Verb Ballets Center for Dance
Located within The Dealership
3558 Lee Rd. Shaker Hts, Ohio 44120
Studio Entrance
Entrance to the studio is located in the rear section of The Dealership.
Richard Dickinson, Verb Ballets Associate Artistic Director and former Ohio Ballet dancer, restaged Rococo Variations in September on Verb Ballets. He was in the original cast and is the regisseur for the ballet. This will be the first time the piece has been performed since last by Ohio Ballet in 1997. Rococo Variations is set to Tschaikovsky’s score titled Variations on a Rococo Theme. Choreographed by the late Heinz Poll the ballet features two principle female dancers and their partners with a corps de ballet of four female dancers. Costumed in English-style tutus this ballet highlights the technical virtuosity of the dancers and the beauty of the score on cello and piano.
The company premiere will feature live accompaniment by the musicians of the Chamber Music Society of Ohio. The Akron premiere will take place at Tuesday Musical’s Fuze Series on October 10, 2019 at EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall.
Don't miss the company premiere!
Tuesday Musical Fuze Series: Akron Legends of Jazz and Dance
Thursday, October 10, 2019 EJ Thomas Hall
Heinz Poll
Heinz Poll was born in Oberhausen, Germany, in 1926. Poll was a champion ice skater before he became a dancer. His experience on the rinks imbued him with a love of speed that he expressed in his athletic baroque ballet, Cascade (1985). After World War II, he studied dance at Joss’s Folkwang School in Essen, began his professional career at the Municipal Theatre in Goettingen and became a principal dancer with the Berlin State Opera Ballet. In 1951, he joined the National Ballet of Chile as a dancer, ballet master, and teacher. The company’s tradition of bringing serious programs to indigenous people in remote mountain villages served as the model for Ohio Ballet’s Summer Festival of free outdoor performances. In 1962, Poll joined Ballet de Jeunesse Musicales de France as ballet master. Two years later, he came to the United States as a guest artist with the Chilean company. He performed in the American Dance Festival the following summer and stayed in New York to teach at Thalia Mara’s National Academy of Ballet. In Akron, he developed Ohio Ballet into one of America’s most polished, respected, and widely traveled chamber dance troupes. Poll was awarded the Association of Ohio Dance Companies Award in 1983, the Cleveland Arts Prize in 1995, and the Ohio Arts Council’s Governor’s Award in 1999. After his retirement, he wrote his memoir and has conferred a number of his ballets to former Ohio Ballet dancers. Poll passed away in 2006.
Verb Ballets Center for Dance is excited to announce our Fall Challenge! We challenge YOU to complete fifteen classes between September 30th and October 31st, 2019. Verb Ballets offers classes for all ability levels in ballet, jazz, yoga, and barre strength. Also check out new class times added to our schedule!
Fall Challenge Rules
- Grab a challenge card from the front desk.
- All adult/teens are counted as one class, including pointe.
- Upon completing 15 classes between September 30 – October 31, 2019 earn a free class credit! Plus be entered into a drawing to win a free 10 class card!
- After each class see the front desk for a stamp of completion.
- You can complete more than one card in the challenge time frame
- The winner of our 10 class card will be announced on November 1, 2019!
Learn more about all the classes we offer!
Verb Ballets offers drop-in dance and fitness classes for adults and teens!
New Barre Strength Classes
Barre Strength class at Verb Ballets Center for Dance is perfect for all levels, from beginner to the advanced athlete. Barre classes are famous for changing the shape of the body and creating strength through a series of isometric holds and tiny movements, offering a blend of strengthening, stretching, endurance, and stamina building. Come prepared to sweat and strengthen your entire body! *Bare feet or grippy socks preferred. Please bring your own yoga mat, however there are a limited number of mats at the studio for students to use.
New Yoga Offerings
Beginning in October morning classes added in addition to weekend schedule. Yoga classes at Verb Ballets are alignment based with an emphasis on proper form and core strength. These fun and hard working classes are for all levels with modifications for beginners and challenges for the more experienced. *Please bring your own yoga mat, but there are a limited number of mats available at the studio for students to use.
Drop-in Classes for Adults and Teens
Verb Ballets will make a guest appearance on Neil Zaza’s One Dark Night…, A Rock Symphony of the Macabre, on October 19, 2019 at the Akron Civic Theatre. Verb Ballets building on the inventive collaboration from the summer to bring rock and ballet together on stage with new works by company dancer Daniel Cho and Antonio Morillo. Neil Zaza’s production is an orchestral exploration mixes dark, powerful arrangements of macabre classical masterpieces by Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Prokofiev, Saint-Saëns and more with the fury of a rock band and string orchestra. In the spirit of the Halloween season the dancers join the rock maestro on a musical journey with a visually impressive stage set, light show and multi-media screens to tell the evil tale of the monster within.
