Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre begins moving up to the majors with ‘Beauty and the Beast’ 

By Steve Sucato In his 18 years as Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre‘s artistic director, Terrence Orr has seen the company through myriad ups and downs. They ranged from rough financial periods and a Pittsburgh Musicians Union labor dispute, in 2005, to onstage triumphs, including the first-ever sensory-friendly production of The Nutcracker and the recent expansion of PBT’s Strip District facility. In its 45th season, Orr feels, … Continue reading Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre begins moving up to the majors with ‘Beauty and the Beast’ 

International Association of Blacks in Dance conference wraps with astounding ‘Founders Showcase’ event

Reviewed by Steve Sucato CLEVELAND, Ohio — Saturday’s “Founders Showcase” proved an emphatic exclamation point to The International Association of Blacks in Dance’s 27th annual conference and festival held for the first time in Cleveland. The all-star program presented by Cleveland Dance Movement of some of the nation’s top dance companies  at PlayhouseSquare’s Ohio Theatre was unlike any in magnitude and quality in recent memory in … Continue reading International Association of Blacks in Dance conference wraps with astounding ‘Founders Showcase’ event

Dance Magazine 2015 “25 to Watch” Profile: Robyn Mineko Williams

By Steve Sucato There is a sophistication about Robyn Mineko Williams’ works that many choreographers never quite attain. Her inventive movement phrases, compositional clarity and heartfelt emotion are informed by captivating simplicity—she lets the quiet spaces between movements color the work. It’s especially evident in her cinematic One Take for Grand Rapids Ballet. In one section, beautifully fragile images backed by the haunting melody of … Continue reading Dance Magazine 2015 “25 to Watch” Profile: Robyn Mineko Williams