Field Trip: October 2, 2026
Field Trip
Friday, October 2, 2026 at 11am
to see South Chicago Dance Theatre at the Aronoff Center for the Arts
Presented by Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers
“It was very refreshing for the students to see a performance with people who looked like them. Many of the students commented that they wanted to be a dancer after attending the performance.”
Pay what you can!
It's FREE if you need it to be! (Schools must get their own buses/transportation.) Suggested: $7 per person.
One show only!
This will likely be your ONLY opportunity to see this amazing and diverse dance troupe from Los Angeles!
Blue13 Dance Company from L.A.!
Performance & presentation brought to you by Mutual Dance Theatre!
Experience the dynamic artistry of Blue13 Dance Company from Los Angeles. Under the visionary leadership of Indian-American choreographer Achinta S. McDaniel, Blue13 fuses vibrant modern dance with global perspectives.
This presentation offers students an exceptional opportunity to broaden their cultural understanding through the medium of dance.
- Friday, October 25, 2024
- 11am show time, buses arrive between 10:20am and 10:50am
- Recommended grades: All ages welcome, younger may find it more enjoyable
“One of my students cried because she felt it was so beautiful! I have special needs students and many like to dance. I wanted to encourage them to follow their dreams. This performance definitely did that.”
Information you'll need to complete the registration form
*If you don’t know the details yet but would like to save spots, please make an estimate and indicate that you need to confirm details when filling out the form.
1. Contact Information: Provide the first and last name, email, phone number, and address of the person responsible for this reservation.
2. Reservation Details: Include the title and name of the person making the reservation, the name of the attending school or organization, and the day-of contact’s name, title, and mobile number for emergencies.
3. Attendance: Indicate the total number of students, adults, and any special accommodation needs (e.g., wheelchair spots, sensory-friendly seating).
4. Transportation: Specify how your group will arrive (e.g., car, van, walking, streetcar, or buses) and how many buses will need parking. Indicate whether you will need free or subsidized transportation.
5. Demographics: Estimate the number of attendees by race and income level. This information is collected solely for fundraising and grant-writing purposes to ensure we meet our racial equity goals and will not affect eligibility.
6. Photo and Video Release: Confirm if we can photograph your group for grant funding purposes. Those who should not be recorded will receive “DO NOT PHOTOGRAPH” stickers.
Reservation form
If you are ready to register, please click the link below. We can also accept checks/purchase orders. Please contact us at hello@mutualarts.org, if needed.
Photo & video request
We request permission to photograph and video your group for our fundraising purposes. Children will remain un-named and most photos will be like those you see on this page. If you are unable to consent, we will have "DO NOT PHOTOGRAPH" stickers for each person to wear who are not to be photographed.
Accessibility
ADA seating
TTL devices available
American Sign Language interpretation
Sensory-friendly section
Day-of
Click here for a packet of all the information your group will need for day-of logistics. Will filling out the form, please include a contact who will be with the group.
Policies
Please review our policies.
Not ready to register? Join our education list
If you are interested in this event and want us to follow up a little later, join our mailing list!
This is a direct conduit to the programs we can offer your classrooms, including FREE artist residencies and how your families can engage in dance education all year!
Questions or concerns?
We'd love to hear from you!
Preferred/best method
Email hello@mutualarts.org
Call us
513-494-6526
SUPPORTERS OF THIS PROGRAM
Nellie Leaman Taft Foundation
Elsa H. Sule Foundation
Press Release: Joshua Ishmon
Press Release
SAMPLES OF AVAILABLE MEDIA
Please do not download these images, which are a sampling and low-resolution preview of the asset folder.
Promotional images of Joshua Ishmon
Promotional photography for Modern Mix '26
COMING SOON: VIDEO TRAILER
Chicago artist Joshua L. Ishmon to premiere new dance work on Mutual Dance Theatre (Cincinnati)
Mutual Dance Theatre
Email: communications@mutualarts.org
Phone: 513-494-6526
Website: mutualdance.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CINCINNATI, OH, MARCH 12, 2026 — Mutual Dance Theatre (Cincinnati’s resident Modern Dance company) welcomes Joshua L. Ishmon to its choreography cohort for Modern Mix ’26 (May 1-2, 2026 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts).
