DANCE REVIEW

GroundWorks Dancetheater and Verb Ballet

GroundWorks Dancetheater, Verb Ballet dazzle in premiere works

Monday, January 28, 2008

Donald Rosenberg

Plain Dealer Dance Critic

The dance evolution in Cleveland during the past decade has been striking. Big ballet has given way to smaller companies that focus on diverse repertoire.

To wit: Playhouse Square played host to two of Cleveland's most dynamic contemporary troupes over the weekend. GroundWorks Dancetheater shared its probing spirit in the Westfield Insurance Studio Theatre at the Idea Center. Verb Ballet's colorful eclecticism filled the stage of the Ohio Theatre.

Both companies presented world premieres that confirmed these groups' desire to replenish, expand and explore.

Like other events at Playhouse Square on Saturday, Verb's performance was delayed by a new ticketing system not yet willing to cooperate. But the company had no trouble projecting its hallmark poise and energy, notably in the night's world premiere, artistic director Hernando Cortez's "Frontrow," an effortful ballet depicting contrasts of motion and interplay.

The look is hip, with the ensemble attired in shining bathing suits and silver strips hung upstage assuming different hues as conjured by lighting designer Trad Burns. The four movements travel an expanse of classical and contemporary dance language to music by David Lang (the minimalist "Cheating, Lying, Stealing") and Eric Ziolek (the sinuous "Verbtuosity"). Cortez unleashes intriguing combinations and interactions, and the finale, "Bang," has visceral impact.

But the cool detachment that permeates "Frontrow" prevents much of its creative passion from eliciting more than admiration. Even so, the company danced with characteristic commitment and rhythmic point.

The rest of the program comprised revivals of works by Cortez and the late Heinz Poll. The former's "Songs," premiered last September, returned in a much improved revision with new, bucolic costumes by Suzy Campbell and an abstract metallic tree designed by Robert Katkowsky. These additions greatly enhance the poetic atmospheres, complementing Cortez's sensitive evocations of Mahler scores. The cast's fluid concentration illuminated the yearning flights and lyrical gestures.

Poll's "Duet" benefited from the radiant partnering of Danielle Brickman and Brian Murphy, who performed the flowing lifts and balances with featherweight grace to a Bach adagio aristocratically played by cellist Greg Fiocca and pianist David Fisher.

The night's triumph came first, Poll's "Bolero," its arresting escalation of swirling and ceremonial patterns given fabulous delineation by the Verb dancers. Catherine Meredith commanded the stage, snapping her cape wildly and joining colleagues to detonate this mesmerizing take on Ravel's relentless masterpiece.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

drosenberg@plaind.com, 216-999-4269

© 2008 The Plain Dealer

© 2008 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.

Reviews