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.
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