THE CLEVELAND MODERN DANCE ASSOCIATION

PRESENTER: DANCECLEVELAND IS PROUD TO BE ONE OF JUST A FEW NON-VENUE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE US DEDICATED TO THE PRESENTATION OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY DANCE. OUR SUCCESS OVER 69 SEASONS IS EVIDENCED BY THE MORE THAN 400 WORLD-CLASS DANCE COMPANIES THAT HAVE PERFORMED ON OUR CURATED SEASONS. DANCECLEVELANDS HISTORY MIRRORS THAT OF THE ART FORM ITSELF, HIGHLIGHTED BY THE COMPANIES WE HAVE PRESENTED AT THE HEIGHT OF THEIR ARTISTIC TRAJECTORIES. WE HAVE REMAINED ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE ART FORM AND PRIDE OURSELVES ON THE OPEN, COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS WE HAVE WITH OTHER PRESENTERS, DANCE ORGANIZATIONS, AND ARTISTS BOTH LOCALLY AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WHICH ENABLE US TO CONTINUALLY KEEP OUR FINGER ON THE PULSE OF WHAT IS NEW IN MODERN DANCE AND WHAT OUR AUDIENCES WILL BENEFIT FROM SEEING. OUR CURATORIAL PROCESS INCLUDES A FOCUS ON PRESENTING ARTISTS WHO ARE OFTEN UNDER-REPRESENTED IN THE FIELD, INCLUDING ARTISTS OF COLOR AND FEMALE DANCE MAKERS. DANCECLEVELAND IS COMMITTED TO EQUITY, ENSURING THE DIVERSITY OF OUR NORTHEAST OHIO COMMUNITY IS REFLECTED ON STAGE. DANCECLEVELAND IS COMMITTED TO BUILDING NEW AUDIENCES FOR DANCE BY CREATING BRIDGES OF UNDERSTANDING ABOUT CONTEMPORARY DANCE AS WELL AS THE CREATIVE PROCESS. DANCECLEVELAND REACHES AN AUDIENCE WITH A GREAT DIVERSITY OF AGE, ETHNICITY, PHYSICAL ABILITY, LIFESTYLE, SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS, AND EXPERIENCE WITH THE ART FORM OF DANCE. THE JOYFUL, EXPRESSIVE ATTENDEES OF OUR PERFORMANCES HAVE OFTEN BEEN CITED BY BOTH VISITING ARTISTS AND OTHER ARTS PRESENTERS AS ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUELY FUN AND ENGAGED BASES IN THE PERFORMING ARTS WORLD. WE CREATE A WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE PERFORMANCE SERIES BY KEEPING TICKET PRICES STRATEGICALLY LOW, OFFERING FREE TICKETS TO EACH PERFORMANCE TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN OUR REGION, PLANNING FAMILY-FRIENDLY MATINEES AND PRE-PERFORMANCE FAMILY ACTIVITIES (FOR SELECT ENGAGEMENTS), OFFERING FREE COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND BY TAPPING INTO THE RESOURCES OF PLAYHOUSE SQUARE TO OFFER A FULLY ACCESSIBLE EXPERIENCE FOR GUESTS WITH DISABILITIES. PERFORMANCES IN FISCAL YEAR 2025 SERVED MORE THAN 7,800 AUDIENCE MEMBERS. AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES: EACH PERFORMANCE IS ACCOMPANIED BY AN INVIGORATING SERIES OF AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, WHICH ENHANCE THE PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE AND ENABLE AUDIENCE MEMBERS TO ESTABLISH SPECIAL CONNECTIONS TO THE VISITING COMPANIES THROUGH INFORMATIONAL EBLASTS, PRE-PERFORMANCE LECTURES, POST-PERFORMANCE Q&A SESSIONS AND BEHIND THE CURTAIN VIDEO FEATURES. COMMUNITY PROGRAMS: HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, INCLUDING YOUTH, ADULTS, AND SENIOR CITIZENS OF ALL ABILITIES, ARE INTRODUCED TO DANCE THROUGH COMMUNITY RESIDENCIES THAT INCLUDE MOVEMENT CLASSES, DEMONSTRATIONS, AND CONVERSATIONS WITH VISITING ARTISTS. OUR ANNUAL COMMUNITY DANCE DAY BUILDS ON THIS WORK BY OFFERING FREE OUTDOOR EXERCISE CLASSES, DANCE DEMONSTRATIONS, COMMUNITY DANCE LESSONS, AND A SHOWCASE OF STUDENT DANCERS FROM ACROSS NORTHEAST OHIO. THIS EVENT SERVED 830 COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN JULY 2024. MASTERCLASSES: EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS LIES IN OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE DIRECT AND