Don't miss this Halloween extravaganza!
Neil Zaza presents One Dark Night…
Saturday, October 19, 2019 The Akron Civic Theatre
Neil Zaza
Not only has guitarist Neil Zaza helped to define the genre of melodic instrumental guitar, he has become a worldwide ambassador for the instrument itself. His melodic compositions have changed the way musicians play, and what audiences worldwide demand out of their guitar heroes. With fiery technical brilliance and breathtaking musical interpretation, Neil Zaza has defined himself as the instrumental guitarist with an unparalleled ability to combine solid, catchy songwriting with a keen melodic sense and technical fury. From his virtuoso rock solos, to laying a funk groove, to demonstrating his classical prowess by performing Bach and Mozart compositions, Zaza’s extreme versatility has been showcased worldwide in concerts, clinics, festivals, as well as on his own solo instrumental albums. Zaza has shared the bill with Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Dweezil Zappa, Steve & Mike Porcaro (Toto), Yngwie Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore, and Andy Summers among countless others. He has performed on albums by Dweezil Zappa, Eric Carmen, Michael Stanley and also supplied guitar tracks for a Stewart Copeland-produced movie soundtrack.
It all began… in Akron, Ohio, where Neil Zaza was born, and still resides. Zaza started playing guitar at the age of 10 and went on to study classical guitar at The University of Akron under renowned educator and performer Stephen Aron. Zaza began to teach guitar, and in 1987 he formed the rock band Zaza, which quickly became one of the hottest U.S. touring bands at that time. After a successful run and even a hit song “Maybe Tomorrow”, the band disbanded, and a brilliant solo career began.
Daniel Cho
Daniel is first generation Korean American born and raised in San Francisco, California. He graduated with a BA special major in Dance and Education from Swarthmore College. He received his training from Point Park Conservatory, the Laban Conservatoire in London, the Ballet X Summer Intensive, the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance and the Coastal City Ballet in Vancouver, British Columbia. Daniel is a recent graduate of the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program, where he had the pleasure of performing works by Alonzo King, Angela Dice Nguyen, Sidra Bell, Shannon Gillen, Alex Ketley, Gioconda Barbuto, Maurya Kerr, and Gregory Dawson. Daniel joined Verb Ballets in 2018 and has been featured in such works as Mowgli’s Jungle Adventures.
Antonio Morillo
Antonio is a first-generation Cuban American born in Orlando, Florida. He received his Associate of Arts in Dance Performance from Valencia College and his BFA in Dance Performance from the University of South Florida. Antonio has performed with the Patel Conservatory’s Next Generation Ballet as well as Tampa City Ballet. He has performed works by Jon Lehrer, José Limón, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Robert Moses’ Kin, and Maurice Causey. Antonio joined Verb Ballets in 2016 and has been featured in works such as Andante Sostenuto and Aposiopesis.
One Dark Night...
Saturday, October 19, 8:00PM
Rock maestro Neil Zaza presents an orchestral exploration that mixes dark, powerful arrangements of macabre classical music masterpieces with the fury of a rock band and string orchestra. Verb Ballets will make a guest appearance merging rock and ballet together to bring the supernatural to life in spirit of the Halloween season. Verb Ballets will perform the critically acclaimed Adagio Reimagined choreographed by Sabatino Verlezza plus two new works by company dancers Antonio Morillo and Daniel Cho. Together these artists will build upon these classic selections to demonstrate technical virtuosity with rock style that fit the dark tale of the monster within.
Newly Commissioned Works
Adaigo Reimagined (2019 Premiere), Sabatino Verlezza
Dance Macabre (2019 Premiere), Antonio Morillo
Carnaval des Animaux (2019 Premiere), Daniel Cho
SHOW DETAILS
October 19, 2019 8:00pm
THEATRE
Akron Civic Theatre
182 South Main Street
Akron, Ohio 44308
TICKETS
Tickets $25-35 / $75 VIP
Tickets call 330-253-2488
GET TICKETS
Akron Civic Theatre
182 South Main Street
Akron, Ohio 44308
Akron Legends of Jazz & Dance
Thursday, October 10, 7:30 PM
Honoring the work of Akron composer Pat Pace and Ohio Ballet Founder Heinz Poll, Tuesday Musical presents Verb Ballets and The Chamber Music Society of Ohio. Verb Ballets will perform Poll’s Rococo Variations in original costumes; its first staging since Ohio Ballet’s closing. Also premiering is Shéhérazade Retold; a re-conceived tale of women as warriors, choreographed by Loretta Simon. Set to Pat Pace’s composition Excursions, dancer Kate Webb will present a new full ensemble ballet inspired by celestial life cycles.
