Put your search for deep meaning on the back burner and move your eager and serious enjoyment of movement and dance to the front when DANCECLEVELAND, a Knight Arts grantee, brings Aspen Santa Fe Ballet to E.J Thomas Performing Arts Hall on Sunday, October 5. The 18-year-old contemporary ballet company is cooking up three powerful works that have either been created for or restaged for this troupe.

Jorma Elo’s “Over Glow” will probably be first on the bill. Jean Philippe Malaty, executive director of ASFB, said in a telephone interview, that this particular work is “a masterpiece for us.” It’s the fourth dance that Elo has done for ASFB. “He knows the dancers,” Malaty said, and therefore could work on an athletic yet poetic piece that Malaty described as illuminating both the “visceral power of dance” and the “highest expression of human spirit.”

Jorma Elo, “Over Glow.” Photo by Sharon Bradford

The dance is awash in color, which Malaty encourages the audience to enjoy while watching the powerful and classically trained dancers. “It’s a good break for the audience,” because they don’t need to worry about understanding what is going on. The work isn’t dark; it’s not searching for the meaning of life; nor is it attempting to solve a major socio-political hot topic. For, as Malaty said, let the dancers take themselves and their work seriously, and let the audience enjoy.

In short, bask in the glow of “Over Glow.”

A second work will be Norbert de la Cruz’s “Square None.” De la Cruz created the work specifically for ASFB. Perhaps he kind of owed them one, for ASFB helped serve, as Malaty noted, as a “springboard for him.” Once when visiting the Julliard School in search of potential dancers, he and artistic director Tom Mossbrucher saw de la Cruz’s graduation choreography piece. They were so taken by his talent that they commissioned the young choreographer to do something for them.

Norbert de la Cruz III, “Square None.” Photo by Rosalie O’Connor

Malaty noted that “Square None” has lots of ideas afloat in one single work; it’s a “melting pot of different techniques.” It also, he added, illustrates the dance maker’s great craftsmanship.

De la Cruz plays around with the squares, sometimes seemingly trapping dance characters within them, sometimes stretching them across segments, and at others partnering to illustrate connections (physical and emotional) of various characters.

Although Malaty said that ASFB rarely looks back, as can be seen by using the creations of young and contemporary choreographers, the company is going to present “Return to a Strange Land,” a work done in 1977 by the famous Czech choreographer, Jiri Kylian. Malaty laughed and said that a work of that period is “ancient history to us,” but added that ASFB likes to look back and “give an appreciative nod” to contemporary masters. Kylian is certainly that. As Malaty commented, he has been a great influence on contemporary choreography.

Interestingly, Jorman Elo, who created one of the pieces on the bill, once danced for Kylian. Dance can be a small but wonderful world.

“Return to a Strange Land” is not one of Kyllian’s most famous or well-known, and ASFB likes it that way. When they search the works of big talents in the art, they tend to look for the obscure – and make it their own. In this case, ASFB is the only one to be currently doing this work. It is on pointe, but has a contemporary feel, Malaty added.

After the Sunday performance, members of ASFB will remain in the Akron area in residence at The University of Akron’s stellar dance facilities. Malaty said they will work with students – via classes, lectures in dance criticism, a master class, and other things of importance for students. Basically, Malaty summed up, students (who will come from all parts of the city), will get a close up look at the “life of a professional dance company.” The point is completely about the students; Malaty said it is a luxury to be able to devote four days to helping them with the world of dance.

DANCECLEVELAND will present Aspen Santa Fe Ballet at 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 5 at E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall, 198 Hill St., Akron; 330-972-7570; www.dancecleveland.org. Admission is $20-$40.