With ‘No Boundaries’ Dancer-Choreographer Gesel Mason seeks to ‘unwrap’ African American Dance

“One of the things I was thinking about in starting the project in Washington D.C. was that people would always go out to see Alvin Ailey whenever they came to the Kennedy Center which was fantastic, but there were a lot of other artists I thought the community would be interested in,” says Mason. Continue reading With ‘No Boundaries’ Dancer-Choreographer Gesel Mason seeks to ‘unwrap’ African American Dance

Grand Rapids Ballet’s ‘MOVEMEDIA I’ to feature new contemporary dance works by Sagi Gross, Gina Patterson and Andrew Bartee

By Steve Sucato For the fourth year running, Grand Rapids Ballet’s cutting-edge repertory series MOVEMEDIA returns to GRB’s own Peter Martin Wege Theatre. The first of two programs in the series, MOVEMEDIA I runs March 13-15 and will feature four works that stem from their choreographer’s personal experiences but also speak to universal themes of conflict, disappointment and reflection. The MOVEMEDIA series created by GRB … Continue reading Grand Rapids Ballet’s ‘MOVEMEDIA I’ to feature new contemporary dance works by Sagi Gross, Gina Patterson and Andrew Bartee

‘Polar Express’ Author and ‘Wicked’ Designer join with Choreographer Caniparoli and Director Barker to create new ‘Nutcracker’ for Grand Rapids Ballet

By Steve Sucato When it comes to Christmas holiday season entertainment in the U.S., The Nutcracker ballet ranks high on the list. The magical tale of a young girl who dreams of a heroic handsome prince that whisks her off to a land of sweets is a favorite of children and adults alike.  So when former Pacific Northwest Ballet star Patricia Barker took over as artistic … Continue reading ‘Polar Express’ Author and ‘Wicked’ Designer join with Choreographer Caniparoli and Director Barker to create new ‘Nutcracker’ for Grand Rapids Ballet

Re-established Chamber Dance Project to make Washington debut at the Kennedy Center

By Steve Sucato Conventional wisdom dictates that bigger is better and that more trumps less. Not so when it comes to watching dance says Chamber Dance Project founder and artistic director Diane Coburn Bruning.  “I don’t want people seeing my work from a football field away,” she says on the phone from our nation’s capital. “The closer the audience can be the better.” Coburn Bruning … Continue reading Re-established Chamber Dance Project to make Washington debut at the Kennedy Center

Drugs, Butoh and ‘Events Leading Up to My Death’

By Steve Sucato Cleveland’s longest running annual dance series DanceWorks, presented by Cleveland Public Theatre, opens the second half of its 4-week run with a double bill featuring Tremont-based Antaeus Dance and Erie, Pennsylvania’s Shen & Bones Performance Group, April 24-26 at CPT’s  Gordon Square Theatre. Antaeus Dance will open the double bill with two premieres.  Dancer/choreographer Heather Koniz’s 10-minute trio “Let My Hero In” … Continue reading Drugs, Butoh and ‘Events Leading Up to My Death’

Buffalo Dancer/Choreographer Aceto to Showcase Works at Albright-Knox Art Gallery

By Steve Sucato Few of us can point to one event that changed the direction of our lives. For dancer/choreographer Melanie Aceto attending a performance by acclaimed modern dance company Parsons Dance while an undergraduate at the State University of New York at Geneseo proved the difference in her pursuing a career in dance over one in social work. “Seeing Parsons made me realize I … Continue reading Buffalo Dancer/Choreographer Aceto to Showcase Works at Albright-Knox Art Gallery

GroundWorks DanceTheater to Premiere new Rosie Herrera Work

By Steve Sucato In its 15th season Cleveland’s GroundWorks DanceTheater continues to make its mark as a quality dance troupe with its finger on the pulse of cutting-edge American contemporary dance. The five-member troupe’s latest program at Cleveland’s Breen Center for Performing Arts continues its string of new works by up-and-coming choreographers with a world premiere by Miami-based choreographer Rosie Herrera. Herrera’s new work entitled … Continue reading GroundWorks DanceTheater to Premiere new Rosie Herrera Work