Help Inlet continue to Use Dance to Further People…

Wow! What a year we’ve had! If you receive our newsletter, you know that we’ve been busy, busy, busy! But, in case you don’t receive our newsletter, here’s a recap of what’s been happening at Inlet:

Performance:
• Bill created and the company premiered a number of new works, including Bridging, Stone by Stone, Begin the Beguine, Interahamwe, and Let Go;
• Inlet dancers performed in a variety of venues throughout Cleveland, including Cleveland Public Theatre, Breen Center for the Performing Arts, Cleveland Playhouse, Cleveland Museum of Art, and PlayhouseSquare.

Education:
• Inlet continues to work with youth from throughout the world during our annual Summer Dance Intensive, which culminates in a free performance for the community at Cain Park;
• Dancers from around the world join us each year to immerse themselves in our Inlet Trainee & Apprentice Program;
• This fall we began to teach dance education classes at The Music Settlement and Fairfax Elementary (Cleveland Heights);
• Inlet was invited to present a number of residencies throughout Ohio and the region.

Operations:
• Bill completed the third and final year of Project Access through The Cleveland Foundation;
• Our internal capacity was increased through the addition of an Administrative Assistant.

See what we mean? We have been able to accomplish all these things because we have been blessed with hundreds of loyal patrons who we consider to be part of our family. But, in order to continue the story, we need your help. How, exactly, can you help? Well, we’ll tell you! Did you know that a gift of $100 may underwrite the costs associated with creating one costume; $300 may underwrite rehearsal for one dancer or provide one week of Summer Dance Intensive instruction to one student; $500 may provide tuition assistance for one student in the 2.5 Option Summer Dance Intensive program; and $1,000 may underwrite the score for a new piece of repertory or provide a 50% scholarship for Inlet’s Youth Ensemble.

Please help Inlet Dance Theatre continue to Use Dance to Further People by making a gift today in support of dance education and programs in Greater Cleveland. You may also make a gift online and help us go green by visiting inletdance.org! If you are unable to make a gift at this time, we hope you may consider us at a time when it is more appropriate for you and your family. We thank you for your continued support of Inlet Dance Theatre and look forward to seeing you at one of our programs!

photo by Lauren Stonestreet

Inlet to perform an athletic and theatrical concert as a benefit for The Nehemiah Mission

Three years ago, Inlet was accepted into a capacity building program with The Cleveland Foundation called Project Access. This program is designed to strengthen the leadership, management, program, and community advocacy skills of faith- and community-based organizations in Cleveland and its inner-ring suburbs. As a part of the program Inlet (a community-based organization) met The Nehemiah Mission (a faith-based organization) whose mission seemed similar to ours. “While The Nehemiah Mission rebuilds lives by providing services that improve living environments, Inlet uses dance to bring about personal development through training, mentoring, and to speak creatively about life issues.” Stated Jim Szakacs, Executive Director of The Nehemiah Mission. “Since we both build community, we felt a concert based on these efforts would inform and inspire all who attend.”

"Let Go" - Image by Lauren Stonestreet

The concert event, entitled Stone by Stone, is a beautiful representation of the two organizations coming together collaboratively to help rebuild communities. Inlet has been hard at work to curate a performance that will show their unique take on the art form of dance and how it can be used to further people. When asked about how the rep is chosen, Bill Wade, Artistic Director/Founder, said, “Every concert Inlet does is thought about from the vantage point of the scope of the entire evening. We don’t randomly choose repertoire. The concert as a whole needs to have a through line and a theatrical arc. It is easier to do that when you have a specific event like this one. Because I know what Nehemiah Mission does in the community and what their focus is, specific repertory comes to mind immediately. After numerous conversations with Jim, I have a sense of what is “right now” for their organization. Taking that information we are able to curate a concert that speaks specifically to issues of honoring relationships, diversity that can be unified, and honoring differences amongst us. While we look at overall content that creates a through line, it is also important to look at the dynamic range of each piece. This includes things like the tempo, the music, and the color palette. What we try to create is an evening that is multi layered and textural, all fitting underneath the umbrella of the through line.”