Joshua L. Ishmon is a dance choreographer and performer currently based in Chicago. He has shared the stage with Bobby McFerrin and is an Artist in Residence at Purdue University’s Black Cultural Center. Since 2007, Ishmon has been with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, which is rooted in traditions of American and African-American dance and storytelling. There, Ishmon was the founder and curator of an emerging choreographer’s showcase, as well as a rehearsal director; recently, Ishmon was named a resident choreographer at the Chicago company. Ishmon, who was voted Chicago’s “Best Choreographer” (Chicago Reader, 2017) and listed as a Breakout Contemporary Dance Artist by Newcity, is also a Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist, a 3Arts Make a Wave artist, and founder of Production: COLORS.
| FUN FACT ABOUT JOSHUA ISHMON: Ishmon is a fan of manga and used to produce a podcast on Japanese graphic novels. |
Modern Mix is the annual closing performance of Cincinnati resident modern/contemporary dance company, Mutual Dance Theatre. This year, the concert concludes Embrace: A Season of Connection. Modern Mix ’26 promises a wide variety by four remarkable artists, each choreographing on MDT for their first time. Joining Joshua Ishmon’s choreography are dance pieces by Shane Ohmer (Philadelphia, former tour dance captain of Phantom of the Opera), Nat Wilson (New York, of Yue Yin Dance Company), and Sirui Liu (principal at Cincinnati Ballet).
Of the experience, Ishmon says, “This was my first time working with Cincinnati artists and I truly appreciated how open, vulnerable, and giving they brought themselves to this process every day. Jeanne [Mutual Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director] and the dancers were warm, genuine, and met the challenges I presented to them with grace and conviction. What more could any movement architect/choreographer ask for?”
Ishmon’s new work, “Entelechy” is a high-energy piece, influenced deeply by the Cincinnati dancers’ personal lives and shared stories of difficult moments in which they toiled to realize their potential. Ishmon says his choreography is a form of both investigation and collective support.
Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers is supported this year by: the Robert & Adele Schiff Family Foundation; the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the annual ArtsWave Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding; the H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, N.A., Trustee; an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC), a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically; the Crosset Family Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation; and gifts, both large and small, from individuals like season sponsor, Karen Zaugg.
EVENT DETAILS
What: Mutual Dance Theatre’s Modern Mix ’26
When: Friday & Saturday, May 1–2, 2026, 7:30pm (plus, Friday post-show Q&A with artists and Saturday pre-show 7pm interview)
Where: Aronoff Center for the Arts
Cost: starts at $29 (early bird discount available for purchases by April 2, 2026)
Tickets: 513-621-ARTS or cincinnatiarts.org/events/detail/mutual-dance-theatre-in-modern-mix-26
More information: mutualdance.org/modernmix26
###
Photography / Assets / Links
This press release can also be found here or accessed as a Google Doc here.
Interviews with choreographers and performing artists can be arranged by contacting communications@mutualarts.org.
Downloads for press are available here.
Video trailers will be added to the asset folder linked above by the end of March.
About Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers
Mutual Dance Theatre is the city’s longest-running Modern Dance organization and the area’s only consistent presenter of Modern and Contemporary Dance. MDT was formerly known as Contemporary Dance Theater (est. 1972 by Jefferson James) and MamLuft&Co. Dance (est. 2007 by Jeanne Mam-Luft) until their merger in 2021. Both organizations began as performing troupes, but in the early ‘90s, CDT dissolved its company and subsequently focused on presenting guest artists. The two organizations joined to create the aptly-named Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers, taking enumeration from its elder half and thus celebrating its 54th season in 25-26. Mutual has honored and combined the priorities of both founding organizations: investing in a virtuosic local company with the aim of becoming a significant presence both locally and nationally, as well as the continued presentation of Modern and Contemporary Dance from across the States (and sometimes, beyond). Mutual also reaches thousands of children each year through education and its academy, as well as charity-supported outreach. Learn more at mutualdance.org.
Press Release: Mutual Dance Theatre announces 2025-2026 season
Press Release
Mutual Dance Theatre announces its 2025-2026 Season
Please do not download these images, which are a sampling and low-resolution preview of the asset folder.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2025
Contact:
Name – Micky Sikorski, Marketing and Communications Manager
Organization – Mutual Dance Theatre
Email – communications@mutualarts.org
Phone – 513-494-6526
Website – mutualdance.org/performances
CINCINNATI, OH — Mutual Dance Theatre (formerly known as Contemporary Dance Theater and MamLuft&Co. Dance until their merger in fall of 2021) announces its 2025-2026 season, Embrace: A Season of Connection. The four productions bring nationally- and internationally-recognized Modern and Contemporary Dance to Cincinnati, including performances by guest companies, as well as commissions of numerous choreographers who will create work on the company’s local artists.
Running from October 3, 2025 to May 2, 2026, the season’s theme points to our undeniable connections, in all their complexity and power. Mutual Dance Theatre’s resident company and two guest companies (who are presented in our Jefferson James Contemporary Dance Theater Series) will examine connection in some of its many forms: the reciprocal reliance of bodies in choreography, the deep resonance of shared stories, and the collective experience of live performance.
