Cleveland Ballet’s New Nutcracker Triumphs as a Holiday Treat for the Senses [REVIEW]

By Steve Sucato A proper The Nutcracker ballet is the best way to describe Cleveland Ballet’s new production that opened last Friday and runs through December 22 at Playhouse Square’s Connor Palace. With gorgeous sets, lush Victorian-era costumes, and marvelous classical dancing, the production took its place among Ohio’s best Nutcrackers, offering up a magical holiday treat for all ages.  In a time when there … Continue reading Cleveland Ballet’s New Nutcracker Triumphs as a Holiday Treat for the Senses [REVIEW]

Cleveland Ballet Debuts a New ‘The Nutcracker’ Production Rich in Tradition [PREVIEW]

Cleveland Ballet The NutcrackerConnor Palace – Playhouse SquareDecember 13-22, 2024 By Steve Sucato This holiday season, Cleveland Ballet is giving area audiences something it has not seen in decades: A The Nutcracker production steeped in ballet’s tradition. This Friday, December 13, through Sunday, December 22, at Playhouse Square’s Connor Palace, the company will debut artistic director Timour Bourtasenkov’s new The Nutcracker production. The 2-act ballet is … Continue reading Cleveland Ballet Debuts a New ‘The Nutcracker’ Production Rich in Tradition [PREVIEW]

Cleveland Ballet Brings the Fright to Open its New Dance Season [PREVIEW]

Cleveland Ballet Dracula and The Masque of the Red DeathMimi Ohio Theatre – Playhouse SquareOctober 18 & 19, 2024 By Steve Sucato Cleveland Ballet embraces the macabre spirit of Halloween to open its 2024-25 season on October 18 & 19 at Playhouse Square’s Mimi Ohio Theatre. Continuing the artistic relationship cultivated last season by Cleveland Ballet’s new artistic director, Timour Bourtasenkov, the company will present four … Continue reading Cleveland Ballet Brings the Fright to Open its New Dance Season [PREVIEW]

Classic Hollywood Glitz, Glamour, and Dance and Music Entertainment are Brought to Life in ‘Strictly Gershwin’ [PREVIEW]

By Steve Sucato The iconic Jazz Age music of American songwriting team George and Ira Gershwin is celebrated in the dance and music extravaganza Strictly Gershwin this weekend, October 4-6, at Playhouse Square’s KeyBank State Theatre. Co-commissioned initially by Playhouse Square President & CEO Craig HassallAM while at the English National Ballet, Royal Albert Hall, and Raymond Gubbay, Ltd., Strictly Gershwin is a two-hour celebration … Continue reading Classic Hollywood Glitz, Glamour, and Dance and Music Entertainment are Brought to Life in ‘Strictly Gershwin’ [PREVIEW]

ODC/Dance’s Trio of Works a Gratifying Mix of Peculiarity and Brilliance [REVIEW]

By Steve Sucato DANCECleveland simultaneously capped its annual Community Dance Day activities and opened its 68th presenting season Saturday night at Playhouse Square’s Allen Theatre with the return of Oberlin Dance Collective (ODC/Dance).  Founded in 1971 at Oberlin College by artistic director Brenda Way, who was then on faculty, the San Francisco-based dance company last returned to Northeast Ohio in 2015. The company presented a … Continue reading ODC/Dance’s Trio of Works a Gratifying Mix of Peculiarity and Brilliance [REVIEW]

VERTIGO FINDS BALANCE IN OUTSTANDING ‘MAKOM’ [REVIEW]

Vertigo Dance Company – MAKOMMimi Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square Cleveland, OhioPresented by DANCECleveland & Playhouse SquareApril 18, 2024 By Steve Sucato Last in Cleveland in 2019, Israel’s Vertigo Dance Company returned this past Thursday to close out DANCECleveland’s 2023-2024 season with their 2022 evening-length contemporary dance work, MAKOM. Makom means “place” in Hebrew, and Playhouse Square’s Mimi Ohio Theatre was the place to experience … Continue reading VERTIGO FINDS BALANCE IN OUTSTANDING ‘MAKOM’ [REVIEW]

Taylor Company Triple Bill A Triumph [REVIEW]

Paul Taylor Dance CompanyMimi Ohio Theatre at Playhouse SquareCleveland, OhioSaturday, January 20, 2024 By Steve Sucato To kick off the celebrations of New York City-based Paul Taylor Dance Company’s 70th Anniversary, the company returned to Cleveland this past Saturday night with a triple bill of riveting dance works. The performance at Playhouse Square’s Mimi Ohio Theatre featured two of late choreographer Paul Taylor’s critically acclaimed … Continue reading Taylor Company Triple Bill A Triumph [REVIEW]

Philadanco Triumphs in Super-Charged Return to Cleveland [REVIEW]

Philadanco! (The Philadelphia Dance Company)Playhouse Square – Mimi Ohio TheatreNovember 11, 2023By Steve Sucato Absent from DANCECleveland’s dance card since 2006, Philadanco’s triumphant return to Cleveland Saturday night at Playhouse Square’s Mimi Ohio Theatre begged the question, why did it take so long to have them back? Presented by DANCECleveland and Tri-C Performing Arts, the 53+-year-old Philadelphia-based modern dance company kicked butt in four uber-energetic … Continue reading Philadanco Triumphs in Super-Charged Return to Cleveland [REVIEW]