When Oren Baratz met GroundWorks Artistic Director David Shimotakahara for the first time at Leadership Cleveland, they immediately hit it off. “I told David that I’d never danced in my life and that his success in the [Leadership Cleveland] program would be if he could get me to dance,” Baratz says. “Two weeks later
On one Sunday afternoon, Richard Clark and his wife were invited by a friend to see a modern dance performance at the Akron Ice House. Clark and his wife walked out of that performance as forever fans of GroundWorks DanceTheater. It’s for this very reason Clark is participating in GroundWorks 10th Annual It Takes
Susan Lucier needed little convincing to take part in GroundWorks Dance Theater’s 10th Annual It Takes Two Benefit. In fact, as a seasoned actor who has performed in New York, Cleveland and Nantucket, she jumped at the chance. Plus, she loves to dance. “Dance is not prominent in my background, but I enjoy it, and
When it comes to dancing, GroundWorks DanceTheater’s 10th Annual It Takes Two Benefit will be Nancy Osgood's debut performance. Unless you count her winning a limbo contest in the 6th grade. As a fervent supporter of the arts, Osgood, president of The Osgood Group, a management consulting firm that helps social sector clients improve
For one night, Gigi Patsch, owner of popular wine bar and restaurant Gigi's on Fairmount, will hang up her apron and don dancing shoes for GroundWorks DanceTheater's 10th Annual It Takes Two Benefit. The event, to take place on April 28 at the Cleveland Museum of Art, has become one of the most highly anticipated events in the city
Celebrating milestones and continuing two decades of creative collaboration, GroundWorks’ Spring Dance Series will feature farewell performances by founding company members Felise Bagley and Damien Highfield, as well as two world premiere works including Passenger by Executive Artistic Director David Shimotakahara. “This series is definitely a milestone for GroundWorks, with Felise and Damien’s decision to
Colorado-born, Oklahoma-raised dancer and choreographer James Gregg will debut his world premiere work during GroundWorks’ upcoming Spring Dance Series. Inspired by Italian poet Giambattista Basile’s version of the Sleeping Beauty story, Gregg combines his unique “fixed point” style of movement with while exploring themes including tenderness, love, dark beauty and tragedy. “My works are like a puzzle
Passionate. Powerful. Elegant. These are the words often used to describe Felise Bagley. There is arguably no one else like her and audiences love her for the unique contributions she has made over a nearly 20-year career with GroundWorks. As a founding member of the company, she has been integral to its rich history. “I
When you’ve been dancing for 25 years and 20 of those are with one company, you build a history together. You are family. “You become a part of the furniture,” Damien Highfield says, with affection, about his professional journey with GroundWorks DanceTheater. Those two decades of creative collaboration will officially come to a close when
