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Ohio Contemporary Ballet

Mar 19
Love10

Pie Day—3/14

By Cuba

OK so we didn’t exactly eat pie today, but we did do lots of celebrating! Today was Laura Alonso’s birthday, so I knew it was bound to have some sweet flourishes🎂 More on that later…

The day started out with Richard’s ballet class at the National Theater. The floors were a bit dusty (Cuba has a lot of indoor/outdoor buildings, so I have come to expect dust most places) but otherwise the stage was very deep and the auditorium was spacious. The National Theater is not quite the newly renovated Alicia Alonso, but I am still getting very excited to perform in it this weekend! I have always loved to perform☺

After doing some classic Richard across-the-floor combinations (boy it feels so good to move and travel in his classes) we got busy with spacing and rehearsal. “Bolero” is going to be extra dynamic in this theater because we have so much room to dance and swirl our capes. I helped Lexy to teach some of the ProDanza dancers part of the choreography.

Once we wrapped up rehearsal, everyone climbed back on the bus so we could head to the ProDanza studios for Laura’s birthday party. I don’t know if I have ever witnessed so much pomp and circumstance in my life🤣The pictures below won’t do it justice, but they’re worth a peak. A full sized theater backdrop of a garden was hung by the balcony to create a mini performance stage, which was then occupied by the Cuban singer who milked every note with an ultravibrato flair, followed by a melodramatic performer of epic poetry, and finally a mariachi band. Havana Club rum was flowing freely, and plates filled with sweets covered the tables🍹 And through all of the shenanigans, Maestra Laura Alonso sat stoicly surrounded by gifts, flowers, and cards. She is one well respected woman!

The ladies of Verb ballets hit the leftovers hard when we got home…the rum is very effective in Cuba and those sweet treats could’t quite cut it as dinner🤪 It was fun to sit around and eat cold beans and rice…

Mar 16
Love11

Going with the Flow—3/13

By Cuba

Today reflecting on a major lesson that a tour to a foreign country teaches you: going with the flow. On a regular basis, I am fairly “type A”, but after lots of travels I have found that it’s best to blissfully surrender to outside forces when operating in a foreign land. Why paddle upstream when downstream there’s a lot of delicious black beans? Maybe I wouldn’t usually opt to have black beans at every meal in the U.S., but when I am Cuba you better bet I am going to maintain my membership in the clean plate club and enjoy every bite. And I haven’t gotten sick of them yet!😋

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Birthday dinner celebration at National Hotel for Christina Lindhout! Happy Birthday Christina!

Going with the flow also has to do with recognizing intentions. Is the river flowing you downstream because it is angry with you and wants to sweep you to potentially dangerous territory? Or is the river old and wise, taking you along for a ride that will show you knew vistas and possibilities that you hadn’t imagined? Or maybe, and perhaps most likely, the river is so …

Growing up, I took a lot of walks with my family to the river. This was my greatest source of perspective and reminder to “flow”. Tonight, we ate dinner by the Malecón, a wall that lines the ocean on the northern coast of Cuba. Because of a cold front coming in, the waves were massive and crashed over the wall creating a spectacle of H2O fireworks. I found wisdom from that powerful water tonight, just as I did in the river growing up. How lucky am I to be a part of this Cuban current? Keep sweeping me away!🌊

On a completely different note, it was Christina’s birthday today, so Happy Birthday Big Tina! I loved celebrating with you and look forward to continued merriment in the CLE.

☯Kate

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Going to the Cuban bathroom flow (there is no flushing, you fill a bucket with water and the waste flows down the drain). Don’t forget your tissues and hand sanitizers!

My delicious lunch thanks to Yunia! P.S. if you ever want to come to Cuba, you should totally stay with her. Search “Casa de Renta Yunia Lao” on FB to find her—she’s an amazing chef and an even better host!

