JOHN GERBETZ, Photographer/Stage Imaging/Videographer
John Gerbetz, a native Clevelander, now hailing from San Jose, California, attended Cleveland State University (CSU) and received B.A. degree with major in Mass Media Communication.
As a youth he was an industrious home film maker, beginning with neighborhood features, then school projects, culminating in full-length presentations to high school faculty and student body. Thus from an early age he began developing a pattern for public presentation. He took private piano lessons in childhood and to this day maintains a strong interest in serious music with a library of over 2000 works, consequentially holding a deep and cross-disciplined respect and appreciation for the fine arts and performing arts in general. His knowledge and practical skill follow through a variety of avocations including photography, writing, broadcasting and performance in Modern Dance theater and television broadcasting. He is a self-taught technician in color and black and white photography laboratory work and has used this both for personal and professional application over a span of nearly five decades. He was a dancer with CSU Modern Dance Company and founding President of the CSU Dance Committee, which promoted student involvement in dance. He served as Publicity Director for the Festival of Modern Dance and produced original audio-visual material for Cleveland State University Dance tours back in the day.
Gerbetz established media connection to Cleveland Museum of Art and a wide variety of dance exhibitions and performances, conducting radio interviews with international luminaries, always including local artists and performers as well.
Mr. Gerbetz was the official in-house photographer and music technical editor at Cleveland Ballet, Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley and Ballet San Jose. His skills as music editor extend deep into the repertory editing numerous works for the stage with the Chinese Performance Arts of America, the USA Jackson Mississippi Ballet Competitions, Menlo Ballet, Company C. His latest work is seen in Donald McKayle’s CROSSING THE RUBICON: Passing the Point of No Return. Currently, Gerbetz is writing the script for a new film.