Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
The Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, which recently launched its 54th season outdoors at Levitt Pavilion, is gearing up for a full slate centered around the theme “Etchings: Making a Mark.” Next month, the troupe will get out their raspberry berets for a tribute to Prince titled “Musicology,” a dinner theatre event choreographed by DCDC chief artistic and producing director Debbie Blunden Diggs with the Deron Bell Band performing Prince-inspired sets. In addition to providing the uplifting return of “In the Spirit of…,” the organization will supply a new community-driven series entitled “Director’s Lunch,” the introspective, in-studio “Crossroads” and the world premiere of “The Black Tour,” a narrative celebration intended to ignite the power of Black dance which will travel to museum, gallery and HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) spaces across the country following its Dayton premiere.
Elsewhere: Arbogast Performing Arts Center will host Ballet 5:8′s touring production of “BareFace,” a new full-length story ballet by Julianna Rubio Sager inspired by the C.S. Lewis novel “Till We Have Faces”; Dayton Live and Miami University will present the storytelling, humor and percussive finesse of Step Afrika!; Gem City Ballet will open its 31st season with fall repertory including “Grand Tarantella” and “Swan Lake Act II”; Pontecorvo Ballet Studios and South Dayton School of Dance will mount “The Nutcracker”; and Clark State Performing Arts Center will spice up the holidays with “The Hip Hop Nutcracker,” a remixed and reimagined take on Tchaikovsky featuring all-star dancers, a DJ, a violinist and hip hop legend Kurtis Blow.
Also, area colleges will offer many premieres. Wright State University’s spring concert will showcase a varied program of classical ballet and cutting-edge contemporary dance. University of Dayton’s Dance Ensemble will participate in “Memoirs,” created in partnership with the pre-professional ensemble of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC2).
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Arbogast Performing Arts Center
500 S. Dorset Rd., Troy
937-418-8392 or arbogastpac.com
The Arbogast Performing Arts Center’s goal is “to bring added value to regional schools and the greater Miami Valley area with enhanced programs in performing and visual arts.”
Apr. 15, 2023: Ballet 5:8 – “BareFace”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Clark State Performing Arts Center
Clark State Performing Arts Center, 300 S. Fountain Ave., Springfield
937-328-3874 or pac.clarkstate.edu/events
Clark State Performing Arts Center delivers national tours and concerts annually.
Dec. 3, 2022: “The Hip Hop Nutcracker”
Jan. 28. 2023: Troupe Vertigo: “Cirque Fairytales”
Dayton Ballet
Victoria Theatre, 138 N. Main St., Dayton, and Schuster Center, Second and Main Streets, Dayton
937-228-3630 or daytonperformingarts.org
One of the oldest ballet companies in the United States, Dayton Ballet has become known for producing new works as well as traditional ballets. The organization is also the only dance company to establish a fund specifically to create new, full-length 21st century ballets.
Oct. 28-30, 2022: “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
Dec. 9-18, 2022: “The Nutcracker”
Feb. 10-13, 2023: “85th Diamond Anniversary”
Apr. 21-23, 2023: “Peter Pan”
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company Studios, 840 Germantown St., Dayton
937-228-3232 or dcdc.org
For over 50 years, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company has provided artistry rooted in the African-American experience while drawing from diverse, nationally recognized and emerging choreographers.
Oct. 29-30, 2022: “Musicology” (Sinclair Ponitz Conference Center)
Dec. 10, 2022: Founder’s Day (DCDC Studios)
Dec. 17-18, 2022: “In the Spirit of… Grace” (Dayton Convention Center)
Jan. 26, 2023: Director’s Lunch (Dayton Metro Library)
Feb. 4-5, 2023: “The Black Tour” (Victoria Theatre)
Mar. 2, 2023: Director’s Lunch (DCDC Studios)
Mar. 9-10, 2023: “Memoirs” (Boll Theatre, University of Dayton)
May 6-7, 2023: “Crossroads” (DCDC Studios)
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Dayton Dance Initiative
PNC Arts Annex, 46 W. Second St., Dayton
Completely dancer-driven, Dayton Dance Initiative strives to bring together dancers and the Gem City community through collaboration and creativity.
TBA: Spring Concert
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Dayton Live
Victoria Theatre, 138 N. Main St., Dayton
937-228-3630 or daytonlive.org
Dayton Children’s Family Series offers a variety of family-friendly programming courtesy of Dayton Live.
Nov. 9, 2022: Step Afrika!
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Gem City Ballet
Stuart Sebastian Performance Space, 20 Commercial Way, Springboro
937-550-9245 or gemcityballet.org
Founded by Barbara Pontecorvo in 1992, Gem City Ballet, originally known as Ballet de Jeunesse, was conceived to educate young dancers in the joys and rigors of ballet, to make quality ballet performances available to a wide audience, and provide new and experienced choreographers a chance to create new works.
Sept. 21, 2022: Market Day performance (Dayton Arcade)
Sept. 30, 2022: Dayton Metro Library performance
Oct. 14-15, 2022: Fall Repertory
Dec. 11, 2022: Holiday performances (with Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra at Dayton Masonic Center)
Feb. 10-11, 2023: Winter Repertory
Apr. 21-22, 2023: Spring Repertory
Miami University Performing Arts Series
119 Center for Performing Arts, Oxford
513-529-3200 or miamioh.edu
Miami University’s programming prides itself on diverse, thought-provoking works.
Oct. 11, 2022: The Peking Acrobats
Nov. 11, 2022: Step Afrika!
Pontecorvo Ballet Studios
Stuart Sebastian Performance Space, 20 Commercial Way, Springboro
937-550-9245 or pbstudios.com
Spearheaded by Barbara Pontecorvo, Pontecorvo Ballet Studios trains young dancers to enter the world of professional dance.
Nov. 19-20, 2022: “The Nutcracker” (Franklin High School)
May 27-28, 2023: “Swan Lake” (Franklin High School)
Sinclair Community College
444 W. Third St., Blair Hall Theatre, Building 2, Dayton
937-512-2808 or sinclair.edu
Sinclair features students in multiple genres of dance.
TBA
South Dayton School of Dance
101 E. Alex Bell Rd. #130, Centerville
937-435-5052 or southdaytonschoolofdance.com
South Dayton School of Dance specializes in classical ballet, jazz, modern, tap, pre-ballet and other disciplines.
Dec. 4, 2022: “The Nutcracker” (Dayton Masonic Center)
Mar. 11, 2023: 36th Annual Spring Concert (Bellbrook High School)
University of Dayton
Kennedy Union Boll Theatre, 300 College Park, Dayton
937-229-2545 or udayton.edu
UD Dance Ensemble continues its annual collaboration with the repertory training ensemble of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC2).
Mar. 9-10, 2023: “Memoirs”
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Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Wright State University
Creative Arts Center, 3640 Col. Glenn Hwy., Dayton
937-775-2500 or liberal-arts.wright.edu/fine-and-performing-arts
Wright State will present world premieres by WSU faculty and guest artists.
Apr. 20-23, 2023: Spring Concert
FALL ARTS PREVIEW
The fall arts season is underway. Throughout September, we’re bringing you season schedules and highlights for arts groups throughout the region.
Sept. 4: Theater
Sept. 11: Music
Sept. 18: Dance
Sept. 25: Visual arts
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