Tag Archives: Pones Inc.

February 9, 2026 · 6:25 pm

Pones Presents: EUNOIA – Celebrating Joy and Creativity in Cincinnati’s Dance Community

Casey Miller Photography.

An Evening-Length Performance and Fundraiser at the CAC Black Box Theatre

Pones returns with the highly anticipated second year of Eunoia, an evening-length mixed bill performance designed to foster community, celebrate artistic innovation, and support our ongoing mission. Following the Pones tradition of dynamic, socially conscious productions, Eunoia puts the focus on joy as a powerful form of advocacy – as an act of protest – demonstrating that social justice can take the shape of resilience and celebration amid adversity.

We are thrilled to be partnering with the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) for this project. Performances will take place in CAC’s Black Box Lab, a space dedicated to making the arts accessible and inviting everyone to engage and grow together. Thanks to the support of The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation, CAC’s Black Box Theatre provides the perfect stage for community-driven performances and creative collaborations. Join us for an unforgettable experience where dance sparks connection and empowerment— as we believe at Pones, movement is a vehicle for social change and collective celebration. 

Eunoia will feature 14 brand-new works from 16 choreographers, spanning genres from contemporary to pole, and color guard to acro yoga. This vibrant showcase gathers the Pones collective alongside local partners, highlighting how creativity flourishes when diverse voices come together to uplift and inspire one another.

In addition to the performances, attendees will enjoy live music by Siri Imani, a photo booth hosted by Casey Miller Photography, a selection of auction items, snacks from Smidge of the South, and a full bar with drinks available for purchase. The evening is not only a celebration of creativity, but also a fundraiser supporting the Pones mission to expand access to the arts, nurture emerging talent, and create lasting partnerships that strengthen the cultural fabric of our region.

Community attendance and participation helps ensure that dance continues to serve as a platform for dialogue, inclusion, and meaningful community engagement well beyond this event.

Event Details

Dates & Times:

  • Saturday, March 7 at 7:00 PM
  • Sunday, March 8 at 2:00 PM

Location: CAC Black Box Theatre, 44 E 6th St, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Tickets: Community Support & Access pricing, from $0 to $50+ https://Eunoia2026.eventbrite.com

Pones encourages all attendees to consider making an additional donation at the event to further support their work in the community. For more information or to request images and quotes, please contact Pones or visit https://pones.org/. Mark your calendars, join the movement, and experience the transformative power of Eunoia. 

About Pones
Pones provides artistic opportunities for community growth by creating engaging new ways for audiences to experience dance. Founded in 2008, Pones has collaborated with over 400 artists, 180 service and arts organizations, and 170 education partners. The collective’s accessible and participatory performances have been seen in over 90 Greater Cincinnati locations, as well as Indianapolis and Chicago. Ongoing programs are available year round for artists and art groups, schools, and businesses.

Pones performers use their bodies to speak their minds. The collective uses its signature pedestrian-inspired movement to spark collaboration, connection, and community.

Pones believes that art creates powerful change.

Learn more at https://pones.org/

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April 24, 2025 · 5:37 pm

Pones and Partners Share Rural Queer Stories Through Film and Dance

(Cincinnati, OH) In a powerful new project, Pones is amplifying voices often overlooked by mainstream narratives with the debut of Somewhere Over the Holler—a unique celebration of rural queer identities through an innovative fusion of film, dance, music, drag, burlesque, and movement. This immersive experience seeks to preserve, honor, and elevate the stories of those who identify as both Appalachian and LGBTQIA+, giving voice to a community too often marginalized.

As the culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) faces increasing challenges, Pones proudly stands alongside those whose identities cannot and should not be hidden. Rural communities often lack resources and can be isolating for queer individuals. Additionally, there is rarely an archive to preserve rural queer stories, causing them to be dismissed and lost. Somewhere Over the Holler is a bold statement of resilience and authenticity in a time when isolation and erasure threaten the most vulnerable among us.

Hattie Clark, a Pones company dancer and teacher, says, “queer joy and expression are beautiful elements of life that should be preserved, especially from rural and Appalachian cultures which often are and/or feel forgotten about.” Somewhere Over the Holler is inspired by the lived experiences of Hattie and others from and surrounding their hometown of Lebanon, Kentucky. This piece was supported by the ArtsWave Pride Grant, a funding initiative that aims to foster inclusion, visibility, and creative expression within the LGBTQ+ community while enriching the cultural landscape of the Greater Cincinnati area.

Through this dynamic production, Pones will transcend geographic and identity binaries by showcasing the complex intersection of rural Appalachian life and queer existence. The performance invites audiences into an emotionally charged narrative that blends dance, music, and visual storytelling with a deep focus on the power of community, empathy, and understanding.

The performance is also a call to action—an invitation to confront societal prejudices and ask important questions about identity, place, and belonging. Pones encourages audiences to engage with the diverse stories of rural queer life and act on the urgent need for unwavering advocacy and appreciation in an increasingly divided world.

Pones has been part of Cincy Fringe since 2009, holding multiple Critic’s Pick and Producer’s Pick awards throughout the years.

To enjoy and celebrate SOMEWHERE OVER THE HOLLER, come to Gabriel’s Corner (1425 Sycamore St, Cincinnati, OH 45202) on the following days:

  • Saturday, May 31st at 7:00pm
  • Sunday, June 1st at 2:30pm
  • Wednesday, June 4th at 8:45pm
  • Thursday , June 5th at 8:45pm
  • Thursday, June 12th at 7:00pm

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May 17, 2023 · 5:55 am

Pones and Partners Introduce Dance-Infused Performance Highlighting Aging Community Members’ Diverse Stories

CFF23_Keeping Our Torch(Cincinnati, OH) Pones brings back its trademark collaborative style for their fourteenth Cincinnati Fringe Festival performance entitled, “Keeping our Torch.” This piece tells the diverse stories of the aging community through movement, music and multimedia. Inspired by real life stories from community elders on the formative milestones of their lives, the knowledge they’ve gained and would like to share, and their hopes for intergenerational joy; this offering honors the experience of lives lived fully and how younger generations can learn from our elders.

Inspired by the Gloria Steinem quote, “At my age, in this still hierarchical time, people often ask me if I’m “passing the torch.” I explain that I’m keeping my torch, thank you very much—and I’m using it to light the torches of others.” This piece was supported by the MAP Fund, a national organization that invests in performing artists and their work as the critical foundation of imagining and co-creating a more equitable and vibrant society.

The process of creating “Keeping Our Torch” was an engaging ethnography-based process, in which stories were collected by Pones artists, who interviewed over 20 older community-members, and passed their stories along to additional artists to interpret into vignettes on creative aging. Culminating in a multidisciplinary arts experience, this performance highlights the varied experiences of our region’s aging communities and celebrates the wisdom of older generations.

Pones has been growing offerings for seniors through regular programming and partnerships with Twin Towers, Episcopal Retirement Services, Creative Aging, Carmel Manor, and other local retirement communities and living centers. People often ask “isn’t this work sad or challenging” and the answer is quite the opposite. Often these sessions leave Pones teachers feeling recharged and with a reinvigorated sense of what is truly important in life. We hear stories of isolation, of invisibility, and/or regret, but also of celebration, reflection, and gratitude.

Pones has been part of Cincy Fringe since 2009, holding multiple Critic’s Pick and Producer’s Pick awards throughout the years. To enjoy this engaging art experience, come to Gabriel’s Corner on the following dates: 6/7 and 6/10 at 7pm, 6/11 at 2:30pm, 6/13 at 8:45pm, and 6/16 at 7pm

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