Preshow Talk
Enjoy our intimate “Concert Conversation” with creators of this special evening George Pope and Dr. Carlson at 6:30 p.m. in EJ’s Flying Balcony. Easily accessed by elevator, the Flying Balcony offers comfortable seating and a cash bar.
Program
Stellar Syncopations (2019 Premiere), Kate Webb
Shéhérazade Retold (Premiere 2019), Loretta Simon
Rococo Variations (1993), Heinz Poll
SHOW DETAILS
October 10, 2019 7:30pm
THEATRE
E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall
198 Hill St.
Akron, OH 44325
TICKETS
Tickets $45
Students FREE with voucher
Tickets call 330-761-3460
GET TICKETS
E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall
198 Hill St.
Akron, OH 44325
CLEVELAND, OH (July 22, 2019) – Verb Ballets under the direction of Producing Artistic Director, Dr. Margaret Carlson and Associate Artistic Director, Richard Dickinson, MFA welcome five new dancers to the company. The contemporary ballet company based out of Cleveland, Ohio is currently comprised of dancers, apprentices and trainees that hail from all over the United States and as far as Japan. Meet them below.
Hunter Hoffman is a first generation American raised by his Cuban family and born in Miami, Florida. He is a recent graduate of Mercyhurst University and prior trained at the Mencia Pikeiris School of Dance and the Miami Youth Ballet. Hunter had the opportunity to work with The Mercyhurst Dancers, Lake Erie Ballet, New World Connection, and Ballet Concerto. Hoffman has joined Verb Ballets as an apprentice for the 2019-20 season.
Noe Iwamatsu was born in Japan and began her ballet training at Prendre Ballet Studio in Japan. She moved to London after acceptance to the Central School of Ballet where she graduated with honors with a BA in professional dance and performance. She performed with Ballet Central, the junior company of Central School of Ballet, and toured the United Kingdom. Most recently, Noe was a trainee with American Repertory Ballet in New Jersey. Iwamatsu is excited to join Verb Ballets as an apprentice for the 2019-2020 season.
Verb Ballets welcomes Julie Russel, born in China and raised in Cedar, Michigan. Julie spent summers training at Washington School of Ballet, BalletMet Columbus, and Cecchetti Council of America. Julie graduated from the University of Oklahoma in May of 2019 with a BFA in Dance Performance and BA in Environmental Sustainability. She has most recently also performed with Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre in Chicago. Russel has joined Verb Ballets as an apprentice for the 2019-20 season.
Originally from Ohio, Ashley Forché received her dance training from BalletMet. Ashley moved to Tennessee for her senior year of high school to be a trainee with Nashville Ballet. She began pursuing a business degree through Belmont University following graduation while simultaneously continuing to dance with Nashville Ballet. Last season, Ashley was a trainee with Oklahoma City Ballet. Forché joins the company as a trainee for the 2019-20 season.
Elizabeth Schaeffer was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan before returning home to New Hampshire at the age of eleven. Schaeffer graduated from Belhaven University in Mississippi where she received awards for outstanding artistic and scholastic achievements. She most recently danced professionally with Ballet Hartford in Connecticut. Schaeffer joins the company as a trainee for the 2019-20 season.
CLEVELAND, OH (September 12, 2019) – One Dark Night…, A Rock Symphony of the Macabre, returns to the Akron Civic Theatre on Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 8:00pm. A terrifying orchestral exploration of all things evil and dark from the world’s greatest composers reimagined through the guitar of rock maestro Neil Zaza. This symphony of fear mixes dark, powerful arrangements of macabre classical masterpieces by Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Prokofiev, Saint-Saëns and others with the fury of a rock band and orchestra. Zaza accompanied by a string orchestra and a rock band will take audiences on a musical journey. The visually impressive stage set, light show and multi-media screens tell the evil tale of the monster within and add a whole new way to experience the music. Never before has Halloween and the season of the supernatural come to life like this!
