Onnoleigh Sweetmanbrings a theatrical venture to Reno as unique as her name.
In January 2002, she founded Millennium Performing Arts, a theatrical dance company that's the ultimate labor of love. They dance to the housebeat and use a lot of special effects. But Sweetman, 25, refuses to label herself.
"I wouldn't call myself a raver because of what the public thinks a raver is," she says.
But rather than scorn misconceptions of the underground club lifestyle, her company works to bring the artistic aspects to the forefront, transforming the 100-seat Burke Theater into a typical club scene.
This begs the question: are there rave clubs in Reno?
"Yes and no. There's not much of a scene here," she says. "There's sort of an after hour scene but that's at 3 a.m. What I'm trying to do now is get this music played at a time other than 2 a.m."
After all, she has to work a day job, too. She spends her days working inside sales. For as much as she loves to dance, her company is a labor of love. She's working to make it non-profit, but so far, it's been possible through her own hard work and financial contribution.
Their most recent production, "Club Lust," follows the lives of three young women in the rave scene. One is an experienced clubber; another is at her first rave; the third is a sexual powerhouse of energy who uses dance to express herself.
She based the production on Lords of Acid, the first rave band she heard in 1999.
"I was only $1,500 dollars in debt after this show," she says. "And that's an improvement. Usually I owe about $3,000 after a production."
The Journey to Reno
Named after an Indian princess from the river near where she was born in upstate New York, Sweetman describes her parents as very hippy.
From Rochester New York, she left home to go acting school at the Las Vegas Academy. Her training was in classical dance on and off since she was 3 years old.
"I thought I'd be doing movies," she said.
After she graduated high school, she moved to Scottsdale, Ariz.
"That's where I found the rave," she says.
She danced and did theater all of her life, but left it for a while. A few years ago, she found herself back in Vegas and met her boyfriend one night out.
"I moved to Reno in October of 2001. I met boyfriend and it was love at first sight. I moved up to Reno after two days," she said.
And he's helped out Millennium, designing its sets and welding poles for the shows.
Sweetman encourages the community to become involved with Millennium Performing Arts.
"I have auditions three to four times per year for shows and you can also audition for the company at the same time," she said.
She uses between 10 and 23 people in each cast and they do two big shows per season. They also do between five and eight smaller projects around town, including fashion shows, which Sweetman choreographs and local fairs.
And they don't just necessarily use dancers. They've used a live opera singer to accompany the music. DJ Johnno has been spinning with them since their first show. She works with him and mixes much of the music for the productions.
"To me, the music is very spiritual," she said.
Rave is a broad term, which Sweetman says is "definitely not hip hop" but encompasses so many different genres of technical music, including: acid jazz, psychedelic trans, progressive.
They use their own home-grown Poi, using dog chains and loops, glow in the dark balls instead of fire. One of the dancers is a Pointe ballerina that's working with poi.
Fun for everyone?
"We get all sorts of ages as our shows," Sweetman says."We were able to take it out of that box." The shows start at 8 p.m., which helps bring in a crowd who spends the early morning hours in bed.
The audience gets the chance to get in on the act during the one-hour dance party held after each show. But getting started wasn't so easy.
"It was tough and Reno's kind of a small town. Other dance companies weren't as receptive to ourconcept (initially), but the audience loves us and that's who matters us the most.... It's amazing. People say they've never seen anything like this before."
But Sweetman believes in the music and the dance. Encountering pessimism didn't change her attitude. To give freestyle dancers the chance and a place to come down and to show that rave dance was just as good as other genres has vindicated her work.
"The struggle has made me a better artist," she said.
Mixing and Planning
Sweetman wants to create a rave opera. "I've got five shows in my head right now."
She plans on staying Reno, but she's open to any opportunity to help the company grow.
Although the company is young, it won second best dance company in Reno from the Reno News and Review.
And Sweetman takes pride in Millennium's unique endeavor. "We've only known of one other dance company doing this. They're out of New York City," she says. In fact, Sweetman believes in connecting with artists who share similar interest and writers her for advice.
Giving the community art that expands people's boundaries and concept of dance it very gratifying. It's the psychic rewards that satisfy Sweetman the most.
"It creates a community pride. People are proud to see this kind of art in Reno," says Sweetman, who claims the only other event nearby that celebrates this kind of alternative expression is Burning Man.
To find out more about Millennium Performing Arts email millennium@gbis.com or call
(775) 829-2111