Fri 3/22 @ 7PM
Sat 3/23 @ 4PM
Ohio Contemporary Ballet (formerly Verb Ballets, which honestly was a much more distinctive and memorable name) is offering something new in addition to its name this weekend, with its Emerging Choreographers Showcase, featuring commissioned work by three up-and-coming choreographers: Richard Oaxaca, Matthew Roberts and Janice Rosario.
Oaxaca, a Texan, is, according to the company’s p.r. “set to redefine dance boundaries with his unconventional approach and bold modern and avant-garde choreography.” He’s performed with a variety of respects ensembles including Cleveland’s Dancing Wheels, and he’s currently a visiting assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University.
New York-based Rosario “stretches beyond the boundaries of ballet and modern dance to create movement invention that is artistically and physically challenging,” says OCB. When she was in residence with the company, she created a dance that explores emotional connections through music, working with the theme of the seasons.
Roberts is a local boy, an Akron native who studied at the University of Akron’s Dance Institute, then graduated from Marymount Manhattan College. He’s been peripatetic since then, dancing with neatly a dozen companies from one coast to the other and currently has his own company called Frtrss Dance Theatre, described as a “faith-based contemporary dance company.” He blends ballet and contemporary dance in his choreography whivh has undoubedly picked up diverse influences in his travels.
The company will perform the program on two consecutive nights at its Ohio Contemporary Ballet Center in Shker Heights. Go here for tickets. All seats are general admission.