Verb Ballets Announces 2014-15 Season

For the 2014-15 season, Verb Ballets will present a season of fresh and innovative works that highlight the classically trained dancers with cutting edge contemporary choreography.

Under the direction of Dr. Margaret Carlson, the company will continue to present and inspire a diverse array of contemporary choreographers while honoring modern dance legend Martha Graham with the Lamentation Variations project this winter.

Verb's focus is to push the envelope of classical dance in a way that each is appreciated by both new audience members and dance enthusiasts. The company strives to be a thought leader in cultivating dance appreciation and support through education and outreach programs in our community. In growing audience appreciation for dance, Verb Ballets enhances the vibrant arts scene in Northeast Ohio.

Cain Park Evans Amphitheater on Saturday, July 26, 2014 at 8pm

Verb Ballets returns to Cain Park for a captivating summer series. Featured on the program will be the company premiere of Similar by former Cincinnati Ballet principal and Co-Artistic Director for Kansas City Dance Festival, Anthony Krutzkamp. His works have been noted as, "innovative and organic, producing a dynamic, fresh take on contemporary dance." Also to reappear on stage is Dark Matter by Tommie-Waheed Evans which is the fierce, nonstop dance which CoolCleveland described as, "an exuberant musical visualization in African-American dance style." Other contemporary classics are in store for the program. Verb Ballets will also be performing at Cain Park's Kids Matinee Series on Friday, July 25, 2014 at 1pm. Enjoy Shape Imagination, a playful journey in search of lines, shapes, and angles. Utilizing music from orchestral to operatic, dancers do vigorous lifts, jumps, and turns while handling delicate, brightly colored balloons. This will be followed by an interactive section with WiggleWords, Verb's dance and literacy program. A short excerpt from a piece on the evening program will complete the matinee program.

Other Summer Appearances

Verb Ballets will perform at the Springfield Arts Council Summer Arts Festival on June 25, 2014 for a double bill with Dancing Wheels. Verb Ballets will make a special appearance at The Greene Works Project presentation of Dance on the Edge at Tri-C Eastern Campus in the Main Theater on July 13, 2014. Also this summer, Verb Ballets will tour to Pennsylvania for Arts on the Allegheny on July 19, 2014. And, Verb Ballets is pleased to return to Arts in August at Lincoln Park in Tremont on August 8, 2014 at 8:30pm. Verb Ballets will also make a special appearance at the Gay Games on August 15, 2014.

Twinsburg High School on September 26, 2014 at 8pm

Verb Ballets will debut at Twinsburg High School, continuing our partnership with The City of Twinsburg. The evening will feature the light hearted ballet, Cowboy Soul, by Richard Dickinson which combines the swagger of John Wayne with the discipline of classical ballet to the instrumental versions of the greatest cowboy songs. A new version of Contra Con choreographed by William Anthony set to J.S. Bach's Keyboard Concerto No. 1 in D minor (BWV 1052) will also be featured. This ballet is noted for crisp balletic movements full of symmetry set to the elegant signature composition by Bach.

Other Fall Appearances

Verb Ballets will also present a debut performance at Green High School in October 2014. Verb Ballets will continue its partnership and return to The Akron Civic Theatre in the fall of 2014.

Breen Center for the Performing Arts on Friday & Saturday, February 20-21, 2015 at 8pm

Verb Ballets is honored to participate in the Lamentation Variations project for the winter production at The Breen Center. The Martha Graham Dance Company has selected Verb Ballets to participate in this ongoing creative project to celebrate the 85th anniversary of Lamentation in 2015. The project will produce three distinctive variations on this American masterpiece choreographed by Antonio Brown, Chung Fu Chang and Ginger Thatcher. The works will premiere in Cleveland and the project will then culminate with the company performing one variation in New York City on a shared program with the Graham Company in the first half of 2016. Also on the program is the world premiere ballet by Richard Dickinson performed to live music played by pianist Zsolt Bognár. Bognár's performances in America, Europe, and Asia have been praised as "overwhelmingly visceral...a phenomenal sound world realized through maximum palette."

Other Winter & Spring Appearances

Verb Ballets is honored to be a community partner with The Cleveland Dance Movement and will perform at the International Association of Blacks in Dance Showcase on January 23-25, 2015. The Shaker Heights Arts Council will present Verb Ballets on January 30, 2015 at Christ Episcopal Church. Verb Ballets will debut at the Olmsted Falls Performing Arts Center on February 28, 2015 and John Knox Presbyterian Church on April 24, 2015. Verb Ballets will continue its partnership with Cleveland Chamber Symphony and return to NEOSonicFest on March 21, 2015 at Baldwin Wallace. Verb Ballets will also appear at The Akron Civic Theatre.

Cleveland Public Theatre DanceWorks'15 on April 16-18, 2015 at 7pm

Verb Ballets is pleased to close the season by participating in DanceWorks'15 from April 16-18, 2015 at Cleveland Public Theatre. Verb returns to CPT with the opportunity to focus on experimental work and push the boundaries of dance.

Company Developments

Verb Ballets is pleased to welcome new dancers Megan Buckley, Michael Hinton, Stephaen Hood, and Victor Jarvis. Megan Buckley is originally from St. Louis, Missouri. She trained at Alexandra School of Ballet, ABT Summer Intensive workshops, Joffrey Ballet School and Nashville Ballet School. She has performed with Milwaukee Ballet 2, Portland Ballet, Thodos Dance Chicago and Alexandra Ballet. Stephaen Hood studied at Mid Atlantic Youth Ballet, Rock School For Dance Education and graduated from The University of The Arts (Philadelphia). He has danced with Poetic Xpression Dance Company, Carbon Dance Theater and Ballet Fleming. Michael Hinton is originally from Colorado. He studied at Ballet Nouveau Colorado then graduated from The School Of American Ballet. Victor Jarvis studied at School of the Grand Rapids Ballet Company, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet and graduated from The School of American Ballet. Jarvis comes from a family of dancers; his father, Bruce Jarvis, danced with the Ohio Ballet and his mother Lorna Jarvis, danced with National Ballet of Mexico. Verb Ballets is honored to welcome the new dancers to the company.

Dr. Margaret Carlson has been selected as part of the US delegation to attend the Internationale Tanzmesse 2014 in Düsseldorf this August. She will have the opportunity to network and connect with the international dance community. In addition, Carlson has also been commissioned to set Laura's Women on Ballet Tucson.

All programs and artists are subject to change.