GroundWorks DanceTheater History
David Shimotakahara
David Shimotakahara is Founder, Artistic Director of GroundWorks; Dance Magazine‘s “One of 25 to Watch”; Co-founder, New Steps; Principal Dancer, Ohio Ballet; Cleveland Arts Prize 2000 for Dance; eight-time recipient, Ohio Arts Council Individual Fellowship, 2010 CAC Workforce Fellowship. He founded GroundWorks in 1998, determined to challenge the preconceptions about dance. This desire to push boundaries is evident in Shimotakahara’s bold initiative: To seek collaboration and input from guest choreographers of the highest caliber and to constantly evolve the repertoire of the company.
Over the past 20 years, GroundWorks has created and produced 89 original works. Thirty –four of these have been commissioned from nationally and internationally renowned guest artists. In addition, Shimotakahara has contributed 43 pieces to the company’s rep. His work is about here and now. He is interested in framing issues surrounding individuality, privacy, place, and connectivity through movement that speaks through its musicality and physicality.
Shimotakahara’s performance history includes: member of the Atlanta Ballet, Boston Repertory Ballet, Kathryn Posin Dance Company, and the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater. He performed with Ohio Ballet under the direction of Heinz Poll from 1983-1999. He also served as Rehearsal Assistant for Ohio Ballet from 1989-1999. From 1989-97, Mr. Shimotakahara founded and was Director of New Steps. This acclaimed dance project offered a variety of programs that stimulated the creation and growth of new choreography in Northeast Ohio. Mr. Shimotakahara has choreographed for opera and theater with the Cleveland Opera, Great Lakes Theater Festival and the Dallas Theater Center. He served on the Carlisle Project advisory panel in 1996, and dance panels for the Ohio Arts Council, Illinois Arts Council, the Mid Atlantic Arts Alliance and the National Endowment for the Arts. He has received 8 Individual Artist Fellowships for Choreography from the Ohio Arts Council from 1996 to 2018. In 1998, he received a McKnight Foundation Fellowship from the Minnesota Dance Alliance to create new work in the Minneapolis, St. Paul communities. Mr. Shimotakahara was awarded the 2000 Cleveland Arts Prize for Dance. In 2002 his work with GroundWorks DanceTheater was voted “One of 25 to Watch” by Dance Magazine. In 2007, he received the OhioDance award for Outstanding Contributions to the Advancement of the Dance Artform. Mr. Shimotakahara was a 2008 recipient of the first COSE Arts and Business Innovation awards as the founder of GroundWorks DanceTheater. In 2010 and 2014 Shimotakahara was awarded Creative Workforce Fellowships, a program of the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, funded by Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.
GroundWorks DanceTheater creates and presents groundbreaking contemporary dance as a leader in engaging, educating and enlivening communities. GroundWorks DanceTheater is a vibrant and sustainable organization, nationally recognized for making a unique contribution to the art form and enriching human experiences through the creation of original contemporary dance.
Mr. Shimotakahara has a strong reputation (regionally as well as nationally) as an artistic creative force representing Ohio, in particular the Northeast. He is uncompromising in his quest for meaningful movement that consistently challenges both dancers and audiences, often presenting works of heartfelt beauty, physical virtuosity and startling imagery. He is quiet, thoughtful, intensely disciplined and driven to excellence. He and his organization Groundworks DanceTheater are a priceless treasure to the arts in Ohio specifically and to the greater dance world in general.
GroundWorks DanceTheater
GroundWorks DanceTheater is IMAGINATION YOU CAN SEE. Critically celebrated as an “artistically significant” ensemble, GroundWorks explores the nuances of the human experience through unique and adventurous choreography. This exciting, eclectic work brings audiences face-to-face with fresh, fascinating performances of passion, intellect and humor.
From its Northeast Ohio base, this group of outstanding artists has introduced dance lovers and neophytes alike to an experience that is unconventional, yet deeply human and resonating. From performing in unusual settings, collaborating with composers of new music, and featuring live musicians onstage, GroundWorks enriches its work with subtle layers of meaning that deepen the impact and enjoyment for the audience.
GroundWorks’ repertoire includes works by selected guest choreographers and interdisciplinary artists. GroundWorks has commissioned 34 premieres from nationally and internationally acclaimed choreographers – some of the most creative voices in the field – as well as 43 new works by Shimotakahara and 12 by Artistic Associate Amy Miller.
GroundWorks believes in developing its repertoire with work that challenges the range of its exceptional artists and in establishing a working relationship with guest choreographers interested in creating new work with the group. It is also interested in creating an audience that supports this work, through an understanding of its influences and sources built over time and learned from a variety of experiences with GroundWorks.
Additionally, GroundWorks is committed to enriching the community through inspiring education outreach programs for which it has been recognized with funding from the Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.
By never settling, by stretching even its own definition of what’s possible in dance, the company, now in its 17th season, continues to grow and attract new audiences.
