The Hubbard Street Dance Company of Chicago and WTTW-Ch. 11 collaborate for their second special at 9 p.m. Wednesday, with 30 minutes of selections from the ebullient troupe`s jazz/ballet/show dance repertoire.
Unlike the first outing, which was shot in 1981 in a theater performance, the new show was taped in a WTTW studio, using sets specially devised for the occasion: a nightclub arena for two segments from director Lou Conte`s
”Gershwin Dances,” a vaudeville stage for the tap-dancing ”Bill Robinson Tribute,” etc.
The dancing, as usual, is sharp, but the production values sometimes tend to obscure it. The white floor for the aerobics-inspired ”Line Drive” blots out the white-shoed feet of the dancers, and the top hat and tails Rick Hilsabeck wears in ”Gershwin Dances” conceals some of his elegant moves.
Conte and dancer Gwen Verdon, a Hubbard Street fan, are the show`s self-conscious hosts.
