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Last Bows And New Beginnings

July 29, 2016 by Rachel Hellwig

By Rachel Hellwig

Gennadi Nedvigin in Cranko's Onegin. (© Erik Tomasson)
Gennadi Nedvigin in Cranko’s Onegin. (© Erik Tomasson)

The final performances of a career can be a difficult time in a dancer’s life, but Atlanta Ballet’s incoming artistic director, Gennadi Nedvigin, is looking toward the future.

“It’s bittersweet,” he said of his retirement in a phone interview. “But, I’m not saying goodbye. My new job is a continuation of the creational process. I’ll still be at home in the studio and part of making what happens on stage.”

Nedvigin, who completed 19 seasons with San Francisco Ballet in the spring, will perform for the last time on July 30 at DESPERTARES in Guadalajara, Mexico, an event showcasing renowned dancers including The Royal Ballet’s Lauren Cuthbertson, English National Ballet’s Tamara Rojo, San Francisco Ballet’s Maria Kochetkova, Dutch National Ballet’s Michaela DePrince, and New York City Ballet’s Joaquin De Luz, among others.

Atlanta Ballet’s 11-year veteran Nadia Mara will join Nedvigin as his dance partner. “I wanted Atlanta Ballet to be represented at the gala,” he said. “It’s wonderful to work with Nadia and get to know her better.”

At DESPERTARES, Nedvigin will perform a piece he didn’t get the chance to dance during his career–the Nighthawk pas de deux from Yuri Possokhov’s contemporary ballet Swimmer. “It’s a dream come true,” said Nedvigin, who appeared in other passages of Swimmer during its premiere at San Francisco Ballet in 2015 and encore earlier this year. “It’s emotional and challenging,” he explained. “Yuri is an intuitive choreographer and this pas de deux is a story within a story.”

In an intimate preview rehearsal at Atlanta Ballet’s studios on Monday, Nedvigin and Mara performed Nighthawk, set to Tom Waits’ smoky song of longing If I Have to Go. Dressed in costumes suggesting mid-century America–a dark suit and hat for him, a vintage-style red dress for her–Nedvigin and Mara portrayed a couple struggling through an undesired goodbye. Nedvigin also shared a lighthearted solo from the other piece he and Mara will perform in, Les Lutins by Johan Kobburg. The works highlighted Nedvigin’s refinement and diaphanous jumps and Mara’s strength and sense of drama.

In a post-performance Q&A, Mara said that Nedvigin already felt like part of the company’s family. Nedvigin is likewise looking forward to the start of the season next month. “I can’t wait to begin working with these dancers,” he said. “I’m excited about the future of Atlanta Ballet.”

Gennadi Nedvigin and Nadia Mara in Nighthawk pas de deux from Nighthawks pas de deux from Yuri Possokhov’s Swimmer. Photo by Charlie McCullers, courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.
Gennadi Nedvigin and Nadia Mara in Nighthawk pas de deux from Yuri Possokhov’s Swimmer. Photo by Charlie McCullers, courtesy of Atlanta Ballet.

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Filed Under: 4dancers Tagged With: atlanta ballet, DESPERTARES 2016, Gennadi Nedvigin, nadia mara, Nighthawk pas de deux, san francisco ballet, Swimmer, yuri possokhov

Paris, Passion, And Pointe Shoes: Atlanta Ballet Presents Moulin Rouge®

February 4, 2016 by Rachel Hellwig

Atlanta Ballet in Moulin Rouge®. Photograph by Charlie McCullers.
Atlanta Ballet in Moulin Rouge®–The Ballet. Photograph by Charlie McCullers.

By Rachel Hellwig

A tragic love triangle, the City of Lights, and the bohemian nightlife of the late nineteenth century—Atlanta Ballet brings Jorden Morris’ Moulin Rouge® – The Ballet back to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre from February 5-13.

Created in 2009 for the 70th anniversary of Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the production has since toured internationally, been adapted into a ballet film, and was re-staged on Atlanta Ballet in 2010.

Inspired by the iconic French nightclub depicted in the art of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Moulin Rouge® blends ballet, Cancan, and tango to the music of composers such as Debussy, Offenbach, Shostakovich, Ravel, Johann Strauss Jr. and Astor Piazzolla, among others.

"At the Moulin Rouge" by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Wikimedia Commons Public domain image.
At the Moulin Rouge by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Wikimedia Commons public domain image.

A fantasia of history and imagination, the ballet follows the stories of Nathalie–a laundress turned cabaret dancer, Charles Zidler–the sinister proprietor of the Moulin Rouge (“The Red Mill”),  Matthew–an aspiring painter, and, of course, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

Atlanta Ballet veteran John Welker, now in his 21st season with the company, will portray Zidler and Toulouse-Lautrec. “What I really enjoy about these roles is that they are both based on real people,” he says. “They are not just a figment of the choreographer’s imagination. I love that, in some strange way, it makes you feel connected to that time period in Paris.”

The original Moulin Rouge circa 1914. Wikimedia Commons public domain image.
The original Moulin Rouge circa 1914. Wikimedia Commons public domain image.

Interestingly, the historic Toulouse-Lautrec would not likely have been able to dance. After breaking his legs as a youth, the bones did not heal properly and stopped growing. As a result, he was disproportionately short and struggled to walk, even with a cane.

Nonetheless, Morris wanted to bring him to life through dance. In an interview for Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, he explained, “When choreographing the dance for Toulouse, I wanted the audience to see the amazing and beautiful things going on in his mind – which is translated through dance. It would have been easy to make his choreography twisted and deformed, but then we would never see the beauty behind what was in his mind.”

John Welker and Christine Winkler as Matthew and Nathalie in Moulin Rouge®. Photograph by Charlie McCullers.
John Welker and Christine Winkler as Matthew and Nathalie in Moulin Rouge®–The Ballet. Photograph by Charlie McCullers.

As Nathalie, the rags-to-riches Moulin Rouge star whose life is fatefully intertwined with Matthew, Nadia Mara returns to a role she first visited in Atlanta Ballet’s 2010 production. She delights in the character’s creative and dramatic possibilities. “Nathalie goes through so many emotions and transformations during the story,” she says. “It allows me to explore and work on my acting, which I always love. I can’t wait to show the audience this beautiful ballet!”

If you would like to be in the audience of Moulin Rouge®–The Ballet, tickets starting at $25 may be purchased here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nHgU4g-Gro

Filed Under: 4dancers Tagged With: atlanta ballet, Charles Zidler, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, John Welker, Jorden Morris, moulin rouge, Moulin Rouge Ballet, Moulin Rouge®--The Ballet, nadia mara, Preview

10 Questions With…Nadia Mara

February 20, 2012 by 4dancers

Our “10 Questions With…” today is with Nadia Mara from Atlanta Ballet…

Nadia Mara

1. How did you become involved with dance?

When I was 3 years old my mother took me to my first ballet class and since then I’ve been in love with the art of dancing.

2. What are you currently doing in the field?

Rehearsing Twyla Tharp’s world premiere The P,rincess and the Goblin.

3. Would you share a special moment from your career with readers?

Performing Giselle was very special to me. It was my first full length ballet and It was very challenging! I did a lot of research on the role during the previous months, watched many different versions, spent hours in the studios trying to make it as perfect as I could. After the show my parents were very proud and gave me a big hug and a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I still keep one between a book’s pages.

4. What is the best advice you have ever received from a teacher or mentor regarding dance? [Read more…]

Filed Under: 10 Questions With... Tagged With: atlanta ballet, giselle, nadia mara, princess and the goblin, romeo and juliet, twyla tharp

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