verbiculture February 2021 | Issue 3
LEGACY OF JOSÉ LIMÓN Iconic modern work returns to Cleveland
SOMETIMES, ALWAYS
Photo: Jackie Sawjewski (2020) Dancer: Benjamin Shepard
Richard Dickinson, MFA choreographs a new ballet
STRENGTH IN CHARACTER Traditional folk dances to the stage
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The Director's Note 10 Q's with Lieneke Matte JosĂŠ LimĂłn Exploring Modern Dance Sometimes, Always Dancing on the Board
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Help Us Welcome Vintage'n'Things Strength in Character From Bangkok to Cleveland Pas Deux in Life
For more content and exclusive videos, visit www.verbballets.org
DIRECTOR'S NOTE As 2021 begins, we want to take a moment to share our deepest gratitude and say thank you for supporting us throughout this past year. The performing arts industry has been shaken to its core by the pandemic and it has taught us about resilience, perseverance, innovation and having a plan B. For the time being, we will focus on presenting virtually with the hope that the vaccine will be more readily available, and summer outdoor concerts will return. Many of our followers may not know that each of our dancers has been selected to join the company because of a strength they have that sets them apart. For our next performance, Going Solo, on February 26th, I have curated this performance to showcase the strengths of the individual dancers! I am very honored that Verb Ballets is presenting José Limón’s Dances for Isadora in commemoration of the Limón Company's 75th anniversary. This work premiered at the Cleveland Museum of Art 50 years ago and we are excited to bring it back to Cleveland. While the women of the company were busy learning the Limón solos, I commissioned Associate Artistic Director, Richard Dickinson, MFA to create a new work on the men. I am moved by how he took to the challenge and created a breath-taking work, Sometimes, Always. I met guest artist Robert Carter in 2001 when I was the company teacher and ballet mistress of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. I asked him to stage the solos from Paquita that he has danced many times. These solos are in sharp contrast to the Limón solos from the same era. My old friend Inna Strabova, formerly of Eifman Ballet, also came in to set traditional character dances on the company. Many of our dancers have not trained in character and I wanted to use this as an opportunity for them to grow! We can't wait until we can share the stage live in person with you but
Photo:Bill Naiman
until then we will continue to bring dance into your lives virtually.
Dr. Margaret Carlson Producing Artistic Director
Rococo Variations (2019) Dancer: Julie Russel
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Photo: Kolman Rosenberg Dancers: Kelly Korfhage, Benjamin Shepard
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QUESTIONS WITH LIENEKE MATTE Company Dancer has been with Verb Ballets for eight seasons and started dancing in the Bronx When did you start dancing? When I was 6 years old at a local studio in the Bronx. What drove you to a dance career? Dancing has always been a part of my identity. I was very shy in my adolescence and dance is where I felt I could work hard and be seen. Luckily my parents allowed me to continue to train and have a dance career become a possibility. What do you enjoy doing outside the studio? I love quality time with friends, being outdoors, listening to podcasts, and enjoying other forms of art. What is your go to mantra? I don’t really have one, but I have always liked the quote: “Success is not final; failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts”. Who is someone you admire? Nancy Pelosi. She is a fighter! If you weren’t a dancer you’d be? Probably a psychologist or park ranger. Best advice you ever got? The grass is greenest where you water it. Who would you love to work with? Oh boy! If I could pick anyone….Paul Lightfoot and Sol León. I love the works they created for Nederlands Dans Theater. What do you want people to take away from a performance? I want people to see our passion and be left thinking.
Similar (2014) Photo: Bill Naiman Dancers: Lieneke Matte, Stephaen Hood
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Your favorite role or piece to dance? I have so many! If I had to choose one then I would say the duet from Similar by Anthony Krutzkamp. It was one of my first big roles with Verb. I felt like I was floating when I performed it. I loved the balletic lines and the smooth yet unexpected transitions.
Photo: Barbara Morgan (1944) for educational purposes
JOSÉ LIMÓN Celebrating the legacy of pioneers in modern dance.
