SATURDAY May 4TH
Show 2 - 7:30 pm
Meet the Artists
GROUNDWORKS DANCETHEATER
David Shimotakahara, Artistic Director
GROUNDWORKS DANCETHEATER is a contemporary dance company formed in 1998 by Founding Artistic Director, David Shimotakahara. Now in its 25th Anniversary Year, GroundWorks is nationally recognized for its contribution to the art form and the enrichment of human experiences in collaboration with some of the most innovative voices in dance today. Work that is created, produced, and supported in Northeast Ohio. GroundWorks’ collaborative philosophy informs its work, in the studio, on stage, and in community. It expands the ways dance is shared and engages with and enlivens the communities we serve. Fundamental to GroundWorks is the fostering of new choreography and challenging preconceptions about dance. This group of outstanding artists has introduced dance lovers and neophytes alike to an experience that is unconventional, yet deeply human and resonating. The desire to push boundaries is evident in Shimotakahara’s bold initiative: To constantly seek collaboration and input from ground-breaking choreographers of the highest caliber and to make certain that the repertoire of the company is constantly evolving. The company performs new works by Shimotakahara, as well as commissioned work by nationally and internationally acclaimed choreographers including GroundWorks Artist in Residence Antonio Brown, Rena Butler, Sidra Bell, Peter Chu, Dianne McIntyre, Robyn Mineko Williams, Adam Barruch, Gina Gibney, David Parker, Brian Brooks, James Gregg, and many others. Now in its third decade, GroundWorks looks toward its future, having earned solid support and a growing audience base as more and more people discover what the Cleveland Plain Dealer has described as the “smoldering brilliance” of one of “Cleveland’s cultural gems.”
OHIO CONTEMPORARY BALLET
Dr. Margaret Carlson, Producing Artistic Director
Richard Dickinson, Associate Artistic Director
OHIO CONTEMPORARY BALLET - For over three decades Ohio Contemporary Ballet, formerly Verb Ballets, has connected with the community in Northeast Ohio through dance performances and educational programs. The company vision is currently led by Dr. Margaret Carlson, former principal dancer for the original Cleveland Ballet, and Richard Dickinson, MFA, former Ohio Ballet dancer. Ohio Contemporary Ballet mission is to engage people through bold performances rooted in contemporary ballet and strives to be a vital community asset by providing access to dance opportunities and education in the Great Lakes region and beyond. Ohio Contemporary Ballet seeks to engage top dancers and choreographers that reflect diverse backgrounds across the country and globe. We see ourselves as not just a dance company, but as a valuable asset that enriches the lives of our community through providing access to dance opportunities, classes and education. Housed at the Ohio Contemporary Ballet Center in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights, we are committed to be a leader of artistic vibrancy in the Great Lakes region.
FRTRSS DANCE THEATRE
Matthew Roberts, Artistic Director
FRTRSS DANCE THEATRE is a faith-based contemporary dance company in Akron, OH forged to create a safe place to create and fellowship. Frtrss Dance Theatre seeks to artistically nourish the unity amongst neighbors with dance, cultivate faith in communities by showing humility, and liberty, and expand the boundaries of our neighborhoods through charitable service and fellowship.
MATTHEW ROBERTS (CHOREOGRAPHER) is an Akron native who, at the age of 10, discovered he was bilingual and his real native language was dance. After studying at the University of Akron’s Dance Institute, he moved to New York looking to become more fluent and graduated from Marymount Manhattan College in 2013 with a B.F.A. in Dance and a concentration in Choreography. There he performed works by Lar Lubovitch, Robert Battle, Jessica Lang, and Shen Wei. He has danced with Lustig Dance Theatre, Oakland Ballet Company, Awakening Movement, Molissa Fenley, Tami Stronach Dance, Neos Dance Theatre, Bruce Wood Dance, Zion Dance Project, Pegasus Contemporary, Osage Ballet, Ballet Papillon and Störling Dance Theater. He now freelances and teaches choreography and modern at the University of Akron, while he forges Frtrss Dance Theatre. He enjoys teaching dance, discussing movement, and leading worship jams, but his love for storytelling, choreography, and sharing the human experience are what fuel his passion to create.
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.