While keeping the mission of both organizations in mind, Inlet will be presenting a powerful performance! Our style of dance is unique to Northeast Ohio and is not-to-be-missed. Combining two distinct dance techniques, Hawkins based release technique and Nontraditional Partnering, Inlet is able to create beautiful and poetic work that is both technically impressive and layered with stories and deep meaning. Bill states, “Inlet’s creative process is unique in that all of the artwork is built collaboratively, with myself acting as final editor. Most choreographers come in with content and form already figured out and simply tell the dancers what to do. In contrast, we create a vocabulary drawn initially from improvisation based collaborative work with the dancers, and that becomes the world of that particular dance. I sit at the front as the third eye to help shape the final product. My choreography is image driven. I hunt through the minds and bodies of the dancers to create these images. Metaphor is very common in my work.”

We are thrilled to be partnering with The Nehemiah Mission to present this concert! The performance will take place on Saturday, November 12, at 8pm at Breen Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are General Admission. $20 Adult/$15 Student. For ticket information call 216-961-6968 x20 or nehemiahmission.org

Inlet to teach dance classes at The Music Settlement!

Former Youth Ensemble members Leah and Ashley Harper (photo by Jim Ruthrauff)

Inlet will be offering the following classes at The Music Settlement this fall. Inlet’s Class Offerings are taught by the professional dancers of Inlet Dance Theatre. Care is taken to ensure that dance curriculum links to National Standards of Dance Education and the Ohio Department of Education’s Dance Standards. Classes run Sept 8, 2011 – June 16, 2012.

Registration Now Open! For registration information contact The Music Settlement at 216-421-5806 x100.

For questions regarding curriculum call the Inlet office at 216-721-8580 or email us at info@inletdance.org

Teen/Adult Modern Dance classes instruct students in modern dance, specifically Hawkins-based Release Technique. Classes begin seated on the floor, progressing to exercises standing in the center and then to movement combinations across the floor. These classes are open to ages 12+ at all skill levels.

Tuition:
$540, 36 weeks

Choose One:
Mondays, 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Thursdays, 5:30pm- 7:00pm

Children’s Training Program:
This program is designed to give children well-rounded and developmentally appropriate training. Each class combines Modern Dance technique with creative problem solving instruction. During creative problem solving, children will be guided through exercises that stretch their brain as well as their body.

Tuition:
$360, 36 weeks

Level I – 3-5 years
Saturdays, 11:30am – 12:15pm

Children will be guided through exploration of space, music and movement of the body.

Level II – 6-8 years
Saturdays, 12:30pm – 1:15pm

These classes introduce students toHawkins-based Release Technique. Students will learn class protocol, the progression of exercises, and how to participate in ensemble. Technique will focus on control, strength, flexibility, and mind-body integration.

Level III – 9-11 years
Saturdays, 1:30pm – 2:15pm

These classes move students through the Hawkins-based Release Technique progressions. Students will begin to develop core strength, an increased range of motion, coordination, and a strong sense of ensemble. Performance Improvisation skills and Nontraditional Partnering may be introduced.

The Inlet Youth Ensemble is a pre-professional performance group that is open to youth ages 12 through 12th grade* of all levels of experience. Admittance into the Inlet Youth Ensemble is by audition. Members are required to attend both Monday and Thursday’s Adult Modern Dance classes and Youth Ensemble classes. Training will focus on Hawkins-based Release Technique, Ballet, Nontraditional Partnering, Performance Improvisation, and Choreography. Youth Ensemble members will increase their technical proficiency and dance literacy levels, learn rudiments of dance composition and Performance Improvisation, and have opportunities to view and critique dance performance. Members will also have chances throughout the year to perform in concert and/or special events. Auditions will be held on Thursday, August 25th at 2pm at Inlet’s home studio in The Nehemiah Mission.

Tuition:
$1945, 36 Weeks

Mondays, 5:30 – 7:00pm (Teen/Adult Modern)
Mondays, 7:00 – 8:30pm (Youth Ensemble)
Thursdays, 5:30 – 7:00pm (Teen/Adult Modern)
Thursdays, 7:00 – 8:30pm (Youth Ensemble)

*age limit may be flexible (contact Inlet office for details)

Donate to the SDI Scholarship Fund

Art has a way of lifting the aspirations of both the one who views it and the one who creates it.  A few years ago, 60 orphaned children in Bulgaria were provided with two one-week workshops with professional artists.  The results of the workshops indicated that art helped to counteract the negative influences and experiences in their life and helped to improve their academic understandings.  Whether in Europe, Easter Island, or Euclid, the issues of kids in a developing nation are the same as those of under-served populations in metropolitan areas.  For ten years, Inlet Dance Theatre has provided similar experiences for its students and audiences, eliciting standing ovations from its performances and providing important life-learning tools for its participants.  Inlet continues to use dance to further people’s lives.