Mar 12
Love10

The smaller “Yarini”—3/10

By Cuba
Today was a great day, minus one really terrible thing that happened. Verb spent the morning at the ProDanza studios taking class and rehearsing our repertory program that we will be performing next weekend. It was very peaceful to have the whole dance complex to ourselves. Richard did an excellent job coaching us to reawaken movement that we had not rehearsed for weeks. Hallelujah it felt great to do contemporary movement again!

After rehearsal, we had a little break (where I had the best cafe con leche of my life) and then it was back to the theater. Most of us performed last night, but not our principal roles. I was in the “Burguesía” scene, dancing as a wealthy lady with Antonio as my parter. Right before this scene, there was a massive set change with lots of changing backdrops. Just before lights were about to come up, a heavy rod that was part of a backdrop fell and landed on one of the ProDanza dancer’s head. It was horrifying. He was bleeding severely and was escorted offstage to go to a hospital.

Everyone onstage was super shaken, but once he was taken offstage everyone switched into problem solving mode. We had about 15 more seconds of darkness to communicate amongst ourselves about how we were going to adjust the dance to fit 5 couples as opposed to 6. Of course all of this panicked whispering was in Spanish, so Antonio and I had no hope of being able to keep up, but we stayed as professional and calm as possible and did our best to readjust as the piece was happening. Everything went as well as it could have given the last minute craziness. You never know what is going to happen with live theater…

All of the Verb Dancers felt terrible for our fellow dancer and are sending him our best. Luckily we found out he was released from the hospital last night, and is beginning to recover.

Mar 12
Love8

The Big “Yarini”—3/9 part 2 PSA~this gets a little mushy

By Cuba
It happened! The big show for the Verbers happened! None of us fell or missed entrances or had any close calls on stage (some of us are beginning to notice some digestive effects of Cuban bacteria), so that’s great news!🙌 Antonio played the title role of Yarini and danced the best I have ever seen him do the role. Christina was stunning as “Petit Berthe” and Michael was a technical force in his role as “Letot”. There were definitely some moments that I wish could have gone better for my performance of “Dame del Velo”, but overall I was happy with how things went given all of the changes. I couldn’t see much of Lieneke’s performance of a Prostitute, Natha’s performance in the “Burguesía” scene, Omar’s performance of the Policeman, Kelly’s performance as a Can-Can girl or Lexy’s performance as the “Nana”, but everything I did catch was well executed oozed with character.

Being a dancer is difficult in the sense that we are taught from the start of our training to be highly self-critical. Most successful dancers are the ones who are very tough on themselves because they strive to be better all the time. Unfortunately, it is rare to have an exceptional performance, so it is important to learn how to balance those critical thoughts with an understanding of your overall worth. I wish that I could say that I did the best I had ever done in that show, but that wouldn’t be true (at least from a technical standpoint). What is true is that I tried my absolute best and still had a meaningful impact on the storyline without any technical disasters and still some moments of technical success.

I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to be coached by and perform this role for Laura Alonso (and her son Ivan, the choreographer). The Cuban style demands a powerful story, but also values virtuoso. This process taught me to push myself to try technical feats that I considered myself incapable of previously and showed me how much I could grow from working in that direction. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from “Mary Poppins” the musical, “If you reach for the stars all you get are the stars, but we’ve got a whole new spin: If you reach for the heavens, you get the stars thrown in!” Not every performance will be heavenly per se, but most will be sparkling with a lot more stars from setting your sights high.
All of the Verb dancers are still pinching ourselves that tonight just happened. You never know what is going to come your way in life if you keep pushing for what you love. I am thankful for every day I can do that!
☺Kate
Mar 12
Love8