In January 2002, Dance Magazine named Shimotakahara “one of the year’s 25 to watch” in the dance world, and Wilma Salisbury from The Plain Dealer described the company as “setting the standard for small dance ensembles in Northeast Ohio.” In 2003, Steven Sucato wrote in the March issue of Dance, “With this program, GroundWorks DanceTheater reached a landmark of its own development, moving it ever closer to becoming one of the country’s leading contemporary dance companies.” Cleveland Scene voted GroundWorks, “Cleveland’s Best Dance Company” in 2008.
In 2009 GroundWorks celebrated its 10th anniversary season and the company’s New York City debut was a smash success. NY critic Chris Atamian described the experience as a “unique mixture of subtle humor, intelligent choreography, and vigorous movement.” In May 2009 Northern Ohio LIVE honored GroundWorks with a Special Award of Achievement for its 10 years of innovative cultural contribution to the region.
Now nearing the end of its second decade, GroundWorks looks toward its future, having earned solid support and a growing audience base as more and more people discover what Donald Rosenberg in The Plain Dealer has described as the “smoldering brilliance” of one of “Cleveland’s cultural gems.”
Milestones
- 1983-1998
- David Shimotakahara performed with Ohio Ballet under the direction of Heinz Poll.
- 1989-1998
- David Shimotakahara served as Rehearsal Assistant for Ohio Ballet.
- 1989-97
- Mr. Shimotakahara co-founded and was Director of New Steps. This acclaimed dance project offered a variety of programs that stimulated the creation and growth of new choreography in Northeast Ohio.
- 1996-2018
- David Shimotakahara received 8 Individual Artist Fellowships for Choreography from the Ohio Arts Council.
- 1998
- David Shimotakahara received a McKnight Foundation Fellowship from the Minnesota Dance Alliance to create new work in the Minneapolis, St. Paul communities
- David Shimotakahara founded GroundWorks, determined to challenge the preconceptions about dance. This desire to push boundaries is evident in Shimotakahara’s bold initiative: To seek collaboration and input from guest choreographers of the highest caliber and to constantly evolve the repertoire of the company.
- 2002
- David Shimotakahara work with GroundWorks DanceTheater was voted “One of 25 to Watch” by Dance Magazine.
- 2007
- David Shimotakahara received the OhioDance award for Outstanding Contributions to the Advancement of the Dance Artform.
- Selected by Cleveland Foundation to attend the National Arts Strategies Executive Program for Non Profit Leadership in partnership with Stanford Graduate School of Business
- 2008
- David Shimotakahara recipient of the first COSE Arts and Business Innovation awards as the founder of GroundWorks DanceTheater. Cleveland Scene voted GroundWorks, “Cleveland’s Best Dance Company”
- 2009
- GroundWorks celebrated its 10th anniversary season and the company’s New York City debut was a smash success. Northern Ohio LIVE honored GroundWorks with a Special Award of Achievement for its 10 years of innovative cultural contribution to the region.
- 2010 and 2014
- Mr. Shimotakahara was awarded Creative Workforce Fellowships, a program of the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, funded by Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.
- 2012-2016
- Served as panelist for the American College Dance Association annual conference
- 2012-Present
- GroundWorks Invited to be professional dance company in residence at Cleveland State University.
- Invited to serve on Executive Committee of Cleveland Arts Education Consortium
- 2013-Present
- Mr Shimotakahara invited to serve as Trustee on the Board of DanceUSA, the national service organization for the professional dance field.
- 2014
- Invited to speak at Ted –X conference in Cleveland, presenting talk about the intersection of artistic process and entrepreneurship titled “The Art of Not Knowing”
- 2016
- After a successful run in Cleveland at Playhouse Square’s Allen Theatre in October, Cleveland-based GroundWorks DanceTheater’s 2016 Fall Concert Series moved to nearby Akron and the Akron-Summit County Library. The program opened with the latest work by GroundWorks’ artistic director David Shimotakahara entitled “Chromatic.” The 20-minute piece set to a suite of music by American composer Conlon Nancarrow (1912 –1997) was a stylistic departure for Shimotakahara in the type of movement he created for the troupe’s five dancers.
- 2018
- Mr Shimotakahara invited to participate in Leadership Cleveland 40th anniversary class of executive leaders from across sectors in the community, with a commitment to make use of knowledge, skills and relationships to advance and deepen their community impact. as agents of positive change.
- GroundWorks kicked off its 20th season with its second collaboration with ChamberFest in a June 30 concert at the Maltz Performing Arts Center. “Dawn of a Revolution” spanned centuries of music from Beethoven to Alberto Ginastera, connected by the common thread of György Ligeti’s Musica Ricercata for solo piano, selections of which are distributed throughout.
- GroundWorks invited to perform at Gina Gibney Dance Center in New York, celebrating its 20th Anniversary season.
- 2018-2019
- Serves on Host Steering Committee for DanceUSA National Conference in Cleveland.
