Rachel Hellwig

Atlanta Ballet Presents David Bintley’s “Carmina Burana”

February 8, 2017 by Rachel Hellwig

Atlanta Ballet in David Bintley's "Carmina Burana." Photo by Kim Kenney. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet. — Atlanta Ballet in David Bintley’s “Carmina Burana.” Photo by Kim Kenney. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.

Atlanta Ballet’s production of David Bintley’s edgy, contemporary Carmina Burana returns to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre for its final weekend of performances from February 10-11. Carmina Burana is set to Carl Orff’s 1937 dynamic choral work of the same name and performed live by the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra and The Georgia State University Singers and Master Singers. The texts of the songs are taken from medieval poems about fate, love, revelry, and passion.

The 70-minute ballet, first performed by Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1995, follows the exploits of three seminarians who set off in quest of earthly pleasures. Atlanta Ballet’s Alexandre Barros portrays one of those seminarians and describes his character as “abandoning his position as a religious and pure man and embarking on a journey of self-discovery. In such a journey, he is exposed to drinking and eating excessively and to a bad crowd that teaches him how careless and mean people can be.”

The episodes in Carmina Burana are guided by “Fortuna,” the embodiment of the force of fate sung about in the work’s iconic chorus, O Fortuna. “The role of “Fortuna” represents the wheel of fortune, your fate, and the strength and power behind that,” says Rachel Van Buskirk, who dances the part. “I love that David Bintley has taken such an immense song and pared it down to one female in a vulnerable outfit–in high heels, blindfolded. He’s taken a stereotypical “sexy” look and empowered it from a female perspective.”

Van Buskirk feels that Bintley’s modern retelling of Carmina Burana’s texts through dance gives the work relevance and accessibility. “It’s amazing to imagine monks centuries ago going through the same common issues as us today,” she says. Barros adds that Carmina Burana is one of his favorite ballets. He says, “The production is incredible: ballet dancers, singers, and musicians come together to create something truly mesmerizing.”

From Atlanta Ballet’s website: “Parental discretion is advised.”

Tickets start at $25. Purchase here.

Next Chapters: Atlanta Ballet’s John Welker on Retiring from a Professional Dance Career

January 25, 2017 by Rachel Hellwig

by Rachel Hellwig

John Welker in "Seven Sonatas." Photo by Charlie McCullers. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet. — John Welker in “Seven Sonatas.” Photo by Charlie McCullers. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.

“No matter how a dancer feels about their retirement and what they felt they did or did not accomplish, it is important to know you do not have to retire from dance altogether.” – John Welker

John Welker just completed a 22-year career with Atlanta Ballet, finishing with performances of John McFall’s Nutcracker in December 2016. Retirement can be a challenging time for a dancer and Welker offers thoughts and advice for those who are going through the process, considering it, or just want a window into this period of a dancer’s life…

How did you come to realize it was the right time to retire? What advice would you give to dancers who are trying to determine if this is the right decision for them?

For me personally, I could feel the time to retire from dancing was coming for several years – so it wasn’t some singular “ah ha” moment, it was a gradual process. While my body was holding up without injury and I felt great physically, I also knew my interests were increasingly outside the dancing studio. So, when it came to a point when I could feel a sense of ease when thinking about a life without the daily stresses of dancing, I knew it was time to retire.

Everyone is different, so there is no common template or universal path to retirement, but I do believe in trusting one’s own intuition as to what is best for your career and life. Overall, I would say trust your heart first, then act with your mind.

What’s next for you? How long have you been planning your second career? How soon do you think dancers should begin planning their second career?

I’ve been working at a dance degree at Kennesaw State University since 2009, so I’m looking forward to completing my undergraduate education in May 2017. I also will be applying for graduate school in Business and hope to begin working towards an MBA as soon as September 2017.

No time is too early to begin thinking about a second career, especially for professional dancers. Although dancers shouldn’t add more stress to themselves when they are dancing (there’s enough hardship to go around), it’s best to start at least exploring second career options incrementally when you have the luxury of time ahead of you.

Tara Lee and John Welker in "Four Seasons." Photo by Kim Kenney. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet. — Tara Lee and John Welker in “The Four Seasons.” Photo by Kim Kenney. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.

What aspects of retirement have been harder or easier than you initially expected?

