DANCECleveland, a Knight Arts grantee, has announced its stellar season for the upcoming year. And guess what: the season will kick off with a performance in the Akron area.

Opening the season on October 5 at E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall will be BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet company, which features a roster of world-class choreographers, including works by co-founder Matthew Neenan, according to publicity put forth by DANCECleveland.

BalletX. Photo by Alexander Iziliaev

Founded in 2005 by award-winning artistic directors Christine Cox and Matthew Neenan, BalletX reportedly is “firmly rooted in rigorous ballet technique while performing contemporary pieces that challenge its dancers with the innovative possibilities in the 21st century.”

Since its inception, the company has acquired a repertory of works by renowned artists including Finnish choreographer Jorma Elo, Jodie Gates, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Edwaard Liang, Adam Hougland, Helen Pickett, Matthew Neenan and Darrell Grand Moultrie, among others.

Paul Taylor Dance Company, one of the few indisputably great dance companies in the world, will return to delight audiences in November. DANCECleveland has presented this group before. A return engagement is no doubt a salute to the stature of this company as well as for the legendary Taylor himself, the last of the original choreographers to establish modern dance (which is the focus of DANCECleveland as a dance presenter).

In January another new dance group on the scene, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, will perform. This troupe is a New York City-based company that presumably “explores the infinite possibilities of movement and multimedia.” It will be making its area debut for DANCECleveland.

Cedar Lake Dance Company. Photo from nytimes.com

In March, veteran contemporary choreographer and previous DANCECleveland performer Trisha Brown Dance Company will present the work of its legendary founder and artistic director for over 40 years. When this company performed last for DANCECleveland, the experience was powerful enough to send me to New York City to watch them again when they appeared at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

The season’s close in April will feature yet another new group for DANCECleveland (and the dance world), Jessica Lang Dance. This company is a young New York City company, as reported by DANCECleveland, whose founder is praised as a master of visual composition.

Jessica Lang Dance, “i.n.k.” Photo by Takao Komanu