Reviews
Wilma Salisbury
The Plain Dealer Dance Critic
Firmly centered in classical ballet technique, the Neos dancers have the versatility to perform pointe work, contemporary movement and tab dance. Young and energetic, they pull the audience into their performance with pright personalities warm rapport and a palpable love of dance.
Few American farm boys grow up to be ballet dancers. Robert Wesner is one of the exceptions. In his youth, he sowed horses, hogs and steers at the Ashland County Fair in Ohio. One of his proudest achievements was showing a Grand champion Market Hog for his Father, and Ashland hog farmer and breeder. Young Bobby also played Little League Baseball and dabbled in diving, track and gymnastics. But he artistic talents, too, which he developed by singing in the church choir, studying voice and piano, and performing in high school musicals.
At 16, he took his first ballet class, and that changed everything. After only three years of training with Hellie Schussler at Opus II Dance Studio in Ashland and a summer program with Milwaukee Ballet, he launched his professional career as a dancer with Ballet Arizona in Phoenix. Six years later he returned to Ashland, where he lives with his wife, former Ballet Arizona dancer Brooke Wesner, and their daughters, Genevieve, 3, and Ella, 2. Convinced that it is possible to reside in rural community and make a living in dance de performs with Verb Ballets, teaches in an Ashland Studio, appears as a guest artist with regional companies and directs his own small ensemble, Neos Dance Theatre.
In addition, he maintains ties with ballet Arizona by serving as resident choreographer for the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra's pops concerts. This week Neos makes its Cleveland debut at the Cleveland Public Theatre. The program features works choreographed by Wesner and company member Justin O'Donnell.
"The company was formerly Ashland Regional Ballet's 'Let's Dance.' We did outreach in public schools and little one act lecture demonstrations for two years in rural Wayne County. There was not a lot of feedback so we decided to put together a repertory company with its own identity from Ashland Regional Ballet.
Neos make its official debut last spring at Ashland University. At Cleveland Public Theatre, the dancers will perform a romantic pas de deux, an a cappella tap dance, an abstract trio, a lyrical quintet and a multimedia ensemble piece. The accompanying music ranges from Bach's Italian Concerto to video-game electronics.
Wesner, 29, traces his interest in choreography to his teacher Schussler, who offered workshops to Ashland ballet students. Wesner also participated in workshops in Phoenix, and he spent hours discussing the craft of choreography with Michael Uthoff, former artistic director of Ballet Arizona.
During their tenure in Phoenix, Wesner and his wife contributed to the creation of Moses Pendleton's "Opus Cactus," the evening-length work that Momix Dance Theatre will perform on the DanceCleveland Series next month at the State Theatre in Playhouse Square. After the first part of the piece was created in Arizona, the couple spent a month in Connecticut helping Pendleton develop additional choreography. They performed the work with Momix in Italy, and Wesner was asked to join the company for its current tour. "But I had other commitments," he said.
For Brooke Wesner, 27, the top commitments are home and family. Like her husband, she grew up in Ashland and studied with Schussler. But she got an earlier start - at age three. She began her professional career with Milwaukee Ballet and then danced for four years with Ballet Arizona. "I danced 'Serenade' and Arabian in the Nutcracker when I was four months pregnant with my first child," she said. "I was a Saloon Girl in 'Billy the Kid' when I was six months pregnant, and I took dance class the day Genevieve was born.
I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. But I knew I would not be able to do it all in Arizona. If we would come back, we would have an extended family, and Hellie [Schussler] would let me dance [with Ashland Regional Ballet]." The other Neos dancers also trained by Schussler in Ashland. Two went away and returned. Two never left home. Sarah Cyders, 26, earned a dance degree at Point Park College in Pittsburgh and teaches musical theater at Ashland University. She is married to an airline pilot. Kari Nikolaus, 29, finished an undergraduate degree in dance at Kent University and danced with Gus Giordano in Chicago before returning to Mansfield, where she teaches dance and does medical billing for a physical-therapy association. She is married to a CPA. Gabrielle Smith, 21, is a new mother, a full time employee of Target and a wife of an electrician. O'Donnell, 19, is a student at Ohio State University/Mansfield and North Central State College. We all grew up together in the same studio," Wesner said. "We all teach and perform." Neos, like nearly all small dance companies struggles to find financial support. This season, it has obtained underwriting from Ashland University and Stan Hywet Hall in Akron. Wesner is looking for performing opportunities in Columbus, and he hopes to join Momix for some of its shorter tours.
