The Dancing Wheels Company & School Hosts THOSE 70'S SONGS Concert Today

Today, July 20th The Dancing Wheels Company & School will take to the Cain Park Evan's stage with songs from the 1970's!

Four world premiere performances by daring and dynamic Dancing Wheels will get the audience swinging into the seventies with music from the legendary Burt Bacharach, the iconic Ms. Tina Turner, and the Godfather of Shock Rock Alice Cooper!

The concert will open with Hernado Cortez's (2004) Promise Her Anything, a lively and lovely suite of music written by the legendary Burt Bacharach. The mix of music includes, (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me sung by Luther Vandross Tom Jones' Promise Her Anything and What's New Pussycat, and, I Say a Little Prayer by Aretha Franklin, Mr. Cortez offered this suite as a gesture of friendship and admiration to the Dancing Wheels Company his first year in Cleveland when the Company opened their studio space for the newly organized Verb Ballets to rehearse.

The four world premieres will include Dissolution of by Catherine Meredith. Ms. Meredith, the Company's Rehearsal Director, was inspired by the music of British composer Max Richter. The piece explores the disintegration of relationships-- both personal and professional. Through shared partnering, this examination follows one couple's journey from union to separation. In corresponding sections, a trio illustrates the push & pull of a fledgling partnership.

Students from the Dancing Wheels Youth Summer Dance Workshop will also be performing to a song re-make of Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds using the new version Walk off the Earth choreographed by Dancing Wheels School Coordinator, Emma Parker. Ms. Parker will incorporate the use of rhythm sticks and "boomwackers", giving students yet another vehicle to explore rhythmic movement.
Michael Uthoff, Artistic Director of Dance Saint Louis and the Spring to Dance Festival, took on a high- energy suite from rocker Alice Cooper, entitled Straight Down the Middle. The idea for this suite came about when Mr. Uthoff and Artistic Director, Mary Verdi-Fletcher were conversing about his golfing relationship with Alice, thus the title for the piece. Ms. Verdi-Fletcher thought the exploration of this genre of music would be a great departure (musically) for the Dancing Wheels Company. The suite includes: Lost in America, House of Fire and Looney Tunes.

The evening will conclude with Daniel "Isaah" Henderson's Sweet Tina, a compilation of four number one music hits from the iconic Ike and Tina Turner. The suite of music includes, River Deep Mountain High, Just a Fool, Ain't That A Shame and of course Proud Mary! The piece incorporates high energy, crowd-pleasing music and fun-filled choreography. Mr. Henderson brings together a mix of movement influences ranging from jazz, a touch of Latin "cha cha" and integrated dance.

The 14-member Dancing Wheels cast performing in this eclectic concert include: Kelly Clymer, Ryan Dick, Dezare Foster, Samantha Fox, Daniel "Isaah" Henderson, Emma Parker, Franklin Polk, Jen Sikora, Jason Shaw, Shannon Sterne, Sara Lawrence-Sucato, Mary Verdi-Fletcher, trainee Ja'Vaughn White, and apprentice Lianne Zydowic.

Artistic Director Mary Verdi-Fletcher says, "This full evening concert will spark old memories for those who survived and thrived in the 70's and will ignite a new resurgent for those living in the ever growing popularity of the 'glam rock' revival". To round out the fun-filled concert, we are also inviting audience members to take part in an Ike and Tina Turner and Alice Cooper lookalike contest. Winners will take center stage with the stars!"

For more information on this concert and upcoming Dancing Wheels tours, log onto the company website at dancingwheels.org or contact the Cain Park box office at (216) 371-3000 and online at cainpark.com. Tickets are $22/$20 in advance $24/$22 day of show. The Cain Park Evan's Amphitheater is located at 14591 Superior Avenue, Cleveland Heights.
Sponsors

Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, Invacare, Key Bank, MetLife Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Ohio Arts Council, The Bruening Foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, The Emerson Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, The John P. Murphy Foundation, The Kennedy Center, and The Kuhn Family Foundation.

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