Comprehensive Reperetory Listing
(Updated 7/18/18)
- Pieces by Guest Artists: 33
- Pieces by David Shimotakahara: 42
- Pieces by Amy Miller: 12
- TOTAL: 87
- David Shimotakahara
- A Person (1997)
- David Shimotakahara
- Major to Minor (1997)
- David Shimotakahara
- Field Stone (1998)
- David Shimotakahara
- Open Seating (1999)
- David Shimotakahara
- Circadian (2000)
- Gina Gibney
- Several Truths Duet (2001)
- David Shimotakahara
- Know (2001)
- David Shimotakahara
- Content (2001)
- David Shimotakahara
- Migration (2001)
- Beth Corning
- Hush (2002)
- David Shimotakahara
- Heart and Vine (2002)
- Gina Gibney
- Always (2003)
- David Shimotakahara
- Before With After (2003)
- David Shimotakahara
- Ephemeral (2003)
- David Shimotakahara
- Take Two (2003)
- Beth Corning
- At Once There Was A House (2004)
- Gina Gibney
- Return (2004)
- David Shimotakahara
- Book of Water (2004)
- David Shimotakahara
- Still Life (2004)
- Keely Garfield
- Iron Lung (2005)
- David Shimotakahara
- Kabila (2005)
- David Shimotakahara
- Music Room (2005)
- Art Bridgman and Myrna Packer
- Through the Lens (2006)
- KT Neihoff
- Tipping Point (2006)
- Amy Miller
- eleveneleven (2006) in collaboration with composer Ryan Lott
- David Shimotakahara
- Inside Out (2006)
- David Shimotakahara
- Latitude (2006)
- Keely Garfield
- Hurricane Heart (2007)
- KT Neihoff
- Proximal (2007)
- David Parker
- Annie Redux (2007)
- David Shimotakahara
- Sweet (2007)
- David Shimotakahara
- NANO (2007)
- David Shimotakahara
- Exit Wounds (2007)
- Amy Miller
- U me U (2007) with composer/guitarist James Marron
- Amy Miller
- Juxta (2007)
- Zvi Gotheiner
- Delayed (2008)
- Lynne Taylor-Corbett
- Unpublished Dialogues (2008)
- Alex Ketley
- For You... (2008)
- Amy Miller
- For the Life of Me (2008)
- Amy Miller
- Allow (2008) with composer Alex Christie
- David Shimotakahara
- Lights Up (2008)
- David Shimotakahara
- Polarity (2008)
- Dianne McIntyre
- Just Yesterday (2009)
- Amy Miller
- Valence (2009) with Oberlin College professor/composer Peter Swendsen
- David Shimotakahara
- Boom Boom (2009)
- Jill Sigman
- Split Stitch (2010)
- David Parker
- All I Do (2010)
- David Shimotakahara
- Catch and Release (2010)
- David Shimotakahara
- Soldier’s Tale (2010)
- Amy Miller
- Saying Yes (2010)
- Amy Miller
- DnA (2010) in collaboration with David Shimotakahara
- Lynne Taylor-Corbett
- Hindsight (2011) with video artist Adam Larsen
- Ronen Koresh
- CoDa (2011-12)
- Amy Miller
- Running to Earth (2011) with Oberlin College professor/composer Peter Swendsen
- David Shimotakahara
- The Return (2011)
- David Shimotakahara
- Flag (2011)
- Amy Miller
- Current Frame (2012)
- David Shimotakahara
- Brubeck (2012)
- Doug Elkins
- My Hummingbird at the High Line (2012)
- Kate Weare
- Inamorata (2013)
- David Shimotakahara
- Luna (2013)
- David Shimotakahara
- Rite of Spring (2013) for Akron Symphony Orchestra
- Amy Miller
- Way Leads to Way (2013)
- David Shimotakahara
- Emergent (2013)
- Noa Zuk (with Ohad Fishof)
- After Chorus (2013)
- Rosie Hererra
- House Broken (2014)
- David Shimotakahara
- Ghost Opera (2014)
- David Shimotakahara
- Between Us (2014)
- Johannes Wieland
- wait. now. go now. (2014)
- Robert Moses
- The Rub (2015)
- David Shimotakahara
- House of Sparrows (2015) with composer Steven Snowden and video artist Nic Petry (featuring Aeolus Quartet)
- Eric Michael Handman
- Remora (2015)
- Kate Weare
- Far and Near (2015)
- David Shimotakahara
- Shadowbox (2015) LONI LANDON – Falling Awake (2016)
- David Shimotakahara
- Carmina Burana (2016) for Akron Symphony Orchestra
- Adam Barruch
- Hex (2016)
- Robyn Mineko Williams
- Part Way (2016)
- David Shimotakahara
- Chromatic (2016)
- Gina Gibney
- Drafting Foresight (2017)
- David Shimotakahara
- Against Night (2017)
- Amy Miller
- Vade Mecum (2017)
- David Shimotakahara
- Salt to Sea (2017)
- James Gregg
- éveillé (Awake) (2018)
- David Shimotakahara
- Passenger (2018)
- Banning Bouldin
- Chronos (2018)
- David Shimotakahara
- al-one (2018)
- David Shimotakahara
- Shape of Distance (2018)
- Dianne McIntyre
