By Steve Sucato

Cleveland’s Dancing Wheels Company goes back to the future for its upcoming 45th Anniversary Gala Benefit Production, Ladies of the ’80s. 

Founded in 1980 by Mary Verdi-Fletcher, America’s oldest physically integrated dance troupe revisits the era’s music by highlighting several female artists who helped define the period, in a program of new contemporary dance works celebrating the company’s 45th Anniversary.

The Gala Benefit performance on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Playhouse Square’s Mimi Ohio Theatre, will premiere three works for the company by a trio of female choreographers. The nostalgic evening will also include an appearance by performers from the School of Dancing Wheels.

A special VIP pre-performance party will kick off the Gala at 6:30 p.m. at the nearby BIN 216 restaurant, benefiting the School of Dancing Wheels. VIP ticket holders will enjoy hors d’oeuvres, specialty beverages, and a silent auction in addition to Dress Circle seating for the Gala performance. 

At 8 p.m., the 70-minute intermissionless Gala performance will begin with former Dancing Wheels company dancer Annette Ellis’s new contemporary dance work “Leather, Lace, and Legends.” The piece for nine dancers, infused with jazz and modern dance influences, is set to music by Stevie Nicks, Blondie, Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, and The Go-Go’s. 

Says Ellis: The energetic 12 ½ minute piece will feature five female company dancers representing each of the five female rockers whose music I have chosen. I, along with the dancers portraying those featured roles, sought to capture each artist’s stage presence and persona.

“For Stevie Nicks, we have tried to capture her soft yet strong, edgy mystical bohemian vibe,” says Ellis. “For Debbie Harry of Blondie, we were going for a cool, confident, independent punk-rocker feel. Then, for Joan Jett, we have painted a picture of a badass rock-and-roll rebel. For Pat Benatar, we have tried to capture her intensity as a singer and performer, and for the Go-Go’s, we wanted to bring out the group’s “Girl Next Door” energy as upbeat and playful performers. 

Following Ellis’s dynamic show opener, student dancers from the School of Dancing Wheels will present the 80s-themed “Tonight,” a new work by Dancing Wheels’ Director of Education, Sara Lawrence-Sucato, with contributions from members of the School of Dancing Wheels Performance Ensemble.

Set to music by Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine and Kylie Minogue, a cast of ten from the School’s In-studio and Outreach Programs, along with the Performance Ensemble, will dance the pulsating 5-minute piece. 

Next, the company will premiere internationally renowned choreographer and Cleveland native Dianne McIntyre’s “ATTITUDE.” The 14-minute work, for nine dancers in three sections, is performed to the music of Patti LaBelle and Anita Baker. 

“The feeling of the lyrics inspired me and the energy of the piece,” says McIntyre. 

McIntyre says with the heartfelt and encouraging work, she also wanted to honor the music’s structure and the women who brought it to life. 

Concluding Ladies of the ’80s will be the premiere of current company member Angelina DiFranco’s latest work for the company, “The Time of My Life,” set to the song of the same name by Jennifer Warnes and Bill Medley.

The 7-minute work for nine dancers, including DiFranco, was inspired by the iconic 1987 movie Dirty Dancing. Says DiFranco: “I was motivated to share the film’s joy of movement, romance, and discovery, and to encourage the audience’s involvement in helping to close out the gala in a deeply memorable and cathartic way.” 

Immediately following the performance, all guests will be invited back into the theater lobby for a champagne dessert reception to meet the artists and continue the Gala celebration.

Dancing Wheels Company and School presents its 45th Anniversary Gala Benefit Production, Ladies of the ’80s, Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Playhouse Square’s Mimi Ohio Theatre, 1511 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, Ohio. 

General Admission tickets are $60 each (fees included) and are available online at playhousesquare.org/events/detail/ladies-of-the-80s or by calling (216) 241-6000. 

The group rate for 10 General Admission tickets is $350. Tickets can be purchased online at dancingwheels.org/event/ladies-of-the-80s or by calling (216) 432-0306.

VIP tickets are $150 each. Tickets can be purchased online at dancingwheels.org/event/ladies-of-the-80s or by calling (216) 432-0306.