Verb Ballets will make a guest appearance on the show performing the critically acclaimed Adagio Reimagined and two new choreographic works by Antonio Morillo and Daniel Cho. Choreographer Sabatino Verlezza choreographed Adagio Reimagined to Zaza’s rock score of Albinoni’s Adagio in G Minor. Verlezza was a soloist with the May O’Donnell Dance Company and served as co-artistic director/choreographer of Dancing Wheels. Verb Ballets dancers Morillo and Cho will bring visualize to the fiery interpretation of Zaza instrumental guitarist known for a keen melodic sense and technical fury. Together these artists will build upon these classic selections to demonstrate technical virtuosity with rock style that fit the dark spirt of the Halloween season.
The evening will feature a special appearance by the legendary Tim “Ripper” Owens. This Grammy nominated American hard rock singer from Akron first gained attention as the lead singer of Judas Priest and then Iced Earth and Yngwie Malmsteen. Tim currently tours the world as a solo artist and performs as the lead singer for the band Charred Walls of the Damned with Richard Christy plus he also sings with Dio Disciples. With his incredible tour schedule the stars have aligned to join Zaza on stage in One Dark Night.
Never before has Halloween and the season of the supernatural come to life like this! One Dark Night…, A Rock Symphony of the Macabre, on October 19, 2019 at 8:00pm at the Akron Civic Theatre. Single tickets are $25-35 an exclusive $75 VIP ticket includes a post meet and greet with a signed poster. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Akron Civic Box Office at 330-253-2488 or online at akroncivic.com. The Akron Civic Theatre is located at 182 South Main Street Akron, Ohio 44308.
CLEVELAND, OH (September 9, 2019) – Verb Ballets is honored to be presented on Tuesday Musical’s Fuze Series Thursday, October 10, 2019 at Akron’s E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall. Tuesday Musical is partnering with Verb Ballets and The Chamber Music Society of Ohio (CMSO) to celebrate two Akron arts legends: jazz pianist/composer Pat Pace and Ohio Ballet founder/choreographer Heinz Poll. Verb Ballets will perform Poll’s Rococo Variations in the original costumes, marking the piece’s first performance since Ohio Ballet closed following Poll’s passing in 2006. The concert will highlight jazz musician, Pace, with a new full ensemble ballet choreographed by Verb Ballets dancer, Kate Webb. That program also features Shéhérazade Retold; a reconceived tale of a woman inspired to warrior choreographed by Loretta Simon. The dancers will share the stage with live accompaniment by the musicians of the Chamber Music Society of Ohio.
Simon, a graduate of Youngstown State University has been working in Europe for the last eighteen years. An award-winning performer and choreographer, she is a passionate teacher who has been on faculty at Cleveland School of Arts and Cleveland State University. Most recently she has worked as a freelance choreographer. Simon restaged and adapted the work Shéhérazade Retold on the company August 12-16, 2019. In her version Shéhérazade is not just a fascination with the oriental and exotic culture, it is a story of forbearance, enlightenment, and heroism.
Webb will choreograph a new piece to Pace’s Excursions September 11-18, 2019. Poll created a work to the same music that first premiered by Ohio Ballet in 1982. Webb is inspired by the life cycle of a star in her new full ensemble ballet, Stellar Syncopations. Mirroring the voracious piano, the stars can be placidly smooth, or unexpectedly syncopated.
Richard Dickinson, Verb Ballets Associate Artistic Director and former Ohio Ballet dancer, will restage Rococo Variations the week of September 4-10, 2019. Rococo Variations is set to Tschaikovsky’s score titled Variations on a Rococo Theme. Choreographed by the late Heinz Poll the ballet features two principle female dancers and their partners with a corps de ballet of four female dancers. Costumed in English-style tutus this ballet highlights the technical virtuosity of the dancers and the beauty of the score on cello and piano.
Tuesday Musical’s Fuze concert Akron Legends of Jazz and Dance begins at 7:30pm. Single concert tickets for Fuze are for $45. Student tickets are free for all Tuesday Musical concerts. Tickets can be purchased by calling 330-761-3460 or online tuesdaymusical.org. E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall is located at 198 Hill St Akron, OH 44325. Before the performance: Enjoy intimate “Concert Conversation” with creators of this special evening at 6:30pm in E.J.’s Flying Balcony.
Verb Ballets is proud to have dancer Kate Webb step into a different role as choreographer in the studio the week of September 11-18, 2019. Kate Webb has danced with Verb Ballets since 2015. She grew up in Richmond, Virginia where she danced both as a student and as a trainee with Richmond Ballet. This is her fourth work she has choreographed on the company.
