By Steve Sucato 

Launched in 2004, Cleveland Public Theatre’s DanceWorks is the longest-running annual dance series of its kind in the region. The series celebrates the variety of dance local dance artists and companies offer. Audiences each year are treated to productions from established artists and companies while being introduced to new troupes and artists in the series which has become a fixture on the Cleveland dance scene.  

DanceWorks 2024 will be no different, with four weeks of diverse dance programs from April 18 through May 18.

The series kicks off this Thursday through Saturday (April 18-20) with Fenestella, a new collaborative production by Ajayi Dance, Elizabeth Pollert, and Sarah Holmes Villanueva Dance.

Fenestella means a small window or an opening in a wall. Choreographers Melissa Ajayi, Elizabeth Pollert, and Sarah Holmes Villanueva chose the term as the title for their production “because we feel that this concert provides a window into a larger deeper scope of work that all of us are doing individually as well as what the community of independent dance artists in Cleveland is working towards,” says Ajayi. 

The production will feature works from Pollert, Ajayi, and Holmes Villanueva, performed by them and their eponymous dance groups.

Ajayi Dance will premiere “Un-Inanimate,” an 11-minute work for five dancers and four brightly painted mannequins. The work, danced to recorded music by French singer-songwriter Flavien Berger, Danish duo Visti & Meyland, and French record producer Jean-Christophe Le Saoût (a.k.a. Wax Tailor), says Ajayi, “explores how a group of people assign meaning to social constructs and objects based on their repeated experiences, shared understandings, and visual perception.”

The troupe will also present a 15-minute excerpt from Ajayi’s 2023 site-specific work, “Place in Time: Where|How,” newly adapted for the stage. The excerpt, for eight dancers, utilizes a giant recycled military cargo parachute and is set to recorded music by Swedish composer Uno Helmersson, German composer Martin Kohlstedt, and others. Says Ajayi, “Audiences are invited to consider the shared past of our current structures and ideas and to reimagine their potential for transformation across time and space through energy and intention.”

With a background in both classical and contemporary styles, Ajayi describes her choreographic movement style as grounded, fluid, athletic, and responsive to the environment. Momentum, spiral energy, and gravity allow for dynamic, energetic shifts balanced with intentional, mindful moments of connection,” she says.

A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in dance, Holmes Villanueva describes her movement style as exploring all possibilities of the spine and extremities. “There is a continuous opposition between giving in to and fighting gravity, as well as the contrast between shapes and flow,” she says. “I am also always interested in exploring time and how to shift our perception of time through rhythm and speed.”

Holmes Villanueva will also present two works as part of Fenestella; both danced to electronic music.

The 8-minute solo “Fanatic” was inspired by Holmes Villanueva’s interest in cults, fanaticism, and extremism.

“I listened to many podcasts about people who were raised or pulled into extremist situations and how it affected their psyche, sense of self, and relationships,” says Holmes Villanueva. I found it profound and scary that their experiences were so relatable and that anyone can become a fanatic when people are in vulnerable situations.”

Holmes Villanueva’s other work, the 15-minute duet “Supernova,” explores light and vibration. Says Holmes Villanueva, “I was inspired to work with LED lights after my [artist] husband created an installation with them. I loved the possibility of shaping the lights in contrast with movement and moving bodies.

Area dancegoers will recognize Elizabeth Pollert from her sixteen seasons as a lead dancer with Cleveland’s Inlet Dance Theatre. Now an independent artist, Pollert says her two offerings in Fenestella are very different.

“Search,” an 8-minute piece for seven dancers, is motivated by the recorded music it is set to from various artists. Pollert says she is also working with a new creative process inspired by conceptual artists Sol LeWitt, Yoko Ono, and others.

A 15-minute piece in three sections for five dancers, including Pollert and Holmes Villanueva, “Mother | Artist | Dancer,” looks at questions of what it means to be a mother, artist, and dancer and to live between all those identities. What particularities do movement artists and dancers experience regarding motherhood and parenthood?

ARTIST BIOS

Ajayi Dance is a project-driven dance company based in Shaker Heights, Ohio, with the goal of creating dance that inspires and deepens a sense of connection to self, others, community, and the world around us. Company Founder/Director Melissa Ajayi is a graduate of Kent State University, where she received a BFA in dance performance and a BS in Therapeutic Recreation. She lived and worked in New York City and Lexington, Kentucky, before returning to Ohio in 2015. She has danced with multiple companies, including Antaeus Dance, Travesty Dance Group, Marquez Dance Project, Emily Jeffries, Sarah Holmes-Villanueva, Leanne Schmidt and Company, and Blackbird Dance Theatre. She has performed locally at CPT’s Danceworks, Pandemonium, Cleveland Dance Festival, and The Somatic Center, where she taught adult contemporary dance. Her work has been presented at the Blackbird Dance Festival and Tridea Dance.

