Cleveland Ballet’s New ‘Cinderella’ is a Fresh Take on the Classic Tale [PREVIEW]
By Steve Sucato As a ballet, the first documented versions of Cinderella date back to 1813, but most modern productions are based on Charles Perrault’s 1697 book, “Cinderella, or The Little Glass Slipper,” and the 1940s Bolshoi Theatre’s ballet production with a libretto by Nikolai Volkov, music by Sergei Prokofiev, and choreography by Rostislav Zakharov, with a comedic handling of the stepsisters’ characters popularized by … Continue reading Cleveland Ballet’s New ‘Cinderella’ is a Fresh Take on the Classic Tale [PREVIEW]
Star Spangled Ballet to Highlight City Ballet of Cleveland’s ‘Spring Repertory Concert’ [PREVIEW]
By Steve Sucato City Ballet of Cleveland, the pre-professional student company in residence at Cleveland City Dance, will present its 17th annual Spring Repertory Concert on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the Lorraine and Bill Dodero Center for Performing Arts at Gilmour Academy. The 90-minute program includes three premieres: two by CBC Artistic Director Courtney Laves-Mearini and one by former CBC dancer Adrienne Chan. The … Continue reading Star Spangled Ballet to Highlight City Ballet of Cleveland’s ‘Spring Repertory Concert’ [PREVIEW]
CorningWorks’ Latest Dance-Theater Work Taps Into Today’s Uncertainty Zeitgeist [PREVIEW]
By Steve Sucato Veteran dancer-choreographer Beth Corning doesn’t wear her heart on her sleeve; it is reflected in her choreographic works if you look with intent. Not one to spoon-feed or preach to audiences, Corning’s works pose thought-provoking questions, often steeped in metaphor, and are sharp-witted, a touch humorous, a tad poignant, and magnificently beautiful in their visuals and craft. Her latest evening-length work, Foolish … Continue reading CorningWorks’ Latest Dance-Theater Work Taps Into Today’s Uncertainty Zeitgeist [PREVIEW]
YY Dance’s Cleveland Debut Left The Audience Clamoring For More [REVIEW]
YY Dance CompanyMimi Ohio Theatre at Playhouse SquareCleveland, OhioApril 25, 2026 By Steve Sucato DanceCleveland’s 69th season came to a satisfying close Saturday night at Playhouse Square’s Mimi Ohio Theatre with the Northeast Ohio debut of YY Dance Company. The spellbinding performance by the New York-based troupe, established in 2018 by Chinese American dancer-choreographer Yue Yin, was part of the company’s very first domestic tour, … Continue reading YY Dance’s Cleveland Debut Left The Audience Clamoring For More [REVIEW]
Maria Caruso’s Latest Ballet for Bodiography Contemplates the Afterlife [PREVIEW]
By Steve Sucato Maria Caruso’s Bodiography returns to Pittsburgh’s Kelly-Strayhorn Theater this weekend, April 17-19, 2026, for Arcadia, a mixed repertory program of past company favorites and new works, all choreographed by company Founding Director Maria Caruso, including the world premiere of the program’s namesake ballet. Approaching its 25th-anniversary season, Bodiography, under the leadership of Caruso and Artistic Director Lauren Suflita Skrabalak, has remained a … Continue reading Maria Caruso’s Latest Ballet for Bodiography Contemplates the Afterlife [PREVIEW]
Beguiling ‘For The Love Of Dance’ was BalletMet at its Best [REVIEW]
BalletMet – For the Love of DanceDavidson Theatre at Riffe Center TheatresColumbus, OHMarch 21, 2026 By Steve Sucato BalletMet’s latest triple-bill, For the Love of Dance, proved a high-caliber dance program befitting ballet companies several times its size. The program at the Riffe Center’s Davidson Theatre in Columbus began with its marquee ballet, Alexi Ratmansky’s “Seven Sonatas” (2009). The former Director of Russia’s Bolshoi Ballet … Continue reading Beguiling ‘For The Love Of Dance’ was BalletMet at its Best [REVIEW]
Emotionality Unbound [REVIEW]
“Ballet Unbound” was a diverse mixed-repertory program that landed squarely in Ohio Contemporary Ballet’s sweet spot as a company presenting classical, modern dance, and neoclassical and contemporary ballet works. PerformanceOhio Contemporary Ballet: “Ballet Unbound” PlaceMimi Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square, Cleveland, March 28, 2026 WordsSteve Sucato The nearly four-decade-old Cleveland, Ohio-based troupe opened the program with Paul Taylor’s 1978 modern dance masterwork, “Airs.” Set to … Continue reading Emotionality Unbound [REVIEW]
World Premiere Ballet to Janáček’s Moving ‘From the Street’ Highlights OCB’s ‘Ballet Unbound’ in Cleveland [PREVIEW]
By Steve Sucato Premiered in February in Akron, Ohio Contemporary Ballet’s Ballet Unbound now moves to Cleveland at Playhouse Square’s Mimi Ohio Theatre on March 28, 2026. The diverse mixed repertory program of works by Paul Taylor, Heinz Poll, and Nycole Ray will now include the world premiere of Gordon Peirce Schmidt’s timely “From the Street.” Set to a piano sonata of the same name … Continue reading World Premiere Ballet to Janáček’s Moving ‘From the Street’ Highlights OCB’s ‘Ballet Unbound’ in Cleveland [PREVIEW]
Cleveland Ballet Presents a Glorious Interpretation of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ [PREVIEW]
By Steve Sucato Cleveland Ballet continues its 11th season with Handel’s Messiah this weekend at Playhouse Square’s KeyBank State Theatre. The large-scale music and dance spectacle in partnership with the Cleveland Chamber Choir and Northeast Ohio’s BlueWater Chamber Orchestra is set to put composer George Frideric Handel’s masterwork “Messiah,” the 1741 English-language oratorio about the life of Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, into glorious motion. Choreographed … Continue reading Cleveland Ballet Presents a Glorious Interpretation of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ [PREVIEW]
Cleveland Ballet’s Lauren Stenroos Takes Her Final Bows As A Company Dancer In ‘Handel’s Messiah’ [INTERVIEW]
By Steve Sucato* After a 20-year professional performance career, Cleveland Ballet’s Lauren Stenroos is retiring from the company as a dancer this weekend, following the company’s performances of Handel’s Messiah with the Cleveland Chamber Choir and BlueWater Chamber Orchestra at KeyBank State Theatre in Cleveland. A Bath, Ohio native, Stenroos began her dance training at Nan Klinger’s Excellence in Dance and the Cuyahoga Valley Youth … Continue reading Cleveland Ballet’s Lauren Stenroos Takes Her Final Bows As A Company Dancer In ‘Handel’s Messiah’ [INTERVIEW]
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