Teenage girl in dress sitting on step #309, 1982 by Oraien Catledge
TGIF, the weekend is here! Get some of your workday yayas out at one of these art events. This week’s agenda is loaded with nostalgia, celebrity, and packs some artist punch … literallly. As usual, read on for the rundown.
Continue reading “Weekend Arts Agenda: Broadening your horizons” »
One of this year’s group of choreographers chosen by Dance Canvas to showcase their work.
(Photography and production by Lynne Cymone)
The 2009 fall perfamance series of Dance Canvas kicks off this weekend at the 14th Street Playhouse. Now entering the second year, Dance Canvas features pieces from 10 up-and-coming choreographers. Over 30 professional dancers from Atlanta will perform in the series.
This year’s choreographers include:
Juel Lane- (NYC/Atlanta) Ron K. Brown/Evidence; North Carolina School for the Arts
John-Mark Owen- (NYC) American Repertory Ballet, Nashville Ballet
Jennifer Davis- (Atlanta) Florida State Dance Dept.
Jelani Jones- (Atlanta) Jelani Jones Dance Theater (Artistic Director)
Ray Hall- (Atlanta)
Kristin Clay- (Atlanta) The Georgia Ballet
Sarah Boies- (Baton Rouge, LA) The Georgia Ballet
Terry Slade- (Atlanta) Redemption Dance Theater (Artistic Director)
Lonnie Davis- (Atlanta) Royal Caribbean Productions, Refuge Dance Co. resident choreographer
Performances begin tonight at 8 p.m. and continue into the weekend. Visit Dance Canvas for more details.
Calling all dancers! MTV’s coming to Atlanta to cast street dance groups to compete in the fifth season of “America’s Best Dance Crew.” The series (produced by “American Idol’s” Randy Jackson) pits 12 groups against each other in an intense 10-week competition. Each week the dance groups are presented with a choreography challenge and face elimination. The winning team receives 100K, a Golden B-Boy Trophy, and the satisfaction of knowing that it’s America’s Best Dance Crew.
Take a look at last season’s winner, We Are Heroes, below. The auditions will be held at Dance 411 Studios (475 Moreland Ave.) on Fri., Nov. 20 at 8 a.m. Callbacks will be the next day at the same time. E-mail info@dance411studios.com with your crew name and phone number to reserve an audition slot.
I was only looking for costume ideas…
(H/T to Gawker)
I also came across this tale of teen angst/recipe for Oh-No-She-Didn’t Butternut Squash Soup from CosomGirl.com:
Lindsey was a shoo-in for head cheerleader. Her handsprings were Slinkies on speed; her pikes were 90 degrees of perfection; her dismounts put Nastia Liukin to shame. On top of that, while other cheerleaders decorated the football players’ lockers (Go Warhawks!), Lindsey decorated the other cheerleaders’ lockers. Everyone on the squad adored her.
Except Tiffany. Tiffany, who could only do the splits because she was born with some sort of weirdo ligament problem. Tiffany, who slipped cards into the football players’ lockers after the squad had decorated them so the guys thought the work was hers alone. Tiffany, who had a secret stash of embroidery supplies and could arrange it so that the word FARTER mysteriously appeared on a certain teammate’s black bloomers in bright yellow thread. Hmmm.
Find out what happens to Tiffany and grab the inexplicably accompanying recipe here. (And by the way, it’s none of your beeswax why I was reading CosmoGirl.)
LIGHT AS A FEATHER: Lynda Courts performing in The Nutcracker, 1959
A white plume passes between two young dancers in the Atlanta Ballet’s rehearsal hall. Company members Christian Clark and Nadia Mara playfully hand the feather back and forth to convey the soaring love of young Tamino and Pamina in Mozart’s Magic Flute.