“Embrace is more than a season theme: it’s an invitation,” says Jeanne Mam-Luft, Mutual Dance Theatre’s Artistic and Executive Director. “We want audiences to feel the deep, human connections that contemporary dance can reveal and to experience the rich perspectives we uniquely bring to Cincinnati.”
Highlights of the season and related community events include:
- Two acclaimed guest companies, both of who will be making their first appearances in Cincinnati: the riveting Deeply Rooted Dance Theater of Chicago (October 3-4, 2025) and the sensationally popular Yue Yin Dance Company of New York City (February 20-21, 2026).
- Two productions of world premieres performed by Mutual Dance Theatre’s highly talented resident company: the perennially-sold-out Up-Close (December 4-13, 2025) and the bold Modern Mix (May 1-2, 2026), featuring works by a Princess Grace Honoraria recipient, an artist voted “Best Choreographer” in Chicago by Chicago Reader, a former Phantom of the Opera touring cast member, and more.
- Fascinating and approachable audience talk-backs.
- Masterclasses and community classes that offer audiences chances to connect to each other and artists.
Season Details
All performances take place at 7:30pm at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, except for Up-Close, which takes place at Mutual Arts Center Hartwell.
Presenting Deeply Rooted Dance Theater of Chicago: October 3-4, 2025
Richly dramatic, riveting, and culturally resonant.
Hailed as a “major force” in Chicago dance, and described as richly dramatic, riveting, and culturally resonant, Deeply Rooted’s large company commands the stage.
Mutual Dance Theatre in Up-Close ’25: December 4-13, 2025
Sold-out every year, a fourth-wall-breaking experience.
Unlike any other show in the season. World premieres: Breath, Flesh, and Bone / A Manual for Lovers at the end of the world (by Crystal Michelle, a Princess Grace Honoraria recipient) and Look Thrice (by Hannah Williamson, known for crafting mysterious journeys).
Presenting Yue Yin Dance Company of New York: February 20-21, 2026
A sensation, mesmerizing and “goosebump-inducing.”
Speak with any young dance artist today, and they will recognize Yue Yin immediately. YYDC is a sensation capturing the attention of over 80,000 fans across the globe. Described as “gasp-provoking,” “modern dance of the highest quality,” and “goosebump-inducing.”
Mutual Dance Theatre in Modern Mix ’26: May 1-2 2026
A tour-de-force and spectrum of invigorating voices.
A tour-de-force of curated talent with world premieres by: Joshua Ishmon (Chicago, “Best Choreographer” Chicago Reader), Shane Ohmer (Philadelphia, Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, Phantom of the Opera, and more), and Nat Wilson (New York, YYD, Kibbutz Contemporary Dance, ZviDance, Visceral, and more).
Season Subscriptions
This year’s lineup features nationally-acclaimed guest companies from across the country alongside the bold artistry of Mutual Dance Theatre, the resident company; our season subscriptions offer audiences an amazing package deal and first dibs at premium seating:
- Starting at just $100 for a 3-show package.
- Audiences can save time and money while also supporting the non-profit arts organization.
- Subscribers secure the best seats, including the new Director’s Choice Seats, hand-picked by Artistic Director Jeanne Mam-Luft.
- An add-on offers first access to Up-Close, which features very limited seating and sells out each year.
Season subscriptions are available now at mutualdance.org/subscription or at the Aronoff Center box office at (513) 621-ARTS or 650 Walnut Street.
For the full schedule and more details, visit mutualdance.org/performances.
Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers’ work is made possible by: the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the annual ArtsWave Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding; an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council, a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically; and individual donors.
###
About Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers
Mutual Dance Theatre is the city’s longest-running and most consistent Modern Dance organization, both as a presenter and a resident company. MDT was formerly known as Contemporary Dance Theater (est. 1972 by Jefferson James) and MamLuft&Co. Dance (est. 2007 by Jeanne Mam-Luft) until their merger in 2021. Both organizations began as performing troupes, but in the early ‘90s, CDT dissolved its company and subsequently focused on presenting guest artists . The two organizations joined to create the aptly-named Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers, taking enumeration from its elder half and thus celebrating its 54th season in 25-26. Mutual has honored and combined the priorities of both founding organizations: investing in a virtuosic local company with the aim of becoming a significant presence both locally and nationally, as well as the continued presentation of Modern and Contemporary Dance from across the States (and sometimes, beyond). Mutual also reaches thousands of children each year through education and its academy, as well as charity-supported outreach. Learn more at mutualdance.org.
