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Tuesday, April 16th, 2013 12:00 PM

Lucky Plush Productions press release

Contacts:
Pam Barr Tom Sarago
Barr Communications DANCECleveland
216-932-5060 216-991-9000
barrp@roadrunner.com tom@dancecleveland.org


"A terrific odyssey, full of amusing, varied and tireless dancing
by a troupe who ably double as comics." The Chicago Tribune

Lucky Plush Productions Makes Cleveland Debut May 2-4
Company known for artful integration of dance, theater, visual design

CLEVELAND (April 15, 2013) – Chicago-based Lucky Plush Productions will make its Cleveland debut May 2-4 at the Allen Theatre in PlayhouseSquare with an evening length production of The more › Better Half, a lively, witty spin on the film noir classic Gaslight.
Tickets for the Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening performances at 8 p.m. are available at the PlayhouseSquare ticket office, 216-241-6000 or online at www.playhousesquare.org.
This highly entertaining, original production is co-presented by DANCECleveland and the Cleveland Play House, as part of CPH's New Ground Theatre Festival. This is the first collaboration by these two art organizations.
The Better Half, which premiered in 2011 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, is a dance/theater work inspired by the 1944 film classic in which Ingrid Bergman plays a woman slowly driven mad by her conniving husband. Hailed by The Chicago Tribune as "one of the most accessible exercises in modern dance you'll ever see," The Better Half is a playful look at contemporary relationships, combining dance and theater in a work that is emotionally rich, funny and full of revealing surprises.
The production was co-created and co-directed by Lucky Plush's Artistic Director Julia Rhoads and Leslie Buxbaum Danzig, of 500 Clown, a Chicago troupe specializing in riotous deconstructions of serious classics, such as Macbeth and Frankenstein. The multi-faceted cast of The Better Half will feature performers from both companies.
Since its founding by Rhodes in 1999, Lucky Plush has premiered over 30 original works including performance installations, two dance films and 10 evening-length productions. The company has been presented at Jacob's Pillow (MA), Steppenwolf Garage (IL), Joyce SoHo (NYC), among others.
Rhodes' independent work has been commissioned by Alaska DanceTheater, Mordine and Company and River North Chicago Dance Company. Her collaborative work with Lucky Plush has been awarded a National Dance Project Production Award and a National Performance Network Creation Fund Award, In 2010, she was named one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch." She is a former member of San Francisco Ballet and collaborating ensemble member of XSIGHT! Performance Group, and she has been a guest artist with Beppie Blankert Danceworks, the Itinerant Theater Guild, and Baubo Performance Project.
For more information about Lucky Plush Productions, visit: www.luckyplush.com
ELECTRONIC PHOTOS AVAILABLE FROM PAM BARR AT 216-932-5060 or barrp@roadrunner.com

DANCECleveland, a Cleveland, Ohio based non-profit, is one of a handful of presenters nationally that is dedicated solely to the presentation of modern and contemporary dance. The centerpiece of the organization's programming is its annual performance series. The performances are surrounded by an array of educational outreach events including artist-run master classes, residency programs, student matinees, pre-performance lectures and post-performance Q&A sessions, designed both to break artistic boundaries and provide community access to the dance aesthetic and dance luminaries that DANCECleveland brings to Northeast Ohio.
Cleveland Play House was founded in 1915 and is America's first professional regional theatre. Throughout its rich history, Cleveland Play House has remained dedicated to its mission to inspire, stimulate and entertain diverse audiences in Northeast Ohio by producing plays and theatre education programs of the highest professional standards. It has produced more than 100 world and/or American premieres, and over long history more than 12 million people have attended over 1,300 CPH productions. Today, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Bloom and Managing Director Kevin Moore, Cleveland Play House looks toward its centennial while performing in three state-of-the art venues at PlayhouseSquare in downtown Cleveland.

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Sunday, April 14th, 2013 12:00 PM

Our new season is here!

DANCECleveland is proud to present the 2013-2014 dance performance series!

