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Jim Vincent, left, with HSDC Associate Artistic Director Lucas Crandall and Executive Director Jason Palmquist.

In yesterday’s Tribune: Jim Vincent, Artistic Director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago since 2000, will take over Anders Hellstrom’s post as Artistic Director of Nederlands Dans Theater beginning this fall.

Dance news doesn’t get much bigger than that, folks.

The twelve years Vincent spent as a dancer at NDT (1978-90) happened to be one of the most significant periods of company founder and then-director Jiří Kylián‘s career*; Vincent originated roles in many of his ballets including 1983’s Stamping Ground.  (An excellent documentary from the following year, Road to the Stamping Ground, features studio footage of the dance’s creation as well as multiple interviews with Kylián explaining the profound influence Australian aboriginal dancing had on his work.  It really is a must-see.)

If I know Jim, this opportunity represents for him an ultimate achievement; it also facilitates a return for him and his family to Europe.  The question now is, who will take the helm at HSDC?  Float your theories and nominations in the comments.

*Kylián is, of course, still very much a prolific and influential choreographer.