It is the ease of a structured daily schedule that you become so accustomed to when dancing. To not have that can be both liberating and terrifying. Also, we as dancers take for granted the community of creative people that we are always surrounding ourselves with on a daily basis. To not have that anymore to such a degree is also hard.

What have these past few months have been like as you concluded your dance career?

I have just started my post-dancing life, as you could call it, so I shall see as I progress. But I do know that I want to take it with a sense of adventure, in that to be uncomfortable is not a bad thing and to put yourself in situations which you might feel out of your element can be a very good thing. Also, I also want to be sure I stay physically active in some capacity, I know that will be very important to my sanity and health.

What advice would you give to dancers going through the process of retirement?

Retiring from a life’s passion is such a personal decision. No one is the same, nor are the circumstances surrounding one’s retirement from dancing which can dictate or determine why one decides to move on. But no matter how a dancer feels about their retirement and what they felt they did or did not accomplish, it is important to know you do not have to retire from dance altogether.

It’s important to note moving on from a professional dance career is a process and not just a momentary happening that signifies a complete break. Also, I feel dancers should cherish and value their accomplishments and memories, for these are the things that are yours to keep and cannot be taken away.

I believe it is very important for dancers to find what they are passionate about as they navigate a second career choice. What are the things that give back to you and make you feel like you’ve accomplished something? There are so many ways, other than dancing, to further enjoy and support dance that can give you a sense of fulfillment.

Don’t size up or confuse your personal path with someone else’s. And, most of all, enjoy whatever you set out to do!

Dancers-John-Welker-and-Christine-Winkler-The-Four-Seasons.-Photos by Kim Kenney. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet. — John Welker and Christine Winkler in “The Four Seasons.” Photos by Kim Kenney. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.

Close-up on a Dance Film: “I WISH”

January 4, 2017 by Rachel Hellwig

by Rachel Hellwig

“Live performance will always be my first passion, but I am grateful for the opportunity to explore my craft through a different medium.”- Adriana Pierce

Looking a new, short dance film to watch?

I WISH was created by Miami City Ballet dancers Adriana Pierce and Eric Trope and Miami filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalvez. Learn more about the film in our interview with them…

What is I WISH about?

Adriana: I WISH is about the struggle we experience when we lose ourselves in romantic relationships, and, though we may share passion and intimacy, sometimes the only logical conclusion is that we are better off apart.

What inspired I WISH?

Adriana: First, we fell in love with the song MY DEER, written by a local Miami band, and the themes of the challenges of love resonated deeply with us. We got into a studio and created movements which we felt represented the emotions described by the lyrics. The film took on its own personality as Eric and I delved into the characters and worked off of each other, allowing our organic creative connection to inform and inspire the choreography.

How is the film connected to the city of Miami?

Adriana: The professional ballet sphere can often feel isolating, but collaborating with Miami’s vibrant music scene was a wonderful way to broaden our world and forge a connection with local artists. Different shots of film were taken in locations which we felt were truly representative of our lives in this city, and we discovered the ways in which Miami’s color and passion parallel our own.

What are the artistic advantages and challenges of making a dance film?

Adriana: Working on dance films has given me the power to be bold in my choreographic decisions in a way that my concert dance projects cannot always allow me to. I can place emphasis on certain movements and themes in an extremely direct way, and the emotion of a close-up is immediate and powerful. Live performance will always be my first passion, but I am grateful for the opportunity to explore my craft through a different medium.

The biggest difference between dance on film and live theater, and the biggest challenge, is living up to the pressure of capturing the “perfect shot.” Staying in the frame and maintaining a relationship with the camera can also present challenges, but Eric, Alejandro and I have found a rhythm that works for all of us.

How do you feel about the future of the dance film genre?

Adriana: The intimacy of film allows for an eclectic range of themes and production which I feel can stretch dance in unique ways. I hope that artists continue to use film to provide a virtual voice for different dance forms, and to create relevant commentary on today’s world. I am excited to see how dance films can push our art form into the future.

How did this project help you grow as a performing artist?

Eric: I WISH challenged me to explore movement that I never would in my normal day to day as a ballet dancer. Many of the shots we used in the film were improvisational and it was nice to have the freedom to trust our instincts. When we perform, we have to leave the decisions we make for better or worse on the stage. Film allows us the opportunity to critique, improve, and try again. This self-criticism and evaluation helps to improve the movement and ultimately creates the best product.

How did I WISH help you grow as a filmmaker? What are the challenges and advantages of making a dance film?