Elizabeth Pollert is a Cleveland-based creator, performer, and dance educator who works as an independent artist with area choreographers, movers, and multi-genre makers. She has a BFA in Dance from Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi. Pollert spent sixteen seasons with Cleveland’s Inlet Dance Theatre as a company member. She also served as coordinator and choreographer for Inlet’s education programming. Currently, she teaches at area studios and is a teaching artist for Dance Cleveland’s Read to Learn … Dance to Move dance literacy program. Pollert has been a Cleveland Dance Project choreographer and collaborated with Elu Dance and Ajayi Dance. She is also a touring artist for Australian Polyglot Theatre’s Ants and Bees productions. She has performed and choreographed in the United States, China, India, Easter Island, and Chile.

Sarah Holmes Villanueva has taught dance and performed for almost twenty years in New York City, Vermont, Florida, and Cleveland. At the same time, being an educator, she also choreographs and produces. She has had the opportunity to show her work at The Somatic Center, The Florida Dance Festival, Abrons Arts Center, Dixon Place, Spoke the Hub, The Wild Project, The 92nd Street Y, Dancespace, Merce Cunningham Studios, Dance New Amsterdam, Galapagos Art Space, Green Space, The Tank, and Triskelion Arts. She completed her master’s in dance at NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 2010.

Here’s a look at the rest of DanceWorks 2024:

WEEK 2: April 25-27
Ohio Contemporary Ballet (Formerly Verb Ballets) presents Fresh Inventions

An initiative to provide opportunities for aspiring choreographers, the latest in Ohio Contemporary Ballet’s Fresh Inventions series features new works created by company dancers Isaac Hileman, Antonio Morillo, Martin Skocelas-Hunter, and a joint work by Mathis Joubert and Tailys Poncione.

Each work starts with a spark of creativity, an idea that ignites into a produced work. Audiences can expect a mosaic of styles, from the raw power of modern ballet to the subtle nuances of contemporary movement. 

ARTIST BIOS

Isaac Hileman was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, where he began his dance training at the Dallas Ballet Center. He continued his dance training at the University of Oklahoma, graduating in Spring 2021 with a BFA in Ballet Performance. He was privileged to perform repertoire by Alejandro Cerrudo, Nilas Martins, Willam Christensen, Marianna Oliviera, and Gerald Arpino.

Born in South Korea, Mathis Joubert grew up in France, where he began his dance training at 16. In 2016, he received full scholarships to study at Peridance, Alvin Ailey, Hubbard Street, Lines Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Jacob’s Pillow. In 2019, Mathis joined Visceral Dance Chicago. He performed at the Darley Awards, a private ceremony of the Sultan of Abu Dhabi in Hollywood, Concert de Paris on the Eiffel Tower, and Paris Fashion Week. He has been featured as a dancer and choreographer in music videos, movies, and ad campaigns, including Adidas, Reebok, Asus, and Uniqlo.

Tailys Poncione grew up in France and began dancing at age three. She has danced for the Darley Awards, the Sultan of Abu Dhabi’s private ceremony in Hollywood, Concert de Paris on the Eiffel Tower, and in the Netflix movie Murder Mystery 2. She has collaborated with dance brands Flexistretcher, Russian Pointe, and Gaynor Minden. Tailys took part in the European tour of Rock the Ballet X and danced at the Riyadh Season Festival in Saudi Arabia.

Antonio Morillo is a first-generation Cuban American born in Corral Springs, Florida. He received his Associate of Arts in Dance Performance from Valencia College and his BFA in Dance Performance from the University of South Florida. Antonio has performed with the Patel Conservatory’s Next Generation Ballet, Tampa City Ballet, and Hudson Conservatory of Ballet. He has performed works by Jon Lehrer, José Limón, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Robert Moses’ Kin, and Maurice Causey. Antonio joined Verb Ballets in 2016 and has been featured in works such as Andante Sostenuto, Aposiopesis, World of Another, and Bolero.

Martin Skocelas-Hunter began his training in Canton, Michigan, primarily focusing on the Cecchetti Ballet syllabus. He studied Musical Theatre Performance at Western Michigan University and Dance Performance at Grand Valley State University. He has performed with the Grand Rapids Opera Company, Ballet Fleming, Brandywine Ballet, Dance Del Bello, Arch Contemporary Ballet, and Columbia City Ballet. Martin recently danced with Alabama Ballet, performing works from Garrett Smith, Denis Nahat, and George Balanchine.

COMPANY BIO

Ohio Contemporary Ballet, formerly Verb Ballets, is an action-oriented company that commissions and makes new dance works, preserves contemporary repertory, and builds community through performances and educational programs.  Verb honors the deep roots of the ballet-based companies that preceded it in the Great Lakes region, including the all-female contemporary dance collective from which it draws its origin.  Today, the company maintains its history of female leadership under the direction of Dr. Margaret Carlson and has sought to promote diversity among its dancers, staff, and board in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and country of origin.  The company strives to commission new works while maintaining dance virtuosity and production excellence that are on par with the leading historic companies of the region.

