If life was at all stable and predictable, dancer-choreographer Joe Goode would probably be out of a job. For one thing, he’d have much less incentive to create and perform new dances, since change is a major source of his inspiration. The San Francisco-based Joe Goode Performance Group makes its first visit to Cleveland tonight, and Goode says the move outside of the troupe’s comfort zone is exhilarating, albeit a little tense. “I’m always nervous about a new audience,” he says. “But I’m also hopeful, because I believe in the work. My goal everywhere is the same: to provide a deeply felt experience.”
The six-member company just entered its third decade. Since the start, it’s gathered high-status awards for its groundbreaking use of dance, music, and theater. Tonight’s performance includes “Stay Together” and “Deeply There,” two pieces that explore relationships. The first is a recent dance set to a ’70s pop score; the other is Goode’s take on how AIDS affected his old neighborhood. “I just create the kind of work I want to see,” says Goode. “Something personal and approachable — not hidden behind the veils of modern art.”
Sat., Feb. 24, 8 p.m.
This article appears in Feb 21-27, 2007.