[NEohioPAL] Press Release: War Veteran and former dancer setting working on Verb Ballets

[Jennifer Garlando]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Verb Ballets
3445 Warrensville Center Rd. 
Shaker Hts, OH 44122
Dr. Margaret Carlson, Director
216.397.3757 

Verb Ballets debut at Dobama Theatre
An evening of Fresh Inventions October 11 & 12, 2013

CLEVELAND, OH (September 16, 2013) – Verb Ballets makes its debut at Dobama Theatre for a show that will provoke an examination of our contemporary world through dance withFresh Inventions on October 11 and 12, 2013 at 8pm. Fresh Inventions will premiere new works choreographed by company dancers Stephen James, Stephanie Krise, Brian Murphy and Or Sagi-Woodson. Also, featured on the program is the premiere of a new collaborative work, Warrior Project: Inspiration, between Verb Ballets and the Inspired Veterans Action Campaign (IVAC) funded by the Ohio Arts Council.

Former Akron area dancer, Christian Dollwet, a war veteran and founder of The Inspired Veteran Action Campaign, will facilitateand co-create the piece that tells the stories of five wounded warriors dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  Dollwet retired from the Air Force in 2011 after 21 years of service. Following his retirement from active duty, Dollwet returned to the service of his country and now works with the Department of the Army; deploying to Afghanistan as a contract pilot.    After seeing the first hand effects of PTSD on others, Dollwet has returned to his artistic roots and is now exploring the benefits of arts based therapy in helping others learn to cope with their PTSD. "I met Chris when he studied dance at the University of Akron. I have followed his career and learned about his organization and how art can help the healing process. Bringing Chris into the studio gives him a chance to share some of the experiences of
 soldiers through dance," said Director, Dr. Margaret Carlson.

Other highlights from the program include works by company dancers. Brian Murphy has been a dancer with the company for six year and is excited to create a new ballet inspired by classical movement.  “I enjoy dancing for Verb because they provide a range of opportunities as an artist, performer, and choreographer,” said Murphy about choreographing for Fresh Inventions.  The light hearted full company work is featuring first movement of Brandenburg Concerto No. 3.

New dancer Stephen James has choreographed, The Raven, featuring the self-titled poem by Edgar Allan Poe. The work is one of the seven sections in the new rock ballet, The Masque, in collaboration with Shadowbox Live of Columbus to premiere at The Breen Center on November 8, 2013. The Masque is a new rock ballet that connects the stories of Poe’s,The Masque of the Red Death, with new music composed by the Shadowbox Live and original choreography by the Associate Director, Richard Dickinson and dancers of Verb Ballets.

Single tickets at $25 Center Preferred or $20 Side General Admission and $10 for Students and Veterans. Tickets are available by calling the Dobama Box Office at 216-932-6838 or online at dobama.org. The Dobama Theatre is located at 2340 Lee Road Cleveland Heights, OH 44118.For more information visit www.verbballets.org. 

To arrange interviews with choreographers please email jgarlando at verbballets.orgor call 216.397.3757. Photos from Verb Ballets’ repertory available upon request.

-more-


About Verb Ballets

Verb Ballets ignites audience passion and participation in contemporary dance. Under the leadership of Director, Dr. Margaret Carlson, Verb strives to support and foster emerging talent, to present excellence in contemporary choreographers, and to revive and honor modern dance classics. The company strives to be a thought leader in cultivating dance appreciation and support through education and outreach programs. In growing audience appreciation for dance, Verb Ballets helps make northeast Ohio a national destination for the arts.

Verb Ballets’ season is made possible thanks to the generous support of: Akron Community Foundation, Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, The Cleveland Foundation, Eva L. and Joseph M. Bruening Foundation, Dominion, Findley Davies, Inc., The George Gund Foundation, The Laub Foundation, Lubrizol Foundation, The McGregor Foundation, Omnova Solution Foundation, The Ohio Arts Council and Shah Capital Management. Other sponsors include Baumgarten & Company, LLP, Cedar Hill Communications,  FITWORKS, Lyons Fulfillment Services, WCLV, and WCPN/Ideastream. Individual sponsors include Millie L. Carlson, Chuck and Sandy Abookire, Jim Farley, Jeri Chaikin & Joel Newman, Chuck & Ann Ennis, Kenneth Milder, Fred Lautzenheiser, David R. Pierce & Philip Cucchiara, Robert M. Shwab and Members of the Verb Ballets Board of Trustees.

