Sat 6/10 @ 3:30-10PM
Neos Dance Theatre is one Northeast Ohio dance company we follow closely so when they announced Lose Your Marbles, a new dance-centric fringe festival coming to downtown Akron, we took notice, not only because Neos was producing but also because the word “fringe” evoked the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with its connotations of edgy, alternative, emerging artists, and alternative venues. We checked out the website and got on the phone with Bobby Wesner, Neos’ artistic director.
CoolCleveland: How did Lose Your Marbles get its name?
Bobby Wesner: I was researching industries in our region for A 1940s Nutcracker. I got into a discussion with Dave Lieberth who highlighted Akron’s toy industry in a historical book he compiled. Dave made me aware that the industrialized manufacture of marbles was birthed here in Summit County. The marble factory burned down so Akron lost its marbles but — figuratively -— I think we’ll get them back.
CC: Ok. We hear you’re holding Lose Your Marbles in the Trolley Barn, a repurposed urban space. How did you choose the Trolley Barn and what’s that space like?
BW: Years ago I walked around downtown Akron with Suzie Graham of the Downtown Akron Partnership. She showed me spaces that were abandoned, left vacant, or underutilized. There have been a number of projects by many different groups that have done such a great job bringing those spaces back online. For instance, last summer the Trolley Barn was the site of a popular ale fest. Choosing a site for Lose Your Marbles, the Trolley Barn was perfect because we wanted to be sure that rain and weather wouldn’t prevent us from putting on the concert.
CC: Looking at photos of the Trolley Barn online, we see that it’s a big shed with a high ceiling and no pillars. So once you set up your portable stage in there you’ll have good sight lines.
BW: That’s right. I think you’ve seen our portable stage. It’s very large. And over the years we’ve accumulated a lot of lighting equipment. Different foundations have been really good about supporting our goal of taking dance into alternative spaces so we can reach people who maybe have inhibitions about going to a dance concert in a traditional space.
CC: We were looking at your performers on the Lose Your Marbles website. How did you find these people and on what basis did you select them?
BW: For our pilot season our event coordinator Jane Startzman and I dug through our rolodexes. We included both tried and untried artists and local, statewide, and national acts. We encouraged artists to consider taking new risks and try new things at Lose Your Marbles.
Our largest goal is to showcase work that’s movement-centric or dance-centric. It was especially interesting how that influenced our discussions with the theater company Ma’Sue. They already felt strongly that movement is ingrained in the community that they serve, but as we met with them they were taken by the idea of focusing on movement first. So they have made a completely new piece for Lose Your Marbles that features movement and poetry.
CC: Speaking of Ma’Sue, Bobby, we wanted to congratulate you on the diversity of the performers you’ve assembled. Diverse but, judging from their bios, they’re also terrific dancers. Terk Lewis Waters, for instance.
BW: He’s phenomenal! Did you see that review I sent you? The review of his Kennedy Center appearances in the Ballet Across America program that Misty Copeland curated?
CC: Carmel Morgan in Critical Dance? “My eyes were glued to Waters whenever he was on stage. He moves with liquidity and muscularity, his body rapidly morphs between shapes. He’s elegant and hard -edged, delicate and tough, and he epitomizes the love for Bowie that Star Dust imparts.” Yes, that is a rave review and Critical Dance is a publication by and for people who are knowledgeable about dance.
BW: Terk has super cred in the field but he’ll be doing something at Lose Your Marbles — an original work of his own titled Paradise — that’s very different from what he usually does with [his home company] Complexions [Contemporary Ballet]. Lose Your Marbles is the perfect venue for someone like him, an established artist who wants to take a risk, who wants to try something new. Ma’Sue and Terk are so true to what we want. Dance is not just a segregated thing. We can all get together and celebrate.
CC: And speaking of diversity, you’re also presenting an Odissi dancer, Kaustavi Sarkar. We gather from her bio that she studied Odissi in India.
BW: She certainly brings an authentic representation of the culture. We came across Kaustavi when we sent out invitations to various graduate programs in Ohio. We got quite a few responses but she was one of the few who were selected. She’s now studying at Ohio State University, working on a graduate degree in economics.
CC: So far we’ve only talked about three of nearly 20 acts but let’s be sure to mention your featured national act, Lucky Plush. Cleveland dance audiences know them for their May 2013 performances at the Allen as part of the New Ground Theatre Festival.
BW: I first encountered Lucky Plush in 2011 at a St. Louis dance festival that Neos was also a part of. I was extremely impressed with how well the director and choreographer utilized theater and dance, and I’ve since followed their work closely. Now Lucky Plush is an internationally recognized and award-winning organization. Neos was once again at the same festival with them over Memorial Day Weekend 2017 and they had the audience in stitches! This is a not-to-be-missed company.
CC: Amen. For more information about the other 15 performers or groups of performers, our readers should go to loseyourmarbles.org/. Bobby, where is the Trolley Barn?
BW: It’s in downtown Akron behind 47 N. Main Street between Main Street and High Street. There’s a ton of great shops offering great deals whether it’s a percentage off your meal or specialty ice cream. We’re putting one of our artists, guitarist Jonathan Gangi, in Chill Artisan Ice Cream doing a pop up at an unannounced hour. In coming years we anticipate doing more and more of that.
CC: Sounds great. See you there.
Lose Your Marbles fringe fest will be in Akron’s Trolley Barn located behind 47 N. Main Street; access via both Main Street and High Street. Tickets are $10-$50.
Other dance festivals old and new are coming this summer to Northeastern Ohio. As usual, Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival presents free performances in Akron parks on Fridays and Saturdays from July 21 to August 12; those final 2 performances feature Urban Bush Women.
For the first time, DanceCleveland brings the American Dance Festival to Playhouse Square in Cleveland; performances and classes from 7/29 to 8/5. For information on ADF performances go to DanceCleveland.org; to register for classes go to dancecleveland/adfincle, contact Sarah Hricko at Sarah@DanceCleveland.org or call 216-991-9000.
[Written by Elsa Johnson and Victor Lucas]
Akron, OH 44308