[NEohioPAL]Berko review: VERB BALLETS and Cain Park Dance Preview

[Roy Berko]

VERB BALLETS at Fusion Fest and the summer season
dance calendar

Roy Berko

(Member, Dance Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	


Fusion Fest, the creation of Michael Bloom, Artistic
Director of the Cleveland Play House, has wrapped up. 
He indicated on closing night that financially the
event is projected to reach its hoped for receipts.  A
special tribute must be accorded to Philanthropist Roe
Green whose financial support made Fusionfest 2006
possible.

It was exciting to feel excitement in the Cleveland
Play House facility where all four of the theatres
were simultaneously in use.

According to Bloom, he was very pleased with this
project which brought together many of the area’s
theatre, dance and music performers offering new
works.  Included were Dobama, CPH, Cleveland School of
the Arts, Opera Cleveland, MOCA and Cleveland
Contemporary Dance Theater, Karamu House, Shaker
Heights High School, Cleveland Museum of Art and Verb
Ballets.  

Verb Ballets, which has quickly established itself as
one of the area’s best dance companies, presented
‘CELEBRATING CLEVELAND COMPOSERS,’ a program
consisting of four pieces, including a world premiere.
 The divesity of the program added to the evening’s
value.

‘SIX EASY PIECES,’ which the company added to its
repertoire in March of this year, was danced to the
music of Jonathan Sheffer and played by pianist
Michael Schneider.  It was a melange of moods in both
music and dance movements.  As is always the case with
Hernando Cortez’s choreography, the dancing perfectly
fit the music.  The energy,  lifts, carries,
intertwining and partnering were all on target. 
Highlights included “Tango” which featured Kallie
Marie Bokal and Mark Tomasic and “Prelude After
Chopin” featuring Catherine Meredith and Anna Roberts.

‘BACKLASH,’ with music by Eric Ziolek, featured
Saxophonist John Perrine and Percussionist Benjamin
Winters.  The tone for the number, which featured
contemporary mylar sets and costumes, was laid by
Perrine who meandered down the theatre’s aisle playing
the jazzy music on his sax.  Displaying signature
Cortez concepts of excellent body control, strong arm
reaches, slanting bodies and clear moves, the piece
was aesthetically dynamic.  Jordan Katz and Studio
Sangha and Gina Dudik’s costumes and Trad Burns’
lights all perfectly melded together.

‘SHADOW OF NES-MIN’ is based on The Book Of The Dead,
a collection of prayers and spells believed to provide
aid for the spirit of the deceased.  In this world
premiere, the women were garbed in flowing yellow
gowns, while the bare-chested men wore black leotards.
 The choreography consisted of slow-paced stylistic
moves and freezes.  There were no traditional dance
lifts or partnering.  The flow of human bodies which
formed varying patterns was often mesmerizing.  

The evening ended with the dynamic ‘PLANET SOUP,’
Cortez’s tribute to ethnic globalization featuring
folk and vernacular dances ranging from Indian
traditional to African ritual to Irish reels.  Cortez
terms the work “cross-cultural fusion.”  It displayed
the virtuosity of the company as they mixed styles of
dance.  The highlight was the Filipino pole dance with
clapping poles featuring the dynamic Jason Ignacio.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  Verbs Ballets continues to develop
a strong following of loyal patrons as it grows and
grows in developing its own repertoire of dances while
stressing creativity and consistency.

Verb Ballets will appear next at Cain Park on July 21.
  The program will feature Heinz Poll’s ‘BOLERO,’ Paul
Taylor’s ‘AIRS,’ Cortez’s ‘BANG’ and a repeat of ‘SIX
EASY PIECES.’  According to Cortez, the newly composed
company of dancers will be on display at the Cain Park
performance.

Other dance programs to be presented by Cain Park this
summer are:  

David Shimotakahara’s exciting GROUNDWORKS
DANCETHEATER on June 30, July 1 and 2.

Bill Wade’s creative INLET DANCE THEATRE in a free
concert on July 26.

Artistic Director Julie Nakagawa Botcher’s HUBBARD
STREET 2 in a Kidzart free afternoon performance on
July 26.

Karen Gabay and Raymond Rodriguez, who were feature
dancers with the now defunct Cleveland Ballet, return
“home” for an evening ranging from classical ballet to
tap, modern to theatrical jazz dancing on August 3.

For information and tickets to all Cain Park
presentations call 216-371-3000 (as of June 3) or
ticketmaster 216-241-5555 or go on tine to
www.Ticketmaster.com.


Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.

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