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Atlanta Ballet Presents “Twyla Tharp’s The Princess and the Goblin”

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Atlanta Ballet performs "Twyla Tharp's The Princess and the Goblin." Photo by Kim Kenney. Dancers, from left to right: Peng-Yu Chen, Yoomi Kim, Alessa Rogers, Lisa Barrieau, Rachel Van Buskirk.
Atlanta Ballet performs “Twyla Tharp’s The Princess and the Goblin.” Photo by Kim Kenney. Dancers, from left to right: Peng-Yu Chen, Yoomi Kim, Alessa Rogers, Lisa Barrieau, Rachel Van Buskirk.

by Rachel Hellwig

There was once a little princess whose father was king over a great country full of mountains and valleys. – George MacDonald

A heroine’s quest to save her sisters from goblins comes to life through the choreography of the legendary Twyla Tharp as Atlanta Ballet brings The Princess and the Goblin to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre from April 15-17.

Created in 2012 for both Atlanta Ballet and Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, The Princess and the Goblin takes its inspiration from George MacDonald’s 19th-century fantasy story of the same name.

“Princess Irene is the oldest daughter of a mostly absent father,” explains Alessa Rogers, who is performing the part. “When her two younger sisters and other children of the kingdom are kidnapped and taken to the underworld, Irene must find the strength within herself to rescue them. She is aided along the way by her friend Curdie and by a mysterious presence.”

No stranger to the role, Rogers performed as Princess Irene in Atlanta Ballet’s 2012 production. Originally cast as the understudy, she was put into the part right before a studio performance. “That was my first lead role ever and I will always have a soft spot for it,” says Rogers. “It’s wonderful to revisit it now after 5 years. I recognize the ways in which I’ve grown and changed as a dancer since its premiere. A lot of opportunities sprang from this ballet. It’s been a crazy, surreal ride but The Princess and the Goblin gave me so much. I will always be grateful for the experience and for Twyla for believing I could be a princess.”

John Welker will also revisit a role he performed in 2012–Princess Irene’s father, King Papa. “His self-centered ways inadvertently lead to the abduction of his daughters,” Welker explains. “He then goes on a desperate search to find them. They, however, are saved by a young man named Curdie, whom he dismissed earlier in the story as a lowlife. Through the innocence of his children and the grace of Curdie, King Papa experiences a transformation and realizes the beauty of family and life.”

Welker especially identifies with King Papa because of his real-life role as a parent. “I enjoy and relate to this character due to my experience of being a father to a frustrating and very adorable three year old,” he says. “Through my son’s eyes I get to experience being a child again, along with all the joy and wonder life holds.”

The cast of The Princess and the Goblin includes 13 students from the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education. Tharp explained to The New York Times in 2012, “My mission was to find movement [for the young performers], which they could really do that was not something they were straining to reach at […] But that would not just be running and skipping and hopping and chaos. First thing I did was to get them out of their ballet shoes and put them in street shoes. Next thing was: ‘Girls, get your hair out of the buns. Now let’s be who you are, and let’s figure out how you move.’ ”

Twyla Tharp’s The Princess and the Goblin is set to compositions by Franz Schubert arranged and orchestrated by Schubert scholar Richard Burke, as well as original music by Burke. The score will be performed live by the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JvoVpfC10E&nohtml5=False

Tickets start at $25. Purchase here or call 800-982-2787.

From Atlanta Ballet’s website:

“Run time is approximately 1 hour and 24 minutes. This program is performed without an intermission.”

 

Balanchine’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”: Revisiting and Reimagining

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By Samantha Hope Galler

Samantha in Balanchine’s "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with Boston Ballet in 2006.
Samantha in Balanchine’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with Boston Ballet in 2006.

“If you will patiently dance in our round

And see our moonlight revels, go with us.”

-Titania

In 1962, New York City Ballet premiered George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, based on Shakespeare’s comedy of love and magic. I remember thinking how ingenious this ballet was the first time I saw it.

I first became involved with the classic love story while training with Boston Ballet. At age 16, I performed as a hound dog, a member of the court, and an epilogue fairy. Needless to say, it was an exciting and eye-opening experience. Also, it was my first time working with Boston Ballet.

Now, 10 years later, I am revisiting A Midsummer Night’s Dream in my professional career. This time, I have been given the opportunity to learn a variety of roles, including Hermia, Act II Divertissement, and Fairies.

Samantha (left) as a Hound Dog in 2006 with Boston Ballet.
Samantha (left) as a Hound Dog in 2006 with Boston Ballet.

The ballet was set in June 2015 by Sandra Jennings. Since then, we have been coached on various sections of the production. As the performances approached, Sandra put the final touches on the show before it opened in March.

