CPT to Welcome Back Contemporary Dance Series, DANCEWORKS '16

Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT)'s Executive Artistic Director Raymond Bobgan is proud to present DanceWorks '16, an annual showcase of contemporary dance.

DanceWorks '16 features five companies from the Northeast Ohio region and beyond, including local favorites MorrisonDance & Elu Dance Company (double bill), Inlet Dance Theatre, Verb Ballets and a special engagement by nationally-acclaimed tap dance company Dorrance Dance, presented in collaboration with DANCECleveland.

Four weekends of performances will take place in Cleveland Public Theatre's historic Gordon Square Theatre venue, located at 6415 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. The full listing of company bios and show descriptions are available at www.cptonline.org.

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Week 1: March 17 - 19 (DOUBLE BILL)

MorrisonDance

HUManIMALS

Chilean Flamingos dance in private, Capuchin Monkeys reject unequal pay, Peacock Spiders use "jazz hands," and that all too elusive animal group - humans - well, they have introspection. Animal behavior has often been studied to try to gain a greater understanding of humans, and in this collection of short dances, MorrisonDance creators will use introspection, humor and clever interpretations to explore some of the theories of animal (and human) behavior through the art of movement.

Elu Dance Company (formerly Without Words Movement)

barefaced

Inspired by C.S. Lewis' novel Till We Have Faces, this dance work follows two sisters, as they traverse the frontier of truth, trust and devotion. In collaboration with musical artists of Ancient Path, this retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche will transport its audience into a world unknown, laying bare the human condition.

Week 2: March 24 - March 26

Inlet Dance Theatre

15 Years in Concert

Inlet Dance Theatre celebrates its 15th season with a concert that reflects on the past and projects vision for the future. In the past 15 years, the company has built an ensemble known for its collaborative creative process, distinct aesthetic and generating an impressive amount of new work, often in collaboration with international artists. This year's DanceWorks concert is a curated collection of commissioned repertory.

Week 3: March 31 - April 2

Verb Ballets

Fresh Inventions

Fresh Inventions is built on the creative talent of company dancers Megan Buckley, Michael Hinton, Stephaen Hood, Nicholas Rose and Kate Webb. Fresh Inventions gives the dancers of Verb Ballets the opportunity to tap into a new realm of artistic development by experiencing the other side of creation: choreography. This experience allows the audience to peer through the dancers' creative lens. Critically-acclaimed Verb Ballets "dashes preconceptions...with keen dramatic power." - The Plain Dealer

**SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT - Presented by DANCECleveland in collaboration with DanceWorks '16**

Week 4: April 6 - 9

Dorrance Dance

Bessie Award-winner, Dorrance Dance honors tap dance's uniquely beautiful history in a new compelling context. The theatrically witty company pushes tap forward into the 21st century aesthetically and conceptually by combining street, club, and experimental dance forms with the furious rhythms of tap dance. Founded by choreographer and artistic director Michelle Dorrance in 2011, Dorrance Dance draws inspiration from a variety of music-from Squirrel Nut Zippers and Fiona Apple to The Bluegrass Reunion and Big Maybelle. Michelle Dorrance was lauded by The New Yorker as "one of the most imaginative tap choreographers working today," and is the first tap choreographer to receive a Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship. Mentored by Gene Medler, Dorrance grew up performing with the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble and has since performed with: STOMP, Savion Glover's ti dii, Manhattan Tap, Barbara Duffy & Co, JazzTap Ensemble, Rumba Tap, Ayodele Casel's Diary of a Tap Dancer, Mable Lee's Dancing Ladies, Harold Cromer's original Opus One, Derick Grant's Imagine Tap and Jason Samuels Smith's Charlie's Angels/Chasing the Bird. In 2015, Dorrance was named a MacArthur Fellow and was a recipient of the MacArthur Genius Award. Performing in CPT's intimate Gordon Square Theatre, the performances will feature fun-filled tap like you've never seen it before!

For more information on Dorrance Dance, visit www.dorrancedance.com.

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DanceWorks 2016 performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm (Weeks 1-3). Please note, the Dorrance Dance performance (Week 4) will take place at 8:00pm. Cleveland Public Theatre is located at 6415 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44102 on Cleveland's near west side.

Tickets are $12 - $30. Take advantage of $12 tickets for Thursday shows. Student and Senior discounts ($3 off) are available for Friday and Saturday performances.

Every Friday is FREE BEER FRIDAY at CPT. Audience members are invited to mingle with the artists after the show and enjoy a drink or two on CPT.

Tickets are available for purchase at www.cptonline.org or by phone at (216) 631-2727 x 501.

Pictured: Dorrance Dance. Photo by Christopher Duggan.