Photos: Kolman Rosenberg
ROCKIN' NEW TRADITIONS ON STAGE Kate Webb grew up in Richmond, Virginia. She joined Verb Ballets in 2015 after graduating from Butler University. She has choreographed six works for Verb ballets including a premiere for Tuesday Musical’s Fuze series. Audiences will get a sneak peek at the production Revenge of the Rat King coming next season with rock virtuoso Neil Zaza. Her lively spirit comes through with nostalgic magic in new choreography for a Nutcracker-inspired ballet. We sat down with her to see how she approached this amped up holiday tradition. What about the Nutcracker music is nostalgic for you? Pretty much everything about the score is nostalgic for me! I have been dancing Nutcracker since I was 8 years old, it's firmly planted into my psyche. As a young dancer, getting to perform in the production was the pentacle of my year. Tchaikovsky's score is a masterpiece and can take me back to memories from over 15 years ago in just a few notes. What is your vision for the choreography? The rockin’ version of the score that Neil Zaza has orchestrated demands that this classical holiday tradition be given a wicked makeover—while it will still include pointe shoes and tutus, leather and head banging will also be on deck. Were there any unique challenges or opportunities choreographing with for the rock concert? Most of the challenges stem from the production differences that come between a rock and a ballet concert. The lighting and special effects for a rock show are far more raucous than they are for a typical dance performance and could disorient the dancers during turn sequences. I also have to place the dancers in spacing patterns that are flexible enough to adjust around potentially unforeseen cords and musical equipment that could get in the way. Neil has given me more or less free creative reign to “rock” the choreography in any direction.
Dancers: Lieneke Matte, Hunter Hoffman, Kate Webb, Benjamin Shepard, Kelly Korfhage, Robert Carter, Antonio Morillo
Don't miss the sneak peek at Neil Zaza's One Silent Night... December 12th at 8:00pm at the Akron Civic Theatre Get tickets now! verbiculture | November 2020
18
