Friday May 3rd

Show 1 - 7:30 pm  

Meet the Artists

INLET DANCE THEATRE

Bill Wade, Executive/Artistic Director

Joshua Brown, Assistant Artistic Director

INLET DANCE THEATRE, is one of the region’s most exciting professional contemporary dance companies with roots in American Modern Dance. Founded in 2001 by Founder and Executive/Artistic Director Bill Wade, Inlet embodies his longstanding belief that dance viewing, training, and performing experiences may serve as tools to bring about personal growth and development. Inlet’s collaborative artistic staff build the company’s solid reputation for uplifting individuals and engaging new audiences via performances and education programming. During Inlet’s 23-year history, we have transformed from a small dance company with local impact into a celebrated organization that impacts people on an international level. Our core strengths reside equally in performance and education. Whether we’re performing at local venues or conducting regional residencies or international exchanges, Inlet continues to inspire, educate, and innovate – all with the vision that dance can further people.

JOSHUA BROWN (CHOREOGRAPHER) (he/him/his) graduated with a BA in Theatre Education and a Dance Minor from Ohio Wesleyan University and then joined Inlet as a Trainee in 2004. In 2007, Joshua was promoted to Company Member. For a decade and a half, Joshua performed to sold out enthusiastic audiences, engaged in the collaborative building of Inlet’s repertory, and taught and trained thousands of students. He loves co-creating with others and has collaborated with Elu Dance Company, Ingenuity Festival, technology artist Mihaela Khavdanska, installation artist Hui-Lin Chuang, Robin VanLear, event planners, and biomedical engineers. In 2008, Josh experienced the glorious privilege to travel with Inlet to Easter Island to learn, perform, teach, and exchange culture as part of the Ohio Arts Council’s International Artist Exchange Program. In 2014, Joshua was awarded a Creative Workforce Fellowship through the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, supported by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. In 2020, he stepped away from performing regularly as part of the company but continued to train and choreograph on the Inlet Trainee & Apprentice Program and at Inlet’s Summer Dance Intensive as an Inlet Teaching Artist. In 2023, he was hired as Inlet Dance Theatre’s Assistant Artistic Director. Joshua lives in Cleveland, OH with his very graceful wife and two very special children; all of whom share his love of apple picking.

DANCING WHEELS COMPANY

Mary Verdi-Fletcher, Artistic Director

DANCING WHEELS COMPANY - If dance is an expression of the human spirit, then it is best expressed by people of all abilities. That is the fundamental belief behind the Dancing Wheels Company & School. Considered one of the premier arts and disabilities organizations in the U.S., Dancing Wheels is a professional, physically integrated dance company uniting the talents of dancers both with and without disabilities. Mary Verdi-Fletcher, the first professional wheelchair dancer in the U.S., founded the Dancing Wheels Company in Cleveland in 1980. Born with spina bifida, Mary wanted to offer others with disabilities full and equal access into the world of dance. An almost unimaginable concept at the time, Mary’s vision and passion have since helped to revolutionize our very notion of dance – as well as what defines a dancer. Furthering the mission of inclusive arts and recreation opportunities for all, the School of Dancing Wheels proudly opened its doors in 1990. Its state-of-the-art studios were soon regarded as a world-class training center for dancers, choreographers and educators. That same year, a partnership with the Cleveland Ballet created the ground-breaking Cleveland Ballet Dancing Wheels which went on to delight audiences for nearly a decade. To date, the Dancing Wheels Company’s inspirational mission has touched over 6 million people through performances, school assemblies, residencies and workshops. Millions more have enjoyed their artistry via appearances on CNN, Good Morning America, and the TV special “Christopher Reeve: A Celebration of Hope.” Now part of Professional Flair, Inc., a 501(c) arts and disabilities organization, Dancing Wheels continues to travel the globe advocating disability awareness and entertaining 30,000-50,000 people each year. With a repertory of 80 works from nationally-esteemed choreographers and a message of inclusion and accessibility, the Company continually expands the reach of artistic possibilities while celebrating the universal spirit of dance.

MORGAN WALKER (CHOREOGRAPHER) is a movement artist, choreographer, teacher, and director. Morgan holds a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography from Kent State University. Her choreographic work has been commissioned nationally by Kent State University, Bellingham Repertory Dance (WA), the Dancing Wheels Company, Mark DeGarmo Virtual International Arts Festival (NYC), Contemporary Dance Choreography Festival (FL), Trifecta Dance Collective Choreographer Showcase (IL), and regional and national American College Dance Association Conferences. Currently, Morgan is the Rehearsal Director and a full-time company member of the Dancing Wheels Company in Cleveland, OH where she teaches modern dance technique and contemporary styles.

