Cleveland Ballet’s New ‘Cinderella’ is a Fresh Take on the Classic Tale [PREVIEW]

By Steve Sucato  As a ballet, the first documented versions of Cinderella date back to 1813, but most modern productions are based on Charles Perrault’s 1697 book, “Cinderella, or The Little Glass Slipper,” and the 1940s Bolshoi Theatre’s ballet production with a libretto by Nikolai Volkov, music by Sergei Prokofiev, and choreography by Rostislav Zakharov, with a comedic handling of the stepsisters’ characters popularized by … Continue reading Cleveland Ballet’s New ‘Cinderella’ is a Fresh Take on the Classic Tale [PREVIEW]

Cleveland Ballet Presents a Glorious Interpretation of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ [PREVIEW]

By Steve Sucato Cleveland Ballet continues its 11th season with Handel’s Messiah this weekend at Playhouse Square’s KeyBank State Theatre. The large-scale music and dance spectacle in partnership with the Cleveland Chamber Choir and Northeast Ohio’s BlueWater Chamber Orchestra is set to put composer George Frideric Handel’s masterwork “Messiah,” the 1741 English-language oratorio about the life of Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, into glorious motion.  Choreographed … Continue reading Cleveland Ballet Presents a Glorious Interpretation of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ [PREVIEW]

Improved Cleveland Ballet Shines in ‘The Nutcracker’ [REVIEW]

Cleveland BalletThe NutcrackerPlayhouse Square – Connor Palace TheatreCleveland, OHDecember 3-5, 2021 By Steve Sucato Cleveland’s premier The Nutcracker production by the Cleveland Ballet returned once again to Playhouse Square December 3-5 after a yearlong hiatus because of the global pandemic. The annual production that regularly plays to sold-out audiences, was performed for the first time at the larger Connor Palace Theatre. In doing so, the … Continue reading Improved Cleveland Ballet Shines in ‘The Nutcracker’ [REVIEW]

Heading into its 7th Season, Cleveland Ballet Is Making Huge Strides

By Steve Sucato If you haven’t been paying close attention to Cleveland Ballet of late, the company has gotten rather big, rather fast. Founded in 2014, it has gone from a fledgling ballet troupe with a handful of dancers and being funded out of pocket by company founders Gladisa Guadalupe, a dancer with the former Cleveland Ballet which folded in 2001, and Russian businessman, Dr. … Continue reading Heading into its 7th Season, Cleveland Ballet Is Making Huge Strides

Cleveland Ballet to Perform Newly Enhanced Version of Ramón Oller’s ‘Coppélia’

By Steve Sucato Cleveland Ballet closes out perhaps its most successful mainstage season to date with a reprise of their 2016 hit, Ramón Oller’s adaptation of the comic ballet Coppélia. The first full-length ballet production created on the now 5-year-old company returns to Playhouse Square’s Ohio Theatre for three performances on April 5 & 6. “It’s very dear to us,” says company artistic director Gladisa Guadalupe. … Continue reading Cleveland Ballet to Perform Newly Enhanced Version of Ramón Oller’s ‘Coppélia’

The new Cleveland Ballet makes its debut alongside Neos Dance Theatre

“I am not doing this to enhance my career,” says Guadalupe. “I am doing this because I see how much talent Cleveland has. There are a lot of good dance companies here and I feel there is room for a phenomenal resident ballet company. The city deserves it and I hope we can become that company.” Continue reading The new Cleveland Ballet makes its debut alongside Neos Dance Theatre