---
title: "Dancing Wheels Perform Tonight at Newberry Opera House"
url: https://www.herenewberry.com/2026/11/08/dancing-wheels-perform-tonight-newberry-opera-house/
date: 2026-11-08T06:26:42-05:00
modified: 2026-11-08T06:26:42-05:00
author: "Meghan L. Souza"
categories: ["Events"]
site: "HERE Newberry"
attribution: "HERE Newberry"
---

# Dancing Wheels Perform Tonight at Newberry Opera House

> NEWBERRY, S.C. — A Cleveland dance company that pairs standing performers with dancers who use wheelchairs appears at the Newberry Opera House at 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1201 McKibben Street. Anne Pinckney Smith, the theater's executive director, said the booking started with a note from the troupe about 18 months ago, while the

*Source: [HERE Newberry](https://www.herenewberry.com/2026/11/08/dancing-wheels-perform-tonight-newberry-opera-house/) — November 8, 2026 by Meghan L. Souza*

NEWBERRY, S.C. — A Cleveland dance company that pairs standing performers with dancers who use wheelchairs appears at the Newberry Opera House at 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1201 McKibben Street.

Anne Pinckney Smith, the theater’s executive director, said the booking started with a note from the troupe about 18 months ago, while the 401-seat house was working through access upgrades. A review involving the South Carolina Arts Commission and Able South Carolina helped bring in about $100,000 in grants as part of a $1.8 million refresh that began after she took the post in 2023. The visiting company adjusted its program to fit the 144-year-old stage.

Mary Verdi-Fletcher started the group in Cleveland in 1980 after building a career as a professional wheelchair dancer. She was born with spina bifida and later opened a training school in 1990. She is not making the Newberry trip; six dancers will present selected works, and an education session is set for Monday, Nov. 9.

Tickets are $20 to $35. The company’s calendar lists the program from 6 to 7 p.m. The organization now operates under Professional Flair, Inc., keeps a repertory of more than 90 works, and reaches as many as 50,000 people a year on tour after a long partnership with the Cleveland Ballet. Its teaching and performances have reached more than 6.5 million people.