WEEK 3: May 9-11
Inlet Dance Theatre presents CONNECTIONS

We live in a world filled with AI, fake news, and virtual “reality.” Yet humans are born wired for connection—it’s in our DNA, as vital a need as food, water, and shelter. Inlet Dance Theatre’s CONNECTIONS is real―real bodies, space, and connections. Connections improve physical and mental health, enhance well-being and happiness, and foster personal and professional growth. Connections lower our stress, anxiety, and depression, raise our self-esteem, improve our immune function, and help us regulate our emotions. Connections also give us support, guidance, and fresh perspectives. This curated selection of works, some premieres, explores connections as an antidote to the toxic, divisive world we are living in.

COMPANY BIO

Inlet Dance Theatre, founded in 2001 by Founder and Executive/Artistic Director Bill Wade, is one of the region’s most exciting professional contemporary dance companies with roots in American Modern Dance. Inlet embodies his longstanding belief that dance viewing, training, and performing experiences may be tools for personal growth and development. During our 22-year history, we have transformed from a small dance company with local impact into a celebrated organization that impacts people internationally.

WEEK 4: May 16-18
(Double Bill) with Blakk Jakk Dance Collective and Shri Kalaa Mandir

Led by company founder/choreographer RonDale Simpson, Blakk Jakk Dance Collective (BJDC) will present two works on their program half. The first, Sankofa, is a tribute in dance to the groundbreaking 1993 film SANKOFA, written and directed by Haile Gerima. SANKOFA tells the story of Mona, a Black American social media influencer who finds herself shooting a TikTok at a sacred African burial ground in Ghana. Through a series of events, Mona is transported back in time to a plantation in North America, where she assumes the identity of Shola, an enslaved African woman. In this powerful journey, Mona confronts her ancestral identity and experiences the brutal realities of slavery. BJDC’s Sankofa follows Mona/Shola’s interactions with her fellow enslaved Africans and is a testament to the humanity, respect, and dignity they show for one another.

BJDC’s second work, JOY, is about finding joy and inspiration through music and movement. With a steady groove that makes you want to move, Joy shows how different groups can unite and celebrate dance through the African diaspora.

COMPANY BIO

RonDale Simpson founded Blakk Jakk Dance Collective (BJDC) in the summer of 2020 as a community project-based dance company. The company draws on several dance styles, including Hip-Hop fusion, Modern Dance, Afro Beats, Stepping, and dance styles popularized at HBCUs. BJDC was created to give dancers of color opportunities to improve their skills, perform, and build a network of emerging and professional dancers. Its goal is to create works of artistic excellence and broaden the appreciation of dance in our community. 

BJDC strives to preserve, transform, and unify our communities with arts focusing on dance in the African diaspora that is rooted in advancing cultural awareness, social mindfulness, and self-empowerment.

For their portion of the double bill, 2022 Cleveland Arts Prize winner Sujatha Srinivasan’s Bharatanatyam classical Indian dance company, Shri Kalaa Mandir will present Yin Yang—Dimensions of Duality.

Yin Yang is a fundamental concept deeply rooted in ancient philosophy and culture. It symbolizes the interconnectedness and interdependence of all things in the universe, encapsulating the dynamic balance between opposing forces. 

In Yin Yang—Dimensions of Duality, Shri Kalaa Mandir presents the harmony and dichotomy of elements that define life, establish balance and unity, and keep the creative forces in constant cyclic motion. 

COMPANY BIO

Founded by Sujatha Srinivasan, in 1993, Shri Kalaa Mandir (Center for Indian Performing Arts) is a leading Indian classical dance company in Ohio.  Shri Kalaa Mandir offers authentic Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance form from South India through its performances, education, and dance training.  Using traditional choreography, artistic director Sujatha has produced traditional and innovative dance productions to cater to a new landscape and audience.  SKM dance creations have captivated and educated audiences across Northeast Ohio with artistic collaborations, multi-genre and multimedia dance narratives making art accessible and enriching communities in Cleveland.

DanceWorks 2024 runs 7 p.m. nightly, Thursdays through Saturdays, April 18–May 18, 2024, at Cleveland Public Theatre’s Gordon Square Theatre, 6415 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland. CHOOSE WHAT YOU PAY tickets range from $1 to $40 and can be purchased without handling fees online at cptonline.org or by phone through CPT’s box office at 216.631.2727 ext. 501. 

Thursday performances are COVID-conscious, and audience members are required to wear facemasks. Friday is Free Beverage Friday at CPT, where patrons and artists can mingle, discuss the performance, and enjoy select complimentary beverages.