"I make a living, but not with all the bells and whistles," he said. "We rent a house outside of Ashland. I'm with my family. I love it."
The Plain Dealer
...moving with precision through emotionally charged choreography that stuttered and paused in dramatic poses that communicated anguish, desperation and pleas for divine intervention
— of Norm and Cleo
...Beautifully narrative images...
...Works by Wesner were...personal and spiritual.
Arizona Daily Star
Spinning through exquisite arabesque and attitude turns...with lyrical melodrama.
— of Brooke Wesner
The Arizona Republic
Robert Wesner was eclectic, humorous, yet sympathetic.
The Ashland Times Gazette
Robert Wesner said spectators will be pleasantly surprised with the dance movements they will see at Neos Dance Theatre's July 23 performance at Myers Memorial Band Shell. Wesner, artistic director of the local Neos Dance Theatre said people usually expect certain movements when they hear the works dance or ballet. "It will be interesting, it will be entertaining and it won't be something people will expect," Wesner said. .... Began as an extension of Ashland Regional Ballet's outreach program about three years ago, Neos Dance Theatre combines music, dance, and theatre. .... After a few performances in the area the past year and a half at Ashland University, Mansfield and Cleveland, Neos Dance Theatre has plans to have performances in Memphis Tenn.; Winston-Salem, N.C. and Phoenix in the upcoming year in addition to July 23 local performance, Wesner said. Wesner said he hopes the company can grow to the point where it has many performances across the country and several local performances to prepare before it goes out on the road. That's why Wesner said the dance company is excited about performing at the Band Shell and hopes it isn't the last. "That would be great if we could perform a performance a year there", Wesner said. The dance company's first show at the Band Shell will be a little under an hour and have two parts to it. One part Wesner choreographed. It deals with an office setting and will include live music from local father-son musicians Ian and Daniel Hodge. Ian plays the piano and his son, Daniel, plays the violin. "It will be a satire on how we go to work and get through the day," Wesner said. The other part will be more serious and more abstract, and will have recorded music. It deals with mourning, and is choreographed by choreographed by Caleb Mitchell, who has been a member of Houston Ballet the past nine years. "Houston Ballet is one of the best ballet companies in the country," Wesner said. Wesner had seen some of Mitchell's choreography at a performance in the Akron/Canton area and contacted him about doing some work with Neos Dance Theatre. Mitchell agreed to work with the company.... as well as members of Ashland Regional Ballet and Opus II Dance Studio, the two weeks prior. "We are excited he can come in," Wesner said. There are so many ways we can utilize his talents. Having students be able to work with professional dancers is a benefit to having Neos Dance Theatre associated with Ashland Regional Ballet and Opus II Dance Studio, Wesner said. Jessica Higgins is another professional dancer who will perform with Neos Dance Theatre July 23. She is living in Philadelphia looking for dance work in Philadelphia and New York. Wesner said he met Higgins, who has danced with Ashland Regional Ballet in the past, while she was dancing professionally in Cleveland. Kari Nikolaus is a local member of the company who has danced professionally in Chicago. Another member, Katie Hire of Mansfield, learned dance at Opus II and now dances in Jackson, Miss., for a professional Christian ballet Company. And Wesner and his wife Brooke, danced several years for Ballet Arizona in Phoenix before returning to Ashland to dance. Sarah Cyders, who is part of Opus II staff, and Mansfield's Gabrielle Smiths, who grew up attending Opus II, round out the Neos Dance Theatre company. I like that number, seven or eight is a good number to tour with," Wesner said. Wesner said he's excited to see al the hard work he's put toward Neos Dance Theatre starting to take off with performances like the one July 23 at the Myers Band Shell. "I feel it's picking up good momentum'" Wesner said.
