ADF Partners with DANCECleveland to Launch Dance Festival in Cleveland, ADF in CLE

The American Dance Festival (ADF) will partner with northeast Ohio's premiere dance presenter, DANCECleveland, to premiere their summer dance festival in Cleveland. The eight-day festival will include performances by three world-class dance companies, a four-day educational workshop series for advanced level dancers taught by ADF faculty, and free community events, as well as dance related special activities throughout the Playhouse Square district.

One of the festival's highlights will be a performance by Pilobolus of their imaginative and creative Shadowland at 7:30pm in the State Theatre, where dancers will lead the audience into a dream-like adventure through innovative choreography and shadow play. Named after a sun-loving fungus that grows in barnyards, Pilobolus is renowned worldwide for its witty and gravity-defying works that challenge the notions of what modern dance can look like.

Challenging the range of what hip-hop dance can be, Raphael Xavier will continue ADF in CLE on Wednesday with a performance unlike any DANCECleveland has ever presented. An award-winning artist originally from Wilmington, DE, Xavier is a hip-hop dancer and breaking practitioner that has been honing his craft since 1983. The exciting performance will take place in the Allen Theatre on August 2 at 7:30pm. Get there early at 6:45pm to enjoy a free pre-performance chat in the theater and stay after the show to enjoy a Q & A session with the dancers.

Brian Brooks will close the festival with a performance on Saturday, August 5 at 7:30pm in the Ohio Theatre. Set to Max Richter's version of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, the company will perform Torrent, a lush piece full of movement that sends the dancers soaring across the stage while playing with lines and texture, as well as other mixed repertory. Brooks' choreography was last seen in Cleveland as part of Wendy Whelan Restless Creature in 2015. There will be a pre-performance chat at 6:45pm and a Q & A following the performance.

Performance Tickets and Registration: Tickets for festival performances start at only $25 and will be available on May 11 online at dancecleveland.org or by phone at 216-241-6000. Those wishing to see all three performances may buy a Festival Pass at a discounted price, which offers special perks such as prime seating and special event access. Festival Passes start at $64.

Another important feature of ADF in CLE is a four-day immersive dance workshop series for serious dancers ages sixteen and up. Dancers will train with ADF faculty including Charles O. Anderson, Brian Brooks, Pamela Pietro, Otto (Aquaboogy) Vazquez, and Raphael Xavier. Students will take classes from 9:00am to 5:00pm in styles including modern, contemporary, hip hop, creative process, and repertory. The ADF Workshop Series will run from Wednesday, August 2 through Saturday, August 5, and takes place at Cleveland State University's Arts Campus in the Middough Building located at 1901 East 13th St. The registration fee is $320 and includes all classes, performance tickets, a t-shirt, and more. Housing and food are not included; however, out of town dancers can contact DANCECleveland for housing options at Cleveland State University. To apply, interested applicants should fill out and return the application form with payment to DANCECleveland. Registration can be downloaded at https://dancecleveland.wixsite.com/adfincle. In addition, applicants should include a résumé of their dance training, education, and professional experience. Registration form and fees are due by May 24th, 2017. More info can be obtained by emailing sarah@dancecleveland.org or calling 216-991-9000.

About DANCECleveland
DANCECleveland, a Cleveland, OH, based non-profit, is one of a handful of presenters in the nation that is dedicated solely to the presentation of modern and contemporary dance. The centerpiece of the organization's programming is its annual performance series. The performances are surrounded by an array of educational outreach events including artist-run master classes, residency programs, student matinees, pre-performance lectures, and post-performance Q&A sessions, designed both to break artistic boundaries and provide community access to the dance aesthetic and dance luminaries that DANCECleveland brings to northeast Ohio.

About ADF:

Throughout its 84-year history, ADF has been a nationally recognized leader in our indigenous art form of modern dance. Generations of dancers and choreographers have come to ADF as students, taught as faculty, and created and performed work as professional artists. Each summer, ADF has been the beating heart of the dance world. The best companies in the world premiere work on ADF's stage, much of it commissioned by the festival. Other festivals and season programs are measured against ADF. Over 26,000 people see performances by more than 20 companies each season. The festival has commissioned 418 works and premiered 681 pieces including dances by Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, and Paul Taylor. Each summer at ADF, more than 420 students from some 20 countries and 40 states study with ADF's 70 faculty members. They come as kids in leotards with as many doubts as dreams. They leave as dancers and artists-and sometimes even new members of companies. Lives change in those 6½ sweaty weeks. Beyond the summer, ADF maintains year-round dance studios offering movement classes to over 770 participants, provides over 190 free classes to more than 3,200 local dancers, and offers choreographic residencies providing artists with the necessary space and time to create. americandancefestival.org.