[NEohioPAL] Berko review: GROUNDWORKS DANCE PROGRAM

[Roy Berko]

*Groundworks presents compelling program at The Breen Center; preview of
future dance concerts*



Roy Berko

(Member, Dance Critics Association)



David Shimotakahara’s Groundworks DanceTheater has received lots of awards
and recognitions.  They are well deserved.  The artistic director and the
company’s major choreographer continues to find fine dancers who are
well-trained to continue the company’s tradition of having performers who
are proficient, have fine body control, and can consistently perform at a
high level.  When one dancer leaves, he or she is replaced by another of
equal or higher quality.



Though he didn’t choreograph a single piece in the company’s latest program

at the Breen Center, Shimotakahara’s perfectionist stamp was all over the
performances.



Amy Miller, a former Groundworks dancer and presently the group’s Artistic
Associate, left the area to move to New York, but returns to choreograph.  Her
VALENCE, was all Miller.  Strong, powerful, controlled.  The dancers moved
with precision to a cacophony of sounds.  The piece portrayed the capacity
of one person or thing to react with or affect another.   Like exploding
atoms, the dancers ran, interacted and moved and affected each other.  The
two art forms of music and dance melded into a coherent purposeful
piece.  Dennis
Dugan’s lighting well accented the actions.



CoDa, by Israeli choreographer Ronen Koresh, received its world premiere.
It was danced to a variety of musical sounds and selections from such
sources as *Steppe*, *Seuls au monde* and *Invités sur la terre*.  Combining
visual images from both Sephardic and Ashkenazy heritages, with moves of
Hasidic and contemporary Israel, there was a heartiness, freshness and
compelling presence to the dancing.

No story was told.  Instead, it was a series of kinetic images that grab
and hold an audience and was greeted by prolonged applause.



HINDSIGHT by Choreographer Lynn Taylor-Corbett concluded the exciting
evening.  Dancing to such songs as *I’ll Stand By You*, *Hymn to Her*, *
Rosalee*, and Love’s* A Mystery*, the six-part piece, well used the dancers
to create visual images that fit the music and created fine illusions.



*Capsule judgement:  Bravos to Felice Bagley, Sarah Perrett, Kathryn
Taylor, Damien Highfield and Gary Lenington who effectively danced every
number in the concert.  Their abilities, along with fine choreography, made
this a special evening of dance.*



*Upcoming Groundworks Performances*



*BE MOVED*

March 24---7:30 pm

Chagrin Falls Performing arts Center

400 E. Washington Street

Program:  HINDSIGHT—homage to rock legend Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders
by Lynne Taylor-Corbett & NEW WORK by guest choreographer Ronen Koresh

Tickets:  440-247-9700 or visit www.chagrinarts.org



*IT TAKES TWO*

April 21

A fundraiser at Windows on the River, 2000 Sycamore Street, Cleveland

See seven Cleveland celebrities (Lev Gonick, Jeffrey Grover, Sandra Kiely
Kolb, Jakki Nance, Jan Roller, Joy Roller, Steven Standley) partnering with
GroundWorks dancers

Tickets:  216-751-0088 or visit www.groundworksdance.org



*Next dance programs at Breen*



Ohio Dance Theatre

Friday, February 10, 8 pm

Denis Gula’s Oberlin-based company presents DRACULA, a new work, Lisa
Lock’s THE DREAM, an excerpt from CARMEN, and the premiere of BEYOND
COURAGE by Stephen Melillo.

Tickets:  www.ohiodancetheatre.org



Verb Ballets

Friday, February 17, 8 pm

Program:  THE LILY by Chung-Fu Chang, THE SHAKERS by Doris Humphrey, and a
tango by Troy McCarty, OTRA LUNA.

Tickets:  verbballets.org or 216-397-3757.


 Roy Berko's commentaries and reviews appear on coolcleveland.com,
neohiopal.com,artsamerica.com,

broadwaynews.com, and The Times Newspapers.  His blog is: www.royberko.info
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