GroundWorks Dance Theater, a contemporary dance company based in Cleveland, will perform Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kent State University at Tuscarawas Performing Arts Center.
To highlight the event, dancers from the local community will participate in the production. “One of my goals for the Performing Arts Center when I got here last year was to increase community involvement and give community members the opportunity to interact with the professional artists we bring to the PAC,” said David Mitchell, general manager of the Performing Arts Center. “With this collaboration with GroundWorks Dance Theater, there are 11 local dancers that are participating, giving them an opportunity they otherwise might not get to experience. The PAC is in a unique position to be that bridge between the community and the arts and we have to take advantage when we can.”
Local dancers participating include Samantha Eckert and Adele Pruni of Dover, Andrew Gazdik of Gnadenhutten, Jordan Gasser, Sydney Jeffries, Alexis Schupbach and Kaila Shroyer of New Philadelphia, Emma Brode and Hunter Porcher of Newcomerstown, Leah Ortt of Stonecreek and Olivia McDonough of West Lafayette. All of the dancers are currently or have recently been students at the following dance studios: Candy Apple’s Dancer Center and Canton Ballet in Canton, Moxie Dance Academy and Tuscarawas Dance Arts Center in Dover and Melody and Motion School of Performing Arts in Newcomerstown.
“Watching the rehearsal process for our local dancers was amazing,” Mitchell added. “They crammed a lot into the one-week process and the results are something they should be proud of. We have incredible talent in our area and I hope the community will support them and plan to attend the show and see what they’ve been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time.”
When asked what this experience meant to her, Sydney Jeffries, who is also a student at Kent State Tuscarawas said, “It has been a privilege to be working with a professional dance company. Letting this town get to know how wonderful dance is, is going to be so rewarding when we perform at the PAC. Knowing that people don't have far to drive to see a professional company perform is such an awesome opportunity for everyone!”
Critically celebrated as an “artistically significant” ensemble, GroundWorks, which is described as imagination you can see, explores the nuances of the human experience through unique and adventurous choreography bringing audiences face-to-face with fascinating performances of passion, intellect and humor.
The GroundWorks performance is made possible in part by state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature to the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically. Additional support was also made by the Tuscarawas County Community Foundation.
Tickets start at $25 and are available for purchase at the Performing Arts Center box office by calling 330-308-6400 or online at www.kent.edu/tusc/pac. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Performing Arts Center’s 2016-2017 Season is sponsored by Michael Taylor Insurance and Financial Incorporated, an Allstate Agency.
Free parking is available for all shows. Kent State Tuscarawas is located at 330 University Dr. N.E. in New Philadelphia.