This is where I am—3/9 part 1

By Cuba
Usually on nights before a big show I can hardly sleep. All of the parts I could forget or mess up invade my mind so I can’t shut it off. But strangley since I have been in Havana, I have been able to sleep peacefully. Maybe it’s the calm breeze that sweeps into our room throughout the night? Or the fact that my reality already feels dreamlike? Either way, I had a great night of sleep and woke up feeling calm and ready to take on this big show this evening. I visualized everything I will have to do tonight as “The Lady in White” from the overture through bows. I know what I have to do tonight and I am ready to have the opportunity to make it happen. Wish me and the other Verbers performing tonight luck!🙏
P.s. Here are some pics from a morning walk I took:
Mar 10
Love6

Opening Night—3/8

By Cuba
Well that just happened! My cast didn’t even dance tonight but I am still super excited because of how smoothly the production went given all of the last minute changes and variables. How cool is it to be a part of a company that can come together and pull something this massive off in such turbulent conditions? I work with a bunch of problem solvers👌Great dancing Cleveland Havana Ballet!
I also had a really nice day leading up to the show. It started with the consistently delicious made-to-order breakfast prepared by Yunia, the other “Casa Particular” hostess where the majority of the company is staying. Guayaba, papaya, and pineapple, oh my! Throw in some freshly squeezed watermelon juice, a banana mango smoothie, yogurt, eggs, sautéed veggies and Cuban coffee and I am in heaven every morning by 9am🙌
 Since my cast didn’t perform today, I decided to use the free time to take a long walk. Adventuring in new places is absolutely one of my favorite things☺ And adventure I did! I ended up seeing monuments, walking along the Malecón (one of Cuba’s most famous walls that lines the ocean along its northern coast), going with Lieneke to an authentic Cigar house accompanied by a kind neighbor of our Casa Particular, and visiting El Museo del Revolución. I feel much better acquainted with Cuban culture after learning about historical events from their perspective. What persevering and spirited people!
Today also happened to be “La Día de la Mujer” or “Women’s Day”. I saw women with flowers and sweet treats all over Havana and received lots of felicitaciones and flowers of my own🌸 I loved that women are treated with such respect here (and according to exhibits I saw in the Museum of the Revolution, Cuba has a strong history of equality among the sexes)!
And now it’s time for me to try to get some rest before my cast performs tomorrow. I can hardly wait!
💕Kate
Mar 10
Love7

Getting Principaled—3/7

By Cuba
In this alternate Cuban universe I have to be a principal dancer. That’s right, folks, lil ol’ Kate Webb who is a normal 24 year old living in a standard apartment in mid-sized Cleveland Ohio has to lead a 3 minute bow in front of thousands of people on the same stage that ballet legends like Nureyev, Baryshnikov, and Alonso herself have graced. ‘Scuse my language, buttttt WTF?
When Laura Alonso told me I would have to get my makeup done by the theater’s makeup master on the night that my cast performed, I couldn’t help but scoff. Who the heck am I to have a makeup master do my face? Who the heck am I to be called a “principal”, especially with all of these incredibly talented Cuban dancers surrounding me? Who the heck am I to even have the opportunity to come to Cuba in the first place?
The answer is hard to me to swallow, but the only answer can be: I am Kate Webb, a principal dancer performing at the Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso with some dang good stage makeup. Period. Still very humble, yet prepared to own the title that somehow ended up in my possession.
So, with this new mindset I took on my dress rehearsal today. Of course there were plenty of things that I wish could have gone better (particularly one balance that I am supposed to hold for over 12 seconds on pointe…I think I might have gotten a solid 2.5😒) but I was able to look out into the house today without losing my breath from fear. It fact, at times I felt my body filling up with an overwhelmingly intimate and powerful energy—that rare raw buzz that comes from becoming vulnerable in front of countless strangers and trusting that they, and your fellow performers, will stay with you. And while I learned a lot from little missteps here and there, I also did a few specific things well (and felt incredibly alive during the process). So I am giving myself credit for those successes too✔
That being said, I was I was happy that we wen’t to a Cuban buffet tonight so I could fully immerse my newly anointed principal Cuban ballerina self with lots of delicious Cuban food. Still haven’t gotten tired of the stewed black beans yet. Soooo yummy!😋
Adiós!
Kate
Mar 10
Love7