Inlet Dancers Justin Stentz and Joshua Brown teach nontraditional partnering.

In the current economic climate, governmental agencies have to make difficult choices with funding for the arts frequently facing steep reductions.  We want to continue investing in the youth of today and tomorrow.  You can help us by assisting in helping a student participate in one of our core yearly educational programs – the Summer Dance Intensive (SDI).

The SDI is a six and a half week dance camp that takes place June 15 – July 29.  It costs $1450 for an individual to participate.  While this is a very competitive rate for a camp of this length and quality of instruction, it is a fee that many eager students cannot afford.  This is where you come in.   Through your tax-deductible donation, you can help meet a need today.

The investment you make in these students’ lives will have a prolonged effect on their personal path.  While some will pursue a full-time career in dance, each young person in the program will incorporate skills in discipline, team-building, interpersonal relationships, and self-esteem as they push themselves to heights they have never before explored.  Over the last decade, we have seen the SDI provide our participants with important tools in their toolbox that benefit them for life.  Your gift will open a door to students that might have remained closed.  Would you consider partnering with us this year to make this dream a reality?  You can mail your check made out to Inlet Dance Theatre to:

Inlet Dance Theatre

c/o The Music Settlement

11125 Magnolia Dr

Cleveland, Ohio 44106

or go online to inletdance.org and click on Support Us.

We respectfully ask for your donation today.

New People in New Places

Promotions and new Trainees

Inlet would like to congratulate Mackenzie Clevenger (pictured right) for her promotion from Apprentice to Company member!

Mackenzie joined the Inlet family in 2007 as a Trainee and was promoted to Apprentice in 2009. Since coming to Cleveland she has immersed herself in the arts scene as a performer, choreographer and teacher.  Aside from Inlet, she has performed with Theater Ninjas, as well as her own work, showcased at Blueprints in 2008, the 2009 Ingenuity Festival and most recently in Thailand and Cambodia. Her choreographic endeavors, in collaboration with Mikaela Clark, have won them a Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (cpacbiz.org) fellowship that enabled their work and travels to Southeast Asia  This is all part of a project to raise awareness of the global sex trade.  See the final performance at CPT’s Danceworks, June 2-5, 2011.  For more information about this: mackenzieandmikaela.com.  Mackenzie also teaches for the school of Dancing Wheels, Tri-C’s Arts Prep Program, A.S.I.A. and has participated in several Inlet residencies. Mackenzie is thrilled to be a company member and to continue her work and training with Inlet.

Year 2 Trainees:
Seanne Rodgers-Cookville, TN
“My hope for this next year is that I would further develop the foundation I laid last year. In many ways I feel that last year I was introduced to the foundation of a good performing artist, and this next year I wish to enrich and develop upon that foundation.”

Lauren Stonetreet- Charleston, WV
“My first year in the trainee program laid a strong foundation of information and by staying as a second year trainee, I hope to build onto that, focusing in on more specfic skills as a dancer and artist.  Inlet is a safe, healthy and mentoring environment for me to continue to explore specific areas of interest in dance.  I’m excited about what this year holds and where I’ll be sent to from here.”

New Trainees:
Catherine Anderson-
Cat is a recent graduate of Kent State University.
“This year at Inlet I am really looking forward to the opportunity for performing. After My experience with the Summer Dance Intensive, I knew I needed to continue and dive back into the performing theatrical world. I love that at Inlet each day is a new challenge to overcome and that with those challenges I discover more about myself.”

Katy Hanlon-
Katy is Currently finishing her degree at Baldwin Wallace College.
“I’m excited to expand my training as a modern dancer—it’s always been my favorite style, but not one that I received a whole lot of previous training in. I’m really looking forward to learning all the ins and out of the company & to work through on listening if it’s in God’s will for me to continue to pursue dance after I finish school!”

Alyse Ramereiz-
Alyse moved to Ohio about a year ago to connect with family.
“I look forward to learning more in modern technique and gaining confidence as a dancer. Already in the first three weeks I have grown in every area of my life- including areas outside of performance. I look forward to a year of expanding my horizons in dance and life.”

Mason Traylor- Coming to Inlet from Portsmouth, Ohio; Mason recently graduated from high school and participated in Inlet’s Summer Dance Intensive ’10.
“I come in everyday ready to learn because I never thought that I couldn’t learn something. I personally believe that nothing is out of my reach and it’s great to be around people who want to teach and have the ability.”