Choreographer Mark Godden watches the young dancers as they rehearse the opening show of the Atlanta Ballet’s 80th season. Mara tucks the feather under her knee, Clark catches it between neck and shoulder, and the ballerina takes it back and flutters it like a wing. It looks light and flexible enough to be the perfect prop, but Mara notes, “You’d be surprised how hard it can be to make the feather do what you want.”
It’s also hard to tell where Tamino and Pamina’s budding romance stops, and where Clark and Mara’s delight in their craft begins. With Godden as their de facto coach, they strive as hard as any athlete, but clearly enjoy their workout. At one point, Mara tucks up her legs as Clark hoists her onto his back, but the movement doesn’t go as planned and Clark takes her on a brief, giggly piggyback ride.
Continue reading “Atlanta Ballet defies gravity for 80 years”
(Photo courtesy Atlanta Ballet)
Zoetic Dance Ensemble, whose show Dirty Pretty won CL’s critics pick for Best Dance Performance this year, has cancelled it’s Come Fly With Me pre-show performance originally scheduled for Wed., Oct. 7, 7:15 p.m. at the Alliance Theatre due to scheduling conflicts.
Tony Award-winning dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp once again explores the dynamics between music and love through her latest production, Come Fly With Me. Using the sounds of Ol’ Blue Eyes, she tells the love stories of four couples during one evening at a club. As always with Tharp, viewers should expect a night of great dance, vivid colors, and “the exploration of ‘Romance’ with a capital ‘R.’” Come Fly With Me opens Wed., Sept. 23, 8 p.m., at the Alliance Theatre.
Like most little girls, you started dancing at a young age. When did you have that “This is it” moment when you realized dance would be a part of your life forever?
When I graduated from college. I had a choice to go to graduate school or to dance and I decided that dancing was what I did best so that’s what I’d do.
Was there anyone or anything in particular that helped you to make that decision?
Not really, I just loved to dance.
What is your favorite piece that you’ve choreographed?
Oh, that’s not fair to ask! They’re like children. Every one of them has a purpose.
Continue reading “Speakeasy with Twyla Tharp”
(Photo courtesy the Alliance Theatre)
Syrens of the South
From the history of burlesque to “flaunting it because you’ve got it,” and other hands-on workshops, the Syrens of the South continues its ABCs and 123s of Burlesque class series this weekend. Classes are held at Little Tree Studios, 2842 Franklin St., Avondale Estates, and are $20 each, or you can buy a four class pass for $60.
Here’s the full schedule:
All classes are intended for all genders unless otherwise noted!
Sept 20 – Noon-2pm “Beginning Burlesque Movement and History with Katherine Lashe”
She will present information on the history of burlesque, followed by a how to on the basic moves and creative process that goes into making a burlesque persona. Students will hear anecdotes collected by Katherine Lashe from actual Burlesque American Icons such as Tura Santana, Satan’s Angel and more! They’ll also answer the age old questions of names, fringe, and pasties! Students will be encouraged to wear lose fitted clothing and comfortable shoes and be prepared to not only take notes, but also be ready to practice beginning burlesque movements and peels!!! Beginning Burlesque Books will be available for $5.2pm-4pm “Burlesque costuming on a budget with Vagina Jenkins”
Creative Loafing’s 2008 Best Burlesque performer will share her tried and true method of manoeuvring a tight budget with a broad imagination. You will get to bring your creation home with you to begin your process of building your very first burlesque costume! Class requirements: Bra or Panties to decorate, any trims beads or baubles you want to bring, there will be supplies provided for the class.Continue reading “Syrens of the South want to show you sexy” »
MGM is inviting Atlanta’s most talented to have a chance at fame. On Sat., Aug. 15, the studio will hold auditions for actors, singers, musicians and dancers to take part in its national talent content.
The Fame National Talent Search will be held at Six Flags Over Georgia on Saturday the 15th with the top ten semi-finals show on Sun., Aug. 16. Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins of TLC and CJ from 95.5 The Beat are two of the judges selecting the Atlanta finalists.
