[NEohioPAL] Berko review: VERB BALLETS FALL PROGRAM

Roy Berko royberko at yahoo.com
Tue Oct 5 12:58:24 PDT 2010


Verb Ballets presents an evening of premieres at The Breen Center

Roy Berko

(Member, Dance Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

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

--coocleveland.com-

Verb Ballets' Fall program, which was recently presented at the Breen Center, 
was an evening of premiers which were generally well danced and varied in visual 
illusions.

CLEVELAND FLATS SUITE, a sixteen-minute piece choreographed by Diane Gray, with 
music by Richard Rinehart, was a dual presentation.  The dancers moved on stage, 
while a multi-media program, with graphics by Jay Horowitz, unreeled on the back 
wall.  Both elements were effective on their own, but the combination was often 
distracting.  It was hard to watch the dancers move in front of the visuals and 
pay attention to both.  One often swallowed up the other.

The graphics flow took the viewer on a tour down the Cuyahoga River, under the 
many bridges, with shots of the various buildings, both those in use and those 
abandoned.  

The dancers, whose moves generally fit the music, were well lighted by Trad 
Burns, but the lighting effects often worked in counter to the graphics.  The 
corps movements were well executed.

REFLECTIONS, conceived by Artist-in-Residence Terence Greene, and danced by 
Greene and guest artist Michael Medcalf, portrayed an emotional male duet to a 
tender love song.  Sensual energy permeated the powerfully danced number.  This 
was the emotional highlight of the evening.  It also showed what happens when 
strong male dancers control the stage.  Too bad this duo are not regular members 
of the Verb company.

It's the month of Halloween and what author of the macabre better fits the 
season than Edgar Allan Poe.  THE MYTH AND THE MADNESS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE is a 
tribute to the tortured life and mind who gave the world such writings as THE 
PIT AND THE PENDULUM, Cask Of The Amontillado, HOUSE OF USHER, and THE RAVEN,

The musical selections did not consistently carry the tension and psychological 
turmoil needed to truly create the confused horror pulsing through Poe's head.  
This was a man surrounded by death and impending doom.  His alcoholism, deep 
depression and his haunting ghosts were physically present in the dance, but not 
emotionally stirred by the music., which was generally anything but haunting.  
In spite of this, Brian Murphy, with intense flashing eyes and strong physical 
moves, proficiently danced the role of Poe.  Stephanie Krise as the Principal 
Raven, moved smoothly on point to interject torture into the writer's life.  The 
hovering ravens were a constant reminder of “Nevermore.”  
 
Capsule judgement:  Verb Ballets' fall program was an interesting blend of dance 
messages and choreographic styles.  It made a appealing evening, highlighted by 
REFLECTIONS and the dynamic performances of Terence Greene and Michael Medcalf.

VERB BALLETS next program will be in February at the Breen Center.  The program 
will present a premiere of a multimedia piece by choreographer Alwin Nikolas and 
a world premiere of a new dance from Artist-in-Residence Terence Greene.  For 
details see www.cptonline.org  
Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 
2010, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at 
http://royberko.info
His reviews can also be found on www.coolcleveland.com and NeOHIOpal (to 
subscribe visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.)



      



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