Alexei Ratmansky Ballet to Feature in BalletMet’s ‘For the Love of Dance’ [PREVIEW]

By Steve Sucato Hot off the heels of their memorable performances of Trey McIntyre’s Peter Pan in February, BalletMet continues its 48th season with For the Love of Dance, March 20-28, 2026, at the Davidson Theatre at The Riffe Center Theatres in Columbus. The mixed-repertory program features a world premiere and two Columbus premieres, including renowned Russian-Ukrainian-American choreographer Alexei Ratmansky’s “Seven Sonatas.” Ratmansky, the former … Continue reading Alexei Ratmansky Ballet to Feature in BalletMet’s ‘For the Love of Dance’ [PREVIEW]

Ballet Excel Ohio Celebrates 50th Anniversary with New ‘Aladdin’ Ballet [PREVIEW]

By Steve Sucato Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio-based Ballet Excel Ohio, formerly Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet, is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this weekend with the world premiere of choreographer Erich Yetter’s Aladdin at Akron Civic Theatre.  Founded in 1975 by the late Nan Klinger, the pre-professional ballet troupe grew out of Klinger’s widely respected Excellence in Dance Studio. Now led by Artistic Director Mia Klinger, Nan’s daughter, … Continue reading Ballet Excel Ohio Celebrates 50th Anniversary with New ‘Aladdin’ Ballet [PREVIEW]

Premieres and Recent Works Feature in Ohio Contemporary Ballet’s ‘Ballet Unbound’ in Akron [PREVIEW]

By Steve Sucato Primed to chase away the winter doldrums, Ohio Contemporary Ballet (OCB) returns to the University of Akron’s E. J. Thomas Hall on Saturday, February 28, 2026, with Ballet Unbound*. The mixed repertory program will showcase four diverse dance works, including two premieres.   Choreographer Avree Walker’s commissioned work for OCB, “Eternal,” is a world premiere danced to music by Johann Sebastian Bach, including … Continue reading Premieres and Recent Works Feature in Ohio Contemporary Ballet’s ‘Ballet Unbound’ in Akron [PREVIEW]

Choreographer Trey McIntyre Details His Re-envisioned ‘Peter Pan’ Ballet For BalletMet [INTERVIEW]

By Steve Sucato Columbus, Ohio-based BalletMet will whisk audiences off to Neverland this Valentine’s Day weekend, February 13-15, in a brand new adaptation of choreographer Trey McIntyre’s 2002 ballet, Peter Pan. Based on J.M. Barrie’s beloved early 20th century tale about Peter Pan, a boy who never grows up, and his adventures with Wendy Darling and her siblings, Captain Hook and his pirates, Tinkerbell and … Continue reading Choreographer Trey McIntyre Details His Re-envisioned ‘Peter Pan’ Ballet For BalletMet [INTERVIEW]

Lessons in Caring Highlight Dancing Wheels’ Production of “Puff the Magic Dragon” [PREVIEW]

By Steve Sucato First, there was the 1962 song made famous by folk trio Peter, Paul, and Mary. Then, a 1979 juvenile fiction book adaptation by Romeo Muller. Now, Puff the Magic Dragon, the familiar children’s tale about childhood imagination and growing up, is being told as a multimedia ballet. On Saturday, February 7, 2026, at Lake Erie College’s Rickel Theater, Cleveland’s Dancing Wheels Company … Continue reading Lessons in Caring Highlight Dancing Wheels’ Production of “Puff the Magic Dragon” [PREVIEW]

BEST OF 2025 

By Steve Sucato 2025 was a year of experimentation for me as a professional dance writer/reviewer. I launched a monthly Airings digest on my website, artsair.art, featuring select dance news, performance impressions, and upcoming event listings, and expanded my arts coverage to include more non-dance events. So, why not end the year with one more experiment, compiling best-of-2025 lists from the dance productions and dancer … Continue reading BEST OF 2025 

Invisible Wounds [REVIEW]

Performance Wanjiru Kamuyu/WKcollective: “Fragmented Shadows” by Wanjiru Kamuyu in collaboration with Sherwood Chen and Elodie Paul Place Wexner Center, Columbus, Ohio, October 22, 2025 Words Steve Sucato for Fjord Review It was apropos that I attended choreographer Wanjiru Kamuyu’s latest work, “Fragmented Shadows,” just before Halloween. In many ways, the work felt like watching a horror movie—the dancers’ often contorted bodies and facial features looked as … Continue reading Invisible Wounds [REVIEW]

Cleveland Ballet’s Anna Cole Talks About Her Career And The Return Of ‘Dracula’ To Open The New Dance Season [PREVIEW]

By Steve Sucato Cleveland Ballet once again opens its new dance season with the Halloween thriller Dracula. Choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett’s one-act ballet, created in 2010, is back by popular demand to send hearts racing and chills down spines. The ballet adaptation of author Bram Stoker’s gothic horror novel will be paired with another of Corbett’s ballets, 2008’s Code of Silence, about the tortured souls of … Continue reading Cleveland Ballet’s Anna Cole Talks About Her Career And The Return Of ‘Dracula’ To Open The New Dance Season [PREVIEW]

Airings: August 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 [NEWS AND NOTES] Michigan Arts Funding is at Risk — We Need Your VoiceThe Michigan House of Representatives has passed a budget that eliminates all arts and cultural funding. This isn’t just about numbers on a … Continue reading Airings: August 2025

Airings: July 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 [NEWS AND NOTES] Ohio Contemporary Ballet welcomes three new dancers for the 2025-26 season. They are Dallas-native Joseph Dang, who was with Sacramento Ballet, Sophia Gray, who grew up in Cincinnati and recently graduated from The … Continue reading Airings: July 2025