Cleveland Ballet’s Next Chapter at Playhouse Square

When the Cleveland San Jose Ballet closed in Playhouse Square in 2000 it was shock for the company.

“We all came to work and the doors were closed,” Gladisa Guadalupe said. “It was devastating.”

Guadalupe was company principal teacher and artistic associate at the time. She didn’t want to move to San Jose, where the ballet company continued until last year. Instead, she stayed in Cleveland and opened a dance school.

“Out of the school we have grown a youth company, and from the youth company we have grown now a ballet company,” Guadalupe said.

Cleveland Ballet, now three years old, recently announced it's a resident company at Playhouse Square. Guadalupe is the artistic director.

Being a resident company will afford Cleveland Ballet better dates, longer performance runs and exposure to more arts patrons at Playhouse Square, Guadalupe said.

The classical company features 14 dancers, which is smaller than many traditional ballet companies.  Its next season will include a version of the “Nutcracker” and “Alice in Wonderland.”

Guadalupe says the hope is for the new Cleveland Ballet to be at Playhouse Square for years to come.