By Steve Sucato In the tough neighborhood where Black Grace artistic director/choreographer Neil Ieremia grew up, dancing didn’t figure into everyday life. The son of Samoan parents living in New Zealand, Ieremia says he was exposed to traditional Polynesian singing and dancing at social functions (weddings, funerals) and through school and church youth groups. But it wasn’t until he began seeing music videos from America … Continue reading Amazing Grace
By Steve Sucato Bodiography Contemporary Ballet artistic director Maria Caruso’s dance works have always come from a caring place. But the latest in her string of health-care-related dance works, Whispers of Light, literally comes from the Caring Place. The poignant work is set to an original score by Carnegie Mellon University professor of composition Nancy Galbraith that’s performed live by a 13-piece orchestra. It was inspired by … Continue reading Ballet Inspired by Grief Center Premieres
By Steve Sucato Because Attack Theatre is best known for its clever, lighthearted fare, it would be easy to assume that the troupe’s latest program would fall into that category — especially when it’s titled Soap Opera. But uncharacteristically, the work’s subject matter is far more serious. This is a show chronicling the last days of a man on his deathbed. Inspired by both the legend … Continue reading Attack Theatre surprises with a poignant Soap Opera
By Steve Sucato Gia Cacalano says it was the lure of the ocean’s smell and distant sound that beckoned her and her 7-year-old daughter to continue a long hike that led them to an as-yet-unseen Atlantic. The pair’s nature adventure this past summer, in Bangor, Maine — coupled with the anticipation of her daughter seeing the ocean for the first time — inspired the dancer-choreographer’s … Continue reading Cacalano & Cooper to debut new works in Pittsburgh before UK Tour
By Pam Barr CLEVELAND (Jan. 7, 2013) – The acclaimed LINES Ballet, led by visionary choreographer and artistic director Alonzo King, will come to the Ohio Theatre for two performances, Jan. 26-27, presented by DANCECleveland and PlayhouseSquare. The LINES Ballet program will include two recent King dances: Scheherazade, created in 2009, and Resin from 2011. Scheherazade is a re-envisioning of the ancient collection of Persian, … Continue reading LINES Ballet to Perform in Cleveland as Part of 30th Anniversary Tour
Reviewed by Steve Sucato A clap of thunder and the sound of howling winds hailed the four dancers who appeared out of darkness, emerging into the spotlight upstage at Point Park University’s George Rowland White Performance Studio. The startling opening of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre corps de ballet dancer Cooper Verona’s “Very Instinctual” set the tone for an impressive ballet packed with surprises. The work opened … Continue reading Contemporary Choreographers program is a triumph
Reviewed by Steve Sucato The old adage about too much of a good thing being undesirable was evident in the program Italy’s Spellbound Contemporary Ballet presented to open their first “official” U.S. tour at Cleveland’s Ohio Theatre at PlayhouseSquare Center. Without equivocation the 9-member troupe from Rome was breathtaking in artistic director/choreographer Mauro Astolfi’s exquisite contemporary ballet choreography for each of the works on the … Continue reading Spellbound Contemporary Ballet Opens First U.S. Tour with a Program Showing Brilliance but Lacking in Variety
By Steve Sucato Grand Rapids Ballet Company is experiencing a renaissance. An ambitious new repertoire, record-breaking sold-out performances, and a renewed local buzz have revitalized the 41-year-old company. Its resurgence came about with the arrival of former Pacific Northwest Ballet star Patricia Barker as the company’s new artistic director in 2010. In just a few seasons, the first-time director has taken GRBC from a little-known … Continue reading Rapids Rising
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