Verb Ballets is honored to stage a work by José
50 years ago at the Cleveland Museum of Art and
Limón this season. Celebrated as one of the world’s
the company is honored to bring it back to
greatest modern dance companies, the Limón Dance
Cleveland. Limón created Dances for Isadora in1971,
Company is marking its 75th anniversary. The
a year before his death. This work was Limón's
company was founded by the late José Arcadio
tribute to Isadora Duncan, whom he regarded as his
Limón (1908-1972), a pioneering modern dancer
“dance mother”. Isadora Duncan (1877-1927) was
and choreographer. Born in Mexico, Limón moved to
known as one the of the forerunners of American
New York City in 1928 where he studied and
Modern Dance. Modern dance at the time was in
performed with Doris Humphrey and Charles
the development of new styles that sought to
Weidman. He is credited with creating one of the
embed raw human emotion within their dances,
world’s most important and enduring dance
differing from the highly stylized emotional and
legacies— an art form responsible for the creation,
refined content of ballet.
growth and support of modern dance in this country. His choreography spoke to the complexities of human life with its dramatic expression, technical mastery, and expansive yet nuanced movement.
Don't miss company premiere of José Limón's Dances for Isadora February 26th at 7:00pm ET Get tickets now!
Verb Ballets will present José Limón’s Dances for Isadora on the Going Solo program on February 26, 2021. The work received its first performance
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E X P L O R I N G
M O D E R N
Natalie Desch was a dancer with the Limón Dance Company and spent eleven seasons with Photo: Stuart Ruckman
Doug Varone and Dancers. She was the reconstructor for Dances for Isadora on the women of the company streaming in from Utah via Zoom. We talked with her about the deep meaning behind this work. The piece was choreographed in 1971 What makes it a classic? I have an admitted bias for Limón’s work, so my answer comes from a very specific perspective! I’ve had the privilege of learning about him for nearly thirty years– directly from those with whom he worked and from dancing his works first hand. Limón was a consummate formalist in his choreographic design and is especially revered for the magical ways he married musical scores with movement. Dances for Isadora is quite a poetic example of this. Limón captures five distinct eras of Isadora Duncan’s life using an array of piano pieces by Frederic Chopin as well as choosing to leave one solo in silence.
D A N C E
In restaging this work what do you hope to pass on? Well, I’m somewhat obsessed with the concept of time, and I love the study of history. So I find it thrilling that in 2021, a wonderful group of artists can assemble to embody important chapters of the past. But this doesn’t just mean investigating the trailblazing woman, Isadora Duncan, (1877-1927) who the choreographer, José Limón, (1908-1972) held with such high regard. Yes, we are studying the stages of an individual’s (Duncan’s) life, but we are also studying the philosophies, the zeitgeist of her time, and what personally made her such a visionary––she made seismic shifts in the aesthetics of dance in America and around the world. As well, we have such an opportunity to embody her convictions and her accomplishments through the lens of Limón’s vision of choreography from the year 1971 when he created it. That includes all the personal, political, societal, and aesthetic considerations in existence for him, his dancers, and the greater community at that time as well. It’s a rich opportunity to investigate these chapters of history and how they might also relate to the time in which we presently exist and grapple with the issues in front of us.
These solos display the inherently strong rhythms found in the movement. Through the work, he sculpts both the subtle gestures and the bold physicality of Duncan’s very short-lived but complex life. Which roles have you danced? I have danced the solo entitled Niobe which was taught to me by Limón company members as part of the audition process when I joined the Limón Company in 1996. It has a special place in my heart because of that. I believe it also has such relevance in 2021 as it speaks to the sadness and loss many people are experiencing as a result of the pandemic. In a tragic chapter of Isadora’s life, Duncan not only lost two young children in an automobile accident when they drowned in Paris’ River Seine (1913) but also lost a child (1914) who didn’t survive infancy. Niobe shares the tender tones of a mother’s grief for the loss of her children and the existential questions that arise when lives are lost. Photo: John Deane Dancer: Natalie Desch
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How would you describe each of the solos? Primavera – This solo is an exuberant celebration of youth and self-discovery. Primavera shows both a vivacious brightness in an allegro section as well as a thoughtful lyricism in its second section. Maenad – This solo shows a most sensual side of femininity. With a grounded and strident physicality, we see a character with confidence in her wakening sexuality and sense of self. Niobe – This solo is a lament––like a mother’s prayer for the loss of her children––sparse and grieving. La Patrie – This solo is a nod to Duncan’s voice on social and political issues. As a feminist at the dawn of the 20th century, we see her asserting her power and her open-minded beliefs in women’s’ and individuals’ rights and equities. Scarf Dance – This solo is an enigmatic, dreamscape-like chronicle of a life. Its character is briefly revisited by ghosts of prior personalities who help tell this final chapter of life. The dramatic complexities of Isadora are apparent, and her accidental death, when the scarf she was wearing became entangled in the wheels of an
Dancer: Sikhumbuzo Hlahleni
automobile, are both abstract and haunting.