Directors

Dr. Margaret Carlson (Director) has international expertise in performing, teaching, choreographing, and working in a variety of settings.  Dr. Carlson was an original member of the Cleveland Ballet, serving as a Principal dancer from 1972-1983.  Also a member of Actors Equity, she performed in numerous musical theatre tours throughout the 1970’s, including Sweet Charity, Ballroom, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Brigadoon, Mame, Hello Dolly! and The Merry Widow.  For many years, she choreographed for the Cleveland Opera.  Dr. Carlson served as Director of the School of Dance at the University of Akron from 1985-1993.  In 1993, she became Dean of the School of Dance at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, until she returned to Cleveland in 1999. She then served as the Development and Education Director for the Cleveland San Jose Ballet. She consulted both nationally and locally through her company, Carlson Consulting Group,
 Inc., with groups that have included The American Dance Guild, Chinese Performing Artists of America, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Ohio Ballet, Dancing Wheels, Ohio Youth Ballet, Ohio Conservatory of Dance, Tom and Susana Evert Dance Theatre, and White Cloud Studios.  Dr. Carlson founded the American Alliance of Dance Artists and served as its first President.  She has served as a Board member and officer for Kids on Broadway, DANCECleveland, the Cleveland Ballet Council, the American Dance Guild, the Council of Dance Administrators, the Hong Kong Ballet, the Hong Kong Dance Company and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund.  She served as the secretary of the International Organization for Transition for Professional Dancers, a sub-committee of UNESCO, based in Switzerland from 1998-2006, and was Treasurer and Board member of the American Dance Guild in NYC and was its vice-president for 10 years.  She is known for her work as
 the regisseur for the works of Ian (Ernie) Horvath.  She received her doctorate from Durham University in the United Kingdom.

Directors cont.
Richard Dickinson, MFA (Associate Director) A former dancer with Ohio Ballet in Akron, OH, Dickinson’s association with that company began in 1988. He later became ballet master and director of company touring. Richard has served as Artistic Associate for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. He currently is Rehearsal Director and Education and Outreach Director for Verb Ballets. He was most recently the Artistic Director of Ballet Western Reserve, in Youngstown, OH and the Artistic Director of Great Lakes Festival Ballet (Warren, OH). Dickinson has also directed Boston Ballet II and was a soloist with Boston Ballet for eight years. At age fifteen, he joined the Pasadena Dance Theatre and was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Emerging Choreographer Award for a work premiered by the same company. He performed in the PBS television production of “Frankie and Johnny” with the Chicago Ballet and danced principal roles in Asian, European and
 American tours with Rudolf Nureyev and the Boston Ballet. In addition to an extensive dance career, including principal and soloist roles with Ohio Ballet, Boston Ballet, Honolulu City Ballet, various regional companies and Chamber Dance Theatre in Milwaukee, where he was Artistic Director. Dickinson has adjudicated four Regional Dance America festivals held throughout the United States. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree in Contemporary Dance from Case Western Reserve University in 2005.


Verb Ballets Dancers
Stephen James, Stephanie Krise, Lieneke Matte, Kara Madden, Brian Murphy, Chelsea Pyrch, Or Sagi-Woodson, Jarrod Sickles, Ashley Cohen*, Katie Gnagy*
*On leave

Choreographers on the Program

Christian Dollwet (Choreographer and Dancer) A former Akron area dancer, retired from the Air Force in 2011 after 21 years of service. Following a career ending injury, a lengthy recovery, and some soul searching, Mr. Dollwet applied for and was accepted to attend Air Force Officer training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas in 1989.  After his commissioning as a Second Lieutenant, he attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas, where he earned his pilot wings in 1991.  From there he attended Combat Crew Flight Training at Castle Air Force Base, California before his first assignment as a KC-135 aerial refueling pilot in Okinawa, Japan. After spending two years in Japan, Lieutenant Dollwet was selected to fly specialized reconnaissance aircraft based from Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

Mr. Dollwet then served as an aircraft commander, instructor and evaluator pilot, in nearly every variant of C-135 aircraft in the Air Force inventory.  He is a distinguished graduate of the Combat Crew training school, Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and was the chief of global operations, research pilot and project manager for a high-altitude test aircraft assigned to Edwards Air Force, California. Mr. Dollwet was assigned to the staff at Headquarters Air Force Safety Center, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, as an aviation crash investigator, instructor, and spokesperson.  His operational risk management research resulted in a review of Air Force operational risk management practices.

