CLEVELAND, Jan. 10, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Verb Ballets, Cleveland's premiere dance repertory company, returns to the intimate Murch Auditorium at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History on Saturday, February 17, 2007 at 8 PM with five dances choreographed by Verb's own company dancers through its Fresh Inventions Project, designed to foster emerging choreographic talent.
The evening of dance performance, titled Natural Selections, features four exciting new dances choreographed by company dancers under the mentorship of artistic director Hernando Cortez, and Mark Tomasic's dance theatre work of great dramatic power commissioned by Hiram College. "This eclectic program approaches dance from an environmental perspective. It covers the range of emotions, techniques and styles, in turn fanciful, fun, bold and brash. We are promising a truly original and inspirational evening," added Cortez.
The choreographers are up-and-coming talents, including Marcela Alvarez, Erin Conway, Catherine Meredith, Brian Murphy and Mark Tomasic. Following the performance, guests are invited for "Verbiage," an opportunity for informal discussion with dancers, choreographers and the audience to share their perceptions of the evening's program.
Cortez points out, "Verb's Fresh Inventions Project, which premiered at the Cleveland Public Theatre in 2004, encourages choreographic talent from within the Company. It is another important side of Verb Ballets: bringing the new, the fresh, the inspired, to the Cleveland dance audience. These are our next generation of choreographers, and they are being given these tremendous opportunities to develop artistically under the guidance of seasoned professionals."
Featured Choreographers
Marcela Alvarez relocated to Cleveland from New York. She is creating a dance based on dreamscapes and nightmares. "The ballet will be an exploration of various nighttime images ranging from sweet and idealistic to the deep and the dark."
Erin Conway, a Cleveland native and Ohio University alumna, will incorporate five live percussionists in her athletic virtuosic abstraction.
Catherine Meredith, a former New Yorker and Purchase College graduate, created a ballet about relationships. "In any relationship, there is always an imbalance. At certain points, one person is more in love than the other, and that constantly changes the physical and emotional balance of both."
Brian Murphy, a former Ohio Ballet dancer, has created an exciting new work inspired by his personal experience.
Mark Tomasic will present Luis, an outstanding dance theater piece commissioned by Hiram College. Luis is the story of two intersecting lives: a municipal dump scavenger and a wealthy physician in contemporary Brazil. The script, adapted by celebrated Cleveland playwright Eric Cole, is based on a short story by Dr. Richard Selzer, professor of surgery at Yale University.
The Verb Ballets dancers are: Marcela Alvarez, Danielle Brickman, Kallie Marie Bokal, Erin Conway, Ashley Cohen, Katie Gnagy, Jason Ignacio, Sydney Ignacio, Catherine Meredith, Brian Murphy, Anna Roberts and Mark Tomasic.
Seating is reserved. Individual ticket prices are $25 adults, $19 seniors 60 years of age or older and $12.50 for students. The Museum lobby opens at 7 p.m. with a cash bar. Parking in the Museum lot is free. To charge tickets, call the Museum's box office at (216) 231-1177 or (800) 317-9155, ext. 3279. Tickets may be purchased on the night of the performances (if not sold out).
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is located at 1 Wade Oval Drive in University Circle, 15 minutes east of downtown Cleveland. Call (216) 231-4600 or (800) 317-9155. Also, visit the Museum's web site at www.cmnh.org, or Verb Ballets at www.verbballets.org.
Verb Ballets
The Company is now in its fifth season under the leadership of artistic director Hernando Cortez, executive director Margaret Carlson and an energetic staff and board of trustees who have established it as Cleveland's premiere dance repertory company. Verb has been named as one of "25 to Watch in 2004" by Dance Magazine, the country's leading news magazine covering dance. Verb Ballets discovers, collects, interprets and stages choreography that matters to the region and to the world of dance. As a curator of expressive movement that is globally connected and nationally respected, Verb Ballets has a mandate to support and foster emerging talent, present excellence in contemporary choreographers, and revive and honor modern dance classics.
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History
The Museum is considered one of the finest natural science museums in North America, noted for its collections, research, exhibits and educational programs. The Museum fosters an understanding of the natural world and serves as an outstanding resource for public education and environmental conservation for the region and beyond. The collections encompass more than 4 million specimens and research focuses on 12 natural science disciplines. In addition to the exhibits, the Museum has an observatory and planetarium, a discovery center, traveling exhibits, weekend events, live animal shows, outdoor gardens with wild birds and animals, along with the Museum Store and Steggie Cafe.