One grand-prize winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize, a photo spread in OK! magazine, a 5 day/4 night trip to Hollywood, a meet and greet with a top talent agent, a meet and greet with a studio executive and the winner’s final performance will live forever on the FAME DVD (release date tba).
Six Flags Over Georgia is one of the six Six Flags stops where MGM will be
holding auditions. Contestants can also upload a video entry via MySpace.com/fame.
Auditions will be held within the park so general park admission is required to participate.
For more registration and official rules, go to generationfame.com.
The contest is a promotion in conjunction with upcoming release of Fame, an updated, re-imagining of the Oscar winning film due in theaters Sept. 25, 2009.
Continue reading “Fame national talent search coming to Atlanta” »
Kids gather at the Fox Theatre in Midtown Atlanta for a week-long camp on acting, dancing, performance and theater.
Last month, the Atlanta Ballet announced that executive director Barry Hughson would be leaving his post to lead the Boston Ballet beginning June 1. Today, the Ballet announced Virginia Hepner as the interim executive director.
More from the Atlanta Ballet’s press release:
Hepner has been one of Atlanta’s most visible advocates for the arts. She currently serves on the Campaign Cabinet for Atlanta Ballet, and has held several board leadership roles including Chair of the Metro Atlanta Arts and Culture Coalition and Chair of the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund Advisory Board. Additionally, Hepner was Co-Chair of the Host Committee of the national 2008 Conference of Grantmakers in the Arts and was a member of Mayor Shirley Franklin’s 2007 Task Force on public funding for the arts. From 2005-2007 she worked on the Brand Atlanta economic development initiative, including serving as the Interim Executive Director. In recognition of her community leadership, Hepner was honored in 2008 with a Phoenix Award from Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin.
Hughson will remain on board through Don Quixote, the ’08-’09 season’s final show (May 7-16). Hepner starts work May 1.
The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports that Atlanta Ballet Executive Director Barry C. Hughson will finish his tenure May 17. Hughson leaves to take the reigns of the Boston Ballet as of June 1.
From the Chronicle:
During his two-year tenure at Atlanta Ballet, Hughson oversaw the organization’s move to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, completed the sale of 1400 West Peachtree resulting to cut accumulated debt, resolved the dispute with the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra bringing back live music to many of the ballet’s performances, and developed the $14.8 million dollar “Choreographing Our Future” campaign.
The Atlanta Ballet opens its production of The Firebird March 26.
Given labels such as “Ballet Mavericks” in the press, the Trey McIntyre Project uses ballet technique as the jumping-off point for emotionally charged dance performances. Trey McIntyre of the North Carolina School of Arts, the Houston Ballet Company and the New York City Ballet founded the company in 2004. Executive director John Michael Schert describes the Trey McIntyre Project’s approach to ballet and pop music in anticipation of his performance with the company at Georgia State University’s Rialto Center for the Arts on Sat., March 14.
I heard someone on the radio say the Trey McIntyre Project “turns ballet on its head.” How would you describe the company’s work?
What the Trey McIntyre Project is trying to put onstage is as authentic as possible. If we were in the theater, we’d be method actors. The dancer really has to feel and express the emotions of a piece. Trey sets a lot of his work to pop music: There’s Beethoven, but also Beatles, Etta James, Beck, bluegrass musicians like Ralph Stanley. This show is being billed as Peter, Paul and Mary or Beatles music, but Trey treats it as a classical score, which has just as much import as a Ravel composition. I believe what Trey’s doing is the next evolution of an art form. We’re classified as a “contemporary ballet company,” but labels tend to come from outsiders and are applied after the fact. What Trey’s doing isn’t contemporary ballet — that happened in the 1980s. It’s something that doesn’t have a quote-unquote “style” attached to it. It is ballet-based, but ballet’s really a technique. Every dancer takes ballet — ballet training is like your daily dose of medicine.