For a sneak peek as to what we have in store for you, please take a moment to read the season preview by the Plain Dealer's Don Rosenberg below! more ›

Don Rosenberg
http://www.cleveland.com/musicdance/index.ssf/2013/04/dancecleveland_will_feature_fi.html#incart_river_default

Monday, March 18th, 2013 12:00 PM

Now Hiring: Production Manager

DANCECleveland
Performing Arts Production Manger
Job Description
Reports to: Executive Director

Status: Contract for 4-6 performances per season

Hire date: Contract Immediately-first performance will be November 9, 2013

Application: Qualified applicants only should submit a letter explaining why this position would fit their particular skills, list of production management experience and references to: dex@dancecleveland.org

RESPONSIBILITIES: Advances, coordinates and supervises all technical and logistical aspects of 5-7 scheduled performances primarily located at the theatres at PlayhouseSquare. more ›
Works with local, national and international performers and their representatives, insuring production needs are met and the performance is successful. Will act as the coordinating contact with performers' stage mangers and/or technical personnel.
Reviews all artists' riders.
Prepares detailed schedules for all events, including transportation, hospitality, rehearsal, sound check, arrival and departure of all artists and crews.
Liaison between artist, artist management, venue and theatrical supply companies to ensure all contracted needs are met.
Submits bids for the lighting, sound and staging needs for each show, as needed and makes recommendations to Executive Director for selection of vendors.
Serves as contact person for all vendors and provides cost estimates and billing information.
Ensure the adherence to established union policies and procedures, objectives, and safety standards.
Coordinates the Transportation and Hospitality needs for the visiting dance companies.
Serves as contact person for vendors contracted to provide these services.
Maintains relationships with local venues and theatrical suppliers, including regular site visits for each event, to ensure the highest quality and lowest cost in each performance.
Be in the theatre during all hours of performance engagement, including load-in, rehearsals, performance and load-out.


REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Associate's degree or high school diploma/GED.
Minimum 5 years of experience in theatrical production management.
Ability to prepare routine administrative paperwork.
Knowledge of suppliers, equipment, and/or services related to theatrical productions.
Knowledge of theatre and/or public events staging procedures, techniques and facilities.
Knowledge of event cost analysis techniques.
Knowledge of organizational structure, workflow, and operating procedures.
Knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and e-mail.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
Ability to resolve artist/venue problems and concerns.
Strong technical leadership and supervisory skills with the ability to work independently and in a team environment.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to schedule multiple events and/or facilities usage.
Available to work demanding and flexible hours.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor's degree in Technical Theater/Production or Technical Direction
Experience in lighting and/or sound design
Computer and multi-media skills
Proficiency with AutoCAD and lighting design programs

POSITION STATUS: This is contract/consultant position. A fee will be paid per engagement.


DANCECleveland's mission is to bring the passion and verve of contemporary and modern dance to the hearts and minds of northeast Ohioans. Our organization accomplishes this through the following:
an annual presentation of a performance series showcasing nationally and internationally renowned choreographers and companies;

To enhance the concert going experience with a series of programs and informational sessions which are designed to build a greater understanding of contemporary dance and the works being presented;
The presentation of educational programming that makes the dance luminaries we bring into our community more accessible to students and the general public.

DANCECleveland has a 57-year history of making modern dance an integral part of our community's varied cultural offerings. As the only organization in Greater Cleveland whose sole mission is to present the best national and international dance companies, our concert series contributes to the cultural landscape as well as build audiences for dance. Learn more about DANCECleveland at dancecleveland.org

Monday, February 25th, 2013 12:00 PM

Mark Morris Dance Group advance article The Plain Dealer - 2/24/13

Nothing can replace the visceral impact of live music in the theater. Actors and dancers respond flexibly in the moment when musicians are nearby to team with them.

Not every dance or theater company, alas, can afford to hire an orchestra or chamber ensemble for their performances. In these cases, recorded music must suffice.

One choreographer who insists that musicians are as important as dancers is Mark Morris. The admired American choreographer's more › view stems partly from his deep love of all sorts of music, the principal inspiration for the works he creates for the Mark Morris Dance Group.

When the New York company performs three pieces by its artistic director Saturday at the Palace Theatre in PlayhouseSquare, four members of the Mark Morris Dance Group Music Ensemble will be in the house to complement the motion.

The Morris works are set to music by composers slightly off the beaten dance track, including Johann Nepomuk Hummel's Trio for Piano and Strings No. 5 in E major in "Festival Dances" and Erik Satie's score for "Socrates." Pianist Colin Fowler will take part in all of the pieces and serve as soloist in "Canonic 3/4 Studies," playing a slew of waltz etudes by composers he's unable to name.

