Cleveland Fine Arts Examiner – GroundWorks DanceTheater brings two premieres and a favorite work to Akron (Review)

By Mark Horning, Cleveland Fine Arts Examiner

Friday, March 22, 2013 marked the premiere Akron appearance of two GroundWorks dance numbers at the Akron-Summit County Public Library. The performance took place in the spacious street level auditorium that was nearly filled to capacity.

The first listing on the program was the Akron premiere of “Luna” that was choreographed by David Shimotakahara in collaboration with Felise Bagley, Noelle Cotler, Annika Sheaff, Damien Highfield and Gary Lenington. It featured music composed by Peter Swendsen with costumes by Kristine Davies and lighting by Dennis Dugan.

This is a piece that explores through dance the concept of duality and in particular human relationships with the ever shifting pattern of lost and found, give and take.

After a short pause, the second Akron premiere was presented entitled, “Inamorata” with choreography by Kate Weare with creative assistance by Douglas Gillespie. What sets this work apart from many others is the thoughtful use of music. In all, eight pieces of music are utilized ranging in scope from Medieval English Chants to world music to Tango to Folk to Classical and back to Chants. The collective grouping of dance styles and music made for an intriguing collection of thought provoking performances that showcased the wide array of talents inherent in GroundWorks.