(photo by Lauren Stonestreet)

Summer Dance Intensive 2010 Students- Part 1

Samantha Masters
Hometown: Auburn Oh    Age: 18
# of years dancing:  12 What are your plans after SDI?
Go to Belhaven for a Dance BFA
What “Ah-Ha” or transformative moments did you have while performing with Inlet this summer? I am capable of more than I thought and am able to improvise through mistakes and still greatly influence the audience.
What would you like to share with others about your experience at SDI? Inlet is amazing and their talents need to reach as many people as possible so  that more people like me can be blessed by these fantastic people.
What will you remember most about your time at Inlet’s SDI? I will remember the amazing family that was built here, the technique that I learned and the love that we all had for each other.

Elizabeth Ruthrauff
Hometown: Cleveland   Age:17
# of years dancing:  14
What are your plans after SDI?
Community college and further pursuing arts. And life.
What “Ah-Ha” or transformative moments did you have while performing with Inlet this summer? Just overall everything this year has been an Ah-ha  moment I’ve finally realized the full extent of how much I really had not been noticing.
How has SDI impacted you? It has impacted my Life so much in how I deal with people and my decision in life and what I go through every day.
What will you remember most about your time at Inlet’s SDI? The people and the life lessons that come out of all of it and how much you can grow unexpectedly.

Caitlin Stonestreet
Hometown: Cross Lanes, WV Age: 17
# of years dancing:  13 What are your plans after SDI?
To go home and  take what I’ve learned at SDI and adapt them into my lifestyle, continually learning and growing…and never letting it end…
How has SDI impacted you? It has helped me find more out about who I truly am..it has unveiled the lies I used to believe about myself, and replaced them with beauty and talent I never thought I had..in a humble way, of course. It has also helped me read people and understand them better, showing me how I can love them better.
What in SDI was the most significant or meant the most to you? the community…friendship …equality…
What will you remember most about your time at Inlet’s SDI? The growth that took place in me while taking part in SDI. And all the Knowledge, mentorship, and creativity/ inspiration Inlet poured out to us.

Martin Troxell
Hometown: Cleveland Age 18
# of years dancing: 2
What are your plans after SDI?
University of Pittsburgh
What “Ah-Ha” or transformative moments did you have while performing with Inlet this summer? I really found that I have the potential to do anything if I truly want to.
What would you like to share with others about your experience at SDI? This being my 3rd year here, it is my best year at SDI. My experiences have greatly enhanced my dancing and personal skills
What in SDI was the most significant or meant the most to you? I would say that the thing that meant the most to me is being able to contribute to the dance pieces and having my voice heard.
How has SDI impacted you? it has improved my confidence in my dancing abilities.
What will you remember most about your time at Inlet’s SDI? Probably all the laughs with my fellow dancers.

Inlet Dance wraps up DanceWorks10 performances with emotion draining piece

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Inlet Dance 4/10

Inlet Dance wraps up DanceWorks10 performances with emotion draining piece

Inlet Dance is a special performance company. They spend most of their time educating children. That’s a great mission. But, it’s a shame that they only do several public performances a year. Artistic Director Bill Wade’s dancers are well trained, his choreography is focused, and the performances are always filled with innovative concepts.

Their performance as part of Danceworks 10 at Cleveland Public Theatre was up to their usual high standards. The seven segment program was highlighted by the emotional closing piece, ‘BEAUTY IN TENSION,’ which was being premiered. This was Bill Wade at his creative best. It is based on the tension that surrounds us in this era of crisis and the amount of stress which precipitates a search for peace.

The dancers stretched a large square of material to create a vision of tension. Suddenly a body emerged as a cloth-covered gauzed image from the center of the material. During the piece, each of the dancers, in singles or duos, slipped under the gauze and tried to escape. Even when they got out, they were dragged back under. The combined tension of the musical score by Jeremy Allen and the anguished body movements of the dancers resulted in a mesmerizing effect. This is a very special experience.

‘CREATE,’ the opening dance, featured excellent corps unity. It was created with the help of students at the company’s Summer Dance Intensive 2009.

‘TIGHTROPE’ was, like life itself, full of ephemeral moments. A movement poem, it was a creative walking of a chalk line that appeared as a dancer walked an imaginary tightrope which found the line disappearing as the dancer proceeded. It was billed as a dance showing the precarious balance of living a time constrained experience, the balancing act of life.