"The score to that piece is absolutely insane," says Fowler, a Kansas City, Mo., native and graduate of the Juilliard School. "It was put together by Harriet Cavalli, a great pianist who worked with Mark at Jacob's Pillow [dance festivals] decades ago. From my understanding, it's just a mash-up of some of her favorite class pieces. They're between 45 seconds and 2 minutes and all bloody impossible."

Fowler's musical horizons have expanded greatly since he began working with the company six years ago. Morris' musical taste embraces everything from the oldest music to recent and even hot-off-the-presses scores.

PREVIEW

Mark Morris Dance Group

What: The New York company performs the artistic director's "Canonic 3/4 Studies," "Festival Dance" and "Socrates" under the auspices of DanceCleveland, PlayhouseSquare and Cleveland State University.

When: 8 p.m. Saturday.

Where: Palace Theatre, PlayhouseSquare, Cleveland.

Tickets: $20-$65. Go to tinyurl.com/aynvgue or call 216-241-6000.

A number of celebrated Morris works require full orchestra, such as "The Hard Nut," a modern (and wacky) take on Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker." Orchestra and chorus perform with the company in "L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato," set to the eponymous Handel oratorio.

It's not all so grand. Much of the Morris repertoire employs chamber music featuring one to five or more players or singers. As Fowler puts it, the choreographer's musical choices "are sometimes surprising and often challenging but always rewarding."

Working with Morris also gratifies because he treats dancers and musicians with equal respect, says cellist Andrew Janss, who will perform in Cleveland this week.

"Mark is pretty specific that he doesn't want the musicians collaborating with the dancers," says Janss, a native of Thousand Oaks, Calif., and graduate of the Manhattan School of Music. "He wants the musicians playing the music. The dancers dance to the music and not the other way around. We don't adjust to their movements."

But they maintain close contact.

"It's great to be able to look up and interact with the dancers during the performance," says Fowler. "We take cues from them and they take cues from us. It's never the same way twice, and Mark doesn't want it to be the same way twice."

Fowler, 31, sees more of the dancers and Morris than other musicians. He's the company's rehearsal pianist when the choreographer works in the studio. He's perused Morris' vast collection of recordings and scores. (Morris occasionally conducts.)

And Fowler remains amazed by the artistic director's musical acuity.

"I consider him much more of a colleague as a musician than as a choreographer," he says. "He knows more about music than most musicians I know, and he has really great ideas about it that he's willing to share.

"Everything comes from the music first. He's listened to the piece and he's worked on the piece. He's really marinated with the music before he would ever choreograph."


Cellist Andrew Janss will join colleagues in the program the Mark Morris Dance Group presents Saturday in Cleveland.�
Phillip Romano
Janss, 28, says Morris sometimes requests tempos that startle both the musicians and the dancers. In "V," which is performed to Schumann's Quintet for Piano and Strings, the slow movement seemed unusually slow to the cellist until he watched a DVD of the work and finally understood what Morris envisioned.

The Morris dancers' ability to assimilate so many musical styles also impresses Janss.

"On top of being incredible dancers, every one of them has an incredible ear," he says. "We do a Bartok trio, Ives quartets, Cowell quartets -- and they all know how to hear the piece structurally. They all know how to count the thing. I know instrumentalists who don't count as well. It's really heartening to see a different genre of art appreciate our genre of art so much."

Fowler and Janss are delighted to work with the Morris company for reasons beyond the artistic. Both are freelancers who fill out their livings with jobs throughout the New York area. Janss, who lives in Harlem, is assistant artistic director of the Omega Ensemble, which performs chamber music. Brooklyn resident Fowler plays organ at a Manhattan church and synagogue and leads an annual choral festival at Carnegie Hall.

Although Fowler will be busy throughout Saturday's program, Janss only plays in the Hummel.

"It's hilarious I get paid the same as he does," says Janss. "Oh, my God, it's like a piano concerto with normal classical violin and cello. Colin is going nuts. And the dancers -- if you take the tempo a little fast, they're coming offstage and they look like they're going to collapse. It's just brutal on them."