Alejandro: I met Adriana and Eric two years prior to this shoot, and having experienced their talents, and, by osmosis, the talents of other dancers, I fell in love with the art form. I wanted to make sure that my work in no way would impede their creativity; almost trying to film them in their “natural habitat.”

Working with those whose experiences differ from our own allows for the creation of works with a unique depth, and can add new meaning to your world. I do not like to limit myself to what I’m used to, to what I’m comfortable with–this causes a kind of artistic agoraphobia and that is a place I very much dread.

Short dance films are one of the best ways to deliver the art form to thousands of individuals. Particularly with ballet dancers, it is the best way to deliver their talents outside of the theater and reach a wider audience.

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CD Review: Music for Ballet Class Volume Two

December 14, 2016 by Rachel Hellwig

Music for Ballet Classes Volume Two

Charles Mathews

by Rachel Hellwig

If you’re a ballet class regular, chances are you’ve plié-d and rond de jambe-d through this CD before. If you’re a teacher and haven’t added it to your collection yet, you should.

Music for Ballet Classes Volume Two takes dancers through a range of emotions–yearning, to pensive, to lighthearted–that help encourage expressiveness. For my own practice, I felt that the slower, more reflective pieces most enhanced my movement and that delightful feeling of being so guided by music that you become lost in it.

Arrangements include selections from opera, classic ballets, non-ballet classical music, and original compositions by Matthews.

Some of my favorites include Beethoven’s serene “2^nd Movement Sonata Op. 13” for warmup at barre, the grand and wistful “Intermezzo” from Cavalleria Rusticana for plié, and the tender ache of Puccini’s “O Mia Babbino Caro” for port de bras.

Yes, I’d have to say this album brought out more of my inner Swan than Swanhilda. And that’s lots of fun!

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Giving Back: Donating Dance Shoes

December 8, 2016 by Rachel Hellwig

by Rachel Hellwig

Footloose, founded in 2010 by Becca Duberman, is an organization that collects new and gently-used dance shoes for aspiring dancers from lower-income backgrounds. Duberman, 19, is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has danced for over 15 years. Learn more about her mission in our interview with her…

What inspired Footloose?

Year after year, I went through the ritual of sorting my old shoes as I prepared for new classes. I found myself thinking, “These shoes hold great sentimental value to me, but why are they just sitting in my closet collecting dust? Wouldn’t they be put to better use by other children wanting to experience dance and the outlet for expression that it offers?” Footloose was my way of giving back. It was born from the realization that my passion for dance as a method of communication may impact others as it has for me.

What is the average age range of the students who receive shoes via Footloose?

On average, Footloose will donate to dancers from ages 8-15. However, Footloose has donated to a variety of dancers ranging in ages from 3-25. There are many aspiring dancers in the world that cannot afford proper footwear and Footloose has done a great job in filling this void.

How and where do you organize shoe collections?

When I receive shoe donations, I store them in my home and separate those by type, such as ballet, tap etc. I often receive large shipments of shoes so keeping an accurate inventory is important. I receive many corporate donations but the vast majority of collections occur from private dance studios. Recently, I have had many dance students reach out to me to start a local drive at their studios and schools for Footloose. In this case, I will either connect them directly with a possible location for donation or I will have them send me the shoes to ship out.

What types of dance shoes do you collect?

Footloose welcomes donations of all types of dance shoes and sizes since we do not target a specific age range or dance style.

What organizations do you donate dance shoes to and how are they distributed?

Footloose donates to various types of organizations and studios across the world. We have donated to organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club of Newark, Soles4Souls, YMCA Sioux, as well as dance studios such as Life Skills Preschool, Bayshore Dance Academy, Hope Rural School, and Gambia Dance Factory. Footloose provides dance shoes to locations throughout the U.S., as well as to other continents such as Africa. The shoes are either shipped out directly from my house or one of Footloose’s ambassadors will ship the shoes they have collected from their locations.

What are your future goals for Footloose?

I am proud to say that Footloose has made a positive impact in lives of aspiring dancers for about 6 years now. I hope that Footloose will continue to inspire other dancers, like myself, to get involved and give back to the dance community, and to help those less fortunate acquire the proper footwear to dance.

How can people get involved with Footloose?

Please visit my website. I welcome anyone to contact me directly by email with any questions about Footloose, either to get involved or for acquiring donations.

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