‘A CLOSE SHAVE’ was originally conceived in 2006. At first, an ironic and humorous offering, it has evolved into a serious picture of the fears of losing everything. It would be interesting to see the two versions danced back-to-back.

In the Spring of 2008, Inlet dancers went to Easter Island to expose the citizens to modern dance and learn the culture and dance of the natives. Upon returning the company started to develop ‘TE PITO O TE HENUA,’ a seven-part program based on their Eastern Island experiences. ‘WIND’ is the newest, the fifth segment. Joshua Brown and Justin Stentz, two premiere Cleveland area male dancers, used ropes to create sounds and movements that carried the audience across the waves.

Mikaela Clark, Mackenzie Clevenger, Elizabeth Pollert and Rebecca Inman, the women of the company, danced ‘BROKE,’ to the lush music of Vivaldi, dressed in beautiful leotards based on modern paintings as designed by Kristin Wade. As with the rest of the program, the choreography was creative and well executed.

Capsule judgement: Bill Wade is one of my favorite choreographers and educators. His ability to motivate and teach his dancers to be a unified and coordinated unit is to be admired. I wished there were more opportunities to see INLET DANCE in action.

Posted by Roy Berko at 9:21 PM

Labels: Inlet Dance, Reviews

REVIEW: Inlet Dance Theatre brings beauty to new “Tension” work at Cleveland Public Theatre

Inlet’s run at CPTs DanceWorks 10 series was a grand success!

Inlet’s run at CPTs DanceWorks 10 series was a grand success. Standing ovation at all 4 concerts; education matinee was strong, and Sat night sold our completely. Inlet dancers were incredible!

Check out the Review at http://www.cleveland.com/musicdance/index.ssf/2010/04/inlet.html

RELEASE: MAJOR PREMIERES HIGHLIGHT INLET DANCE THEATRE DANCEWORKS PERFORMACES APRIL 8-11, 2010

March 1, 2010 – Inlet Dance Theatre is pleased to return to Cleveland Public Theatre’s DanceWorks series. A perennial DanceWorks favorite, Inlet Dance Theatre’s engagement is marked by a diverse repertoire highlighted by two premieres from Inlet Artistic Director/Founder Bill Wade.

“Inlet always looks forward to performing at Cleveland Public Theatre,” stated Wade. “Our DanceWorks engagements are an annual artistic high point for our company, and the audience reactions we often receive confirm to us that we are accomplishing our goal of ‘using dance to further people’. The pieces we will present during this engagement showcase artistic diversity for the company, musically and choreographically. In keeping with Inlet’s ongoing artistic focus of the human condition, some pieces in this repertory comment on personal reactions to our recent economic recession and observations about the plight of those in post-industrial (rust belt) communities.”

A partial listing of the diverse pieces being performed include the world premiere of Bill Wade’s “Beauty in Tension”. “Tension” is in response to the world’s current economic condition, its effects on individuals and their varied reactions to these circumstances. It will feature original score from local composer and Cleveland Institute of Music graduate Jeremy Allen. Additionally, Inlet will present the new, fun, pop-modern piece “Create” by Bill Wade with music by My Brightest Diamond (Son Lux remix). Inlet will also reprise “B’roke” (a dance which represents a gathering of uplifting life moments inspired musically by a Vivaldi score and visually by the postmodern baroque paintings of Frank Stella), and a re-contextualized remounting of “A Close Shave” where “have” versus “have-not” communities in our society come face to face.

A special Saturday Educational Matinee performance, specifically geared toward family audiences, is being staged at 3:00 p.m. touting the exceptional work students are doing through Inlet Educational Outreach Programming and featuring members of the Inlet Trainee Program.

Inlet Dance Theatre will perform at Cleveland Public Theatre’s Levin Theatre, April 8-11, 2010. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with a Saturday and Sunday matinee at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are range from $10 – $21. Tickets are now available at the Cleveland Public Theatre box office by calling 216-631-2727 ext. 501. Cleveland Public Theatre is located at 6415 Detroit Road in Cleveland, Ohio. Visit www.cptonline.org.

Inlet ladies caught in a moment from “B’roke” by photographer Lauren Stonestreet

Inlet Dance Theatre in a moment from “Beauty in Tension,” which will premiere at Cleveland Public Theatre’s DANCEWORKS 10, April 8-11, 2010. Photo by Lauren Stonestreet