In this new work she is creating a new full ensemble ballet to the music of Akron Jazz icon, Pat Pace. Webb’s new work is titled Stellar Syncopations and is inspired by the life cycle of a star. Mirroring the voracious piano, the stars can be placidly smooth, or unexpectedly syncopated. The company premiere will feature live accompaniment by the musicians of the Chamber Music Society of Ohio. The Akron premiere will take place at Tuesday Musical’s Fuze Series on October 10, 2019 at EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall. This piece was curated with the show honoring the work of Heinz Poll because he also created a work to the same music that premiered by Ohio Ballet in 1982.
Don't miss the premiere!
Tuesday Musical Fuze Series: Akron Legends of Jazz and Dance
Thursday, October 10, 2019 EJ Thomas Hall
Interview with the choreographer
How are you working with the music?
The music has been especially challenging. The best I can squeak out on the piano is chopsticks, so I am no match for the score of Pace Pace’s “Excursions”. However, I am a dancer who appreciates a strong connection between music and movement, so I must know phrasing intimately to generate choreography that naturally responds to the musical accents. This is particularly difficult with “Excursions” because it has so many meter changes and seemingly random overlaying melodies—it has taken me dozens and dozens of hours to map out the music so that I can understand it. I write a lot of notes, make a lot of mistakes, do lots of scratching and erasing, but eventually figure it out. Once I finally internalize a section of music, the movement easily comes to mind!
Your piece is about stars. Where did the inspiration come from?
Ever since I was a little girl I have always taken an interest in astronomy. My dad and I frequented the science museum and used to read “Scientific American” together, so I probably have a bit more knowledge about celestial objects than your average ballerina. When I first heard the music, I couldn’t help but notice the tings and chimes and how they reminded me of a star’s glinting in the night sky. After that thought came to mind, I began visualizing how the various musical movements each seemed to reflect a certain stage of a star’s lifecycle. It was an astronomical idea to abstract a stellar lifecycle, but one that I kept coming back to.
This show features live music—how has that impacted your process?
As a dancer, it is a gift to perform to live music because you collaborate in every moment to make stage magic even richer and more dynamic for the audience. As a choreographer, it is exciting to know that your work will be brought to life in that way, but it also forces you consider other details like cuing (i.e. how the musicians know when to start playing a certain section), tempos, where the musicians are placed in relationship to the dancers, etc. I have attended the musicians’ rehearsals as well as had phone conversations with the flautist, George Pope, to make sure that our line of communication is clear. We will have one rehearsal together at Verb’s studios before moving to the theater.
What is your process in developing a new work?
Usually, I find music that inspires me and see what general theme or idea naturally spawns from it. Then I start playing around with improv while listening to the music, noticing when certain steps or motions are palatable and jot them down in my notebook. I’ll also use my phone or iPad to capture some of my improvisation so I can go back and pull ingredients from it later. Once I have a solid idea of my theme and a well stocked pantry of steps, I get to work cooking them up into phrases of choreography. Once I give the meal to the dancers, I sometimes make tweaks based on what best suits their needs so I can cater to their taste and aesthetic.
What do you always do while stepping into the choreographer role?
I try to be both humble and prepared to lead. I work diligently outside of the studio to make the best use of the company’s rehearsal time leading up to and throughout the rehearsal process so I can create the best work possible in the time given. I also keep my mind open to changes—what you see in your head is often not what comes out in the studio…and sometimes that is for the best!
Is it hard to step out as a dancer and work with your colleagues in a different role?
It is and it isn’t. It throws my headspace off a bit because as a dancer, you are a team player, and it is rarely (if ever) your place to direct the room. I have to do a “mental quick-change” of sorts when I begin rehearsing my piece so that I switch gears to become an effective leader. My colleagues have been incredibly supportive of me in this choreographic role, so that definitely makes it easier. I can’t thank them enough for their patience and empowerment 🙂
Kate Webb
Kate Webb grew up in Richmond, Virginia where she danced both as a student and as a trainee with Richmond Ballet. She trained around the country at numerous intensive programs such as Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Upon graduating from Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts, she attended Butler University on both dance and academic scholarships. While dancing with Butler Ballet, she performed in Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. After fulfilling her degree in three years, she graduated cum laude in May of 2015 with a BS in Dance-Arts Administration and high departmental honors. Kate joined Verb Ballets in 2015 and has been featured in works such as Peter Pan and Aposiopesis.
