Like Being Awake Sleeping and Hearing Seeing


Choreography: Hernando Cortez (2005)


Music: Sasha and John Digweed

Lighting: Trad A Burns

Costumes: Studio Sangha, Christine LaPerna,

Edward Sylvia and Gina Dudik 

Premiered at Cleveland’s Ingenuity Festival in the summer of 2005,

“Like Being Awake Sleeping and Hearing Seeing” pits opposite human states and senses together aiming to create a n evocative, rather than informative, experience for the audience. 


A Surrealist Manifesto.


Inspired by the works of Meret Oppenheim and Max Ernst.


Special thanks to Studio Sangha.

"Right Now, Right Now," performed by Alan Freed and His Rock & Roll Band, written/composed by Charles E. Calhoun and Al Sears, published by EMI Longitude Music (BMI); "Alright, Okay, You Win," performed by Joe Williams, written/composed by Mayme Watts and Sydney J. Wyche, published by Cherio Corporation and Melody Lane Publications Inc. (BMI); "Can't We Be Sweethearts," performed by the Cleftones, written/composed by Herbert Cox and Morris Levy, published by EMI Longitude Music (BMI); "Big Heavy," performed by Alan Freed and His Rock & Roll Band, written/composed by Cozy Eggleston, published by Eggton Publishing Company (BMI); "Rock, Rock, Rock," performed by Jimmy Cavallo and the House Rockers, written/composed by Glen T. Moore and Milton Subotsky, published by EMI Longitude Music and Glenfoe Music Company (BMI); "Sincerely," performed by the Moonglows, written/composed by Alan Freed and Harvey Fuqua, published by Alan Freed Music, Arc Music Corp., Irving Music Corp. and Liaison Two Publishing (BMI); "Out of the Picture," performed by the Robins, written/composed by Joe Lubin and Adam Roth, published by Criterion Music Corporation (ASCAP); "Rip It Up," performed by Bill Haley and His Comets, written/composed by Robert Alexander Blackwell and John S. Marascalco, published by Sony/ATV Songs LLC (BMI); "Dance with Me Henry," performed by Etta James, written/composed by Hank Ballard, Etta James and Johnny Otis, published by Careers BMG Music Publishing Inc., Fort Knox Music Inc. and Trio Music Co. Inc. (BMI); "One Night Only," performed by Otis Williams and the Charms, written/composed by Rose Marie McCoy and Charles Singleton, published by Bienstock Publishing Company and Quartet Music Inc. (ASCAP); "Magic Touch," performed by the Platters, written/composed by Ram Buck, published by AMC Incorporated and Universal MCA Music Publishing (ASCAP); "The Saints Rock 'n' Roll," performed by Bill Haley and the Comets, written/composed by Milt Gabler and Bill Haley, published by MCA/Northern Music Company (ASCAP); "Run Rudolph Run," performed by Chuck Berry, written/composed by Marvin Lee Broadie and John D. Marks, published by St. Nicholas Music Inc. (ASCAP). Music used by permission.

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MoonDogg: A Rock and Roll Fantasia


Choreography: Hernando Cortez (2003)




Music: Various Early Rock ‘N Roll Artists*


Costumes: Philip Heckman


Lighting: Chenault Spence

World Premiere: December 12, 2003


Metro Theatre, Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, Ohio.

Full Company

Major funding for MoonDogg provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Polka Madness

Choreography: Hernando Cortez (2007)

Music: Frankie Yankovic and Johnny Koenig 
Lighting Design: Trad A Burns 
Costume Design: Suzy Campbell

The Johnny Koenig Orchestra: Pete Oberson, Mark Habat, Magnolia Tetreault, and Johnny Koenig 

Full company

World Premiere: Ohio, Cain Park, July 20, 2007

A madcap romp celebrating Cleveland's Polka tradition.
“‘Polka Madness’ unleashes the goofy in Verb. Cortez's settings of polka tunes find the cast dressed in folksy costumes, including lederhosen for the men, evoking the romantic looniness and inebriated jollity that distinguish this most unbuttoned of dance forms.”
Don Rosenberg, The Plain Dealer (7.22.07)


Choreography: Hernando Cortez (1999)


Music: Afro-Celtic Sound System, Dead Can Dance*
Original Lighting: Chenault Spence
Costumes: Edward Sylvia


World Premiere: 1999, Cortez & Co. Contemporary/Ballet
Limelight Theater, New York, New YorkFull Company

Set to the Afro-Celt Sound System and other contemporary World Music artists,

the company’s new signature piece unifies folk and vernacular dances from around the world

in an athletic hybrid of movement styles, including Indian traditional, Irish reels, and African rituals.


The cross-cultural fusion also incorporates "Tinikling," the authentic Filipino folk dance

in which dancers step between clapping poles.


*"Saor/Free/News From Nowhere," performed by Afro-Celt Sound System, written/composed by Ronan Cormac Brown, published by EMI Virgin Songs Inc. (BMI); "Whirl-y-reel 1," performed by Afro-Celt Sound System, written/composed by Simon Daniel Emmerson and James McNally, published by EMI Virgin Songs Inc. (BMI)Original production of Planet Soup was created with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Née Dance Company, and Purchase College Conservatory of Dance.

Choreography: Hernando Cortez (2006)

Music: Jonathan Sheffer,

Six Easy Pieces for Piano Solo -

Three Common-Tone Studies,

Three Dance Studies
Pianist: Michael Schneider


Original Lighting Design: Trad A Burns
Costume Design: Suzy Campbell


Waltz-- Company
Prelude after Chopin-- 2 women
Octave Etude-- 1 woman, 1 man
Prelude-- 1 woman, 1 man
Polonaise after Debussy-- 1 woman and company
Tango-- 1 woman, 1 man
Prelude (reprise)-- Company


Six Easy Pieces premiered at Playhouse Square,

Ohio Theater, in March, 2006.


Prelude was created by Hernando Cortez

for Fire Island Dance Festival 12,

benefiting Dancers Responding to AIDS.


Generous support for Prelude was provided

by The Conway Family (World Premiere July 15, 2006)

PLAY AUDIO

MORE ON ‘OCEAN DEPTHS’ AT COMPOSER RICHARD RINEHART’S WEBSITE

OCEAN DEPTHS

Choreography: Hernando Cortez (2007)


Music:  Richard D. Rinehart


Lighting: Trad A Burns


Costumes: Suzy Campbell


7 women, 3 men


The creation of Ocean Depths is supported by RSIS;

a NASA Glenn contractor and The Bascom Little Fund.

PLAY ME

PLANET SOUP

Choreography by Hernando Cortez.


Cortez’s newest ballet salutes Amer-Asian heritage.


China’s Yellow River has long been an inspiration for poets, musicians and other artists; a poem about leading troops across it during the Sino-Japanese
War inspired the composer Xian Xinghai to write is “Yellow River Cantata” in 1939. Some 30 years later, Yin Chengzong adapted it as a piano concerto.


Cortez creates his The Yellow River after the original choreography by Chen Zemei, which has become a Chinese Standard.

The Yellow River

Prelude and Six Easy Pieces

Prelude after Chopin
by Jonathan Sheffer
Octave Etude
by Jonathan Sheffer
Polonaise after Debussy
by Jonathan Sheffer
Waltz
by Jonathan Sheffer

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Front: Sydney Ignacio

and Brian Murphy;

Rear: Jennifer Moll in Frontrow                               

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                    

                                

Front: Sydney Ignacio

and Brian Murphy;

Rear: Jennifer Moll in Frontrow