Along with revisiting the ballet, I am also revisiting working with Sandra Jennings. When I first performed the production with Boston Ballet, Sandra was staging it. At the time, I was training with Sandra’s mom, Jacqueline Cronsberg, and continued to work with her for many years. It has been a rare opportunity to work with both of them in my career.

“The course of true love never did run smooth.”

–  Lysander to Hermia

Samantha dancing Hermia for Miami City Ballet, photo by Daniel Azoulay.
Samantha dancing Hermia for Miami City Ballet, photo by Daniel Azoulay.

During the staging process, I spent time reading Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream so I understood the characters on a deeper level. Most importantly, I learned that Shakespearian comedy is different from modern-day comedy. Shakespeare’s comedies are stories with happy endings–their main purpose isn’t to make the audience laugh, although they often contain many incidents of humor.

Once rehearsals started, I was able to shape the characters by what I read, especially Hermia. MCB Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez, who danced the role of Hermia’s rival Helena during her career, coached Hermia, Helena, Demetrius, and Lysander along with other characters in the ballet.

Lourdes also brought in playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney to help us act out conversations and misunderstandings between characters. Our narrative is visual, so learning how to lay out a conversation without words for the audience can be tricky. But challenges like these are among the many things that make this art form so rewarding and exciting. I look forward to continuing my journey in A Midsummer Night’s Dream during our final weekend of performances.

Act II Divertissement, photo by Daniel Azoulay.
Act II Divertissement, photo by Daniel Azoulay.

Never harm

Nor spell nor charm

Come our lovely lady night.

So good night, with lullaby.

–    Fairies’ song

Miami City Ballet’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be performed at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale from April 9-10, 2016.

 

Safe Dance Practice: What Is It And Why Do We Need It?

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Kai Downham photography: Instep Dance Company
Kai Downham Photography: Instep Dance Company

Aloha All 🙂

New dance medicine book to share!  “Safe Dance Practice” is written by three British colleagues of mine in the dance medicine world, Edel Quin / Sonia Rafferty / Charlotte Tomlinson. All three are involved with IADMS (International Association for Dance Medicine and Science), Safe in Dance International (SIDI), and are all MSc graduates of the Dance Science program at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (London UK). They have been long-involved in dance medicine and science, aka Dance Wellness, aka Safe Dance Practice (a British term), and have put together their invaluable knowledge and experience in writing this book – giving teachers and dancers a solid grounding for training healthy dancers who will be better equipped to dance many long years, in the best possible condition. The book is a great addition to your dance medicine and science library – Please pass it on!
Aloha
Jan

by Sonia Rafferty, Charlotte Tomlinson and Edel Quin

What It Isn’t!

The term “safe dance practice” often conjures up the vision of a checklist of boring, restrictive, and often unnecessary health and safety regulations. As dancers, choreographers, and teachers, we certainly don’t want to be held back in our artistic endeavours by recommendations that we think will limit our creative risk-taking capacity.

Fortunately, the upsurge of interest and increasing knowledge in safe dance practice will help us to do exactly the opposite. We can support artistic challenge by helping dancers to train and work at their best, but also heed the potential reasons for the high injury rate that has been observed in a wide variety of different dance styles.

Who Is It For?

Safe dance practice is important for dancers of any age and any ability. It is not simply for the elite “racehorse” of a dancer, at risk because of high-level demands, or the dancer who perhaps could be seen to be more prone to injury because of lack of technicality or physical ability.

Knowing how to work safely and effectively is relevant for everyone – for dancers themselves who can take responsibility for protecting and maintaining their readiness to dance, and for teachers who are trusted with instructing the dancing bodies. Add to that list the choreographers who use the expertise and abilities of dancers to create innovative and challenging works, and the artistic directors and managers who rehearse those dancers and organise their schedules.

[Read more…]

Preview: Atlanta Ballet’s “20|20: Visionary”

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Atlanta Ballet in "Home in 7". Dancers: Christian Clark and Christin Winkler. Photo by Charlie McCullers, courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.
Atlanta Ballet in “Home in 7”. Dancers: Christian Clark and Christine Winkler. Photo by Charlie McCullers, courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.

by Rachel Hellwig

Music and athleticism, the joy and shadows of childhood play, and the city of Atlanta itself inspire the works in 20|20: Visionary, presented at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre from March 18 – 20. A mixed bill of choreography created exclusively for Atlanta Ballet, the program features Amy Seiwert’s Home in 7, Darrell Grand Moultrie’s Boiling Point, and the world premiere of Douglas Lee’s Playground.

Seiwert’s Home in 7, made for the company in 2010, reflects Atlanta’s culture and diversity. The piece includes live music by Daniel Bernard Roumain and spoken word by Marc Bamuthi Joseph. Roumain, a violinist and acclaimed composer, is known for combining classical music, hip-hop, and funk. Joseph, an award-winning poet and Morehouse College graduate, will perform seven original poems about the city specifically written for this collaborative work.

