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.
