Cleveland Ballet’s Erinn Crittenden Winds Down Her Performance Career In Dream Role [INTERVIEW]

By Steve Sucato For almost as long as this current iteration of the Cleveland Ballet has existed, dancer Erinn Crittenden has been a fixture. With her bright eyes, million-watt smile, and an affinity for playing charismatic characters, including the fiery street dancer Mercedes in Don Quixote, Collette in Dracula, Red Riding Hood in The Sleeping Beauty, and the comedic Grandmother in The Nutcracker and Tweedle … Continue reading Cleveland Ballet’s Erinn Crittenden Winds Down Her Performance Career In Dream Role [INTERVIEW]

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]

Cleveland Ballet offers up an Exciting ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Ballet Steeped in Tradition [PREVIEW]

By Steve Sucato A production of firsts in how Cleveland Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet this weekend can be characterized. It was the very first story ballet choreographer Robert Weiss created for his newly formed Carolina Ballet in 1999, and is now the first Romeo and Juliet production for Cleveland Ballet under Artistic Director Timour Bourtasenkov. A founding member of Carolina Ballet, Bourtasenkov was also the … Continue reading Cleveland Ballet offers up an Exciting ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Ballet Steeped in Tradition [PREVIEW]

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]