GroundWorks Dancetheater Archives

ChamberFest Cleveland: a conversation with GroundWorks’ David Shimotakahara

June 26, 2018 by Alice Koeninger

by Alice Koeninger

A recent phone conversation with David Shimotakahara, Executive Artistic Director of GroundWorks DanceTheater, was as much about his upcoming collaboration with ChamberFest Cleveland as it was about the process and source of creativity.

GroundWorks is about to kick off its 20th season with its second collaboration with ChamberFest in a June 30 concert at 7:30 pm at the Maltz Performing Arts Center. “Dawn of a Revolution” spans centuries of music from Beethoven to Alberto Ginastera, connected by the common thread of György Ligeti’s Musica Ricercata for solo piano, selections of which are distributed throughout.

“I don’t think I would call the dance itself ‘Dawn of a Revolution,’” Shimotakahara said with a laugh, “but it works from the music side, referring to these breakthroughs of ideas, these moments of musical revolution.” The concept was created by ChamberFest’s own Frank and Diana Cohen, who were interested in finding a way to showcase these different, significant pieces from the chamber music canon. [Read more…]

Christmas with Cantus at Tuesday Musical (Nov. 30)

by Peter Feher

Tuesday Musical gave Akron audiences a generous Christmas gift this year. The presenter tied three holiday classics together in one sumptuous concert on Sunday afternoon, November 30, at E.J. Thomas Hall. First up was the story of The Velveteen Rabbit, followed by a quick waltz through The Nutcracker and a ride on The Polar Express.

Delightfully, this trio of tales was recounted with drama and poise — not by any actors or dancers but by the eight members of the all-male a cappella ensemble Cantus. The group, based in Minnesota and now in its fourth decade, is once again touring the country with a polished, compact production of carols, pop tunes, and of course Tchaikovsky.

[Read on…]

Oberlin Music Theater soars in The Great Comet of 1812 (Dec. 3)

by Peter Feher

The stars aligned for Oberlin Music Theater’s production of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, suggesting a bright future for the college’s newest area of study.

Oberlin Conservatory has cultivated young talent for more than 150 years, but musical theater only entered the curriculum this semester. The program’s first students arrived in the fall under director and professor Victoria Bussert, who brought with her several colleagues from Baldwin Wallace University — including a few who collaborated on her 2023 staging of Great Comet for Cleveland’s Great Lakes Theater company.

Even for the experienced, this show is a massive undertaking, with a story adapted from Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace and a score demanding stamina and stylistic range. But nothing daunted the student actors on opening night, December 3. Not the immersive direction by Bussert, nor the energy-intensive choreography by Alex Sanchez. (Two casts alternated in eight performances through December 10.)

[Read on…]

Cleveland Orchestra channels all things merry, bright in Holiday Concert at Severance (Dec. 13)

by Kevin McLaughlin

Photo by Roger Mastroianni

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Holiday concerts trade on familiarity, but the best of them feel less like ritual and more like reunion.

On Saturday evening, Dec. 13 at Mandel Concert Hall, The Cleveland Orchestra welcomed a full house for the second of its twelve annual Holiday Concerts, a tradition that dates back to 1919.

Led by guest conductor Sarah Hicks, with soprano Meredith Wohlgemuth and the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, and members of the Blossom Festival Chorus under the direction of Lisa Wong, the evening unfolded with easy charm.

Throughout the performance, Hicks proved an ideal guide. Her conducting was clear and unshowy, her rapport with the audience unaffected and delightful.

[Read on…]

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