We’re looking forward to a dizzying array of dance performances in Northeast Ohio this summer, most of them outdoors and many of them free. Which concerts will you plan to attend? The free ones? Those close by? How much to pay? How far to drive?
It all starts at 7:00 pm on Fri 7/17 and Sat 7/18 and 2:00 pm Sun 7/19 with GroundWorks DanceTheater at Cain Park’s Alma Theater. GroundWorks will perform a world premiere choreographed on GroundWorks by Eric Handman, who espouses something he calls “feral torque.” See and hear Handman speak for himself here. On the same program, a reprise of House Broken, choreographer Rosie Herrera’s dark and hilarious picture of life in the suburbs, and Boom Boom, David Shimotakahara’s original but compelling take on the blues.
GroundWorks has two new company members, both well worth watching. Michael Marquez, a recent graduate of the Juilliard School, assures us that his golf swing – a vital component of House Broken – is “coming along.” Lauren Garson, who toured nationally and internationally with Parsons Dance, says, “I’m excited because all my good buddies from Parsons are coming to Cleveland.” More about Parsons later.
The Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival (HPSDF), free and family-friendly, begins on Fri 7/24 and Sat 7/25 with Neos Dance Theatre at Firestone Park in Akron. Neos is based in Mansfield and seldom performs in Cleveland so if you’re a Clevelander, this might be your best chance to see them. Neos’ artistic director Robert Wesner has a way of making ballet-trained dancers look their very best on stage. In addition to a world premiere by Joseph Morrissey, an emerging choreographic talent on the national and international scene, Neos is reviving Chichester Psalms, one of the best pieces by Hernando Cortez, former Artistic Director of Verb Ballets.
On Sat 7/25 of that same weekend, DanceCleveland and Cain Park co-present New-York-based Parsons Dance. Yes, we have our reservations about David Parsons’ one-note approach to choreography. But his dancers are so beautiful and exciting and his occasional lucky strikes like Caught! and The Envelope are so good that we’d hate ourselves if we didn’t go. Ticket info and an eye-popping highlight reel here.
At 1:00 pm Wed 7/29 and 8:00 pm Thu 7/30 Inlet Dance Theatre performs free at Cain Park. As it does every year, this concert will focus on the students in Inlet’s Summer Dance Intensive and the Inlet Trainee and Apprentice Program. In addition to repertoire pieces, the program will include a new all-male piece, a new all-female piece, a new ensemble piece and a new ensemble improvisation, all choreographed or supervised by company members. Go early; local dance audiences have learned to expect an entertaining, innovative program here.
On Fri 7/31 and Sat 8/1, GroundWorks performs at Glendale Cemetery in Akron as part of HPSDF. Local dance companies are usually reluctant to disclose rep for their summer performances but we strongly suspect that GW will perform the same three dances at each of their three outdoor performance venues this summer.
On Fri 8/7 and Sat 8/8, Verb Ballets performs at Hardesty Park as part of HPSDF. As described in our recent review, Verb’s ballet-trained dancers are intelligent performers as well as proficient technicians. All the better to interpret new work for this summer from an eclectic group of emerging choreographers, including Lauren Edison, Royce Zackery and Daniel Precup in addition to repertoire.
On Thu 8/ 13, Inlet is the first of three companies to perform at Tremont’s Lincoln Park, a free and family-friendly venue, as part of the Tremont Arts in August series. Expect a work or two with the theme of “water” as in Cleveland Public Theater’s year of clean water initiative as well as selections from the company’s repertoire. GroundWorks performs there on Fri 8/14, and Verb Ballets performs on Sat 8/15.
The day after its Tremont performance, on Fri 8/14, Inlet performs at the Grove Amphitheater in Mayfield Heights. That’s also free.
Philadanco!, the Philadelphia-based, African-American modern dance company, is at Goodyear Metro Park as the finale of the HPSDF on Fri 81/4 and Sat 8/15. Philadanco! will perform the ballet Latched by former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater soloist Christopher Huggins and Ray Mercer’s Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. See our review of Philadanco’s 2012 Playhouse Square performance, including GWCTD here. It’s well worth the drive from Cleveland to Akron.
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