Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's Alexandria Best Receives 2023 Princess Grace Award

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago company member Alexandria Best has been recognized by the Princess Grace Foundation-USA to receive a 2023 Princess Grace Award, one of the most prestigious honors presented to emerging talents in the fields of theater, dance and film.

With this honor, Best joins an elite group of young artists, including four current HSDC dancers, eight HSDC alumni and numerous HSDC guest choreographers, repetiteurs and Summer Intensive faculty members.

"As one of the first artists I hired when I became Artistic Director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, I am tremendously proud of Alexandria Best and all that she has accomplished in her career so far," says Artistic Director Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell. "She is a shining star who has only just begun wowing us with her dynamic artistry. We want to express our gratitude to the Princess Grace Foundation for its continuous recognition and support of our exquisite dancers. Allie joins a long list of exceptional Hubbard Street dancers, dating back to 1995, whose artistry has been acknowledged by the organization."

When asked what winning the Princess Grace Award means to her, Best said, "Joining the Princess Grace Foundation with their generous support is a milestone of my career. I see this as a testament to my growing artistry, and am very grateful to elevate my creative talents in such a profound manner by joining Princess Grace's mission to enhance emerging artists and nurture their talents. I see this moment as a catapult to spread my sense of community and create a platform for others to latch onto as we expand into newer and greater heights."

Alexandria Best is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina where she began her pre-professional dance training. During this time, she acquired knowledge from instructors across programs such as American Ballet Theatre, Arts Umbrella, Carolina Ballet, DamianiDance, French Academie of Ballet and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. She is a 2021 graduate of Pace University where she earned her BFA in dance, with a concentration in performance and pedagogy and a minor in business. Immediately following post-grad, Alexandria joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago as a company dance artist under the new direction of Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell. Now going into her third season, she has had the opportunity to perform many great works by many great-minded artists. She is thrilled to be announced as a 2023 Princess Grace Foundation Award winner in Dance and to be joining its community of artists, including many past and present HSDC members. Alexandria will continue to grow her artistry with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in its upcoming season. Best is also featured on the August 2023 cover of Dance Magazine.

Past HSDC company members who have been honored by the Foundation include current company members Abdiel Figueroa Reyes (2022), Alysia L. Johnson (2021), David Schultz (2012) and Jacqueline Burnett (2011) as well as former company members Craig D. Black, Jr. (2010), Rena Butler (2019), Jeffery Duffy (2016), Penny Saunders (2016), Emilie Leriche (2015), Robyn Mineko Williams (2013), Victor Quijada (2010) and Mario Alberto Zambrano (1995). Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is the fourth-most Princess Grace awarded dance company in the nation, and is proud to be the most-awarded contemporary dance company by the Princess Grace Foundation-USA.

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is dedicated to upholding the legacy of Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco, (née Grace Kelly) and elevating extraordinary emerging artists in theater, dance and film through career-advancing grants. The Foundation is a non-profit, publicly-supported charity, headquartered in New York City.

About Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's mission is to bring artists, art and audiences together to enrich, engage, educate and change lives through the experience of dance.

For 46 years, Hubbard Street has been one of the most original forces in contemporary dance - bringing top choreographers and works to Chicago and beyond. Hubbard Street's ever-evolving repertory, created by today's leading choreographic voices, makes them a company that dancers aspire to join and performance venues all over the world are eager to host. To date, the main company has performed globally in 19 countries and 44 U.S. states.

At home in Chicago, Hubbard Street performs 20 times a year and delivers renowned education programs in 50 classrooms across 17 Chicagoland schools. HSDC Education utilizes the choreographic process to teach essential problem-solving skills, creativity, and collaboration - expanding our reach beyond traditional concert dance audiences, ensuring that everyone has access to world-class dance and instruction.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago grew out of the Lou Conte Dance Studio in 1977, and Conte served as Artistic Director for 23 years. Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell began her tenure at the company in March 2021. In January 2022, HSDC moved to their new home in Water Tower Place on Michigan Avenue.

Visit www.hubbardstreetdance.com for more information.

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