Ohio Contemporary Ballet’s Kate Webb Talks about Her Career, Retirement, and What’s Next [INTERVIEW]
By Steve Sucato One of Northeast Ohio’s most beloved dancers, Ohio Contemporary Ballet’s Kate Webb, will take her final bow with the company this coming Saturday, June 21, in a free performance at Cain Park’s Evans Amphitheater. A native of Richmond, Virginia, Webb trained in dance at the School of Richmond Ballet, where she was also a trainee with the professional company. After graduating from … Continue reading Ohio Contemporary Ballet’s Kate Webb Talks about Her Career, Retirement, and What’s Next [INTERVIEW]
PNB’s Jam-Packed ‘Emergence’ was Contemporary Ballet at its Finest [REVIEW]
Pacific Northwest BalletEmergence – Digital PerformanceMarch 27-31, 2025 By Steve Sucato The fourth repertory program on their 2024-2025 season, Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Emergence, was some of the finest contemporary ballet presented this dance season. The jam-packed program kicked off with the world premiere of PNB soloist Price Suddarth’s second mainstage ballet for the company, “Dawn Patrol.” The digital performance of Emergence, which I reviewed, was … Continue reading PNB’s Jam-Packed ‘Emergence’ was Contemporary Ballet at its Finest [REVIEW]
Airings: May 2025
A monthly digest of select dance news and performance impressions, primarily from the regions I cover in Ohio, and parts of Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania. By Steve Sucato Welcome to my first Airings monthly digest. I see a lot of dance and receive a lot of news that I cannot always write separate articles or reviews about. This monthly digest is my way of … Continue reading Airings: May 2025
Changing of the Seasons [REVIEW]
Performance Malandain Ballet Biarritz: “Les Saisons” by Thierry Malandain Place Byham Theater, Pittsburgh, PA, May 7, 2025 Words Steve Sucato Pattern and symmetry are the modus operandi of choreographer Thierry Malandain’s “Les Saisons” (2023), performed by his Malandain Ballet Biarritz contemporary ballet company to close out the Pittsburgh Dance Council’s 2024-2025 season. Malandain’s “Les Saisons” is set to both Vivaldi’s famous composition and composer Giovanni … Continue reading Changing of the Seasons [REVIEW]
Cleveland Ballet offers up an Exciting ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Ballet Steeped in Tradition [PREVIEW]
By Steve Sucato A production of firsts in how Cleveland Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet this weekend can be characterized. It was the very first story ballet choreographer Robert Weiss created for his newly formed Carolina Ballet in 1999, and is now the first Romeo and Juliet production for Cleveland Ballet under Artistic Director Timour Bourtasenkov. A founding member of Carolina Ballet, Bourtasenkov was also the … Continue reading Cleveland Ballet offers up an Exciting ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Ballet Steeped in Tradition [PREVIEW]
Better Know Cleveland Ballet’s Prima Ballerina Svetlana Svinko [INTERVIEW]
By Steve Sucato With her enviable ballet facility, polished technique, and star quality stage presence, Cleveland Ballet Prima Ballerina Svetlana Svinko ranks as one of the Eastern Midwest’s finest dancers. A standout since joining the company in 2023, Svinko has danced many of the female lead roles in the company’s productions in the past several years, including Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, the Sugar Plum … Continue reading Better Know Cleveland Ballet’s Prima Ballerina Svetlana Svinko [INTERVIEW]
BalletMet’s Rachael Parini To End Her 20-Year Dancing Career with Her First Villainess Role in ‘Sleeping Beauty’ [INTERVIEW]
By Steve Sucato As the story goes, Rachael Parini’s dance journey began at age three when she told her mother that she wanted to play football like her father, who was then a player at Florida State University. The next day, her mother enrolled her in ballet class. A native of Snellville, GA, her early dance training began at the Mazza-Smith Dance Studio in Jacksonville, … Continue reading BalletMet’s Rachael Parini To End Her 20-Year Dancing Career with Her First Villainess Role in ‘Sleeping Beauty’ [INTERVIEW]
Digital Release of Maria Caruso’s ‘Incarnation’ Intimately Captures Her Cathartic Struggle with Loss and Depression [REVIEW]
Maria CarusoIncarnation – Digital ReleaseFilmed live at the Theatre Royal, Drury LaneLondon, EnglandOctober 2024 By Steve Sucato Laying her soul bare onstage has brought dancer-choreographer Maria Caruso international acclaim in recent years. Following the success of her gripping 2020 solo dance theater work, Metamorphosis—a passionate portrayal of a woman revealing her innermost heartaches and joys—Caruso’s latest epic solo piece, Incarnation, revealed the truths behind Metamorphosis. … Continue reading Digital Release of Maria Caruso’s ‘Incarnation’ Intimately Captures Her Cathartic Struggle with Loss and Depression [REVIEW]
Ohio Contemporary Ballet Celebrates Visionary Choreographer Heinz Poll’s Legacy in Program at Akron’s EJ Thomas Hall [PREVIEW]
By Steve Sucato It’s been 19 years since former Ohio Ballet co-founder and choreographer Heinz Poll died at age 80 from kidney disease. Since then, Ohio Contemporary Ballet (formerly Verb Ballets) has been the primary force behind keeping Poll’s legacy and his ballets alive. The company has several of Poll’s ballets in its repertoire that are performed regularly. This Friday, April 25, at E.J. Thomas … Continue reading Ohio Contemporary Ballet Celebrates Visionary Choreographer Heinz Poll’s Legacy in Program at Akron’s EJ Thomas Hall [PREVIEW]
CorningWorks’ ‘Stand By’ Proves a Clever Allegory for our Divisive Times [REVIEW]
CorningWorks – Stand By — an allegoryCarnegie StageCarnegie, PAMarch 28- April 6, 2025 By Steve SucatoThe marquee work on CorningWorks 15th Anniversary Season, Stand By — an allegory, conceived by company director, choreographer, and performer Beth Corning, continued her string of recent productions that have reflected on the world around us. An allegory, defined by the Oxford dictionary as “a story, poem, or picture that … Continue reading CorningWorks’ ‘Stand By’ Proves a Clever Allegory for our Divisive Times [REVIEW]
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