[NEohioPAL] Verb Ballets at the Medina Performing Arts Center

[VICKI CALVIN]

Verb Ballets
Dances Tell Our Stories
Saturday, February 11, 2012    7 p.m.

One of the wonderful things about dance is that it can be a different way to tell a story.  There is exhilaration in seeing a group of dancers move in sync, connecting through their bodies.  Theme and variation come alive in a leap, a hand gesture, a facial expression.  And, as human beings, we love to pass stories to the next person; we deal in fiction and true-life tales every day.  Verb Ballets, Northeast Ohio’s contemporary dance company, continues its season-long theme of “Dances Tell Our Stories,” on February 11, 2012, at 7 pm with five exhilarating works that tell tales in the their debut on the Medina Performing Arts Center Main Stage, 851 Weymouth Road in Medina.  Join Verb as the company weaves together the amazing journeys of heroes, tribes, rebels, choreographers, and dancers.

Medina Performing Arts Center, Verb’s Board of Trustees, Director Dr. Margaret Carlson, dancers and staff are pleased to present the work of Alwin Nikolais, Heinz Poll, and Christopher Fleming.  The Plain Dealer has called the company’s work “vibrant…. bold…. poetic…. bursts of passion.”  Dance Magazine, in 2008, named Verb one of 5 “Great Tiny Troupes” in America.

The repertory will include the following:

Janis and Joe (1999) 2011 – 2012 Season Company Premiere.  Choreographed by Christopher Fleming, this contemporary piece rocks out to the classic tunes of Janis Joplin and Joe Cocker.  Featured in the piece are “Mercedes Benz” and “Help From My Friends,” among others.

Bolero (1996) Revival.  Ohio Ballet Founder Heinz Poll’s dramatic ballet is set to the legendary Maurice Ravel score.  “Bolero” blends Indian and modern dance styles in a propulsive, driving and intensely rigorous mix.  This Verb Ballets production was staged by former Ohio Ballet dancer, Amy Miller, with the permission of Xochitl Tejeda de Cerda.

Duet.  Revival.  Poll choreographed this dance in the neoclassical style of George Balanchine, regarded as the foremost contemporary choreographer in ballet.  Poll’s use of J.S. Bach’s “Adagio” from his Organ Toccata in C, arranged for cello and piano by former Ohio Ballet Music Director David Fisher, showcases Poll’s musical mastery

Eight By Benny Goodman (excerpts).  Revival.  Another treat from choreographer Heinz Poll, Verb performs selections of the dance that feature the legendary King of Swing’s songs.  Eight… was an Ohio Ballet audience favorite.

Noumenon Mobilus (1953) 2010 – 2011 Season Company Premiere.  Choreographer Alwin Nikolais is not only a modern dance legend but also a multi-talented performance artist, whose works, at the time of their creation throughout the 20th century, seemed futuristic.  Danced today by companies all over the world, these works remain up-to-the-minute.   “Noumenon Mobilus,” is a multimedia piece that illustrates his contribution to contemporary dance and stagecraft.  Alberto Del Saz, from the Nikolais Louis Foundation for Dance, staged the piece.  “His work remains essential.” –The Star-Ledger. “The 1953 piece is a captivating example of the late Nikolais’ innovative, multi-media approach to dance,” Donald Rosenberg, dance writer for The Plain Dealer, recently said about the piece.  Nikolais was renowned for his singularity of vision, having choreographed, composed the music, and designed the visual elements of many of his dances.

Tickets are $10 each or $8 for groups of 10 or more and may be purchased by calling the Performing Arts Center box office at (330) 636-3400. Tickets may also be purchased at the door.

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