Flashes of brilliance and child-friendly angle fail to redeem Moscow Ballet’s ‘Great Russian Nutcracker’

By Steve Sucato  Special to the Plain Dealer As professional “Nutcracker” ballet productions go, there was little “great” about Moscow Ballet’s “Great Russian Nutcracker” Dec. 22 at Cleveland Music Hall. The choreography was oversimplified, the corps de ballet’s dancing was poor, and the gratuitous use of local child dancers in many scenes felt forced. However, the production was not without its charm and wow moments. … Continue reading Flashes of brilliance and child-friendly angle fail to redeem Moscow Ballet’s ‘Great Russian Nutcracker’

Northeast Ohio Summer Dance in Review

Reviewed by Steve Sucato It’s a tale of two cities when it comes to summer dance in Northeast Ohio; two marquee, municipally run performance series, one in Akron and the other in Cleveland, count for the bulk of the region’s professional dance by local and nationally touring companies. Billed as the oldest, free summer dance series in the United States, the Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival … Continue reading Northeast Ohio Summer Dance in Review

BalletMet’s Triple Bill of World Premiere Ballets Finds Beauty in Strange Situations

BalletMet Columbus – Innovations BalletMet Performance Space Columbus, OH October 24 – November 8, 2014 Reviewed by Steve Sucato One thing is clear about Edwaard Liang’s first full season as artistic director BalletMet Columbus; the honeymoon period with him as new director shows no signs of being over. On the heels of this past September’s landmark production of Twisted, Liang and company have kept the … Continue reading BalletMet’s Triple Bill of World Premiere Ballets Finds Beauty in Strange Situations