GroundWorks DanceTheater’s landmark 25th Anniversary Season kicks into high gear with our Fall Performance Series 2023. Highlighting the production will be the world premiere of dance works by FLOCK and Antonio Brown. Plus, see a revival of Founding Artistic Director David Shimotakahara’s acclaimed 2007 duet “Sweet.”

The choreographic duo of Alice Klock (Seattle) and Florian Lochner (Germany), known as FLOCK, are former members of the prestigious Hubbard Street Dance Chicago company. Their gripping inaugural commission for GroundWorks, “last a lifetime,” explores the duality of energies that raise us up and bring us down – our angels and demons. The 26-minute piece features all five of GroundWorks’ dancers, including new company member Emma Janus, and an eclectic soundtrack with music from George Frideric Handel and Salt Lake City-based composer Michael Wall.

Founding Artistic Director David Shimotakahara has created over 50 works for GroundWorks in its first 25 years. “Sweet,” a 3 ½ minute duet from 2007, is the first in a series of pieces the company will revisit from the repertoire this season to honor the company’s Silver Anniversary.

“The Infectious rhythm and melody of Bobby McFerrin’s 1997 song “Sweet in the Morning” elicits a tangible momentum and pull,” says Shimotakahara of the duet. “In response, I wanted to explore the continuous and interdependent physical qualities of connectedness. It has been a joy to revisit the closely-knit partnering of the intimate and dynamic duet and pass it on to a new generation of GroundWorks’ dancers.”

Rounding out the Fall Performance Series’ offerings will be an exciting new work by Cleveland native and GroundWorks’ Artist in Residence, Antonio Brown. It will be the fourth mainstage work Brown has created for the company.