No time to think—3/6

By Cuba
*PSA I am writing this blog on very limited time and no wifi or word processor access, so I’m sorry that this blog is essentially unedited! If anyone is looking for an editing position (I will pay you in Cuban Cigars) let me know😉*
I walked into the Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso today and actually lost my breath.
Holy shoot. Like the holiest of shoots. The Alicia Alonso is the most brilliant theater I have ever seen, much less danced on. And I have to do a leading role for a part I just learned 2 weeks ago, then had to relearn in 2 days, on that stage this coming Friday (next to incredible Cuban dancers)! 🤭 If it weren’t for the fact that I hardly have any time to think, I would probably be in complete panic mode. Luckily, our schedule makes it so that we are always doing something (often multiple things at once) without any certainty of what is coming next, so it keeps us in the present moment. Ommmmmmmm🙏
My cast didn’t have the chance to do their costume tech run in the theater today, so after studio rehearsal at the ProDanza studios this morning I did a lot of learning through observing in the theater. Who knew how many moving parts could be in one show? And on top of that, the amount of variables that can affect all of those moving parts? I was nervous simply from watching. Several moments turned out to be extremely chaotic, yes, but one of the main draws I have to my day job is the constant excitement that comes with it. There is never a dull day as a dancer!
Slight subject change—It’s also surreal how authentically Cuban this experience has been. Between getting the majority of my corrections in Spanish, seeing the marquee signs for the majestic Alicia Alonso theater handwritten with marker (it’s harder to come by printer ink here), watching dressers haul around massive wooden costume trunks instead of plastic dress bags, and riding the perpetually-on-the-verge-of-breaking-down school bus to the beat of Cuban music around Havana (with the ProDanza dancers showing off their best dance party moves), I can’t help feeling like I have stepped onto a movie set. The lack of Americanization of Cuba is vastly more noticeable than any other country I have ever traveled to. It’s actually quite refreshing, but also hard to fully comprehend. Right now, I find it to be an invigorating energy for me.
…More thoughts to be continued mañana because, like the title suggests, I really have no time to think and need to get some sleep before another 3 runs of “Yarini” in the theater tomorrow!
Ciao!
🙂 Kate
P.S. Even though “ciao” is Italian, Cubans use it frequently and I happen to think it’s a cute way to say goodbye. So ciao ciao ciao!👋
Mar 10
Love0

