[NEohioPAL] Berko review: VERB BALLETs @ Cain Park

[Roy Berko]

ROCKIN’ SUMMER:  Verb Ballets at Cain Park
 
Roy Berko
 
(Member, Dance Critics Association)
 
--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
 
Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News Times--Olmsted-Fairview 
Times            

 
--coocleveland.com—
 
It was a hot night in the open-air Cain Park Evans theatre.  On stage was Verb 
Ballets performing a program with a world premiere by a former Cleveland School 
of the Arts dancer/choreographer and a duo of company premiers.
 
CONTIUUM, choreographed by Antonio Brown, with a Remix of music by Brown, 
featured mood setting lighting by Trad Burns.  

 
The piece, whose movements well fit the changing moods of the sounds, was the 
highlight of the evening.  Filled with energetic movements, the dancers 
performed with confidence and discipline.  The creation was a moving collage of 
weaving bodies, aerobic dynamics, flowing arms, contrasting forms and visual 
energy.  

 
Brown not only created a strong piece, but obviously found a way to work with 
the company’s many new, as well as the experienced dancers.  Bravo Antonio, we 
want to see more of your work!
 
SONG WITHOUT WORDS is choreographer Heinz poll’s tribute to those lost in the 
Holocaust.  It was performed to the live playing of pianist David Fisher, who 
performed for years with the Ohio Ballet under Poll.  Fisher created the music’s 
arrangement.
 
The story ballet, was enhanced by dark mood lighting, highlighted by the 
darkening skies which could be seen over the black backdrop in front of a line 
of the park’s shimmering trees.  

 
Poll’s purposeful choreography showed the strife of those who became victims of 
the Nazis.  Poll based the story on the poem Butterfly by Czech poet, Pavel 
Friedman who spent much of the war in Thereisenstadt where the poem was found 
after the war.  He died after being transferred to Aushwitz.  The poem ends with 
the poignant line, “That butterfly was the last one.  Butterflies don't live in 
here, in the ghetto.”
 
Though there was a lack of cohesion in several parts, an excellent duet by Brian 
Murphy and Stephanie Krise, some strong dancing by Rebecca Nicklos and Kara 
Madden, a nice trio by Katie Gnagy, Jason Wang and Danielle Brickman, and an 
angst filled solo by Jarrod Sickles, were the piece’s highlights.
 
The unspecific costumes didn’t visually set the mood nor identify the people.  
If these were Jews, why no yarmulkes, tizzies or the required gold stars  of 
David? 

 
The opening number, JANIS & JOE,  a 2011-2012 company premiere, was ragged.  The 
ballet, as choreographed by Christopher Fleming, seemed under rehearsed, with 
many tenuous movements, poor corps timing, and some weak partnering.  Maybe all 
the new male dancers, and the inclusion of a group of youngsters, was just too 
much to coordinate, but, this was a disappointing underwhelming performance.
 
Capsule judgement:  Verb Ballets’ ROCKIN’ SUMMER was an uneven evening of 
dance.  The performance’s highlight was CONTINUUM, choreographed by Cleveland 
School for the Arts’ graduate Antonio Brown. 

 
 
 
 
  
Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 
2011, 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 www.NeOHIOpal