Don Rosenberg
http://www.cleveland.com/musicdance/index.ssf/2013/02/choreographer_mark_morris_plac.html

RELATED COMPANY: Mark Morris Dance Group

Tuesday, February 19th, 2013 12:00 PM

Mark Morris Dance Group press release

"Distinctly vibrant with a very classic beauty" Chicago Tribune

"Charming, exhilarating, unexpected" New York Observer

Riveting Mark Morris Dance Group Comes to Cleveland March 2
World Renowned Troupe Performs to Live Music at the Palace Theatre

CLEVELAND (Feb. 11, 2013) – Now in its 33rd year, the acclaimed Mark Morris Dance Group comes to Cleveland for one performance only on March 2 at the Palace Theatre in PlayhouseSquare. Celebrated for its artistically powerful dancers, more › the company is known for its commitment to live music and the creativity and musicality of Artistic Director and Choreographer Mark Morris.
Tickets for the Saturday evening performance at 8 p.m. are available at the PlayhouseSquare ticket office, 216-241-6000 or online at www.playhousesquare.org.
This highly anticipated dance event is presented by DANCECleveland, The Center for Arts and Innovation at Cleveland State University, the CSU Department of Theatre and Dance, and PlayhouseSquare.
The company will perform three of its acclaimed dances: Canonic ¾ Studies, created in 1982, is danced to short piano pieces in ¾ time by various composers; Festival Dance, from 2011, is set to music by Johann Nepomuk Hummel; and Socrates, a 2010 work for 15 dancers set to Erick Satie's "Socrate."
The performance will be accompanied by a quartet of musicians from the MMDG Music Ensemble. Formed in 1996, the ensemble performs with the Mark Morris Dance Group at home and on tour and has become integral to the company's creative life. The core group, supplemented by musicians from a large roster of regular guests, has helped the Dance Group achieve an unprecedented streak of close to 800 performances with live music.
Pianist Colin Fowler has played and directed music across the country, at venues including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and The Library of Congress. Zach Finkelstein, tenor, has performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall and operatic roles at Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music and Tanglewood. Cellist Andrew Janss' performances have taken him across four continents including Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center and the Louvre. Cyrus Beroukhim, violin, has received international recognition as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. He has appeared a various halls throughout the U.S., Japan, Germany, Luxembourg and Israel.
The Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG), based in Brooklyn, NY, was formed in 1980 and gave its first concert that year in New York City. In 1988, the company was invited to become the national dance company of Belgium, where it spent three years in residence in Brussels. The company returned to the U.S. in 1991 as one of the world's leading dance companies, performing across the country and at major international festivals. MMDG performs annually at the Mostly Mozart Festival and the Tanglewood Music Festival. From the company's many London seasons, it has garnered two Laurence Olivier Awards. It collaborates with leading orchestras, opera companies and musicians including Yo-Yo Ma, Zahir Hussain, Emanuel Ax and Yoko Nozaki, among others.
Founder Mark Morris danced with the companies of Lar Lubovitch, Hannah Kahn, Laura Dean and Eliot Feld before founding his own company, where he has created more than 130 works. In 1990, he founded the White Oak Dance Project with Mikhail Baryshnikov. His work is in the companies of San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, Dutch National Ballet and many others. Among his many honors are being named a Fellow of the MacArthur Foundation, the Leonard Bernstein Lifetime Achievement Award for the Elevation of Music in Society, and the Benjamin Franklin Creativity Laureate Award.

For more information about Mark Morris Dance Group, visit: www..org
For more information about DANCECleveland, visit: www.dancecleveland.org

ELECTRONIC PHOTOS AVAILABLE FROM PAM BARR AT 216-932-5060 or barrp@roadrunner.com

DANCECleveland, a Cleveland, Ohio based non-profit, is one of a handful of presenters nationally that is dedicated solely to the presentation of modern and contemporary dance. The centerpiece of the organization's programming is its annual performance series. The performances are surrounded by an array of educational outreach events including artist-run master classes, residency programs, student matinees, pre-performance lectures and post-performance Q&A sessions, designed both to break artistic boundaries and provide community access to the dance aesthetic and dance luminaries that DANCECleveland brings to Northeast Ohio.
PlayhouseSquare is a not-for-profit performing arts center that presents and produces a wide variety of performing arts, advances arts education and creates a destination that is a superior location for entertainment business and housing, thereby strengthening the economic vitality of the region.
Founded in 1964, Cleveland State University is a public research institution that provides a dynamic setting for engaged learning. With an enrollment of more than 17,500 students, eight colleges and approximately 200 academic programs, CSU was again chosen for 2012 as one of America's Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report.




Funding for this presentation is generously provided by:
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, Cleveland Foundation, George W. Codrington Charitable Foundation, George Gund Foundation, Kulas Foundation, John P. Murphy Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Ohio Arts Council.