How does rock music bring unexpected qualities to ballet
Photo: Kolman Rosenberg
Lieneke Matte is from the Bronx and has danced with Verb Ballets since 2013. She was featured in the documentary No Dominion: The Ian Horvath Story and danced the led in Romeo and Juliet for the Cleveland Havana Ballet Project in Cuba. Lieneke has been a part of every Verb collaboration with Neil Zaza to date! We asked her about what it is like to be in a rock production. Rock and ballet seem like an unlikely
Has anything surprised you about
Have you learned anything about yourself
pairing. What is it like dancing to rock
working on One Dark Night?
from the experience? I have learned how
music? It is exciting and refreshing! It is
I am certainly in awe of all the various
much I love performing in non-
wonderful to perform with music that
elements that go into putting on a
traditional environments! Experiences
has so much energy. It is hard not to
show like One Dark Night. The lights,
like this make me appreciate the
perform your best when there is an
costumes, and props all make it a truly
variety of opportunities that we have
awesome guitar riff! I also enjoy
immersive experience.
at Verb. I have also realized how much I
introducing a different audience to ballet.
enjoy collaborating with different kinds What types of challenges have you dealt
of individuals to create something new.
with in One Dark Night?
It encourages all who are involved to
What do you want the audience to know
One challenge has been show-casing
think differently about their craft!
about this collaborative work?
ourselves [as dancers] without pulling
I want audience members to know how
too much attention away from Neil.
This collaboration returns to the Akron
much the artists in the production truly
The choreography plays a major role in
Civic Theatre on Friday, October 29,
admire one another! While the dancers
determining the viewer’s focus. The
2021. Tickets are on sale only through
are amazed by the musicians’
choreographer had to think about that
the Box Office at 330-253-2488 or
virtuosity, the musicians enjoy having
during the rehearsal process.
Ticketmaster. Tickets start at $25.
their work brought to life in a new way by the dancers. verbiculture | October 2021
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