[NEohioPAL] Berko review: VERB BALLETS @ Cain Park

Roy Berko royberko at gmail.com
Mon Aug 5 14:03:36 PDT 2013


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Verb Ballets presents uneven evening of dance; dance previews*

Roy Berko
(Member, Dance Critics Association)

Verb Ballets’ SUMMER SERIES, recently danced on the stage of the Evans
Amphitheatre at Cain Park, was a mélange of dance styles.  Salsa,
traditional ballet, and contemporary dance forms were features of the
evening.

MOZEL TOV MI AMIGOS, choreographed by Hollywood’s Daryl Gray, opened the
program.  Supposedly intertwining the influences of Jewish and South
American cultures, it featured the music of Larry Harlow, known for fusing
jazz and Puerto Rican salsa.  It was billed as an exploration of sounds
that evolved from the Jews who fled the expulsions of Spain and Portugal to
the New World.

The concept appears to be a take-off on “Mazeltov, Mi Amigos,” which was a
strong 1960s movement by a group of young Latinos, mainly Ray Barreto and
Charlie Palmieri,  which combined traditional Yiddish and Hebrew music with
a Latin infusion.  It fell out of favor, but has recently had a rebirth in
the Jewish-Hispanic areas in Florida.

The Gray-Harlow dance version was missing the Jewish influence both in
dance style and musical sound.

The dancers, especially the male members, showed little understanding of
the language of the Salsa dance form.   Salsa dancers move with an 8-count
rhythm, shifting weight while keeping the upper body level which causes the
hips to gyrate, while incorporating distinct arm and shoulder movements in
time to fast, heavily accented music.   Many of these dancers tended to
sway and move their arms in flowing balletic motions, rather than quick
snap of Salsa.

The circle formations, which may have been Gray’s attempt to duplicate the
Hora, were generally ragged, with unequal spacing between the dancers and
lacked the footwork that would have separated it from the Salsa moves.
Even if well executed, the Hora is Israeli and Eastern European, not
Hispanic Jewish.

Harlow’s music, though well conceived in the Latin beat, was missing the
cantorial and Sephardic Jewish sounds.

The overall effect was more “oy vey” (“woe, is me”) than Mazeltov
(“congratulations”).

ANDANTE SOSTENUTO was an excellent Heinz Poll classic ballet.  Brian
Murphy, the strongest male dancer in the company, has strong balletic
skills.  Having danced with Poll’s Ohio Ballet, he is familiar with the
nuances that makes Poll’s choreography compelling and uniquely his.

Murphy exquisitely partnered Stephanie Krise, who showcased excellent
point-work and body control.  Danced to Mendelssohn’s “Second Movement
Piano Concerto #2, in D minor,” the lush sounds of the music were accented
by the dancers smooth movements.

DARK MATTER, a contemporary piece choreographed by Tommie-Waheed Evans, was
danced to the sounds of Greg Smith, as designed by Jordan Shannon.

The dynamic athletic choreography mirrored the atonal sounds.  Movement
patterns were often complicated, and seemed beyond the abilities of some of
the male dancers, who had difficulty forming parallel lines and co-ordinate
moving both hands and bodies as a unit.  Though overly long, the overall
effect of the controlled chaotic piece overshadowed some of the dancers’
weaknesses.

Trad Burns’ lighting highlighted the movement and sound textures.   Leslie
Miller’s featured dancing was extremely well executed.

PASSING, by Cleveland dancer and choreographer Antonio Brown, was a
contemporary dance piece combining modern, classical, gymnastic, and jazz
styles of movement.

The movements were nicely lit by Trad Burns who painted rectangular spots
of light on the floor into which the dancers moved in and out with creative
results.

Brown is maturing as a choreographer as can be noted by his increased use
of a variety of movements and texturing of action, though he still has too
much walking, almost like he can’t figure out to do with the dancers
between their action segments.

Verb has a consistently excellent women’s corps.  It needs to reexamine its
stable of male dancers.  Besides Brian Murphy, who is reaching the upper
age level of dancers, the males are generally not consistent and often show
performance weaknesses.

*Capsule judgement:  Verb Ballets’ SUMMER SERIES was, with the exception of
the opening number, a pleasant, if not compelling evening of dance.*

Dance previews:

GROUNDWORKS DANCE, presents Cain Park Summer Series, August 16, 17 @ 7
p.m., August 18 @ 2 p.m., Alma Theatre.  Program includes a world premiere
of an Amy Miller piece, and “My Hummingbird on the High Line,” a
commissioned work by Doug Elkins and “Before with After” by Artistic
Director David Shimotakahara. (http://www.groundworksdance.org)

VERB BALLETS, September 28, 2013, “Highlights from the summer repertory and
previews of works by Verb Dancers, Akron Civic Theatre; October 11-12, @ 7
p.m. World Premiere, SOLDIER’S PROJECT FRESH INVENTIONS @ Dobama Theatre
@8.  (http://www.verballets.org)

DANCE CLEVELAND, presents BALLET X on October 5 @ E. J. Thomas Hall,
University of Akron @ 8 p.m.  “Ballet X .  . . captures the push and pull
of relationships in sweeping partnered phrases.”  (
http://www.dancecleveland.org)

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