Atlanta Ballet‘s Wabi Sabi provides company dancers with performance opportunities during the summer.

Find out how this troupe works and what’s coming up this season in our interview with founder and Atlanta Ballet dancer, John Welker…

Wabi Sabi. Dancer: Kiara Felder. Photograph by Jonah Hooper. — *Wabi Sabi*. Dancer: Kiara Felder. Photograph by Jonah Hooper.

What first inspired Wabi Sabi?

I took inspiration from many sources, but the main one was an article about the Japanese concept of “Wabi Sabi” and how beauty can be found in the quality of imperfection. For an artist, it’s a liberating concept: to embrace one’s imperfections cannot only be beautiful, but it can be used as a way to create beauty from what makes us unique as individuals.

How are dancers selected for Wabi Sabi?

Atlanta Ballet dancers mainly select themselves for Wabi Sabi. We give them the parameters of the summer and the work we will be doing. Then, they can determine whether it’s something they want to be a part of.

Do Wabi Sabi dancers have other summer jobs as well? Do rehearsal and performance schedules have to work around this?

Yes, oftentimes the dancers do hold other jobs; and I try to work with their summer schedules. Scheduling is the hardest part of my job. Everything has to be coordinated to work efficiently. This includes the dancers, choreographers, costumes designers, musicians, and performance venues, plus the production, marketing, ticketing, and development staff.

Rehearsal of Sean Hilton’s Dormant Gods

How are costumes, props, and other non-dance tasks handled within Wabi Sabi?

Wabi Sabi was built in 2011 under the company umbrella of Atlanta Ballet. This gives us the ability to create and do things with a limited budget that we otherwise couldn’t.

We rely on the support of Atlanta Ballet’s staff for everything non-dance related such as costumes and props. That said, it is wholly a group effort. In large part, Wabi Sabi is able to do what it does because job titles are thrown out the door. You can find dancers doing production work. You can find development staff doing marketing work. Occasionally, we will run into a project where it is necessary to hire outside sources, but it is rare.

How long does it take to plan a season for Wabi Sabi?

Though we operate only in the summer, it takes a year of planning to make it happen.

What’s coming up for Wabi Sabi this summer?

We will be performing on Saturday, August 6 and Sunday, August 21. Put these dates on your calendars!

On August 6 from 5-7 p.m, we will be doing a progressive performance at different locations along the Atlanta BeltLine between Krog Street Market and Ponce City Market. This is free to the public.

Then, from 8-9 p.m., we will be performing during an event on the rooftop of Ponce City Market complete with live music, food, and drinks. The entire event is from 7-10 p.m. and is ticketed.

On August 21 at 5 p.m., we will be performing outdoors at Serenbe Playhouse. This is also a ticketed event.

We hope to see you there!

John Welker. Photo by Charlie McCullers. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet. — John Welker. Photograph by Charlie McCullers. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.

Wabi Sabi 2016 Season

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Author: Rachel Hellwig

Wabi Sabi on the BeltLine

Saturday, August 6

5-7 p.m.

Wabi Sabi performs at different locations on the Atlanta BeltLine:

Progressive performance includes:

Dance solo performed near Krog Street Market (exact location TBA)

Live music performed under the bridge at Old Fourth Ward Skate Park

Choreography by Atlanta Ballet dancers performed at The Shed at Ponce City Market

Free admission

Rooftop Performance & Party

Saturday, August 6

7-10 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Performance from 8-9 p.m. After-party from 9-10 p.m.

Wabi Sabi performs at Ponce City Market rooftop. Program includes:

World premiere of choreographer Sean Hilton’s Dormant Gods. Hilton is faculty member of the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education and a founding member of the dance project, Fly on the Wall. Dormant Gods will be danced to original music performed live by Jesse Tyler, a member of Atlanta’s Dreambrother band and a former member of Atlanta Ballet.

Choreography by Atlanta Ballet company dancers

Performance by aerial artist Meaghan Muller of Backside of the Tent

After-party downstairs at The Mercury will feature the opportunity to meet performers. Food will be sponsored by Botiwalla and The Mercury.

Tickets: $30. Purchase here.

Wabi Sabi at Serenbe

Sunday, August 21

5 p.m.

Wabi Sabi performs outdoors at Serenbe Playhouse. The program includes works by Sean Hilton, Jennifer Archibald, Robyn Mineko Williams and Atlanta Ballet dancer Heath Gill.