What strengths do the women of Verb bring to the piece? The artists of Verb possess such incredible depths of understanding when it comes to the subtleties of this work. To put their talents and abilities into perspective, however, some context about process has to be shared. Because of COVID-19 and travel restrictions, I had the unprecedented limitation of NOT being directly in the studio with the dancers as I taught the work. I really doubted whether a Zoom call could reveal the detail and nuance this work requires. However, any anxieties I had about this process were quickly assuaged by the talent and work ethic that were immediately evident! Not only do these women possess virtuosic technique and a mastery of skill in their bodies, but their imaginations and their artistic maturity was pronounced as well. Each woman learned all five of the solos (no easy feat!) and each dancer gave an outstanding and completely unique iteration of each of the chapters of the Duncan story. The women of Verb are a formidable group with the strengths of sensitivity, power, musicality, Photos: Kolman Rosenberg (2021)
and theatricality.
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Photos: Kolman Rosenberg (2021)
RICHARD DICKINSON, MFA
Photos: Kolman Rosenberg (2021)
FINDING STRENGTH AND V ULNE RABILITY IN M OV E M E NT
SOMETIMES, ALWAYS Richard Dickinson, MFA is well known for his long career with Ohio Ballet. His connection with Verb Ballets began over 10 years ago. As the Associate Artistic Director, he molds the company dancers but the other hat he wears is as a regular company choreographer. He is known for his eclectic style, combining ballet technique with modern angles and intricate partnering. We sat down with him to talk about his newest ballet featuring the men of the company. Why did you choreograph an all-male piece?
What is the new piece about?
I was asked to choreograph a new work for the men
The work is about being strong and vulnerable at
of Verb Ballets while the women were learning the
the same time. Being open to the many possibilities
Limon solos.
of the universe, and not being afraid of who you are or what you can be. We are expected to have a hard
What inspired your new work?
shell around us, like a cocoon. However, I think we
I went into the process unclear where to start or
should let the world in and experience it. Its joy and
how to approach this undertaking. I began to think
pain. Full of energy and life. Don't be afraid- just be
of other choreographers that have famously
your best!
choreographed for men: Ted Shawn, Mark Morris, and Lar Lubovitch. I began to look at videos and
What is the meaning behind the title?
photos of their work as inspiration. I wanted to
Sometimes we meet someone that we will always
make something unsentimental, about guys. That
remember.
was the beginning, and it has taken off from there. verbiculture | February 2021
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Photos: Kolman Rosenberg (2021)
What music did you use?
What opportunities or challenges arose
In the end I went to an intimate place
The piece is choreographed to the
from working with a cast of men?
but carefully and thoughtfully.
well-known score by American
I originally started a full company
composer Samuel Barber. His String
piece last summer to premiere at
What do you hope people will take away
Quartet in B minor, Op. 11. mirrors
Lakeside but it was cancelled due to
when seeing the work?
the four men in the piece. There are
the pandemic. The ballet stayed in my
I hope they have a cathartic
three sections but most people will
head manifesting itself. In the studio,
experience... that they see a part of
recognize the middle section which
I felt like I was watching myself
themselves in the physical expression
I have choreographed as a duet. The
choreograph. I began to ask myself
of this dance, and that they experience
composer’s style is distinctive and
questions about intimacy and
some psychological relief by
modern, making it a perfect match
structure- content, meaning and
expressing strong personal emotions.
for contemporary ballet.
musicality. It was a very complicated
Is that asking for too much? I can
process that I thoroughly enjoyed.
always hope! Enjoy!