FREE HANDS-ON DANCE EXPERIENCES AT THE ADVANCED AND PROFESSIONAL LEVELS TO DANCERS IN OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL AS SPECIAL CLASSES FOR EARLY DANCE STUDENTS. PROFESSIONAL, PRE-PROFESSIONAL AND STUDENT DANCERS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND FREE MASTERCLASSES LED BY MEMBERS OF THE VISITING DANCE COMPANIES WE PRESENT, THEREBY HONING THEIR TECHNIQUES, ENHANCING THEIR EXPRESSIVENESS, AND NETWORKING WITH THE VERY BEST IN THEIR FIELD. ARTIST DEVELOPMENT: IN ADDITION TO MASTERCLASSES, DANCECLEVELAND REGULARLY FINDS OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT FOR MEMBERS OF THE NORTHEAST OHIO DANCE COMMUNITY WITH VISITING ARTISTS ON OUR PERFORMANCE SEASON. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, DANCECLEVELAND ENGAGED RAPHAEL XAVIER WITH HIS PRODUCTION OF SKIFF. XAVIER WORKED WITH FOUR NORTHEAST OHIO BASED DANCERS TO INCORPORATE THEM INTO THE PRODUCTION. IN ADDITION, WE WORKED WITH XAVIER AND LAKE ERIE INK TO CONDUCT A CREATIVE WRITING AND MOVEMENT PROGRAM FOR TEENS AT TWO LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS AND THE CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY. ALONG WITH A MASTERCLASS FOR AREA DANCERS, 128 COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE ENGAGED THROUGH THESE ACTIVITIES. THE CULMINATING PERFORMANCES AT CUYAHOGA COMMUNITY COLLEGES JOHN P. MURPHY AUDITORIUM REACHED 344 COMMUNITY MEMBERS. IN FY2025, DANCECLEVELAND ALSO BROUGHT MARTHA GRAHAM COMPANY PRINCIPAL LLOYD GRAHAM TO NORTHEAST OHIO FOR AN EDUCATIONAL RESIDENCY SERVING 280 COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL AS A A RESIDENCY WITH HELENE SIMONEAU DANSE REACHING AN ADDITIONAL 72 COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO CO-COMMISSIONED AND PRESENTED KNIGHTS THE DRAMA, OFFERING THE ARTIST AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT OUTSIDE OF HIS GRAHAM COMPANY DUTIES. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: OUR READ TO LEARNDANCE TO MOVE CURRICULUM-BASED PROGRAM SERVES PRE-K AND KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS OVER EIGHT-WEEK SESSIONS AND PROVIDES AN INTRODUCTION TO SIX DANCE FORMS AS WELL AS SUPPORTING OHIO EARLY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS IN MOTOR DEVELOPMENT, PHYSICAL WELL-BEING, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY, CREATIVITY, AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING; AND OHIO ELA AND DANCE STANDARDS. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, DANCECLEVELAND DELIVERED 360 PROGRAM HOURS WITH 5,120 STUDENT INTERACTIONS IN THE CLEVELAND METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT AND LORAIN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT DURING THE 2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR. COLLABORATOR: AS A SMALL ORGANIZATION, WE THRIVE BECAUSE OF OUR COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE COMMUNITY WHICH HAVE THE TWOFOLD BENEFIT OF REDUCING OUR FINANCIAL RISK WHILE MAXIMIZING OUR POTENTIAL TO BRING THE FINEST DANCE COMPANIES IN THE WORLD TO CLEVELAND. WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON BEING ARTISTICALLY BOLD AND FISCALLY PRUDENT, WHICH ENABLES US TO BE NIMBLE AND REACTIVE TO TESTING NEW IDEAS, ENDEAVORS, AND PARTNERSHIPS. DANCECLEVELANDS VIBRANCY, RELEVANCY, REACH, AND LONG-STANDING REPUTATION OF EXCELLENCE REST ON THE STRENGTH OF A SMALL-YET-MIGHTY STAFF TEAM, A VISIONARY BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AN ARMY OF DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS, AND AN ANNUALLY CHANGING LINEUP OF MODERN DANCE LUMINARIES. CREATIVITY, COLLABORATION, AND