By Steve Sucato

For the past 43 years, Cleveland’s Dancing Wheels Company has championed inclusivity in the arts. For its latest annual dance production and fundraising gala, Allies In Action, on June 15 at Playhouse Square’s Allen Theatre, the nation’s oldest physically integrated (dancers with and without disabilities) dance company shows its solidarity with and celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community, which like the disabled community, has faced societal inequalities.

In honor of Pride Month, the program will feature five works, including four premieres (two by LGBTQIA+ identifying choreographers). 

It will begin with the world premiere of 24-year-old independent artist from Dayton, Ohio, Alexis Diggs’ commissioned work for the company “Glimpses.” 

The work for nine dancers is performed to music by Kendrick Lamar, U.K. electronic music producer and songwriter Alexander George Edward Crossan (a.k.a. Mura Masa), and others. 

Says Diggs of the work: “My piece abstractly talks a lot about sinuous narrative and this idea that every version of you, every part of your experience, is necessary to your story. And while it’s not a through-thread of a narrative, it is all of these many ideas and experiences that create space for everybody to show up with every part of themselves they feel that they want to express or nourish within the view of an audience.”*

A member of the LGBTQIA+ community Diggs says “Glimpses” was the first time creating a dance work that her identity played an important role. Something she says she is so proud of.

Next, the company will reprise company dancer McKenzie Beaverson’s 2023 duet “Dear Friend.” It was originally choreographed in response to artist Jeff Kasper’s work, Are you… wrestling with embrace at the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland.

The program’s second premiere work, “It Only Happens Once…Yesterday and Tomorrow,” comes from veteran choreographer Tiffany Mills. The founder and artistic director of the eponymous NYC-based Tiffany Mills Company had previously worked with Dancing Wheels’ dancers in 2019 as part of The National Center for Choreography-Akron’s Dancing Lab residency, which explored physically integrated dance.

“That was the first time I was in the studio with sit-down dancers, and I was pleasantly surprised that my choreographic process with them was not different,” says Mills.  “I love exploring individual movement and guiding dancers through improvisations and tasks where they can devise and create movement. The sit-down dancers added another dimension and more opportunities and choices as dancers in coming up with movement for the work, which was very exciting.”

Mills’ preferred movement style in her choreography comes from a place of breath, weight, momentum, and anatomy, she says. “I enjoy playing with sequential movement and partnering and am a big fan of inversion with dancers going upside down.” 

To go with that movement language, thematically, Mills says she often taps into dreamscapes in her work, liking how altered states give her permission to explore the odd and unusual. “It Only Happens Once…Yesterday and Tomorrow” is no different.

The work for Dancing Wheels’ full company of ten dancers (including apprentices) is set to music by French electronic music artist In Love With A Ghost and others. It takes inspiration from the idea of a recurring dream,” says Mills. “Each dancer is a unique character in that dream.”

Following Mills’ piece, the Dancing Wheels School Performance Ensemble will appear in company Director of Education Sara Lawrence-Sucato’s new work for them, “Find Your People / I Need You.” Danced to music by Drew Holcomb and Jon Batiste, expect another inspirational and uplifting performance by the student group. 

Allies In Action will conclude with longtime Dancing Wheels choreographer and collaborator Mark Tomasic’s latest work for the company, “Tangled(un).” The music-driven work for the full company, set to a suite of songs sung by Aretha Franklin, is based on a personal story and celebrates friendship and allyship, says Tomasic. 

Dancing Wheels Company & School presents Allies In Action at 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 15, at Playhouse Square’s Allen Theatre. General admission tickets are $50, including a post-performance champagne and dessert reception with DJ Jeremy James (groups of ten or more and student tickets with ID are $35). Call the Playhouse Square box office at 216-241-6000 or visit playhousesquare.org to purchase.

A Special VIP Event with hors d’oeuvres, spirits, a silent auction, and entertainment by the Coastliners, an ensemble from the North Coast Men’s Chorus, will take place at 6:30 p.m. VIP tickets are $150 per person and include preferred performance seating.  VIP tickets can be purchased online at alliesinaction.eventbrite.com or by calling the Dancing Wheels office at (216) 432-0306.

*Quote taken from The National Center for Choreography – Akron’s Dancing Conversation: Allies in Action! 2024