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Don't miss the premiere on February 26th at 7:00pm ET Get tickets now!
Photo: Bill Naiman
Photo: Marcy Hayes Adagio for Two Dancers (2019) Dancers: Kelly Korfhage, Benjamin Shepard
DANCING ON THE BOARD Childhood hobby led her to encourage others to support the arts scene in Cleveland Mary Anne Garvey Verb Ballets has been honored to have Mary Anne Garvey on the board of directors for the past four seasons in which she began her tenure as Treasurer in October 2020. She is a
Repertoire is broad yet the dancers seem comfortable regardless of what they are asked to perform
retired trial lawyer and a passionate performing and visual arts supporter. Her love of the arts began as a child taking dance lessons. She was an actor in school and even ran a theater company with two college friends after graduation from John Carroll University, before attending the School of Law at Case Western Reserve University. Self-proclaimed least talented dance student, her persistence drives her to still take class! She first saw the company perform at an outdoor summer event. She volunteers for Verb Ballets to support the growth of the organization. Mary Anne admires the company's focus on their willingness to be daring. She is passionate about encouraging others to take advantage of the lively arts scene in Cleveland. She currently serves on the boards of the Print Club of Cleveland, One World Shop, and has served on the North Coast Ballet Theater and Cleveland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts board of trustees. She is a member of the Cowan Pottery Museum and the International Women’s Air and Space Museum. Mary Anne is a Cleveland native who now enjoys spending time in South Carolina. She and her husband, A.J. love traveling abroad. Their last trip to Egypt was postponed due to COVID with hopes to reschedule. They also have two small rescue dogs, Dexter and Mac, who are named after characters in the movie The Philadelphia Story. verbiculture | February 2021
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HELP US WELCOME Please help us welcome Sikhumbuzo Hlahleni to Ohio! He just arrived from Capetown, South Africa as part of Verb Ballets' 2021 International Cultural Exchange Program. Sikhumbuzo Hlahleni is from South Africa and began his training at Cape Academy of Performing Arts and then later participated in an intensive at South Africa International Ballet. He studied in the United States, training in California at Dance for All and went to Kaatsbaan International Dance Center under the guidance of Stella Abrera. Professionally, he has danced with the Joburg Ballet and Mzansi Ballet. He will be sharing South Africa’s dance traditions with Verb Ballets. This cultural exchange program will give company members a deeper appreciation and understanding of cultures while finding community in dance.
Dancer: Sikhumbuzo Hlahleni
Vintage'n'Things ONLINE AUCTION OF FABULOUS FINDS
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Photos: Kolman Rosenberg (2021)
STRENGTH IN CHARACTER Dancers who aspire to perform in the
Character training helps bring stylistic
She was a former principal dancer with
great classical ballets are required to
detail to classical and contemporary
the Eifman Ballet. Her first education
know what is called, Character Dance.
roles and develops the coordination
began at the Odessa State
In multiple act classical ballets,
required to become a versatile dancer.
Choreographic Institute in Ukraine.
there are sections where folk dances
She then went on to graduate with her
from various countries in Europe are
Dr. Carlson met Inna Stabrova when
Masters in Choreography from The
part of the choreography. Character
she immigrated to the United States in
Vaganova State Academy of Ballet in St.
dance is not something you would
the 1990's. Dr. Carlson was then the
Petersburg, Russia. After graduation,
normally associate with Verb Ballets.
Director of the University of Akron's
she received a teaching certification in
Many dancers today have not received
School of Dance and felt Inna was a
Character Dance from Bella Ojegova.
that training or have not studied it to
perfect match to supplement the
an advanced level. Dr. Margaret
students' training. So began a long
Inna Stabrova set two character works
Carlson, Producing Artistic Director of
friendship.
on the company to debut on the Going
Verb Ballets, wanted to bring the
Solo program. The men will dance a
character variations into the repertory
Inna Stabrova has a reputation as a
Spanish Jota and the full company will
to provide a deeper education for our
gifted teacher and was an exceptional
dance a Ukrainian folk dance.
dancers.
