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Performances

Celebrating Black History Month

By August 3, 2017January 29th, 2018No Comments

Celebrating Black History Month

February 3, 2018 8:00pm

The Breen Center for the Performing Arts

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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”. 

SHOW DETAILS

February 3, 2018 8:00pm

TICKETS

$35 Preferred Seating
$28 Center Seating
$25 Side Seating
$10 Student Discount on Center/Side Seating

Tickets are sold through EventBrite.

Box Office fee will apply for day of sales.

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THEATRE

Breen Center for the Performing Arts
at St. Ignatius High School
2008 W. 30th St.
Cleveland, OH 44113

Pre-show talk with choreographers Tommmie-Waheed Evans and Antonio Brown at 7:15pm in the lobby.

PROGRAM

Continuum (2011)  Antonio Brown
Surge.Capacity.Force. (2017)  Tommie-Waheed Evans
Passing By (2012) Antonio Brown
Dark Matter (2013)  Tommie-Waheed Evans

Choreographer

Antonio Brown

Antonio Brown was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, where he began his dance training at the Cleveland School of the Arts. With tons of love and support from his fam­ily and friends Antonio jumped hurdles very fast in his training and received many awards and scholarships in and outside of the Cleveland area. After graduating from the Cleveland School of the Arts Antonio made his way to New York City to study at the Juilliard School where he received his BFA under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes. While there, he had the opportunity to perform works by Jose Limon, Ohad Naharin, Jiri Kylian, Eliot Feld, Aszure Barton, Jessica Lang, Susan Marshall, Larry Keigwin, among others. Mr. Brown has also worked with many companies and artist throughout New York City including Malcolm Low/Formal Structure, Stephen Pier, Ni­las Martins Dance Company, Damage Dance and Sidra Bell Dance New York. In 2007 Antonio became a member of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. In addition to working with BTJ/AZ, Mr. Brown also finds time to perform with Camille A. Brown & Dancers, and Gregory Dolbashian’s “The Dash Ensemble”. Throughout all of his years Antonio has had an appetite for choreography starting in his living room as child and now on many stages around the world. Brown has choreographed works for Verb Ballets, August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble, The Juilliard Dance Ensemble, Cleveland School of the Arts, Stivers School for the Arts, Perry Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp, and various other schools and intensives across the Country. Mr. Brown’s work has also been showcased during NYC’s Central Park Summer Stage, Center for Performance Research, Tanzania, Africa; The Isle of Wight, UK and was the featured guest for the Friends of Cleveland School of the Arts fundraising GALA in 2010. Antonio is so grateful to be creating art that means so much to him and looks forward to sharing his gifts and talents around the world.

Choreographer

Tommie-Waheed Evans

Tommie-Waheed Evans began his formal training with Michelle Blossom at the Dance Connection in Los Angeles California. He continued his studies under the mentorship of Andrea Calomee and Karen McDonald at Hamilton High School before receiving a fellowship at the Ailey School. As a student, Evans performed the work of Matthew Rushing, Benoit-Swan Pouffer, Karol Armitage, and Debbie Allen. He was an assistant to current artistic director of Ailey II, Troy Powell. Evans professional appearances include the popular sitcom "The Parkers", the Emmy Awards, HopeBoykinDance, Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Lula Washington Dance Theater, the Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco) and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. In 2006 he founded his company, Waheed-Works. Evans has set choreography on The Garden State Dance Festival, Philadelphia Dance Boom Festival, Grace Dance Theater, Verb Ballets, Eleone Dance Theatre, and Boston Conservatory. Evans is the Artist-in-Residence at PHILADANCO! and is currently on faculty at the University of the Arts. His awards include a Dance/USA Philadelphia Rocky Award, Billy Penn: Who Next Arts, Howard Gillman Foundation Fellowship Winner, and a BalletX 2017 Ballet Choreographic Fellowship. Evans recently received his Master of Fine Arts in Choreography from Jacksonville University.

The Breen Center for the Performing Arts

at St. Ignatius High School
2008 W. 30th St.
Cleveland, OH 44113

Free parking is available at the theatre.