Utah Dance Company’s Northeast Ohio Debut was Top-Notch [REVIEW]

SALT Contemporary Dance CompanyNear West TheatreCleveland, OhioSunday, March 3, 2024 By Steve Sucato Like A-list celebrities, the dance world has its own levels of draw and notoriety. A-listers like Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Paris Opera Ballet have a certain cachet with audiences, while others struggle for audience visibility outside their own regions. On tour, those non-A-listers looking to win over new audiences do … Continue reading Utah Dance Company’s Northeast Ohio Debut was Top-Notch [REVIEW]

Taylor Company Triple Bill A Triumph [REVIEW]

Paul Taylor Dance CompanyMimi Ohio Theatre at Playhouse SquareCleveland, OhioSaturday, January 20, 2024 By Steve Sucato To kick off the celebrations of New York City-based Paul Taylor Dance Company’s 70th Anniversary, the company returned to Cleveland this past Saturday night with a triple bill of riveting dance works. The performance at Playhouse Square’s Mimi Ohio Theatre featured two of late choreographer Paul Taylor’s critically acclaimed … Continue reading Taylor Company Triple Bill A Triumph [REVIEW]

Philadanco Triumphs in Super-Charged Return to Cleveland [REVIEW]

Philadanco! (The Philadelphia Dance Company)Playhouse Square – Mimi Ohio TheatreNovember 11, 2023By Steve Sucato Absent from DANCECleveland’s dance card since 2006, Philadanco’s triumphant return to Cleveland Saturday night at Playhouse Square’s Mimi Ohio Theatre begged the question, why did it take so long to have them back? Presented by DANCECleveland and Tri-C Performing Arts, the 53+-year-old Philadelphia-based modern dance company kicked butt in four uber-energetic … Continue reading Philadanco Triumphs in Super-Charged Return to Cleveland [REVIEW]

‘Weave the Wind’ Highlights Program A of Chamber Dance Project’s Festival of Ballets [REVIEW]

Chamber Dance ProjectSLAM: A Festival of Ballets – Program AGreenberg TheaterWashington, DCJune 22, 2023 By Steve Sucato In celebration of the company’s ten years in Washington, D.C., contemporary ballet company Chamber Dance Project (CDP) presented SLAM: A Festival of Ballets, June 22-25 at Washington’s Greenberg Theatre. Program A of SLAM: A Festival of Ballets on June 22 featured two world premiere dance works, reprises of … Continue reading ‘Weave the Wind’ Highlights Program A of Chamber Dance Project’s Festival of Ballets [REVIEW]

Tap Dance Production Brings a Taste of Brazil’s Carnival to Cleveland [REVIEW]

Music From the Sole – I Didn’t Come To StayCain Park’s Evans AmphitheaterCleveland Heights, OHAugust 5, 2023 By Steve Sucato For their triumphant Ohio debut, New York-based music and tap dance troupe Music From the Sole created a joyous, party vibe Saturday night at Cain Park’s Evans Amphitheater with their production I Didn’t Come To Stay (2022). Presented by DANCECleveland to open their 67th season, … Continue reading Tap Dance Production Brings a Taste of Brazil’s Carnival to Cleveland [REVIEW]

Classic Dance Works Prove Their Staying Power in Limón Dance Company Program [REVIEW]

Limón Dance CompanyPlayhouse Square’s Mimi Ohio TheatreCleveland, OhioApril 22, 2023 By Steve Sucato The idiom “An oldie but a goodie” was apropos this past Saturday night at Playhouse Square’s Mimi Ohio Theatre as New York’s Limón Dance Company presented a program of three delightful modern dance classics and one gritty contemporary dance work as part of their 75th Anniversary Tour. Co-presented by DANCECleveland and Cuyahoga … Continue reading Classic Dance Works Prove Their Staying Power in Limón Dance Company Program [REVIEW]

Grand Rapids’ Romeo & Juliet: James Sofranko’s first full-length story ballet [REVIEW]

By Steve Sucato for Dance International Magazine The crown jewel in Grand Rapids Ballet’s 50th anniversary season, artistic director James Sofranko’s Romeo and Juliet, was decidedly a traditional classical ballet take on Shakespeare’s famous tale. The three-act production plus epilogue, the first full-length story ballet the former San Francisco Ballet soloist has choreographed, premiered on February 17 at home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the DeVos Performance Hall.  … Continue reading Grand Rapids’ Romeo & Juliet: James Sofranko’s first full-length story ballet [REVIEW]

LINES Ballet’s Deep River Plumbs the Depths of Humanity’s Relationship with Darkness and Light [REVIEW]

Alonzo King LINES Ballet – Deep RiverMimi Ohio Theatre at Playhouse SquareCleveland, OhioMarch 11, 2023 By Steve Sucato Physical beauty intertwined with the spiritual in Alonzo King LINES Ballet’s Deep River this past Saturday night at the Mimi Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square. Choreographed by company Artistic Director Alonzo King in 2022 for the San Francisco-based contemporary dance company’s 40th anniversary season, Deep River was … Continue reading LINES Ballet’s Deep River Plumbs the Depths of Humanity’s Relationship with Darkness and Light [REVIEW]

Verb, Ohio Contemporary Ballet’s ‘Schubert Melodies,’ a Splendid Mix of Music and Dance [REVIEW]

Verb, Ohio Contemporary BalletSchubert MelodiesBreen Center for the Performing ArtsCleveland, OHOctober 15, 2022 By Steve Sucato Newly renamed Verb, Ohio Contemporary Ballet returned to Saint Ignatius High School’s Breen Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, October 15 with Schubert Melodies, a double bill of ballets celebrating Austrian composer Franz Schubert’s music. The program began with a reprise of Heinz Poll’s 1975 ballet “Schubert Waltzes.” Danced to … Continue reading Verb, Ohio Contemporary Ballet’s ‘Schubert Melodies,’ a Splendid Mix of Music and Dance [REVIEW]

Broadway On Demand’s Release of ‘Metamorphosis’ Captures the Unrelenting Power of Maria Caruso’s Performance for All to Experience [REVIEW]

By Steve Sucato The adage “good things come to those who wait,” certainly applies to Pittsburgh-based dancer, choreographer, and entrepreneur Maria Caruso and her career-defining, one-woman dance theater production Metamorphosis. Four decades in the making, Caruso brought her lifetime of experiences to the hourlong work that became the big break every artist dreams of. A global tour and a bevy of accolades ensued culminating this … Continue reading Broadway On Demand’s Release of ‘Metamorphosis’ Captures the Unrelenting Power of Maria Caruso’s Performance for All to Experience [REVIEW]