Heinz was always trying to challenge the notion of what a ballet company could be. He created a model for the Ohio Ballet that was very ahead of its time — he was mixing contemporary work with classical.
I don't think any other city in the country was doing this, but they had decided to expose residents to the Ohio Ballet's performances in the summer. They had to build an outdoor stage in every location. [Poll] insisted the stage be put together with lighting; that it would have the right technical look. That commitment to excellence, I have been able to master to some extent with GroundWorks.
It's deeply satisfying to come full circle. [Last year's Ghost Opera] was a very complex production. Heinz would have been pleased that we tried to push that level of understanding of the art form. — as told to Kelly Petryszyn
