Chamber Dance Project Honors Departing Founder-Director with ‘Iconic Works’ Program [PREVIEW/INTERVIEW]

By Steve Sucato From its founding in 2000 in New York City to its relocation to Washington, D.C. in 2014, and up until now, a few things have remained constant with the contemporary ballet company, Chamber Dance Project (CDP): Its bringing together of soloist-level professional ballet dancers during their lay-off periods from major professional companies and partnering them with equally talented musicians and boundary pushing … Continue reading Chamber Dance Project Honors Departing Founder-Director with ‘Iconic Works’ Program [PREVIEW/INTERVIEW]

Airings: June 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] Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre announced the appointment of Nicolas Gaudreau as its new director of development. Gaudreau will begin his role on July 7, 2025, just prior to the start of PBT’s 2025-2026 season. … Continue reading Airings: June 2025

Dancer-Choreographer Anthony Alterio Finds A Homecoming In The Launch of this Week’s Pittsburgh Dance Workshop [PREVIEW]

By Steve Sucato At age seventeen, dancer-choreographer Anthony Alterio, as he says, “ran away from Pittsburgh” in order to experience something different. Ever since, the city has been beckoning him back.  “I love Pittsburgh, its people, and what the city represents,” says Alterio. “This is where I got my start in dance.”  Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, Alterio was raised in Pittsburgh by his mother after … Continue reading Dancer-Choreographer Anthony Alterio Finds A Homecoming In The Launch of this Week’s Pittsburgh Dance Workshop [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]

Murder, Reckoning, and an A Cappella Choir: CPT’s DanceWorks 2025 Presents Five Weeks of Evocative Dance [PREVIEW]

By Steve Sucato  The 21st iteration of Cleveland Public Theatre’s DanceWorks series — the longest-running annual dance series of its kind in the region — will treat audiences to five weeks worth of eclectic dance and dance theatre works, running every Thursday through Saturday evenings, April 17 – May 17, 2025, at CPT’s James Levin Theatre.   This year’s line-up of local dance artists will include … Continue reading Murder, Reckoning, and an A Cappella Choir: CPT’s DanceWorks 2025 Presents Five Weeks of Evocative Dance [PREVIEW]

‘Diamond Jubilee’ Tour is Legendary Choreographer Twyla Tharp at her Tharpiest [REVIEW] 

Twyla Tharp Dance – Diamond Jubilee TourKeyBank State Theatre at Playhouse SquareCleveland, OHMarch 8, 2025By Steve Sucato The 21st performance of Twyla Tharp Dance’s coast-to-coast Diamond Jubilee Tour, Saturday night’s performance at Playhouse Square’s KeyBank State Theatre, was the first by the eponymous company in Cleveland in 23 years and one to cherish as it quite possibly could be its last.  One of our greatest … Continue reading ‘Diamond Jubilee’ Tour is Legendary Choreographer Twyla Tharp at her Tharpiest [REVIEW] 

Namesake Ballet Shines Brightest in Bodiography’s ‘Evensong’ [DIGITAL REVIEW]

Maria Caruso’s Bodiography – EvensongRecorded at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater Pittsburgh, PANovember  15-17, 2024By Steve Sucato Bodiography founder Maria Caruso may now live some 2400 miles away in Los Angeles, but Pittsburgh remains home. The birthplace of Martha Graham, Gene Kelly, and Caruso, the internationally known and celebrated solo dance artist, choreographer, and budding TV and film actress regularly returns to Pittsburgh to work with and … Continue reading Namesake Ballet Shines Brightest in Bodiography’s ‘Evensong’ [DIGITAL REVIEW]

Documentary Shines New Light on a Dance and Visual Effects Pioneer  [REVIEW]

By Steve Sucato Even the brightest of us can disappear from humanity’s collective memory over time. Such was the case for Löie Fuller, a woman made famous for her dances manipulating fabric and her pioneering use of light, color, and shadow in her dance works of the late 19th and early 20th century. A transformative figure in the arts and artist rights, her remarkable contributions … Continue reading Documentary Shines New Light on a Dance and Visual Effects Pioneer  [REVIEW]

Cleveland Dance Fest 2024 to Showcase the Work of 46 Choreographers [PREVIEW]

By Angelina DiFranco  The Movement Project’s Cleveland Dance Fest (CDF) is returning for its 9th season at Cleveland’s Ariel LaSalle Theater starting Friday, November 22nd through Sunday, November 24th. The annual three-day festival will feature the work of local and visiting artists in a multitude of events, including a Professional Concerts Series, a Youth Showcase, a free Virtual Dance Film Gallery, and masterclasses for professional … Continue reading Cleveland Dance Fest 2024 to Showcase the Work of 46 Choreographers [PREVIEW]