Verb Ballets to Perform at Cleveland Public Theatre's DanceWorks '13

Verb Ballets returns to Cleveland Public Theatre as part of the DanceWorks '13 Series with two different programs. Verb Ballets is pleased to announce they will kick off the series with an additional program added to the season: Verb Goes Electric with the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, running March 21- 23, 2013. The company will close out the contemporary dance showcase with a modern rendition of The Rite of Spring running April 18-20, 2013. "Verb harnesses the opportunity to create work at CPT that is adventurous and can push the boundaries of creativity. The two shows will examine the close relationship dance has to music contrasting how it has changed over the past 100 years within the development of style and its impact on contemporary dance," said Director, Dr. Margaret Carlson.

Verb Ballets in collaboration with the Cleveland Chamber Symphony (CCS) presents an evening fusing dance and electronic music. Verb Goes Electric with the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, March 21- 23, 2013, builds on the creative talent of local artists to create new collaborative work. CCS has selected four young and emerging composers through a competitive selection process. William DeLelles, Frederick Evans, Paulus Van Horne and EVan Williams have been chosen by CCS to present new electronic music scores that explore and push the boundaries of contemporary American music. Stephanie Krise, Leslie J. Miller, Brian Murphy and Rebecca J. Nicklos, dancers of Verb Ballets,will then take the new score and to develop how to move in the sound evolution of the musical language.

Also, to be revived on the program, The Cleveland Flats Suite, choreographed by Diane Gray (2010). "This work is dedicated to the timelessness of the Flats and the ever presence of the energy that powers them,"said Diane Gray about inspiration for the piece.The electronic symphony composed by NASA scientist, Richard Rinehart, was written as a musical story of the Cuyahoga River. The work integrates video projections by NASA scientist and artist, Jay G. Horowitz, whose work explores the art in science and the science in art. Cleveland Flats Suite was made possible in part through the generosity of John Zayac and Bob Perry.

In honor of the late composer, Michael Leese, Verb Goes Electric with the Cleveland Chamber Symphony will feature Breach, choreographed by Erin Conway Lewis. The piece was originally created to Leese's music, Klavierstück, in 2011. Donald Rosenberg of The Plain Dealer described the music as, "Michael Leese's ...piano music, ... establishes the aura for the alternately robotic and sweeping content." This selection is dedicated to Leese's commitment and involvement in Cleveland music.

Verb Ballets is honored to close the DanceWorks '13 showcase with The Rite of Spring: The Bride Unseen. The Rite of Spring originally choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky shattered expectations and was a milestone in performance history in Paris 100 years ago. Verb Ballets will take to the stage with an evening work featuring a modern version of The Rite of Spring choreographed by Richard Dickinson (Ohio Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Boston Ballet). Music composed by Igor Stravinsky has innovative complex rhythmic structures, timbres, and use of dissonance which have made it a seminal 20th-century composition. The new ballet titled, The Rite of Spring: The Bride Unseen, reinvents the story of pagan sacrifice as the bride surrenders her dreams to appease her family and succumbs to the pressure of an arranged marriage. The ballet explores the interpersonal relationships of a quirky family and the influence they play in the family paradigm. Someone will be sacrificed. Who will it be?

Each year Cleveland Public Theatre welcomes the opportunity to showcase Cleveland's talented contemporary dance companies as they premiere new work and revive celebrated performances. "CPT has always been a place where various performing arts converge and where the lines between "disciplines" become blurred, but it fits into our mission because "DanceWorks" is about local artists creating new work, and that is what we are here to support," says Rebecca Hill, Marketing Coordinator for CPT.

Verb Ballets will perform in DanceWorks '13 March 21- 23, 2013 and April 18-20, 2013 in the James Levin Theatre. Performances take place at 7:00 p.m. Single tickets on Fridays and Saturdays $25 for general admission, $23 for students and seniors and $10 for all tickets on Thursdays. You can purchase seats by calling 216-631-2727 ext. 501, or buy in person at 6415 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44102. For more information visit www.verbballets.org.

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