Hubbard Street Raises More Than $800,000 at Season 37 Spotlight Ball

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, one of the world's premier contemporary dance organizations, together with Honorary Chairs Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Amy Rule, and Event Chair Patti Selander Eylar, held its Season 37 Spotlight Ball on Monday, June 1 at the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park.

The gala event raised more than $800,000 for Hubbard Street's artistic, community-focused, education and youth programming. Mayor Emanuel attended to present the company's corporate Spotlight Award to Presenting Sponsor Archer Daniels Midland Company, accepted by Patricia A. Woertz, chairman of the board of ADM. Los Angeles philanthropist Glorya Kaufman presented an artistic Spotlight Award to renowned choreographer William Forsythe, associate choreographer with the Paris Opéra Ballet as of fall 2015, and incoming faculty member and artistic advisor for the Choreographic Institute at the University of Southern California's Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. More than 450 distinguished attendees included visiting guests Robert Cutietta, Dean of the Thornton School of Music and the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance at USC; and Jodie Gates, Director and Vice Dean at USC Kaufman, which later this year embarks on a new partnership in dance education with Hubbard Street and its Artistic Director, Glenn Edgerton.

The event began at 6:00pm with a cocktail reception and silent auction featuring more than 20 lots including luxury travel and fine dining; one-of-a-kind experiences courtesy of Bravo TV star Andy Cohen, C3 Presents and Lollapalooza; and much more. These items and a live auction helmed by Gary F. Metzner of Sotheby's raised more than $200,000 the night of the event.

Following welcomes from Eylar and Hubbard Street Board Chair Ellis Regenbogen, and a solo performance by Hubbard Street Dancer Jason Hortin, attendees enjoyed a three-course dinner, wines from Bottlenotes and Angels & Cowboys, and signature drinks from Tito's Handmade Vodka. The gala evening concluded with plenty of dancing to music by DJ Tess of Slo 'Mo and No Small Plans Productions.

Thanking Hubbard Street for being "one of the greatest ambassadors a city could have around the world," Mayor Emanuel added that, "for two years running, the City of Chicago has been the number-one city for corporate relocations.... Part of that effort is having companies see the talent and see the capabilities of a great city," with which he recognized Woertz for leading ADM in bringing its global headquarters to Chicago.

Regarding William Forsythe's five-decade career in dance and related fields, Glorya Kaufman observed that "it takes a truly remarkable person to create works that honor and appreciate history and tradition, while also propelling that art in new directions." Edgerton added that, "to put it simply, he has changed the face of dance." Calling on Hubbard Street's combined professional and early-career ensembles to stand for applause, Forsythe began his remarks by saying, "It's all about dancers. They are very, very valuable, insanely focused, rigorous, disciplined [and] they made me."

Video presentations by HMS Media summarized 40 years of Forsythe's choreographic projects, and previewed Mariko's Magical Mix: A Dance Adventure, an original production for young audiences and families featuring Hubbard Street 2, created by Robyn Mineko Williams in collaboration with innovative shadow-puppetry and theater company Manual Cinema, and premiering in October 2015 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Archer Daniels Midland Company and Kenneth C. Griffin were the Presenting Sponsors of Hubbard Street's Season 37 Spotlight Ball. Benefactors included Grosvenor Capital Management, L.P.; The Chicago Sun-Times/The Chicago Community Trust; Sara Albrecht; Latsko Family Foundation; Ellis and Sally Regenbogen; and Richard and Ann Tomlinson. Sponsors included Meg and Tim Callahan; Dirk Denison and David Salkin; Patti Selander Eylar and Charles Gardner; Denise Stefan-Ginascol and John Ginascol; Caryn and King Harris, and The Harris Family Foundation; David Herro and Jay Franke; ITW; Caryn Jacobs and Dan Cedarbaum; Jenner & Block LLP; Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP; Sarah J. Nolan; Larry D. Richman and The PrivateBank; Richard L. Rodes; Deborah and Kelly Stonebraker; and USG. Patrons included Robert and Marilyn Arensman; ARI; Athletico Physical Therapy; Marge and Lew Collens; Exelon; Sandra and Jack Guthman; Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP; Karen Kuenster and Jim Osick; Marc Miller and Chris Horsman; Jim and Linda Mitchell; Abby McCormick O'Neil and D. Carroll Joynes; Alexandra and John Nichols; Byron and Judy Pollock; Lauren Robishaw; Mary Kay Shaw; Richard and Barbara Silverman; State Farm; Dr. John Vazquez and Dr. Paul Gleixner; and Randy and Lisa White.

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