Director's Note

We concluded 2021 with a fantastic celebration of the first ever, The Akron Nutcracker, presented by the Dance Institute at The University of Akron. Over 100 dancers, artists, and musicians performed for two sold-out performances at EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall. It was a huge endeavor, and it was an honor to lead a project that celebrated the community such a unique way.

Joshua L. Peugh joined us in January for an eight-week choreographic residency. This is the first time in history that the company has commissioned one choreographer to create a work of this magnitude. Romeo & Juliet is a timeless story that reflects current societal issues and the undertones of tension that differences in beliefs can cause. Although this story is over 400 years old, we still connect to the humanness of the characters’ driving desire for love.

I have been with the company since 2001 in varyingcapacities and became the Executive Artistic Director in2010. I am honored to lead an action-oriented company thathas a duel mission; to commission and create contemporarydance works while honoring the deep roots of the companiesthat preceded Verb. This season has given us the opportunityto take risks and explore, create, and collaborate. Verb willcontinue to follow all recommended state health andCOVID-19 guidelines for public performances. This seasonwould not be possible without the tremendous support ofYOU, our audience members, patrons, and funders!