Atlanta Ballet in “Home in 7”. Dancers: Pedro Gamino, Tara Lee and Deonte Hansel. Photo by Charlie McCullers, courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.
Atlanta Ballet in “Home in 7”. Dancers: Pedro Gamino, Tara Lee and Deonte Hansel. Photo by Charlie McCullers, courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.

 “Home in 7 is a relationship between dance, poetry, and music,” says Atlanta Ballet’s 20-year veteran Tara Lee who appeared in the work in 2010 and will revisit it this week. “All parts are equal, and there’s a dramatic level change when we have all the live artists together for the first time. I remember that from the last time we rehearsed the piece; that’s the moment when we experience what the work is about. It’s about being partners with the words and the song, expressing something in that moment together.”

For Kiara Felder, now in her second season with the company, Home in 7 comes at a special time in her life. “This is unique for me because I am really starting to identify with and call Atlanta my home,” she says. “I also read a lot of poetry, so I feel a strong connection with this piece. It’s an interesting challenge to dance with words and emotions driving you.”

Atlanta Ballet in "Boiling Point". Dancers: Pen-Yu Chen and Tara Lee. Photo by Charlie McCullers. Courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.
Atlanta Ballet in “Boiling Point”. Dancers: Pen-Yu Chen and Tara Lee. Photo by Charlie McCullers, courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.

Boiling Point, created for Atlanta Ballet in 2008 by Darrell Grand Moultrie, is inspired by the music of Kenji Bunch and pushes dancers’ physical limits. “It’s all about the energy you feel and how much you can expand it beyond yourself,” says Lee. “Having danced the piece before with a different cast, I realize how different a piece can be depending on who’s interpreting it. The group dynamic can shift with just one dancer changing…and that’s the fun part–to be sensitive to that playing of energy.”

Felder agrees, “Boiling Point gives us an opportunity to showcase our technical skills, and the energy of our company builds on each dancer’s unique attributes. It is very exciting to be on stage together in that way.”

Atlanta Ballet in "Boiling Point". Photo by Charlie McCullers, courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.
Atlanta Ballet in “Boiling Point”. Photo by Charlie McCullers, courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.

Douglas Lee’s debut work for Atlanta Ballet, Playground, draws upon his memories of childhood play—both its uplifting and sinister elements. “The physicality in this work is extreme and twisted, and yet it flows in such an organic and natural way,” explains Tara Lee. “This juxtaposition of beauty and distortion is visually fascinating, especially when Douglas plays with partnering between dancers. There are moments when the chaos becomes synchronization, and you realize there was a method to the madness the whole time.”

“Each piece in 20|20: Visionary incorporates different styles and approach to movement,” says Jared Tan, a member of Atlanta Ballet for six seasons. “I find it challenging as a dancer but, at the same time, I love it because it helps me be versatile. I can’t wait to perform these works on stage!”

Tickets start at $25.00. Purchase here.

From Atlanta Ballet’s website:

“Run time is approximately 2 hours and 8 minutes, including two 20-minute intermissions.”

“Home in 7 will be sign interpreted for the deaf/hard of hearing during the 20|20: Visionary performance on Saturday, March 19 at 2pm. Designated seats can be reserved online by clicking here or by calling 770.916.2852. Reserved seats are located in the Right Orchestra and the front right of the Center Orchestra.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnaVzxtNBuU

 

 

The Dance COLEctive Celebrates 20 Years

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Margi Cole reflects on her journey as a choreographer and The Dance COLEctive‘s upcoming 20th anniversary performance, Revelry/20 Years.

Margi Cole. Photograph by William Frederking.
Margi Cole. Photograph by William Frederking.

What continues to inspire you to choreograph after 20 years?

I am quite simply inspired by the creative process. I am still curious. I want to experiment with new ideas, new bodies, new challenges. I want to see if I can be more creative than the last time. How can I challenge the bodies in the space? How can I challenge myself? I get excited about working with the dancers, creating puzzles for them to take on, challenging their weaknesses and amplifying their strengths. I am enamored with watching the dancers tackle the material and grow from it. I am inspired by the authenticity of the experience. It is a truly intimate and satisfying privilege to be present in that creative space.

What are some of the most valuable artistic insights you’ve learned along the way?

Gosh. So many. Probably the biggest thing I would offer is that it is OK to fail. It is not fun, but there is so much to be learned from not succeeding. I can’t tell you how many times I have tried and failed and tried again. I wish I had been less worried about failing when I was younger and more of a risk taker. I find myself taking risks more now but they are calculated, less organic. Do your research. Be brave. Be humble about your failures and modest about your successes. The other thing that is just as hard is balancing your creative self, your personal self and your administrative self. Be careful that they do not become so tightly wound that you can’t separate one from the other. It means making sacrifices along the way. [Read more…]

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