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American Dance Festival Debuts at Playhouse Square

Pilobolus 'Shadowland' [photo: Ian Douglas]

Saturday is 'National Dance Day' for 2017.  It's the brainchild of So You Think You Can Dance co-creator Nigel Lythgoe, and it was officially recognized in 2010 as a day to promote dance education and  physical fitness.

In Northeast Ohio, DanceCleveland is using the day to kick off its first summer festival in Playhouse Square- the American Dance Festival in Cleveland.  Pam Young is the executive director of DanceCleveland and in recent years has been in discussions with the renowned ADF, based in Durham, North Carolina, about creating a satellite festival in Cleveland.

"ADF is one of the largest dance presenters in the world. They along with Jacob's Pillow are the two prime summer dance festivals," Young said.

Saturday features an interactive festival of choreography where anyone of any level of dance experience can come to the corner of East 14th and Euclid Avenue to participate.  Playhouse Square will be blocked off for a free outdoor community ballet and exercise class. 

"There will be 80 feet of ballet barre.  You can belly up to the barre" said Young. 

However no alcohol will be served at this barre, Young joked.

Visitors are encouraged to step inside the theaters where the Ohio will feature a free, local dance school showcase.

Then at 5:30 p.m., folks can join a public dance class on East 14th Street where instructors plan to lead the crowd in a rehearsal of the So You Think You Can Dance routine.  The plan is to film the crowd performing the routine later that night and send the videotaped results to FOX in hopes of getting exposure on the popular TV program.

The day of dance culminates with a performance in the State Theatre by the award-winning Pilobolus.  The Connecticut dance troupe stages its popular "Shadowland" program featuring dancers creating wild, shadow images with their bodies that are projected on a screen.

"They do phenomenal shapes. They become flowers, they become dogs, they become people.  It tells you a story, a young girl falls asleep and this is in her dreamworld," Young said.

The American Dance Festival in Cleveland continues Wednesday, August 2, at 7:30 p.m. in the Allen Theatre with hip-hop choreographer Raphael Xavier and Saturday, August 5, at 7:30 p.m. in the Ohio Theatre with New York City's Brian Brooks Moving Company.

Listen to the entire interview:

 

 

Dave DeOreo is coordinating producer for Ideastream Public Media’s arts and culture team.