Solos, duets, and trios
The Trailer
"There are an array of events that we experience in our lifetimes, from birthdays to weddings to funerals. These often monumental ceremonies merge casts of characters with individual narratives — some more private, some more evident. With intermingling storylines and layered histories, these gatherings can often be intense and complex collisions of viewpoint, rather than the easy celebrations they appear to be."
— Choreographer Penny Saunders
In Any Event
Penny Saunders, Choreography and Sound Design
Penny Saunders and Bruno Roque, Film Direction
Michael Wall, Music
Jessica Tong, Costume Design
Hubbard Street Dancers: Alyssa Allen, Craig D. Black Jr., Jacqueline Burnett, Elliot Hammans, Alysia Johnson, Abdiel Figueroa Reyes, Adam McGaw, Andrew Murdock, David Schultz, Kevin J. Shannon
Commissioned and produced by Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.
Funded by the generous donors to Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.
Music by Franz Schubert, “Trio in E-Flat Major, Op. 100” performed by Burlington Piano Trio. Original compositions by Michael Wall. Stories and sounds provided by the Hubbard Street Company Dancers with arrangement by Penny Saunders. “Call to Action” written and performed by Alysia Johnson, arrangement by Penny Saunders. “Here Comes the Bride” performed by Pablo Piantino. “Ring Around the Rosie” performed by David Schultz, with arrangement by Michael Wall. “Poop Story” performed by Alyssa Allen. “Happy Birthday” and “Jolly Good Fellow” performed by full cast, arrangement by Penny Saunders. “Auld Lang Syne” performed by Andrew Murdock. Cameo appearances by Jonathan Alsberry and Jessica Tong.
Film Credits: John Ford of HMS Media, Camera Operator. Joe Lukawski of HMS Media, Video Technician. Jack Horwitch, Head Electrician.
FOR K-12 EDUCATORS
In Any Event Dance Discussion
Study Guide
Using inference skills to guide their viewing, take your students on a deep dive into analyzing the storyline and characters in the film. Students will reflect on how the film's audio, staging, and movement shape their interpretation of the film's narrative.
Behind-the-scenes trivia
Penny can be heard singing a haunting rendition of "There's No Business Like Show Business" in the film. This is an homage to Bette Midler, an entertainer whom Penny admires greatly. It is also a shoutout to an enduring Hubbard Street tradition known as circle places. This is a moment before a performance when the dancers gather in a circle backstage, join hands, and chant the lyrics to "There's No Business Like Show Business."
Zero. Neither of the directors ever came to Chicago during the filming. The camera work was executed by our longtime friends at HMS Media, in close collaboration with co-directors Penny Saunders and Bruno Roque, who were never in the same room with the dancers.
Four! Jacqueline Burnett, Andrew Murdock, Kevin J. Shannon, and David Schultz all worked with Penny when she was a Hubbard Street Dancer.
It's neither. In the film, some of the Hubbard Street Dancers can be seen drinking a mixture of apple juice and sparkling water, which was skillfully mixed and poured by none other than Jessica Tong, Associate Artistic Director of Hubbard Street.
Five.
Probably.
The Artists
"Using the Walden event space as our setting, this film shifts our point of view within those walls to reveal a series of hidden perspectives and agendas. Schubert’s Trio in E-flat major, along with recordings of stories and songs by the Hubbard Street Dancers, provide the soundtrack to the film. In Any Event compassionately peels back the complicated dynamics present at any gathering of family and friends."
— Penny Saunders