Hubbard Street Dance Chicago welcomes Alexandra Wells as Director of Artist Training

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, under the artistic direction of Glenn Edgerton and executive leadership of Jason D. Palmquist, announces today its new Director of Artist Training, Alexandra Wells, Founder and Artistic Director of Springboard Danse Montreal.

Wells comes to Hubbard Street from 18 years at the Julliard School and 16 years at Springboard Danse Montreal, an international destination for world-renowned companies, emerging choreographers and dancers created by Wells and former General Director, Susan Alexander in 2001. Springboard Danse Montreal has provided networking and career-building opportunities for the dance community that is unparalleled.

Starting in September, Wells will join Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's Artistic staff, managing Hubbard Street's artist training programs including its new Professional Training Program (PTP), a two year program for dancers seeking serious, professional-level training in conjunction with one of today's leading forces in contemporary dance, which begins its inaugural program in the fall of 2017. Auditions for the PTP Inaugural program will be held April 30 from 1-4pm at the Hubbard Street Dance Center.

Says Artistic Director Glenn Edgerton: "The longevity of Alexandra's experience in the dance world brings a new focus to our artist training. She has a forward-thinking mindset; that openness and relevancy is exactly what Hubbard Street is about. She will bring an inspired history of experience and knowledge to our artist training, and subsequently the company."

Wells was a full-time faculty member at The Juilliard School in New York City for 18 years teaching various levels of ballet and pointe. She also served as a rehearsal director, as well as an advisor, mentor, and Colloquium facilitator for students in all artistic disciplines. In 2009, she created the Movement Invention Project, a New York Summer Intensive with the New Jersey Dance Theater Ensemble and NJDTE Artistic Director, Nancy Turano. This project was developed for advanced dancers 18-22 years old to encourage risk-taking and continues to push the limits of young professionals. Wells has been a guest teacher for many companies including: BJM Danse Montréal, Ballet BC, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, A.I.M. Abraham in Motion, and Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and is currently on faculty at SUNY Purchase.

During her time as a Principal dancer with the Ballet National de Nancy, Wells toured the world and formed lasting partnerships with the late Rudolf Nureyev for six years and Patrick Dupont for four. She danced leading roles in the classics as well as the ballets of Balanchine, Fokine, Nijinsky, Lifar, Culberg, Bejart, DeMille, Neumier, Kylián, Van Manen, Limon, Christy, and Dove.

Says Alexandra Wells: I am thrilled to have been offered the new position of Director of Artist Training for the new Professional Training Program; I would like to thank the family at Hubbard Street for this opportunity to create a vision for training that is focused on answering the physical and artistic needs of the company, the pre-professional dancers as well as the youth and community of Chicago. I look forward to a fruitful and inspired collaboration with artistic leader Glenn Edgerton, the brilliant dancers of the company, and the stellar faculty and staff at Hubbard Street.

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