[NEohioPAL] Berko review: VERBS BALLETS (NATURE MOVES 3) 10/28

[Roy Berko]

Verb Ballets enters new era with a revised company

Roy Berko

(Member, Dance Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

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

--COOLCLEVELAND.COM--

Verb Ballets’ recent ‘NATURE MOVES 3,’ a two-night
program at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History,
marked a new era in the company’s development.  Gone
were Mark Tomasic, the company’s premiere male dancer,
who has retired, and  Jason Ignacio, the diminutive
Filipino dynamo who lights up a stage when he appears
in solo performance, who has moved to New York. 

The loss of Tomasic is a major hit.  Much of Artistic
Director Hernando Cortez’s choreography centered on
the handsome, muscular Tomasic as the fulcrum, around
which the other dancers moved.   Cortez will have to
reconstitute that choreography as none of the males in
the “new” company has Tomasic’s dominant presence. 
Some of the slack will be assumed by Brian Murphy, a
strong dancer in his own right, but it’s like the
Cleveland Indians minus Grady Sizemore or Victor
Martinez.

Jason Ignacio, because of his size, often looked out
of place in a line with the taller male dancers, but
in specialty numbers he was terrific.  His brother,
Sydney, who joined the company last year, does not
have the stage presence or the developed skills to
make up for Jason’s loss.

Joining the company are former Verb dancers Robert and
Brooke Wesner.   Robert, who shines as a solo dancer,
has shown in the past that he often looks out of place
in corps lines as he fails to pull back and blend in. 
He does add a new dimension to the company as he is a
competent choreographer.

Brooke Wesner, a tall, statuesque blond, is a strong
and competent performer who adds yet another cog to
the company’s already competent female dance ensemble.

The ‘NATURE MOVES 3’ program, which found the company
for the third consecutive year at the Natural History
Museum, featured two world premieres, a preview
performance, and a company premiere. 

‘SLAPPING STONES,’ choreographed by William Anthony to
music by Tom Waits, centered on the theme, “We never
learn to use what we know deep down.”  Consisting of
flowing contemporary moves, the world premiere was
well danced.  Though not overly distinctive, it held
the audience’s attention and showcased the entire
company.  Suzy Campbell’s costumes and Trad Burns
lighting enhanced the offering.  

The late Heinz Poll, the founder of Ohio Ballet, was
an exceptional choreographer.  Upon his death he left
the rights to his creative works to those with whom he
was associated.  ‘DUET’ is the property of Richard
Dickinson.  He gave permission to Verb to add the
dance to its repertoire.  A traditional classical
selection, the duo of Danielle Brickman and Brian
Murphy were glorious.  Brickman exhibited strong
certainty on point as she moved easily and held
prolonged toe positions.  Murphy was confident in his
partnering and displayed command of the balletic
moves.  The smiling duo flowed to the beautiful music
by Johann Sebastian Bach which was well performed by
pianist David Fisher and cellist Greg Fiocca.

Robert Wesner was commissioned by the Buffalo Symphony
to choreograph a piece which will be performed on
October 20 in Buffalo.  Being presented as a
“preview,” ’TICO TICO,’ a tango infused dance, was the
third offering in the Nature Moves program.  Well
conceived by Brooke and Robert Wesner, who displayed
strong partnering skills, the performance, which
resembled a segment of TV’s “Dancing With the Stars,”
received prolonged applause.

‘SONGS,’ choreographed by Hernando Cortez to “Songs of
a Wayfarer,” by Gustav Mahler was another world
premiere.  The selection is the fifteenth original
dance developed by Cortez since his joining Verb.  A 
strong solo by Brian Murphy was the performance’s
highlight.  Another solo by Sydney Ignacio was full of
fluidity and flair, but the dancer displayed a lack of
concentration and polish.   Filled with flowing
movements and dramatic facial expressions and much
reaching to heaven, the segment was competently
danced, but not overly compelling.

CAPSULE JUDGMENT:  Verb Ballets has a challenge ahead.
 Can it maintain its reputation with the loss of Mark
Tomasic?  From what was showcased at its recent
‘NATURE MOVES 3,’ as presently constituted, Verb is a
very competent, but not a compelling or exciting
presence.  Let’s hope that they will meet the
challenge and continue to be one of the premiere
company’s in the region.


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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