Fri 6/23 @ 8PM
Verb Ballets annual performance at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights will be bitter sweet. It marks their farewell to company dancer Lieneke Matte, who is retiring after ten years with the company. The performance is billed as a tribute to the New York-born dancer, who chose some of her favorite pieces for the evening.
Among the pieces on the program is Ohio Ballet founder and local dance legend Heinz Poll’s “Schubert Waltzes,” a dance for three couples, along with Poll’s popular “Bolero,” a piece Matte danced many times. “This will be her first time experiencing the thrill and master control of the iconic red cape in the center,” we’re told.
The program always features choreographer Anthony Krutzcamp’s “Similar,” one of the first pieces Matte performed with Verb, and Daniel Precup’s “Ne Me Quitte Pas,” a love duet set to music by Jacques Brel. The piece was set on Matte, one of her first featured roles.
“Lieneke is such a beautiful dancer and person,” says Verb’s producing artistic director Dr. Margaret Carlson. “She has been committed and dedicated in her life as a dancer. It is with both joy and a heavy heart that we say our goodbyes as she moves on to the next phase of her professional life. She is a quintessential dancer; I am honored to have watched her grow as a dancer over the decade.”
The performance is free; registration is encouraged. Go here. Gates open at 7pm.