The Plain Dealer, Zachary Lewis | April 10, 2015
DanceCleveland offering diverse, star-studded lineup in celebration of 60th anniversary
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Next to such milestones as 25 and 50, one's 60th anniversary often pales. Not so in the case of DanceCleveland.
On the occasion of its sixth decade next season, the distinguished presenter of dance has announced its most expansive and arguably brilliant lineup to date. At the same time, in a festive mood, the group also plans to reach out and take risks like never before.
"This is our chance to celebrate big," said Pamela Young, executive director, noting that some of the group's founders are still living. "We want to invite back companies people have loved for a long time, and reconnect with companies we've only presented once or twice, but that people enjoyed."
As Young suggests, it's the calendar that stands out. Larger than any season in DanceCleveland history, next year's slate contains no fewer than eight companies, organized into three smaller series labeled "Connoisseur," "Celebration," and "New Moves."
Beyond that, it's also heavily star-studded, and loaded with groups planning to perform with live music. Included in the lineup are such luminaries as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Momix, Parsons Dance, and Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal.
By way of the less familiar, the series also entails such up-and-comers as Camille A. Brown & Dancers, the tap team Dorrance Dance, and MalPaso, a newly founded troupe from Cuba. Longtime dance fans in Northeast Ohio also will be gratified to revisit Oberlin Dance Company, a San Francisco-based group founded here in 1972.
"We saw that if we were going to go big, we ought to go small, too," Young said.
They're also going out further into the community. Beyond its usual homes at Playhouse Square and the University of Akron, the presenter also will stage at Cain Park, Cleveland Public Theatre and the Hanna Theatre. The July show by Parsons Dance at Cain Park will even include audience participation, in honor of the National Day of Dance.
Check back here throughout the year for detailed coverage of DanceCleveland, including breaking news as well as features and reviews of each regularly scheduled program.
A variety of subscription packages go on sale Monday, April 13. Individual tickets go on sale Aug. 18. Go to dancecleveland.org or call 216-991-9000 for tickets and information.
DANCECLEVELAND'S 2015-16 SEASON
8 p.m. Saturday, July 25
Cain Park
Parsons Dance
3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4
E.J. Thomas Hall, Akron
Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal
8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7
Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square
Oberlin Dance Company
8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14
Hanna Theatre
Camille A. Brown & Dancers
8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23
Connor Palace Theatre
Momix
8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27
Ohio Theatre
MalPaso: A Cuban Dance Project
8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, April 7-9
Cleveland Public Theatre
Dorrance Dance
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30; 3 p.m. Sunday, May 1
State Theatre
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater