Ohio Contemporary Ballet

Please help welcome our newest company member, Bethany Montalvo! ✨

A California native, Bethany graduated from the University of Oklahoma in Ballet Performance, having the opportunity to perform works by Jiří Kylián and Jerome Robbins. From there, she danced with Nashville Ballet 2 and Twin Cities Ballet. Let’s help welcome her to Northeast Ohio. “I’m excited to work on amazing repertoire and grown with my fellow dancers this season!”, said Bethany.

Don’t miss her company debut at the Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival in Akron on July 24 and 25.

Ohio Contemporary Ballet proudly opens the Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival with two unforgettable evenings at Forest Lodge Park in Akron. Join us July 24 & 25 at 8:45pm for a performance where balletic elegance meets bold contemporary expression. The program features Paul Taylor's Airs and the world premiere of a new spicy work by Danielle Diniz.

Before the main performance, bring the little ones out early! The University of Akron Dance Institute hosts a FREE kids' interactive preshow at 7:45pm, a hands-on introduction to dance that's perfect for young audiences.

Grab a blanket or chair and make a night of it!

Forest Lodge Park, Akron (by the ball-field on Jefferson Ave.)
July 24 & 25 at 8:45pm | FREE Admission

Photo: Bill Naiman

We're halfway through summer and more performances are still ahead!

This summer, we're celebrating a record number of performances thanks to the generous support of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Madel Foundation.

Up Next:
✨ July 24 & 25 — Catch OCBallet at the Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival at Forest Lodge Park in Akron, where we'll premiere a bold fun new work by choreographer Danielle Diniz.
✨ August 1 — Join us at Tremont's Lincoln Park for Kelly Korfhage's final performance with the company, dancing Eliot Feld's celebrated work Echo. A heartfelt farewell you'll want to witness.

Can't make these dates? There's so much more to come; our performances run all the way through September. All performances are free so bring a blanket or chair, gather your friends, and join us!

Which show will we see you at? Save this post so you don't miss a show! 💫

Photo: Bill Naiman

We're excited to welcome NYC-based choreographer Danielle Diniz in studio this week setting a new work on the company! Her career spans Broadway, Off-Broadway, and major ballet companies placing her among today's most compelling emerging artists.

She has been commissioned by Jacob's Pillow, the Ailey BFA program, and Stars of American Ballet, to name a few. Her work has been presented at the Baryshnikov Arts Center, BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center and the Palm Desert Choreography Festival.

With her dynamic, genre-spanning artistry and bold creative voice we can't wait to see this new work take shape. The work will premiere at the Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival on July 24 & 25 in Akron.