Havana Nights Gala in honor of Verb Ballets return from Cuba

By Press Releases
CLEVELAND, OH – Verb Ballets announces Havana Nights Gala to be held on Friday, April 20, 2018 at the beautifully restored The Ballroom at Park Lane in University Circle. Guest are invited to celebrate the company’s return from Cuba after the international debut of the Cleveland Havana Ballet in collaboration with ProDanza. The 2018 Gala is chaired by Nadia and Thomas Wearsch with Co-Chairs Leslie Davidson and Leslie Kaufman. Internationally acclaimed Verb Ballets will perform excerpts from Yarini: The Prince of Old Havana -a ballet never seen outside of Cuba! The ballet highlights passion, power and struggles for freedoms that are the essence of the Cuban spirit.
The evening will feature the music of the Sammy DeLeon Orchestra. Sammy DeLeon is a well-recognized fixture in the Ohio Latin jazz scene whom has gained popularity for his danceable groove-oriented music in the styles of Latin jazz, salsa, and merengue. DeLeon’s performance credits include performances with El Gran Combo, Tito Rojas, and Tony Vega. DeLeon has performed in New York, Chicago, Miami, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, as well as locally, and has opened for Tito Puente, whose praise he earned. He also fronts his own orchestra which features four vocalists, a trumpeter, saxophonist, pianist, bassist, and three percussion players.
Dancing the night away after a delicious dinner prepared by Driftwood Catering. Driftwood Catering redefines catering by preparing local and seasonal foods food fresh. Driftwood Catering is led by consulting chef and president Chris Hodgson. Hodgsonis a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu and was featured on Food Network’s: Food Network Star and 2014 FOOD AND WINE’s People’s Best New Chef for the Great Lakes Region.
The elegant affair is at The Ballroom at Park Lane which has been beautifully restored to its Beaux Arts grandeur. The Ballroom blends the old world and the new to create something truly timeless- just like the collaboration between Verb Ballets and ProDanza. The evening will also feature a delightful array of silent auction items and wine pull.
The annual Spring Gala directly supports the company’s operations, performances and outreach programs. Verb Ballets is one of the oldest professional dance companies in the region. The company has received international acclaim and is a true gem in Northeast Ohio! In addition to performing for over 15,000 people in Northeast Ohio last year, the company reached over 41,000 through education and outreach efforts.
Havana Nights is a benefit for Verb Ballets on Friday, April 20, 2018 from 7:00-11:00pm at The Ballroom at Park Lane located at 10510 Park Lane, Cleveland, OH 44106. Tickets start at $150. Reservations are required and can be made by visiting www.verbballets.org/havananights.
For information, tables, tickets, or sponsorship go to www.verbballets.org/havananights 
 
Photos or interviews available upon request by contacting  
Jennifer Garlando, Director of Marketing & PR at jgarlando@verbballets.org.  

 

About Verb Ballets  
Verb Ballets, a contemporary ballet company, presents dynamic programming through bold artistry, unique styles and technical excellence that captivates a broad audience. Under the direction of Dr. Margaret Carlson, Producing Artistic Director and Richard Dickinson, MFA, Associate Director, the company will present a season that ignites passion in the energy, beauty and athleticism of dance. Critics have hailed Verb Ballets as, “Dashes preconceptions …with keen dramatic power.” -The Plain Dealer, “(Verb) is dance magnifique.” – The Examiner, “confident and polished, Verb’s dancers shone” – Dance International Magazine. Verb Ballets cultivates dance appreciation and nurtures wellness through movement in community dance classes, school residencies, senior outreach, library programs, master classes and college course partnerships. Verb Ballets has also been named one of Five Great Tiny Troupes in America by Dance Magazine and was one of the 25 dance companies in America to watch. In 2017 Verb Ballets begins a year long celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the company. As one of the oldest dance organizations in Cleveland we are proud to produce high caliber work and continue to connect with communities across a four county reach. Additional information can be found at www.verbballets.org.

Verb Ballets 3445 Warrensville Center Rd. Shaker Heights, OH 44122 • 216-397-3757 • www.verbballets.org
Facebook  •  Twitter  • Instagram •  YouTube @verbballets

 

Mar 06
Love2

Verb Ballets lands in Cuba

By Cuba, News

Verb Ballets lands in Cuba, begins launch of Cleveland Havana Ballet

By Zachary Lewis, The Plain Dealer , March 6, 2018

”"I still can't believe it's really happening,"
said Verb dancer Kate Webb, at a rehearsal last week. "It means we're a part of history, something bigger than ourselves."

Kate WebbVerb dancer

Photo Bill Naiman

CLEVELAND, Ohio – A project bringing together dancers from Cleveland and Cuba is now actively in motion.

On Saturday, members of Cleveland’s Verb Ballets departed for Havana, where they will spend time soaking up the culture and performing with Cuba’s ProDanza under the name Cleveland Havana Ballet.

“I still can’t believe it’s really happening,” said Verb dancer Kate Webb, at a rehearsal last week. “It means we’re a part of history, something bigger than ourselves.”

The centerpiece of the collaboration, announced in December, is “Yarini,” a new ballet by Ivan Alonso, grandson of Alicia Alonso, founder of the world-renowned Ballet Nacional de Cuba.

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