Strangers: Producing a New Ballet in a Pandemic

Devin Hinzo is a musician and cultural producer based in Cleveland, OH. Collaborating with composer Brian Morales and choreographer Julia Bengtsson, their work, Strangers, is a ballet about immigration told through the lens of fables, folklore, and Commedia dell’arte.

Originally slated to premiere in May 2020, the pandemic pushed the trio (one in Cleveland, two in New York City) to reimagine how to present this work authentically and experientially. The ballet has been adapted from a live performance to a made-for-film production to premiering in Summer 2021.

Later in February, the trio will release a video where they discuss the process of refashioning this work for the screen and present examples of the work in progress.

This is presented with support from a Support for Artists grant from Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts Center and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.