“There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.”
~Author Vicki Baum
From tap to tango and ballet to ballroom, Columbus is a city full of happy feet.
Whether you buy tickets to a world-premiere production by BalletMet or you enroll your kids in an Irish step class in the suburbs, the art of dance is very much a part of our community’s culture.
“There is such a strong arts hub in general here; there are strong educational roots at local colleges and universities, which attracts artists to the area,” says Jennifer Sciantarelli, communications manager at BalletMet.
The Ohio State University’s Department of Dance has been ranked as the top graduate program in the country by industry publication Dance Teacher. This reputation has benefited Columbus as a whole because many of these students stick around after they graduate.
“Columbus has a strong and growing dance community and students come to Columbus, see that it is vibrant and developing and they stay to contribute to the culture. Dancers are beginning to be recognized as important contributors to the arts scene and they are staying,” says Karen Bell, dean of the College of the Arts and professor with the Department of Dance at OSU.
The Columbus Dance Theatre is led by OSU graduates, for example, and is part of the long history of contemporary dance in this city that dates back to Dance Central in the 1970s. But contemporary dance isn’t the only gig in town anymore.
“There is a lot of variety in this city, and each company or choreographer has found something special they offer, adding to the richness and diversity of the landscape,” Sciantarelli says.
Diversity indeed abounds with local troupes such as the New Albany Ballet, Tap Happenings, XClaim (contemporary jazz), the Columbus Feis Irish dancers, Anatomical Scenario’s Anna and the Annadroids (robotic/burlesque dance), Kristina Isabelle Dance Company (stilt dance) and more.
According to Sarah Hixon, artistic director of Hixon Dance, the dance scene in Columbus is thriving, and is larger and more assorted than people realize. Her belief is buoyed by a growing independent scene.
“There is a lot of desire in the community to see Columbus become a dance destination, and there is an influx of emerging dance artists. There are dance events happening almost weekly throughout the year, and it is exciting and energizing,” Hixon says.
Independent dancers can band together through Dance Artists of Columbus, a group of local dancers building audiences and pooling resources.
Additionally, entities such as CAPA and the Wexner Center for the Arts book many eclectic national and international dance acts into their schedules, including New York City’s Ailey II, DanceBrazil, Japanese dancer/choreographer Karas and French conceptual artist/choreographer Jérome Bel. The demand for these shows in Columbus is staggering.
“Dance events generate a lot of interest, both because of the highly-rated dance department at Ohio State and the active local dance community. The community is one of the most devoted and supportive I’ve found,” says Karen Simonian, director of media & public relations at the Wexner Center.
Not only are these dance groups supported by ticket sales, but also by each other. Many even collaborate on projects.
“There is so much available locally if you’re a dance fan – a mixture of everything – and it’s a great community among the different groups. I like to think we all complement each other,” says says Rich Corsi, director of programming at CAPA. “(CAPA tries) to make sure our dance shows don’t conflict with a local show, like BalletMet or Columbus Dance Theatre, because the Columbus dance audience is very interested in getting as much exposure as possible. It is good to see this excitement here about dance. It’s a great art.”
Alicia Kelso is editor of CityScene.