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FROM BANGKOK TO CLEVELAND What did you impart on the dancers during this re-staging? The variations I taught are through the lens of my understanding and influence with my Trockadero background. I have danced all of the variations at one time or another. I tried to impart to the dancers that they are limitless if they are willing to push the envelope and explore their own possibilities within any dance. Sometimes it can be as small as a tilt of the head or even the way the hands are used within a movement of the arms. Expecting the unexpected and giving new life to even time-honored
Guest Dancer: Robert Carter Photo: Kolman Rosenberg (2020)
classics.
Guest Artist, Robert Carter, has been an American primo donna ballet dancer for Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo for over 25 years. As a lead dancer of the all-male dance troupe he has performed across the globe. We sat down with him to talk about staging the Paquita variations. Tell us about your background that led
After taking a class with the
you to dance with Les Ballets
company and hanging out for
Trockadero?
rehearsal, he asked if I was free to
My first teacher spotted me at a
come again. I did and upon entering
local arts festival in my hometown
the studio was presented with my
of Charleston, South Carolina while
first contract. That was twenty-five
I was performing with a children’s
years ago and I’m still going strong.
theatrical group. I went for my first class at age seven and a half and
How did you end up in Cleveland?
instantly I was hooked. After seeing
I met Dr. Carlson years ago when
Les Ballets Trockadero for the first
she came to work with Trockodero
time around age twelve, I just knew
as a company teacher and ballet
that it was a company for me. I
mistress. I have always loved her
didn’t know how or when, but I was
energy! Unfortunately, like many
determined to dance with the
other companies my dear Ballets
company of men who did what I did.
Trockadero has not been able to
I managed to get the contact
work during the pandemic as the
information from its director Tory
majority of our work includes
Dobrin and called to inquire
traveling. I am grateful that she
about auditions.
reached out and offered the opportunity to dance as a guest while my normal work is shut down.
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What is your favorite memory of dancing Paquita variations? I can recall many memories that makes each of the variations special to me in their own way. One of my fondest was when I danced before a crown princess of Thailand in Bangkok and later meeting her on a red carpet following the performance.
C O M P A N Y
A N N O U N C E M E N T
PAS DEUX IN LIFE Emily Dietz and Benjamin Shepard joined Verb Ballets in 2017. They got engaged in November 2020. Learn how they dance, live and work together. Where did you meet? Photo: Parkerfotos Photography
We met in college at Butler University in the dance department. It was a stroke of good luck since we are from opposite coasts. (Benjamin is from Maryland and Emily is from California). After about a year, we realized we liked each other as more than friends. How is it sharing a profession? It’s wonderful to be with someone who completely understands your profession, since the dance world is a unique place. However, we can’t really ask, “How was your day today?” because we spend all day in the same studio. There’s also somewhat of a lack of novelty and awe when we watch each other dance because we are incredibly familiar with all of the technical aspects. In general, we try not to “take work home with us” in order to keep our work relationship separate from our relationship at home. How does your dancing complement each other? Expectations of how women and men dance both technically and stylistically are pretty different. We like to joke about how Ben would love to have Emmie’s feet & flexibility. And Emmie wishes she could jump even a fraction as high as Ben. That being said, we love
At the end of the day, we feel lucky to get to
dancing together, and our heights match up perfectly for partnering! Trust is also a big part of dancing together as partners, and that comes easily for us. What are your wedding plans?
work in the same
We are waiting for the vaccine to be widely distributed
company, since it’s not
watched many friends go through the stress of having
super common in the
like sometime in 2022! We are incredibly excited-
dance world.
we are enjoying being engaged and getting used to
and readily available before making concrete plans. We
Photo: Bill Naiman
to cancel weddings due to COVID. So it’s looking to us Emmie has already bought her dress. In the meantime, calling each other “fiancé/e”.
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3558 Lee Rd. Shaker Heights, OH 44120 216-397-3757 l verbballets.org
Photo: Kolman Rosenberg
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Going Solo February 26, 2021 7:00pm Virtual Performance Vintage'n'Things March 15-22, 2021 Fabulous Finds Online Auction KL3668 (2020) Dancer: Hunter Hoffman