Dancing Wheels Joins DARE TO BE DIFFERENT in Cleveland, 5/19

The first professional dance company to perform on the stage of PlayhouseSquare's newly-renovaTed Allen Theatre performs May 19th at 7:30 p.m. with the Dancing Wheels' DARE TO BE DIFFERENT… an amazing evening of world premieres featuring the unique and distinctive styles of The Dancing Wheels Company & School.

Now in its 31st season, The Dancing Wheels Company proudly continues to bring Cleveland audiences performances that are thought-provoking, energizing and entertaining. For this 2012 Spring benefit concert, Dancing Wheels will ignite the stage with daring new works by some of the country's most inventive and provocative choreographers. Over the past year, Dancing Wheels has commissioned works to bring together a high-energy infusion of various styles of music and dance … from hip-hop to contemporary and classical dance.

Choreographers Mark Tomasic, (formerly of Cleveland, now residing in Hollywood) was commissioned to create "anomalies", a piece mixing science with art, based on Newton's three Laws of Motion. New York City's Heidi Latsky will feature "If", a work themed around the voices of people with disabilities. Michael Uthoff of St. Louis has created a beautiful work utilizing a series of passionate arias entitled "The Songs My Mother Taught Me". Dancing Wheels' Junior Company and students from the School of Dancing Wheels will kick it up a notch, showcasing their unique and "different" talents (even beyond dance!) using popular music of their choice to express themselves. The finale will electrify the audience when Cleveland School of the Arts Artistic Director Terrence Greene pays homage to the pioneering spirit of Dancing Wheels in a work entitled "Living Legacy". With the infusion of African-American dance and Graham technique, the 18-member dance ensemble, comprised of Dancing Wheels Company members and School of the Arts students, will make for a stirring and truly powerful performance.

Tickets for the Dare To Be Different! benefit concert are $30/person for single tickets (performance and after- party) and $20/person for groups of 10-or-more & seniors. They can be purchased by calling Dancing Wheels at (216)432-0306 or The PlayhouseSquare Ticket Office at (216) 241-6000, or by visiting www.playhousesquare.org or www.dancingwheels.org.