards of body types for dancers. The Hiplet Ballerinas are diverse in background, style, and body type."

The program opens with Power choreographed by Taylor Edwards, Anthony Sampson, Trevon Lawrence, and Kristoffer Belivie. Leaning into the aesthetics of Afro-futurism, Power celebrates Black identity, strength and influence through the past, present and future. Next is They That Wait choreographed by Dajiah Alexander, Idella Davis, and Imani English. Taking its name from a biblical quote, They That Wait explores themes of spiritual endurance, renewal, and faith. Rounding out the first half of the program is the world premiere of Garden. Garden is the first dance in the Hiplet repertoire choreographed to be danced off-pointe and signifies the ongoing expansion of the Hiplet style to include new and diverse forms of dance. Garden showcases the individuality of each dancer while highlighting how each unique “flower” combines to form a beautiful garden.

The second half of the program begins with Pasos. Choreographed by Rebecca Aleman, Pasos is deeply influenced by Latin American culture and the energetic rhythms of the Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Finally, the full company will take the stage in Outdated Education choreographed by Taylor Edwards, Tanji Harper, Anthony Sampson, and Leandra Growth. Originally choreographed in 2013, Outdated Education is a staple of the Hiplet repertoire. The work celebrates the evolution of Black music and dance from the 1970's through today. Featuring popular music and dance-moves from the last 50 years, the work refocuses the spotlight on popular Black art that is often overlooked, misinterpreted, or misappropriated in pop-culture and is as educational for audiences as it is fun!

“As the Theatre For The People, we present the best multi-genre dance companies from around the world, including many of those companies right here at home,” said The Auditorium CEO Rich Regan.  “We are proud to celebrate the diverse and cutting-edge work being done throughout Chicago's dance community, and we are thrilled to bring the electric Hiplet Ballerinas to our audience for its first solo performance at The Auditorium.”

About the Hiplet Ballerinas

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