In 2001, Mr. Dollwet was selected to fly the U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, and then returned to Offutt Air Force Base in 2003 as an instructor pilot, and chief of training for 38thReconnaissance Squadron.  Mr. Dollwet was then selected to work for the Wing Commander as chief of conventional plans, and wing battle staff director.  As battle staff director, he directed the wing emergency management programs, and was the wing liaison with local community emergency management and homeland security officials. After his promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, Mr. Dollwet was selected by the Air Force to attend attaché training in Washington, D.C. and was nominated as the United States Air Force Attaché to Pakistan.  After completion of his diplomatic tour of duty in 2009, Mr. Dollwet assumed the role as Chief of the Command and Control Capabilities Branch for the United States Strategic Command.

Following his retirement from active duty, Mr. Dollwet returned to the service of his country and now works with the Department of the Army; deploying to Afghanistan as a contract pilot.  Since January, 2011 Mr. Dollwet has deployed eight times to Afghanistan, and has developed a strong calling to help those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  After seeing the first hand effects of PTSD, talking with those suffering from it, and learning about some of the treatment options, Mr. Dollwet is convinced that alternative therapies must be explored.  To answer this call, Mr. Dollwet has returned to his artistic roots, and is now exploring the benefits of an arts based therapy (approach) in the treatment of PTSD.

Stephen James (Choreographer and Dancer) Born In New York. Trained at American Dance Theater in Herricks, New York, School of American Ballet and The Ailey School as a Fellowship Student. Graduate of SUNY Purchase College with a BFA in Dance. Spent summers training with Miami City Ballet, Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet, Ballet Austin, Dance International New York in Spain and New York. Performed with Kazuko Hirabayashi Dance Theater in 2010.  Apprentice with StaatsTheater Nurnberg Ballett in Nurnberg, Germany for the 2010-2011 season. Danced with Ballet Hispanico’s 2nd company in 2011-2012.  Performed in “The Nutcracker” with the Eglevsky Ballet in 2012. In 2013, performed with RG Dance Project. This is James’ first season with Verb Ballets.
Stephanie Krise (Choreographer and Dancer) began her dance training at The University of Akron’s Dance Institute. She then continued her training at The North Carolina School of the Arts under Melissa Hayden and Warren Conover, and at BalletMet under Yoko Ichino. Ms. Krise has spent summers training at The North Carolina School of the Arts, BalletMet, San Francisco Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Richmond Ballet, The National Hungarian Ballet and in New York with Doug Varone and Dancers. Ms. Krise has performed with BalletMet, Richmond Ballet, and The University of Akron Dance Company. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from The University of Akron with her B.F.A in Dance Performance and is currently working on a second degree in Exercise Science. Stephanie teaches dance in the Akron/Cleveland area and lives in Akron with her gorgeous dog Wolf. This is Stephanie’s third season with Verb Ballets. 
Brian Murphy (Choreographer and Dancer) has been dancing professionally for 20 years and has been with Verb Ballets since 2007.  He has also danced with a number of dance companies including Nashville Ballet, Cleveland San Jose Ballet, Richmond Ballet, BalletMet, New Orleans Delta Ensemble, GroundWorks Dancetheater and Ohio Ballet. He has danced leading roles in The Nutcracker, Coppelia, Hamlet, Swan Lake, Dracula, Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty. He has also enjoyed performing in works by Heinz Poll, Leslie Cook, Jennifer Muller and Diavalo. Brian co-owns a Pilates Studio (Pilates by Murphys) in Akron, OH, with his wife Suzy. While with Verb Ballets he has danced everything from the classical “Duet” by Heinz Poll to “Shakers” by Doris Humphrey’s.  He feels fortunate to be given the opportunity to dance in the great variety of works that Verb Ballets offers from the classical piece “Duet” by Heinz Poll to the modern work “Appalachian
 Spring” by Martha Graham. Choreographers cont.
Or Sagi-Woodson (Choreographer and Dancer) joined us as a guest dancer for the 11-12 season.  He danced formerly with Les Ballet Trackadero de Monte Carlo (Tory Dobrin, Artistic Director), Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company and Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company 2 under the direction of Rami Be’er.  He received his training at the Bat dor School of Dance in Tel Aviv, and Shahar Ha Negev Dance School in Shahar Ha Negev, Israel. This is his first full season with Verb Ballets.

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