GroundWorks DanceTheater kicked-off their 12th annual Summer Series at Cain Park’s Alma Theater to high-capacity audiences and rave reviews. Over the course of the weekend GroundWorks performed two works, House Broken and Boom Boom from their repertory revered as audience favorites, while also presenting the world premier of new work Remora, choreographed by Eric Michael Handman.
Roy Berko, member of the American Critics Association, Dance Critics Association and 2013 BroadwayWorld.com top Midwest Editor/Reviewer, was quick to compliment the new work in his review. “Remora, in its world premiere, was a superb showcase that demonstrated the physical skills of the company. The piece was complex and demanded and received perfect timing.”
Zachery Lewis, from the Cleveland Plain Dealer echoed Berko’s take on the piece in his preview of the performance, captured during a pre-showing at Cleveland State University’s Summer Dance Workshop. “Remora is a substantial, intensely physical work spanning 20 minutes, complete with an original score by University of Utah composer Michael Wall. Rarely have the dancers been tasked with such concentrated, varied action.”
In addition to premiering the new work and launching this years’ Summer Series, GroundWorks welcomed two new dancers, Lauren Garson and Michael Marquez into the company. Two immensely talented dancers whose previous experience includes work with Parsons Dance and The Julliard School, Garson and Marquez were able to seamlessly blend in with veteran GroundWorks dancers Felise Bagley, Damien Highfield and Annika Sheaff during their first performances as part of GroundWorks DanceTheater.
There are two more opportunities to experience GroundWorks this summer at the Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival – Friday, July 31st and Saturday, August 1st and Arts in August – Friday, August 14th.