Company

Company

Sabatino Verlezza

Artistic Director, Verlezza Dance. Kent State University, Guest Instructor (2007). He holds an M.F.A. (Dance) from the University of Michigan (1979), a B.A. (Dance) from the State University of New York at Brockport (1977) and an A.A. degree from Orange County Community College, NY, (1975). He danced professionally with the May O’Donnell Dance Company in New York City from 1979-1988 and with the Joyce Trisler Danscompany, Glenn-Lund Dance, Sophie Maslow, Norman Walker and Janet Soares/Dances among others. In 1988, he established his own company comprised of former O’Donnell, Maslow and Trisler dancers entitled, Verlezza Dance. He has choreographed, directed and taught for many companies, including the Joyce Trisler Danscompany (NYC) and Joffrey II (NYC). Sabatino taught at Marymount Manhattan College, NYC (1992-1994) and Dowling College, New York (1988-1994) and has been guest artist/faculty at numerous universities. In 1994, he became Artistic Director/Choreographer for Dancing Wheels, where he also served as principal dancer and faculty member until 2003. Sabatino with Barbara were the 2003 recipients of the Northern Ohio Live Achievement Award in Dance. As Artistic Director and choreographer of Verlezza Dance, he continues present lecture/performances and main stage concerts as well as teaching classes, workshops/residencies. With Barbara, he co-directs/instructs the Creative Movement/Dance program at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital for Rehabilitation and the Euclid Adult Training Center for senior adults with developmental, physical and sensory disabilities. In 2005, Sabatino established a partnership with the City of Shaker Heights and the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland where he opened a studio, School of Verlezza Dance, offering classes with a full range of curriculum, age and ability levels for students with and without disabilities. A certified Pilates instructor,he extends his teaching approach to broaden his philosophy of arts and wellness. The Verlezzas are recipients of the CCBMR/DD Inclusion Award (2003, 2008). Verlezza Dance is a 2008 Ohio Governor’s Award Nominee.

Barbara Allegra Verlezza

Associate Artistic Director and Assistant Professor, Kent State University (2003-present). After completing her education at the University of Michigan with a B.S., Education of Dance (1975) and her M.F.A. degree, Dance (1978), Barbara was a soloist with the May O’Donnell Dance Company from 1979-1988, NYC. She also danced with the Joyce Trisler Danscompany, Sophie Maslow, Norman Walker and Verlezza Dance. Relocating to Cleveland in 1994, she served as Associate Artistic Director, Education Director, principal dancer, and faculty member for [Cleveland Ballet] Dancing Wheels until 2003. Since 2003, Sabatino and Barbara, as Directors of Verlezza Dance, have continued unique partnerships, teaching and directing the Creative Movement/Dance Classes at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital for Rehabilitation as well as with the Euclid Adult Training Center for senior adults with developmental, physical and sensory disabilities through the Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Retardation/Developmental Disability where they were recently honored with the 2008 Inclusion Award. In 2003, they were the recipients of the Northern Ohio Live Achievement Award in Dance. In 2005, Barbara was honored with the Dance Teacher Magazine Award for Outstanding Teacher in Higher Education. She co-teaches summer programs with Sabatino in New York, at the School of Verlezza Dance, Shaker Heights, OH and has been guest faculty in Nicosia, Cyprus (2005, 2007).

Tracy L. Pattison

Assistant Artistic Director, Verlezza Dance.Originally from New York State, Tracy holds a Bachelor of Science, cum laude, in Dance and Exercise Physiology from State University of New York at Brockport where she was awarded the Friars' Foundation Scholarship for Performing Artists. She began her association with the Verlezzas in 1998, dancing an excerpt from Tobi Roppo. She has been a devoted dancer of Sabatino's work since moving to Cleveland in 1999 from Toronto, Ontario, where she was previously Co-Director/Choreographer for The Chimera Project. Her professional credits include dancing contemporary and historical American Modern Dance works by such pioneers as Doris Humphrey, Eleanor King, Jose Limon and May O'Donnell. Tracy has choreographed work in New York, Toronto and in Cleveland for Verlezza Dance Summer Dance Workshops 2005 and 2007, Snow Tails 2005, 2006, and 2007 as well as collaborated with Sabatino on various works for Opera Circle, with whom she also was assistant director for the one-act opera Bastien und Bastienne. In addition to administrative, artistic and teaching duties for Verlezza Dance, as a Certified Pilates Instructor and Licensed Massage Therapist, Tracy runs her own company, The Inspired Body LLC.