What Do You Do With An Idea? (2018) Run time: 50 min
Inlet Dance Theatre’s “What Do You Do With An Idea?” is a dance theatre adaptation of the New York Times bestselling children’s book by Kobi Yamada, illustrated by Mae Besom (©Compendium, Inc). The production is the story of one brilliant idea and the child who helps to bring it into the world. As the child’s confidence grows, so does the idea itself. And then, one day, something amazing happens. It is a story for anyone, at any age, who’s ever had an idea that seemed a little too big, too odd, or too difficult.
Based on the book by Kobi Yamada, illustrated by Mae Besom (©Compendium, Inc and live-inspired.com )
Created by Inlet Dance Theatre (Cleveland, OH)
Commissioned and Co-Produced by Playhouse Square
Artistic Team:
Choreographed by Inlet Dance Theatre’s Founder and Executive/Artistic Director Bill Wade, in collaboration with the original cast
Original score by Jeremy Allen
Narrated by Dee Perry
Scenic design by Ian Petroni and Jenny Hitmar Shankland
Costumes by Kristin Wade, Nina Vivian Huryn, Robin Van Lear
Lighting Design by Trad Burns
Easter Island Memoirs (2012) Run time: 45 min
In Spring of 2008, Bill Wade and the company members of Inlet Dance Theatre were blessed to participate in the final phase of an International Artist Exchange with artists from Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Made possible by the Ohio Arts Council, the Ohio Arts Foundation, The State Department, and the American Embassy in Santiago (Chile). As a part of that exchange, Inlet dancers spent two weeks on the island performing, teaching, and exploring. Easter Island Memoirs was created in response to this multiphase International Artist Exchange program. The imagery in this work is directly connected to specific experiences on the island. We use Inlet’s unique aesthetic and brand of modern dance and reference Rapa Nui cultural icons, environmental images such as the ocean and lava caves, and focus on global themes of community, identity and gender.
Four Elements (2015) Run time: 31 min
Inspired by the book, “The Four Elements of Success,” by Laurie Beth Jones, this four movement work explores how the four elements can be viewed as personality types. The idea for this work came as a result of an organizational development Workshop in Inlet’s rehearsal studio led by Tinamao Consulting (tinamaoconsulting.com) followed by a collaborative sessions exploring how to express each personality type using Inlet’s unique collaborative creative process and aesthetic brand of modern dance. The first installment, Water, premiered in 2011, and Inlet completed the work premiering the final installment, Earth, in 2015.
Building CLE (2018) Run time: 60 min
“Building CLE” is an evening-length collaborative multimedia dance theatre work that takes the personal stories gathered from the extraordinary residents of Judson Manor and Judson Park that had a hand, no matter how small, in building Cleveland into the vibrant city that it is today. Through the support and funding provided by the Ohio Arts Council’s Creative Aging Ohio initiative, Inlet Dance Theatre embarked on a project with residents of Judson Manor and Judson Park from 2017-2018, to engage them in Inlet’s collaborative dance making process, with the aim of creating a living history project of our city reflected through dance.
Among the Darkest Shadows (2017) Run time: 75 min
An evening length work to address modern-day slavery was collaboratively created via a commission by Bert Goldstein, Director of the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union Institute for Arts & Creativity at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts. The collaborative team includes internationally renowned Playwright José Cruz Gonzáles (Los Angeles, CA), and Producer/Dramaturg Bert Goldstein (East Lansing, MI), Inlet Executive/Artistic Director (Bill Wade) and the dancers of Inlet Dance Theatre. Among the Darkest Shadows tells the poignant stories of Lodi, a young victim of labor trafficking, and Pinta, a victim of sex trafficking. We follow their harrowing journey through contemporary enslavement and their struggle to be free. The story is told largely through innovative dance portraying the magical realism of Mr. Gonzalez’s writing, featuring his signature style of larger-than-life characters, bold visuals, poetic images, and striking symbolism. The work premiered in February 2017 at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts, with a tour to Des Moines Performing Arts Center that followed.
Caliban Ascendant (2021) Run time: 40 min
“Calbian Ascendant” is based on a story of the Indigenous People from the island in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, developed by Joshua Legg & Ty Alan Emerson. In this production, the characters Ariel and Caliban are each made up of both a male and female dancer. The male in each partnership represents culture whereas the female in each partnership represents identity.
Movement 1. Prospero on the Beach. We are introduced to the characters Prospero, Caliban and Ariel. We witness Prospero’s dominance of the Islanders and the beginnings of the famous storm.
Movement 2. Ariel. This is a flashback where we witness the peace and beauty of the life of the Islanders before Prospero’s arrival.
Movement 3. Caliban. A character study of Caliban where we see their anguish and finally their determination to be free.
Movement 4. Caliban Ascendant. The final confrontation between Prospero and the Islanders.
