Danceworks Performance MKE presents a World Premiere

MILWAUKEE, WI – Danceworks Performance MKE (DPMKE) proudly announces the world premiere of Echoes of Hope, a bold and deeply moving new concert-length dance production, premiering November 22nd and 23rd, 2025 at Calvary Presbyterian Church in downtown Milwaukee. This powerful performance is presented in collaboration with Violins of Hope Wisconsin presented by Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) , the Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra, and Gute Freynt Klezmer Band.

Through movement, original works explore the moment when silence becomes complicity, and speaking out carries risk. Each piece reveals the unseen toll of oppression, the truths we bury to feel safe, and the haunting echoes of ignorance. In collaboration with Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra and Gute Freynt Klezmer Band, DPMKE incorporates dancers from our professional and intergenerational companies to honor the resilience of Holocaust-era musicians, drawing historical context into contemporary performance.

Violins of Hope Wisconsin presented by Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) whose mission is to bring the community a once-in-a-lifetime experience – to hear the stories of instruments owned and played by Jewish musicians and others targeted by the Nazis before and during the Holocaust, through educational and cultural programs and exhibits – to foster understanding.

Each performance of Echoes of Hope will conclude with a 20-minute talkback, offering audiences the opportunity to engage in reflection and dialogue with the artists and collaborators.

Danceworks Performance MKE (DPMKE) is the resident professional dance company of Danceworks, Inc., based in Milwaukee, WI. The ensemble is composed of performing artists whose movement practices and collaborative processes center on meaningful dialogue between dancers, choreographers, and artistic partners. All performers contribute significantly to the creative process, the conversation, and the final product.

“The most moving part of creating this show with the Danceworks Performance MKE artists has been our conversations about speaking out versus the ways we are silenced or rather choose silence or advocacy. In a time when being vocal about our opinions and views is one of the most important ways we can advocate for ourselves, our peers, and our communities, these discussions have felt especially vital,” says Artistic Director Christal Wagner.

“Rehearsing Echoes of Hope has been both challenging and healing,” says dancer and collaborator Zoe Mei Glise. “Each movement asks me to confront my own moments of silence and to find the courage to move through them. What’s made this process so striking is the vulnerability we share in the studio–each dancer brings their own story and emotion into the work, their own truth. Together, we’re building something that feels both deeply personal and universally human. I hope audiences see their own resilience reflected in the work we share, and feel a sense of hope in the courage it takes to speak out.”

DPMKE is well known for its collaborations with other arts organizations throughout the region, and this concert highlights that spirit through its partnership with the Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra.

The Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra (WIO) is grateful to Danceworks MKE for the opportunity to be a part of the Violins of Hope – Milwaukee project. Musicians performing in the string octet represent the diverse and inclusive membership that WIO embraces.

Violin 1: Siew-Eng Goh and Casey Klepp
Violin 2: Amanda Beltrame and Sandra Gonnering
Viola: Julie Stringer and Neche Veyssal
Violoncello: Roxanne Carloni and Zachary Cieszki

The Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra’s mission is to bring together musicians of all ages and skill levels in a challenging, non-competitive environment. Players benefit from interactions with each other while progressing toward a common goal of artistic excellence. WIO performances are designed to share the joy of music making with performers and audience members alike.

New Leadership Roles Highlight Creative Expansion

Danceworks Performance MKE is also proud to announce the launch of new Artistic Coordinator positions within the professional company. These roles were created to offer company members meaningful leadership experience in both artistic and administrative areas, while supporting the broad scope of performance initiatives for emerging and established artists.

The 2025–2026 season is co-led by Artistic Director Christal Wagner in collaboration with the newly appointed Artistic Coordinators:

• Katelyn Altmann
• Cuauhtli Ramírez Castro
• Ashley Ray Garcia
• Zoe Mei Glise

This structure fosters a collaborative and sustainable creative environment, empowering each coordinator to take part in the visioning, planning, and execution of DPMKE’s growing body of work. The expanded creative team reflects DPMKE’s commitment to innovation, mentorship, and equity in the arts. DPMKE maintains a strong commitment to celebrating the diversity of Milwaukee’s arts community, creating work with curiosity and rigor in collaboration with its skilled performers, community members, and a wide range of local nonprofits and performance groups.

Ticket Pricing:

$38 Premiere Reserved

$30 Adult

$24 Student | Senior | Artist | Military

Calvary Presbyterian Church

935 W. Wisconsin Avenue

Milwaukee, WI 53233

For more information, visit https://danceworksmke.org/concerts/ or contact Julieane Cook at jcook@danceworksmke.org.

More about Danceworks – Founded in 1992, the mission of Danceworks, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit, is to enhance joy, health and creativity by engaging the community through dance. Danceworks’ vision is to be a source for arts education and community collaborations that inspire a lifelong interest and participation in the arts. Each year, the organization impacts the lives of more than 55,000 children and adults through programming and performance. www.danceworksmke.org

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.