Discover dance in a new light with Ohio Contemporary Ballet, a company that redefines the boundaries of ballet. This performance at Playhouse Square will feature works that explore how human lives are shaped by the forces around with breathtaking beauty, raw emotion, and remarkable artistry. These ballets tell stories of joy, sorrow, beauty, and connection, and span various eras and styles, revealing a deep human truth beneath the surface.

The company is honored to present Paul Taylor’s Company B, a seminal piece of Americana. Newsweek called it “some of the most glorious dancing to be seen anywhere.” Set to the iconic songs of the 1940s, the modern work captures the turbulence of World War II while exploring the era’s profound dualities in a poignant tribute.

Ginger Thatcher, a former dancer with Cleveland Ballet and the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, has built a distinguished career on Broadway and with ballet companies nationwide. Ohio Contemporary Ballet will remount Urban Study, a contemporary ballet that transforms the rhythms of factory labor and city life into vivid, compelling movement. The Oregonian praised its “odd hypnotic beauty—crisp, smooth and cooly seductive.”

Heinz Poll’s Pavanne will be revived for the first time by a company other than Ohio Ballet. This neoclassical duet draws inspiration a painting by Diego Velasquez of Margaret Theresa of Spain. With his signature emotional intensity and theatrical precision, Poll renders the longing for human connection within monarchical marriage as both intimate and tragic.

This diverse program comes together as a curated evening of work that reflects the belief that dance can help us better understand the world we share. Experience this unforgettable one-night-only performance by Ohio Contemporary Ballet at Playhouse Square.