In celebration of Black History Month, the company will remount original works commissioned by Verb Ballets from nationally recognized African American choreographers.  The performance on February 3, 2018 at the Breen Center for the Performing Arts in Cleveland will feature the work of award winning Philadelphia choreographer, Tommie-Waheed Evans and Cleveland native and former Bill T Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company dancer, Antonio Brown. Tommie-Waheed Evans’ audience favorite, Dark Matter, returns to the stage. Described by critics as, “sleek encounters that brim with contrasting patterns and connections”, this intensely driven physical work is complemented by stage designer Trad A Burns’ rhythmically controlled and breathtaking visual effects. Returning to the Cleveland stage after a hiatus of several years will be two works by Cleveland native Antonio Brown. A graduate of the Cleveland School of the Arts, he enjoyed a long career with Bill T Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company before starting his own company, Antonio Brown Dance. Brown’s most recent work on the company, Passing By, is a lusciously abstract work with captivating lighting by Trad A Burns. The use of shafts of light over white rectangles adds to this intriguing work that was featured at the International Association of Blacks in Dance conference in 2015! Critics hailed the Verb Ballets performance of his work, “nothing can restrain the thrust that the Verb cast lavishes on Brown’s exuberant brainstorm”. Founded in 1987 Verb Ballets has flourished as a leading dance company in Northeast Ohio and Dance International Magazine said, “confident and polished, the Verb’s dancers shone”.