Verb Ballets and Hernando Cortez Part Ways
Verb's Peter and the Wolf goes on

In the six years that Hernando Cortez was Artistic Director, he changed Repertory Project -- a modern dance company that performed esoteric postmodern fare for a small audience -- into Verb Ballets, an eclectic company with a more accessible and exciting repertoire with considerable audience appeal. So it was a shock to learn that he's left the company to pursue other -- unspecified -- artistic interests. What happened, and what does the future hold for Verb?

Cortez (at right, pictured with dancers Mark Tomasic and Deanne Petruschke)could not be reached. The e-mail address and cell phone number we had for him are no longer in service. Separate phone calls to Verb's Executive Director Margaret Carlson and to the President of Verb's Board, David Pierce. Both spoke as if reading from the same script.

When Cool Cleveland asked about Cortez’s departure, Pierce replied, “He resigned. He’s pursuing other interests. He may be moving back to New York. We’re not sure.” Continuing with scarcely a pause, Pierce said that “the season will continue as originally planned” and went on to mention Verb’s upcoming performance of Peter and the Wolf (in collaboration with the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra at Tri-C West) and Verb’s mini-tour beginning in January.

Donald Rosenberg announced Cortez’ departure in an 11/19/08 Plain Dealer article, ‘Cortez Steps Down.’ (Google ‘Verb Cortez Steps Down’). The article implies that Cortez had been under intense pressure to resign since October for alleged lateness, lack of proper “attitude,” and “blunders.” So what we have to report is called Putting-The-Best-Face-On-The-Situation-In-Everyone’s-Best-Interests.

Shocked as we were by Cortez’ departure, we were not surprised to learn that Verb’s show goes on. Verb Executive Director Margaret Carlson has long supervised many if not most functions of the company; negotiating collaborations, scheduling and running rehearsals, and so on. Her international experience as dance administrator has long led us to wonder how much Verb owes its success to her.

Peter and the Wolf fills the role of holiday fare nicely in its accessibility to children and its attraction to diverse communities (not just ones that celebrate Christmas); but it can be performed year round, making it a great Verb vehicle for educational outreach and making friends in every community.

Peter and the Wolf has been choreographed for Verb by Pam Probisco, of New York City, a notable member of the national dance community; Probisco is a highly regarded teacher, as is indicated by her current work as Company Teacher for Alvin Ailey Dance Company and Ballet Mistress for Complexions Contemporary Ballet Company.

Many of us here in Cleveland remember her as a founding member and principal dancer of Cleveland Ballet. Some of us knew her when she was Pam Probisco of Parma, where she still has family.

Probisco’s Peter and the Wolf is a clear, fun piece. We saw a run through at Verb’s rehearsal studios on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. The dancers had all mastered their steps and characterizations to the extent that anyone could have followed the story without the narration by WCLV host John Simna. Probisco’s choreography for Brian Murphy as Peter and Danielle Brickman as the Bird made them the most straightforward characters among an amusingly quirky bunch. Anna Roberts was a Duck who swam Australian crawl and backstroke; Erin Conway’s Grandfather was badly in need of a hip replacement; Catherine Meredith portrayed the world’s most infuriating Cat; Katie Gnagy’s Wolf burped up feathers after eating the Duck. And those Hunters portrayed by Ashley Cohen and Leisa DeCarlo! They should watch where they point those guns!

As writers on dance, we’re focused on Verb’s new Peter and the Wolf, but the Cleveland Philharmonic program also includes Corelli's Christmas Concerto, Rimsky-Korsakov's Christmas Eve Suite, and Strauss' beautiful Blue Danube Waltz, with Victor Liva conducting.

Peter and the Wolf is another in a long string of Verb dances commissioned by Millie L. Carlson, mother of Margaret Carlson and long associated with Cleveland Philharmonic, first as a violinist and later as a member of CPO’s board of directors. Might players from Cleveland Philharmonic supply some of the live musical accompaniment that Verb has been looking for?

As Verb’s search for a new Artistic Director gets underway, we find ourselves looking back on Cortez’s tenure during which Verb acquired 6 or so dances by major choreographers. Charismatic dancers from Cortez’s New York company including Liz Flynn and Jason Ignacio performed for Verb for a time. Pierce was quick to acknowledge that “Hernando has done a fabulous job with us; he turned Verb Ballets into a company that has national recognition,” citing prominent mention in Dance Magazine as one of “25 to watch in 2004” and one of 5 “Great Tiny Troupes.”

Cortez choreographed an amazing 20-plus dances on Verb. Admittedly, that count includes several rehashes of earlier pieces. Not all of Cortez’s dances for Verb are keepers; but it’s easy to name some of his worthwhile dances: Cleveland-themed Moon Dogg and Polka Madness, world pop Mondo Jumbo, neoclassical Backlash and Frontrow, comic Speed. Hopefully those dances are now owned by Verb and can be revived from time to time.

Whatever difficulties Cortez and Verb presented and encountered behind the scenes, we’re sorry to see him go. Over the years we’ve been watching, we liked a lot of what we saw on stage. We honor Hernando Cortez for his enormous contribution and we wish him well. The show goes on, for him and for Verb -- just apart and in different places.

Verb performs Peter and the Wolf with the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra 3PM Sun 12/7 Cuyahoga Community College, Western Campus Theater, 11000 West Pleasant Valley Rd, Parma, 44130. Tickets by phone 556-1800 or by mail. Ticketing details at http://www.clevephil.org.

From Cool Cleveland contributors Elsa Johnson and Victor Lucas vicnelsaATearthlink.net
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