[NEohioPAL]Berko review: VERB BALLETS (Cain Park)

[Roy Berko]

Verb Ballets says goodbye to its premiere male dancer,
Mark Tomasic

Roy Berko

(Member, Dance Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	

--COOL CLEVELAND--

Verb Ballets, in its recent Cain Park concert, again
proved why it is heralded as Cleveland’s National
Repertory Dance Company.   Presenting a program
consisting of three company favorites and a world
premiere, the corps generally danced with their usual
proficiency.  Everything was basically positive except
for an awareness that this was the last paid concert
appearance of Mark Tomasic, the company’s premiere
male dancer.

Tomasic will retire and move to San Francisco shortly
after Verb’s free concerts at  Lincoln Park in Tremont
(see information below).  His presence will be greatly
missed since much of Verb’s repertoire centers around
his strong dancing.  The company now has the
unenviable task of trying to replace Tomasic.

The Tremont program, which will include most of the
Cain Park offerings include: 
‘PLANET SOUP,’ ‘BOLERO,’ and ‘POLKA MADNESS.’

‘PLANET SOUP’ is a flowing, joyous, fast paced piece
which is performed to the music of Afro Celt Sound
System and Dead Can Dance.  It contains a number of
movement styles including Indian traditional, Irish
reels and African rituals.   Artistic Director
Hernando Cortez has choreographed the dance to
parallel to the ever-changing music.   The high point
of the program was the segment in which Jason Ignacio
did fast paced tinkling, which is an authentic
Filipino folk dance in which Ignacio steps between
clapping poles.  

When Heinz Poll decided to retire from Ohio Ballet, he
gave rights to many of his choreographic portfolio to
various organizations and dancers.  ‘BOLERO,’ one of
his most exciting pieces, was given to Xochitl Tejeda
de Cerda.  Many of those who hold the rights to the
pieces grant permission to perform the choreography to
various companies.  The rights to ‘BOLERO’ have been
granted to Verb Ballets.  Their production, with
restaging by Amy Miller of Groundworks Dance, is a
sensual work, consisting of controlled movements,
precise turns and flowing hand and arm actions.  In
one segment, using red capes, the dancers used the
material to create a visual image much like a Chinese
ribbon dance.  The movement of the flowing material
created an almost hypnotic effect.  The conclusion of
the piece was met with hushed silence and then a well
deserved tremendous burst of applause.

‘WINGS AND AIRES,’ a duet also choreographed by Heinz
Poll, and restaged by Jane Startzman, was presented by
permission of Paul Ghiselin.  A lovely flowing
traditional ballet with modern movements, the number
was beautifully danced by Catherine Meredith and Mark
Tomasic.  

Cleveland is known as the polka capital of America. 
Cortez choreographed a piece of dance to the live
strains of the Johnny Koenig Orchestra based on music
written by polka king Frankie Yankovic.  The number,
which may be forever identified as a “polka ballet,”
was more of a nice diversion than a memorable dance. 
In spite of the fact that the dancing was not as
polished as the usual Verb presentations, both the
dancers and the audience seemed to have a good time.  

Future Verb performances include: 
 
Friday and Saturday, August 24 and 25, at 8 pm,
Lincoln Park in Tremont, at Starkweather and West 14th
St.  (Rain date Sunday, August 26).

Saturday, October 13th, “Hoofing for Verb,
”Thistledown Racetrack, 1 pm to 5 pm.

For information contact 216-397-3757. 



Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2002 through 2007, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info
      
Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly 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.  His reviews also appear on www.coolcleveland.com


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