THE MOVEMENT PROJECT

Megan L. Gargano, Artistic Director

Associate Director, Elyse Morckel

THE MOVEMENT PROJECT was founded in 2009 by Megan Gargano (she/her) and Rebecca Leuszler (she/her) with goals to support professional dance in Cleveland. Through the years, TMP has grown their efforts to support artists throughout NE Ohio, specifically the communities of Cleveland and Akron. In 2013 TMP launched its first full season of performances and has since then produced over 35 evening-length concerts, has created over 60 new works, produced 6 original dance films, and has performed at various venues such as Cleveland Public Theatre, The Breen Center, Dumbo Dance Fest in NYC, Baldwin Wallace University, Ohio University and Transformer Station. In 2019, TMP collaborated, performed and produced a sold-out concert with Pam Tanowitz and her NYC company Pam Tanowitz Dance. In 2013 and 2016, TMP was awarded The Fedora Award, a grant for individuals and organizations that focus on positively helping communities of Northeast Ohio. And in 2017 TMP was awarded funds by Puffin West Foundation to further support TMP's annual summer intensive, a 1-week summer intensive focused on providing affordable and accessible dance education to youth dancers. In 2015, TMP launched the Cleveland Artist Initiative, a program designed to support and fund the creation of new work by Cleveland artists. Over 51% of TMP's operating budget was dedicated to paying artists and in 2022 TMP collaborated with over 150 artists and organizations throughout the year. In 2016, TMP launched Cleveland Dance Fest, an annual dance festival featuring Cleveland choreographers and is hosted each year in Cleveland. TMP Co-artistic director Rebecca Leuszler was awarded the 2016 Creative Workforce Fellowship funded by Community Partnership for Arts & Culture and Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) to produce the first festival. In 2019, 2021 & 2022, TMP was awarded funds by CAC to continue growing the festival, as well as in 2020 by Ohio Arts Council. Since its inaugural year, over $43,500 has gone towards paying artists. In addition to our programming in Cleveland, TMP has worked to provide resources to artists, families, and youth throughout the communities of Akron. TMP's outreach programs have included The Akron Art Museum, Miller South School for Visual & Performing Arts, The University of Akron, and our annual year long residency at Firestone CLC. In 2023, TMP officially became a proud Pathway Partner with the College & Career Academies of Akron through Akron Public Schools. Fall of 2017 TMP launched The Movement Project School of Dance for youth 2.5-18 years old, serving the neighborhoods of Cleveland. In 2022, company member Elyse Morckel was promoted to Associate Director, expanding upon her already strong commitment to community building throughout the Akron and Cleveland communities. January 2022, TMP moved its operations to Cleveland’s westside community of Fairview Park where we offer year-round weekly professional classes, summer intensives, company rehearsals, festivals and performances.

MEGAN L. GARGANO (CHOREOGRAPHER) (she/her) is a native of Cleveland, Ohio where she began her training in 2003 at the Royal School of Ballet under the direction of Joanne Hughes Morscher. In addition, Megan studied at The Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, BalletMet, performed with The Pennsylvania Ballet and participated in several dance festivals throughout Ohio. In 2012, Megan received her BFA in Performance and Choreography from Ohio University School of Dance where she developed her own artistic voice under the mentorship and direction of Madeleine Scott, Marina Walchli, Mickie Geller, Travis Gatling, Tresa Randall, John Bohuslawsky and Gladys Bailin. While studying at OU, Megan performed the reconstruction of Alwin Nikolais piece Noumenon Mobilus, under the direction of Alberto del Saz. She has performed in faculty works by Mickie Geller and guest work by Adriana Durant, Stefanie Batten Bland and Sean Curran. July 2010 Megan studied at the Laban Centre in Greenwich, London where she furthered her studies in Limon and Release Techniques, choreography and contact improvisation. In 2010 Megan set original work at the Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights and in 2011 her work “Formally Phrased, with the exception of a few” was selected for adjudication at the American College Dance festival held at Grand Valley State University, Michigan. In 2009, Megan co-founded The Movement Project, a professional dance company located in Cleveland serving the communities of Cleveland and Akron.

ELYSE MORCKEL (CHOREOGRAPHER) (she/her) of Akron, Ohio is a dancer, choreographer & movement educator. After training under the direction of Kelly Berick at Firestone High School’s Dance Program, she went on to earn her BFA in Dance from The Ohio State University in 2014 with concentrations in choreography and dance technology. While at OSU she had the opportunity to work with individuals such as Vicki Blaine, Noa Zuk, Bebe Miller, Esther Baker-Tarpaga, Melanie Bales, Susan Hadley, and Cleveland native Dianne McIntyre. Her choreography was featured in many concerts and dance festivals throughout her undergraduate career, and her duet Scat in VII (2014), in collaboration with Lauren Bedal was selected to represent graduate and undergraduate adjudicated work at the 2014 ACDFA conference at Ohio University. Her senior thesis project our place (2014) was performed at BalletMet Performance Space and her choreographic research was presented at the Denman Arts and Sciences Research Forum. In 2017, she became a company dancer and choreographer with The Movement Project (Cleveland,Ohio), and was promoted to Associate Director in 2022. Since joining TMP she has performed the choreographic works of Pam Tanowitz, Rebecca Leuszler, Megan Gargano, Irene Honora, Grace Nicklos & Liz Conway. Some of her most recent choreographic projects include, the time has come, (2015), WWTD (2017), & untitled: an exercise (2020), performed at the Akron School for the Arts, series of rituals, remembered (2013, restaged in 2017 & 2018) in the end, this is a victory dance (2018, restaged in 2022), (6) Vignettes of Drama (2019), Sixes & 7’s (2021), coddiwomple (2021), & it’s a game we play (2022). Her works have been performed at venues such as Transformer Station, Mentor Amphitheater, & Current Gallery, and through performance platforms Cleveland Dance Fest & Summerworks, presented by The Movement Project. She has taught at The Movement Project Summer Intensive (2017-present), TMP Winter Workshop (2017-2021), TMP School of Dance, Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts, Akron School for the Arts at Firestone High School, Ohio Thespian Conference, Cleveland Dance Fest, as well as many private dance studios and schools across northeast Ohio. In addition to her dance movement practice, Elyse is an E-RYT 200/YACEP level yoga instructor with advanced certifications for children’s yoga.

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