[NEohioPAL] Friday - 6th Annual Dance Showcase at PlayhouseSquare

[Cindi Szymanski]

Local Dance Companies Take Center Stage

at PlayhouseSquare September 12



Cleveland, OH - The PlayhouseSquare Arts Education Department will present its sixth annual Dance Showcase on Friday, September 12 at 7 p.m. in the Ohio Theatre.  Featuring six of Northeast Ohio's finest professional dance companies, the performance highlights a wide array of dance styles from African to contemporary to ballet.



The companies performing are African Soul International, Dance/Theater Collective, Double-Edge Dance, Inlet Dance Theatre, Lisa K. Lock and Verb Ballets.  A selection committee reviewed all of the submissions received and chose these six companies for their quality and diversity.  The committee was comprised of Carol Halsted, Director of Dance at the Detroit Opera House and Professor Emeritus of Dance at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan; Linda Jackson, Education Program Manager at PlayhouseSquare and former dancer, instructor and artistic associate with the Cleveland San Jose Ballet; and Paul Organisak, Vice President of Programming, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and  Executive Director, Pittsburgh Dance Council.



"PlayhouseSquare is known for bringing the best of Broadway and the performing arts to Cleveland," explained Colleen Porter, director of arts education at PlayhouseSquare, "but we also want to give people the chance to experience work by local artists.  The diversity and level of excellence exhibited by our local dance companies is astounding."



As a non-profit organization, PlayhouseSquare relies on charitable giving to present the Dance Showcase and similar experiences to the community.  "Our donors and sponsors make it possible for us to present the Dance Showcase with no charge for admission, which makes it a wonderful opportunity for everyone, especially those new to dance, to enjoy this beautiful art form," said Linda Jackson.



More information about the Dance Showcase is available at playhousesquare.org/artseducation or by calling 216-348-7909.  There is no charge for admission and tickets are not required.



Dance Showcase Repertoire

African Soul International - Ballanta

This piece is a tribute to those who fought oppression and captivity.  The Ballanta are known as some of the fiercest warriors in West Africa, literally sabotaging and attacking slave ships who tried to steal their loved ones and neighbors.  Theirs is little-known story of courage, strength and resilience.



Dance/Theater Collective - Access

"Access," a poignant, yet playful exploration of recapturing simplicity in relationships will be performed by long-time Dance/Theater Collective partners Joe Booth and Lynn Deering.  Choreographed by Amy Miller of GroundWorks Dancetheater, this duet aims to use pure movement to create a sense of restoration and innocence.



Double-Edge Dance - Some Nerve

"Some Nerve" is a feisty duet of two women challenging one another, almost as two sisters who trust and love each other through arguments and one-ups.  "Some Nerve" is choreographed by Kora Radella.  The composer is Ross Feller.



Inlet Dance Theatre - Close Shave

In "A Close Shave," Inlet Dance Theatre explores that phrase's double meaning - narrow escape from harm and the act of scraping away the "ugly" to "clean up one's image" - in the context of a man wrestling with aspects of his proverbial self in the mirror. The choreography is by Bill Wade in collaboration with Joshua Brown, Kenaniah Bystrom and Justin Stentz.  The music is by Ryan Lott; costumes are by Kristin Wade.



Lisa K. Lock - Silent Prayer for Drowning Fish

"Silent Prayer for Drowning Fish," choreographed and performed by Lisa K. Lock, is where fragments of memories, wanting to gap distances, extend oneself to reach what is no longer there.



Verb Ballets - Laura's Women

"Laura's Women" received its world premiere in 1974 in Cleveland, performed by Cleveland Ballet. The first work created by Ian Horvath (1943-1990), "Laura's Women" speaks of the life of women caught in a world of poverty and loneliness. The dance was inspired by the music and life of blues singer Laura Nyro.  "Laura's Women" remained in the repertory of Cleveland Ballet until 1998 as an audience favorite. This revival of "Laura's Women' is made possible by the generosity of Millie L. Carlson and Ginger Shane.



PlayhouseSquare places incredibly strong emphasis on arts education and believes that it is essential to improving the quality of life in our community. Through a variety of workshops and classes designed for people of all ages, the PlayhouseSquare Arts Education Department offers avenues to discovery, appreciation and development in and through the performing arts, connecting participants with national and international artists in unique and meaningful ways.  PlayhouseSquare initiates collaboration among educators, artists and other community organizations, and actively forms mutually beneficial partnerships with local arts organizations to create and present arts education experiences of the highest quality.  Always striving to fulfill its role as an asset to the Northeast Ohio community, PlayhouseSquare is an active leader in advocating arts education both locally and within the performing arts industry.



###



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.neohiopal.org/pipermail/neohiopal-neohiopal.org/attachments/20080911/cfcf354c/attachment-0003.htm>