Photography / Assets / Links
Downloads for press are available here: https://www.mutualdance.org/seasonprassets. This includes:
-
-
-
- High-resolution images.
- Video trailer with branding/title cards.
- Video trailer without branding/title cards for media outlet to add their own chyrons.
-
-
Additional images available upon request to communications@mutualarts.org.
This press release can also be found at https://www.mutualdance.org/seasonprassets or accessed as a Google Doc at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eOxERwLaIWZQ-c2Ju263LMsZ8djYCZjiRATAuLMz3do/edit?usp=sharing.
Social Media Handles:
Performances: Facebook and Instagram @mutualdance
The Centers: Facebook and Instagram @mutualartscenters
More Links
More Links
Juneteenth Resources:
- About Juneteenth:
- Support Black-Owned Businesses:
- Cincinnati Juneteenth Events:
- Juneteenth Jubilee at the Underground Railroad Freedom Center
- June 19, 10am-4pm
- Juneteenth Discussion Panel at the Columns
- June 19, 11am-1pm
- Juneteenth Block Party at the Banks
- June 20, 4pm-11pm
- Juneteenth Tasting at Findlay Market
- June 22, 1pm-2:30pm
- The Cookout: A Juneteenth Celebration at Five Points Alley
- June 22, 2pm-8pm
- Juneteenth Jubilee at the Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Field Trip: October 2nd, 2026
Field Trip
Friday, October 2nd at 11 AM
to see South Chicago Dance Company at the Aronoff Center for the Arts
Presented by Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers
“It was very refreshing for the students to see a performance with people who looked like them. Many of the students commented that they wanted to be a dancer after attending the performance.”
FREE!
This is a free event! However, schools must provide their own bus or transportation.
One show only!
This will likely be your ONLY opportunity to see these remarkable dancers from Chicago.
South Chicago Dance Theatre
Performance & presentation brought to you by Mutual Dance Theatre!
Experience the dynamic artistry of South Chicago Dance Theatre. Under the visionary leadership of choreographer Kia S. Smith, South Chicago Dance Theatre seamlessly fuses classical and contemporary dance styles.
This presentation offers students an exceptional opportunity to broaden their perspective and experience storytelling through the medium of dance.
- Friday, October 2nd, 2026
- 11 AM show time, buses arrive between 10:20 AM and 10:50 AM.
- Recommended grades: All ages welcome, younger students may find it more enjoyable
“One of my students cried because she felt it was so beautiful! I have special needs students and many like to dance. I wanted to encourage them to follow their dreams. This performance definitely did that.”
Information you'll need to complete the registration form
*If you don’t know the details yet but would like to save spots, please make an estimate and indicate that you need to confirm details when filling out the form.
1. Contact Information: Provide the first and last name, email, phone number, and address of the person responsible for this reservation.
2. Reservation Details: Include the title and name of the person making the reservation, the name of the attending school or organization, and the day-of contact’s name, title, and mobile number for emergencies.
3. Attendance: Indicate the total number of students, adults, and any special accommodation needs (e.g., wheelchair spots, sensory-friendly seating).
4. Transportation: Specify how your group will arrive (e.g., car, van, walking, streetcar, or buses) and how many buses will need parking. Indicate whether you will need free or subsidized transportation.
5. Demographics: Estimate the number of attendees by race and income level. This information is collected solely for fundraising and grant-writing purposes to ensure we meet our racial equity goals and will not affect eligibility.
6. Photo and Video Release: Confirm if we can photograph your group for grant funding purposes. Those who should not be recorded will receive “DO NOT PHOTOGRAPH” stickers.
Reservation form
If you are ready to register, please click the link below. Please contact us at sophie@mutualarts.org, if needed.
Photo & video request
We request permission to photograph and video your group for our fundraising purposes. Children will remain un-named and most photos will be like those you see on this page. If you are unable to consent, we will have "DO NOT PHOTOGRAPH" stickers for each person to wear who are not to be photographed.
Accessibility
ADA seating
TTL devices available
American Sign Language interpretation
Sensory-friendly section
Day-of
Click here for a packet of all the information your group will need for day-of logistics. Will filling out the form, please include a contact who will be with the group.
Policies
Please review our policies.
Not ready to register? Join our education list
If you are interested in this event and want us to follow up a little later, join our mailing list!
This is a direct conduit to the programs we can offer your classrooms, including FREE artist residencies and how your families can engage in dance education all year!
Questions or concerns?
We'd love to hear from you!
Email us!
Email hello@mutualarts.org
Call us!
513-494-6526
SUPPORTERS OF THIS PROGRAM
Nellie Leaman Taft Foundation
Elsa H. Sule Foundation