*Media Release* *For Immediate Release* Contact: Mary Verdi-Fletcher President/Founding Artistic Director 216-432-0306 vfletcher1@aol.com *Dancing Wheels kicks off the holiday season with the return of* *Babes in Toyland!* Cleveland - November 9th-10th will kick off the hustle and bustle of the holiday season when the Dancing Wheels Company takes to the Breen Center stage at Saint Ignatius for three heartwarming performances of the beloved story of Mary Quite Contrary and Tom Piper in the reimagined classic *Babes in Toyland. * *About the Production* This fun-loving production, choreographed by Rehearsal Director and Resident Choreographer Catherine Meredith, is filled with love, laughter and hysterical hijinks! When it premiered in 2014, Founding Artistic Director, Mary Verdi-Fletcher said, “This story is so delightful and has so many audience pleasing moments, I know it will be among our favorite story book ballets.” This year’s production includes the 10-member Dancing Wheels Company, along with guest artists Lianne Zydowicz, Meredith Aleigha Wells and Lil’ Craig, who play such memorable characters as Mother Goose, Jack and Jill, Jack Be Nimble, Little Bo Peep, Mary Contrary, Tom Piper, the dastardly villain Barnaby and his sidekicks Gonzorgo and Rodrigo! An awesome march of toy soldiers will include the School of Dancing Wheels’ Performance Ensemble and additional students from our School and outreach programs. The production will run for three shows at the Breen Center for the Performing Arts (2008 W 30th in Cleveland) and includes two student matinees on Friday, November 9th (10:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.) and a public matinee on Saturday, November 10th at 2:00 p.m. followed by a “Toys & Treats” kids party! *About the Choreographer* Catherine Meredith’s choreography has been commissioned by Santa Monica College, Kent State University, Mercyhurst University, Ohio Northern University, Verb Ballets, Dancing Wheels Company, and The University of Akron and presented at The Kennedy Center, AVAYAVA Festival (India), American Dance Guild (NYC), White Wave DUMBO Dance Festival, TED Talks, Dance St. Louis, HATCH Series at Jennifer Muller/The Works, Playhouse Square, Cain Park, Cleveland Dance Festival, Jacob’s Pavilion-Nautica, and at The American Dance Festival. As a performer, Catherine Meredith has toured nationally/internationally while working in television, film, musical theater and on the concert dance stage with such companies as Cortez & Co. Contemporary/Ballet, Verb Ballets, The Glue Factory and Karen Reedy Dance Company. She has performed in works by Alvin Ailey, George Balanchine, Beth Corning, Talley Beatty, Paul Taylor, David Rousseve, David Parsons, Shapiro & Smith, and Hernando Cortez, with principal roles in Heinz Poll’s “Bolero”, Martha Graham’s “Appalachian Spring”, Ulysses Dove’s “Vespers” and Dianne McIntyre’s “In the Groove and Over the Top.” Ms. Meredith has been on faculty at Slippery Rock University, Joffrey Ballet, Brooklyn Music School, Pineapple Studios (UK) and currently, Cuyahoga Community College. She received her MFA from the American Dance Festival/Hollins University. *About the Company and School* The Dancing Wheels Company & School, operating at its new World Center for Integrated Dance & Arts Access, is celebrating its 38th season. As America’s first physically integrated dance company, Dancing Wheels Company brings inclusive and entertaining dance to audiences throughout the world. The highly skilled stand-up and sit-down (wheelchair) dancers travel the globe performing and teaching for more than 30,000 people each year. Company members for the 2018/19 season are: Matt Bowman, Tanya Ewell, Kaitlyn Fabian, Molly Haslag, Sara Lawrence-Sucato, Deborah Reilly, Matthew Robinson, Celina Speck, Mary Verdi-Fletcher and Caleb Waybright. The Dancing Wheels School is under the leadership of Deborah Reilly, School Administrator with help from Sara Lawrence-Sucato, Director of Outreach & Community Engagement. Together, the school and outreach programs serve 30 organizations, including public and private schools, reaching 7,000 students in five counties. The School’s in-studio classes provide opportunities for professional training as well as programs for students that seek the sheer pleasure of dance for recreational purposes. It also offers students an opportunity to perform on a regular basis through its Performance Ensemble. *Tickets * Tickets for student matinees (November 9th) are $5/per person for performances that and are perfectly suited for senior centers, schools and home-schooled children. Babes in Toyland public performance (November 10th) tickets are $15/child and $25/adult and can be purchased by calling (216) 432-0306 or by visiting our website at www.dancingwheels.org. For special group rates, inquire by phone. Tickets are also available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis. *Sponsors* *The Dancing Wheels Company & School is sponsored through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts, Ohio Arts Council, The Cleveland Foundation, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, The Spaeth Family Foundation, George Gund Foundation, Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation, Toyota, and The Kuhn Family Foundation.* # # # *For high resolution photos, interview requests or for more information contact President/Founding Artistic Director Mary Verdi-Fletcher at 216-432-0306 or vfletcher1@aol.com <vfletcher1@aol.com>.*