Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell dropped out of Juilliard at age 19 to join the company, where she danced for three years before moving on to 13 years with Ailey. After retiring from the stage in 2005, she got a graduate degree and went home to Baltimore to teach. Now, as HSDC’s artistic director, “she is tasked with culling an artistic identity that gradually moved Hubbard Street away from its audience base as the company increasingly delved into experimental works.” – Dance Magazine