Janera Solomon's interests and personality lean toward the edgier side of theatrical performance.

"But I knew I couldn't program only that," the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater's executive director says. "I found a diverse group of people here in the East End, people who enjoy both the traditional and the riskier side of the performing arts. I wanted our programming to be relevant to that mix of people."

Now heading into her third season at the Kelly-Strayhorn, Ms. Solomon's approach has had surprising appeal. Audiences are growing, even for more experimental productions such as Austria's Cie. Willi Dorner and the newMoves Contemporary Dance Festival. Audiences for those performances last year tended to be savvy and experienced. But the question-and-answer sessions afterward revealed some new patrons who wanted to learn more.

This season contains an even broader mixture of attractions, from Srishti Dances of India and Halloween Mayhem to the My People film series and a Gene Kelly Birthday bash.

Ms. Solomon calls it "relationship-based programming," because all of the events, even from the more experimental groups, will have an opportunity to connect with the community through outreach, workshops and panels surrounding their performances.

Dance will play a large part in the upcoming season, beginning with the return of formerly Pittsburgh-based Sreyashi Dey and her company, Srishti Dances of India, on Sept. 18. Ms. Dey will be collaborating with photographer Charlee Brodsky, professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and Michigan poet Zilka Joseph, a native of Bombay.

Sidra Bell Dance New York will premiere a work conceived during the company's residency at the Kelly-Strayhorn last season.

"I like the idea of supporting artists over a period of time, through three or four works," says Ms. Solomon. "It's nice for the artists to know that they have a presenter behind them as they take risks." She plans to continue that strategy with a new artist in the weeklong Next Stage Dance Residency in January.

Philadelphia-based Nichole Canuso Dance stood out in last season's newMoves festival and will subsequently present the Pittsburgh premiere of "TAKES" this season. It's a large-scale collaboration, involving a filmmaker and sound designer, with a vision that resonates with Ms. Solomon.

The Kelly-Strayhorn executive director also installed two resident companies, Staycee Pearl dance project and Alumni Theater Company, to provide an ongoing artistic imprint. In order to broaden that imprint, the Kelly-Strayhorn will initiate artSEEDS, a new student matinee series designed to educate school-age children about experimental work like that of Ms. Bell and Ms. Pearl.

"A lot of people spend money to acquaint students to traditional art forms like the opera, the ballet and the symphony," Ms. Solomon observes. "They should also be exposed to avant-garde performances that are being made right now."

She wants to bridge the generation gap with FAMILYtime, a series that will include Halloween Mayhem, the KST Holiday Bazaar and East Liberty Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., noting that "I want to have that programming that young children, teenagers, parents and grandparents can all enjoy."

With the theater building up for renovation in the near future, Ms. Solomon was inspired to go Artfully Green, with a series of workshops that will integrate concepts of green practices such as reuse and recycling in their projects. Under her direction, the Kelly-Strayhorn will continue to spread its artistic wings with My People, a three-part film series focusing on gay and lesbian people of color, the SUNSTAR Women in Music Festival in March, Soulscapes, with spoken word and music at the Shadow Lounge, plus a full lineup of summertime attractions celebrating East Liberty, including the Full Bloom dance party and culminating with the annual Gene Kelly Birthday Party in August.

As the East End is experiencing a growth spurt due to the opening of the upscale Bakery Square and its primary tenant, Google, Ms. Solomon feels the Kelly-Strayhorn will be more important than ever.

"I hope that these developments will bring a new enthusiasm and significant attention for a great part of the city," she says. "The East End is a winning combination that capitalizes on the diversity of its residents and the natural beauty of its parks."

First Published: August 16, 2010, 8:00 a.m.