Atlanta Ballet’s Dracula moves to the music of the night
Friday, February 6th, 2009
THE MAN IN BLACK: Atlanta Ballet's 'Dracula'
The Atlanta Ballet’s current show begins with a skin-crawling prologue. Wolfish, costumed dancers surround a sleeping man’s bed; a happy wedding repeatedly turns into a mournful funeral; and booming, insistent knocks resound throughout. The rapping sounds suggest Poe’s raven tapping at the chamber door. The images evoke Goya’s nightmarish paintings, and the whole disturbing tableau dispels any preconceived notions you have of ballet as a genteel performing art.
The surreal, sideways introduction to the Dracula ballet provides a fresh interpretation of one of our culture’s most familiar stories, like putting new blood in an old bottle. The Atlanta Ballet’s production proves ideal for audiences who don’t like dance — or don’t realize that they actually enjoy ballet. (more…)
The Atlanta Ballet announced yesterday that a live orchestra will accompany a selection of its 2008-09 performances. The ballet made the switch to digital music in 2006 to save money. According to the press release: