Brooks & Company Dance

AUDITIONS: Open Call for the World Premiere of The Ugly Duckling

2011-03-16T15:26:00.004-04:00

Serenbe Playhouse in collaboration with Brooks & Company Dance presents The World Premiere of: The Ugly Duckling

An Original Adaptation Created by Joanna Brooks, Brian Clowdus, Chip Epsten and Rachel Teagle
Directed by Brian Clowdus, Choreographed by Joanna Brooks, Text by Rachel Teagle, Music by Chip Epsten
July 2nd-August 28th 2pm (every Saturday & Sunday) with 3 special performances for Camp Serenbe in July

The Ugly Duckling follows an awkward misfit duckling on his journey to acceptance and self discovery. This new adaptation of the classic Hans Christian Andersen story will be told through theatre and dance in a beautiful outdoor setting. This show is being created as a direct response to the bullying epidemic that we are experiencing on both a local and national level. We are going back to one of the oldest childhood tales of diversity with The Ugly Duckling but giving it a modern twist with a production that will move children and adults of all ages. We will be celebrating the differences in each of us and have audience members questioning those differences that seem to still be creating barriers, even in 2011. This will not be your typical Children’s Theatre Experience and will have a level of sophistication that will have parents on the edge of their seat as well with half human/half animal bird dancers and a set built out into a lake in Serenbe allowing dancers and actors to be in and out of water, just as these characters would be in their natural environment. This show will be a fusion of live music, fantastical costuming, witty writing, and modern choreography with performance on land and in water.

Casting The Following Roles:

Narrator -male/female- someone engaging and sympathetic who brings the audience into the story

Ted -male- our ugly duckling, must be a strong dancer and actor

Female Actor who plays:
Mama Duck - our well-meaning, misguided matriach
Alberta - a loose Canadian Goose
Chicken - the meanest and most popular hen in the barnyard

Male Actor who plays:
Captain Honks - the intrepid goose flock leader
Cat - Chicken's snooty sidekick

Two Male Dancers to play our graceful and mysterious swans (named Neil Swantrick Harris, and Tony Kushwan)

Two sets of two young boys (ages 7-14-ish) to play Ted's duckling brothers. The roles involve speaking and some dance.

Open Call will be held March 30th at The Alliance Movement Studio on the the 3rd Floor of The Woodfruff Arts Center. Times are as follows:
3:30-Youth Roles
5:00-Actors who Move
7:00-Dancers

*Please bring headshot and resume and be prepared to Dance first. Cut will happen after dance call and sides will be handed out at Audition, no need to prepare a monologue. Dancers should wear form fitting clothing.

Dance for Parkinson's Spring Session

2011-03-07T12:30:00.006-05:00

Brooks & Company Dance is pleased to announce an

11 week session of Dance for Parkinson's classes at the

Atlanta Ballet Michael C. Carlos Center for Dance!

Each Monday from March 14, 2011 through May 30, 2011
Mondays from 12:30 - 1:30 PM
Atlanta Ballet at 1695 Marietta Blvd. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
Due to spring break, there will be no class on April 4, 2011

Members of the Brooklyn Parkinson Group at the Mark Morris

Dance Center. Photo by Katsuyoshi Tanaka

Classes are open to anyone with Parkinson's, families, friends and

caregivers. No dance experience is necessary. Students are welcome

to use walkers or wheelchairs.

Thanks to a special grant from the Mitchell Foundation, the class is

free to participants, although donations are always welcome to keep

the class alive.

Dance for Parkinson's, originally pioneered in 2001 through a partnership

between the Brooklyn Parkinson Group and the Mark Morris Dance

Group, is a dance class for people with Parkinson's Disease, their

families and caregivers (http://danceforparkinsons.org).

Each class is designed to engage participants in an enjoyable

and supportive environment with trained dance professionals.

In addition to the benefits of physical activity, Dance for Parkinson's

focuses on the increased quality of life dance can bring to the mind,

body and soul.

Martin Thall, a member of the Brooklyn Parkinson Group,

and David Leventhal at the Mark Morris Dance Center.

Photo by Katsuyoshi Tanaka

Dance for Parkinson's incorporates many dance styles:

modern, ballet, jazz, tap, musical theater and modified

excerpts from Brooks & Company Dance's unique repertory.

Class begins with seated warm-ups that target correct posture,

full range-of-motion movements and the use of good breathing

to inform the movement. The class then progresses to the barre

followed by exercises in the center of the studio and then

moves across the floor. Rhythm creates an additional cue to

each exercise while the melodies encourage individual artistry

throughout the movements.

Members of the Brooklyn Parkinson Group at the Mark Morris Dance Center. Photo by Rosalie O''Connor.

No pre-registration is necessary. For information call Brooks & Company Dance at (404) 590-0738, or email info@brooksandcompanydance.org or go to http://www.brooksandcompanydance.org

'Ment- TONITE ONLY!

2010-06-27T08:59:00.000-04:00

The Artists of Shorts 5

2010-05-06T20:22:00.003-04:00

Closing night, don't miss it!

2010-04-24T13:52:00.002-04:00

Join us tonight for Shorts 5

2010-04-23T11:43:00.001-04:00

Shorts 5 is almost here!

2010-04-06T00:44:00.003-04:00

The fifth annual 'Shorts' event!

With new works by Bubba Carr, Beth Lewis, Staci Scaturro, Stephen Loch, Kristyn McGeehan, Stephanie Johnson, Cara O'Grady and Jena Michele Kovash

PLUS...

Guest works by Terry Slade and Redemption Dance Theater, the Good Moves Dance Consort and a very special performance by Adele Myers and Dancers!

Don't miss 'Communicating About Choreography'
a dialogue with the choreographers
7:00 PM Friday and Saturday before the show

TICKETS:
$10 General Admission
$8 Students, Seniors and Artists
$5 with a program/ ticket stub from a recent local dance performance

Email us at info@brooksandcompanydance.org

In case you're wondering what you missed at the workshop last Thursday....

2010-04-04T09:57:00.001-04:00

Overcoming Choreographer’s Block – April 1, 2010
A Workshop Review by Jaki Hawthorne

My body aches to the core. It’s the good kind of ache. You know, the kind you get from doing something you love, with people you love, until you are about to drop from exhaustion… and then you do it some more. Get your mind out of the gutter, people! I’m talking about DANCING!

Joanna Brooks of Brooks & Company Dance (http://brooksandcompanydance.blogspot.com) offered up an amazing opportunity to help choreographers with the dreaded Choreographer’s Block… cue dramatic film noir music!

Choreographer’s block is a mentally paralyzing phenomenon which all choreographers experience at one time or another. You create something and you open a door, and with every opening there is bound to be a close…a point at which you just can’t create for a while. It may be just a moment, or maybe a day, perhaps a month or sometimes much longer. The workshop was designed to give you tools to re-open the door to your creative process. The workshop was guided by Staci Scaturro from Orlando, Florida, a 15-veteran of dance choreography and founder of the company Soul Play Modern Dance.

Staci was enthusiastic, inspiring and very real. Her genuine love of dance and quiet way of making you feel welcome in her class, no matter what your experience level, was something to be cherished. She doesn’t take herself too seriously and, speaking for myself, that’s something of great value to find in any kind of instructor.

The class was 9 or 10 dancers of unknown levels…I loved that Staci did not have anyone spouting off their experiences and yeeeeeeeaaaaaaars of dance training… and we just played (yes, played!) for about 3 hours. With varying degrees of guidance, we used props, visual imagery, music, and spoken word to create mini compositions.

One of my favorite games was the 4-corner “Soul Play” where each designated wall of the room had a different station of activity. One corner was the toy box with silly, found objects from the space. Another was a wall for contact improvisation using the wall in as many ways as your brain could conceive. A third was a long list of locations for you to play around with literal and abstract ideas about movement inside a volcano, or on a rollercoaster, or at the Louvre... In between each station was a directive such as to move in a masculine way, or only on the floor, or super slow motion, etc. It was quite something to behold a room full of dancers creating movement with completely unique motivations, and yet it still could have been a composition as a whole.

Yesterday was a revisit to a part of my roots that I had thought was quite forgotten. For me, it was a trip back in time to the world of modern dance. And a joyful and wonderful trip it was. Thank you Joanna Brooks and Staci Scaturro for a unique journey and a bag full of tricks to help break the cycle of the closed, creative door.
__________________________

__________

On a separate note: My girls from Jahara Phoenix were awe inspiring. Several of them stepped so far outside of their box that there is no longer a box! I was genuinely moved by their willingness to experience movement far beyond their comfort zone and to open up and accept whatever is tossed into the dance mix. Amazing!

Shorts 5 Workshop

2010-03-25T01:04:00.003-04:00

Overcoming Choreographers Block

Wondering where to begin?

Stuck in the middle?

Can't find the right ending?

Join brooks & company dance on Thursday April 1, 2010 for 'Overcoming Choreographers Block.'

Returning Shorts choreographer Staci Scaturro will guide us through an evening of fun and challenging dance composition exercises in a workshop designed to help you master those "drawing a blank" moments in your creative process.

Workshop fees are just $10 for the general public, $5 for local artists and free for Shorts 5 participants.

WHEN: 6:00-9:00 PM, Thursday April 1, 2010
WHERE: Atlanta Ballet Midtown, 1400 West Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309
WHO: brooks & company dance and anyone who wants to develop their choreographic tool-kit

Email me for more info: ad@brooksandcompanydance.org

Shop and give...at the same time

2010-02-21T12:46:00.007-05:00

You already do it; Google anything you want to find online, get your prescriptions from drugstore.com, download that movie or album from iTunes, buy every one's gift at Amazon.com. Online searching and retail shopping have become part of our everyday lives. Now there's a way you can become a supporter of brooks & company dance without writing a check, without any heavy lifting, from the same place you are sitting as you read this and (here's the best part) at NO COST to you or to us.

It's called The Giving Seed and it is a brilliant way to get folks to support non-profits by doing something they are already doing...online shopping. It's simple:

1. Visit http://www.thegivingseed.com/

2. Click on brooks & company dance from the drop down menu
3. Select your favorite online retailer from the drop down menu
4. Shop as usual

It also works with Google search. Simply go to http://www.thegivingseed.com/ and enter what you'd like to search for in the Google window.

I've already made it my homepage...and I think you should, too!

A big thanks to keif for uncovering this incredible company, thanks to the wonderful people I've had the pleasure of meeting from the The Giving Seed and thanks to all of you for shopping, for searching and for supporting BCD!

Saturday Night- RELIEF WORK

2010-01-28T13:27:00.004-05:00

brooks & company dance
and eight local dance companies have joined Zoetic Dance Ensemble to present

RELIEF WORK

A BENEFIT DANCE CONCERT TO SUPPORT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS
EFFORTS IN HAITI

January 30, 2010
8:00 PM

7 Stages Theatre
1105 Euclid Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA 30307-1925

TICKETS: $20 general admission, $15 students, senior & artists

CHECK OR CASH ONLY AT THE DOOR OR PURCHASE TICKETS

at

www.ticketleap.com

photo courtesy of Will Day

"Atlanta’s dance Renaissance gets national exposure in Dance Magazine"

2010-01-12T16:32:00.000-05:00

Dance educator and critic Cynthia Bond Perry has a overview of Atlanta's expansive dance scene and a retrospective of the Atlanta Ballet, its leadership and its ethos published in this month's edition of Dance Magazine. Highlights of these articles are featured on the local arts blog ArtsCriticATL in her own words. Her articles and sidebar and accompanying images do a great job of placing dance around the city and educating readers about the unique aspects of the 70+ artists, companies, schools and studios she names. As a must-read for those of us on the scene, it's a good starting place to get to know our extended familty.

Mini Mob Makes Dance Debut

2010-01-02T21:42:00.013-05:00

Diehard Flashers braved the elements on New Year's Eve to dance for the sheer joy of it. The Durski's provides this link to video of the mini mob and LynnBob shot this one. Photos are courtesy of Eddie Hatchett. We were excited that Beth Lewis joined in... she has just returned to the states from completing Pilobolus' Shadowland tour which concluded with a special performance for HM Queen Elizabeth II. Thursday's dance marked a 50 year celebration for Flasher Susan Asher. Long time BCD supporters Lynn and Bob were there to specifically start off their New Year dancing among friends! Other Flashers: Lisa, Su, Honora, Red, Kelley, Christy, Cherlyn & her friend, Jo and Kayte. Thanks to our supporters for coming along and thanks to photographer Joeff Davis from Creative Loafing for dropping by. We'll post more video and images shortly. Also, thanks to @atlantabike of the Atlanta Bike Coalition and @joeventures for helping spread the word about the mob.

Contact us at info(at)brooksandcompanydance(dot)org if you are interested in participating in a Flash Mob.

2009 New Year's Eve Flash Mob Tutorial

2009-12-30T22:38:00.017-05:00

Come dance along with Atlanta Flashers in Kenny's Alley (Underground Atlanta) at 5pm on Thursday, December 31st, 2009. That's right -- it's another Flash Mob and we'll be saying goodbye to the old year and hello to the new one during Underground Atlanta's New Year's Eve Peach Drop 2010. Jump in for the last three song clips from Miley Cyrus, Michael Jackson and the Black Eyed Peas and you'll be a Flasher, too!

For all you FCAC Contractors for Services, look real close at this video for our celebrity Flasher. Also, Happy Flasher Birthday to Susan Asher. Big thanks to Ophelia, Bubba, Paulina & Dance 101 for giving us the space to rehearse.

You can view an extended version of the NYE Dance Tutorial here.

BCD's Composed named one of the AJC's Top 5 Dance Events in 2009

2009-12-30T16:21:00.009-05:00

In his opening remarks for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Top 5 Dance Events of 2009, local arts critic Pierre Ruhe states that "Atlanta’s dance scene is exploding — new talent, new audiences, a new ambition that the city is finally ready to be a national-quality hub for the art form. The recession has hampered expansion of the performing arts, yet dance accelerated in 2009, and this year dance fans came here to see what we’re up to."

We agree. We've got great peers here in town and you can find dance all around you year-round. There are also a number of producing entities that attract top-tier national companies and a smorgasbord of international companies to perform here in Atlanta. Surrounding colleges and universities offer competitive and exciting dance programs and attract talented students, instructors and acclaimed professionals as guests. There are solid dance schools here that are preparing the next generation of artists & dancemakers and teaching adults every kind of dance style you can imagine. Music videos and other commercial reels are filled with talented dancers who work it here in the ATL. Atlanta has an exciting, diverse, elegant and expanding dance community---don't miss out on it!

One way to stay informed is to check out the ATLANTADANCES blog and get connected to the local dance scene. You can also follow local dance critic Cynthia Bond Perry whose recent critiques have been published on ArtsCririticATL.com and in the AJC and Dance Magazine.

Congratulations to fellow dancers with gloATL, Atlanta Ballet and Come Fly With Me, and choreographers Lauri Stallings, John McFall, Mark Godden and Twyla Tharp for sharing this year-end, Top 5 distinction with us.

Here's to a great 2010 for the entire Atlanta Dance Community!

Critic's Review of Composed

2009-12-17T23:41:00.012-05:00

Dance critic Cynthia Bond Perry wrote a review of our most recent performance Composed for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the ArtsCriticalATL blog. Here is a link to that review.

Images from that performance courtesy of Will Day and Eddie Hatchett.

Meet Stephen Loch

2009-12-03T00:22:00.002-05:00

Cara, Sally & Stephie do a guest performance this weekend

2009-11-22T12:24:00.006-05:00

Well, as if last week's performance at Composed, and the week before that at Volta's Coiled at the Base of Our Spines, wasn't enough work for Cara, Sally & Stephie... they are performing again this weekend as part of Good Moves' production of Until We Dance Again. Our trio will perform the second movement of 4.3.5

The young people of Good Moves Consort, Apprentices & Ed Source (and Carolyn & Annette) have put together a thoroughly entertaining show. You'll see their integration and demonstration of modern dance techniques (Graham, Limón, O'Donnell) coupled with their ballet training (Cecchetti). They are well versed and solid. Klimchak makes a special appearance, too.

Performances are Saturday, November 21 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 22 at 3:00 p.m. at 7 Stages in Little 5 Points (1105 Euclid Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307).

A Big Thanks

2009-11-18T19:02:00.001-05:00

Thanks so much to everyone of you who came to see our performances of Composed this past weekend. We had a blast and we're so grateful for your support.

We're glad that those of you at the Friday performance got to see the work of Matt & Emily Kent. Keep your eyes open for them and their company Pickleshoes. The two of them have been great mentors for those of us coming up through the ranks in the local dance community.

Also, be on the lookout for work by Joe Futral, who designed the lighting for our show. He is currently lighting things up over at the Horizon Theatre for their holiday shows. Our Stage Mgr., Lisa Watson, is getting things going over at True Colors Theatre Company for their upcoming production of Black Nativity (the company and this production are recent recipients of a few Suzi Bass Awards). Other members of our production team, T.O. staffers Christopher Kettrey and Jonathan Summers, will tech-out Theatrical Outfit's upcoming production of Amahl and the Night Visitors.

We hope you'll get a chance to see these shows and that you'll continue to support the performing arts here in the metro area. You're the reason we're all on the stage!

So much beauty

2009-11-11T18:08:00.002-05:00

I just got home from the theater. And I just got butterflies in my tummy writing the word "theater."

Composed is simply beautiful. I have not see the production as you will, I have only seen the separate elements in development and out of context; the lights as they were being gelled and focused, the costumes in bits and pieces, choreography inside dimly lit dance studios, the dancers in their sweats and t-shirts with hair all over the place.

Each piece of the production is just so pretty. Even though I have yet to see all of those elements come together I am taken by how beautiful, how singularly pleasing to the eye each of these elements are by themselves. It's a little bit like walking through the mall as a kid and seeing that candy store coming up, knowing that in just a few moments all that color, sweetness and fun will be everywhere I look. Even the program covers are gorgeous!

I am so excited to see everything become one work. This production is going to blow you away.

And to top off all that loveliness flying around this weekend...

A very special guest appearance is happening on Friday night only. Matt & Emily Kent will be performing a luscious pas de deux. This dance is the one element I have seen as a complete work. It is absolutely breathtaking. I am humbled and honored to have the Kents bring their beauty to our stage.

So much beauty. You don't want to miss this one.

Today is Wednesday so that means...

2009-11-09T19:00:00.005-05:00

...you have until 6pm tonight to purchase your advanced sale discounted tickets.

Click Here to Buy Tickets Online

In order to get the advanced-sale price you must purchase your tickets online. Follow the link above and on the Order Summary page, use the drop-down arrow under the Discount Heading to manually select the discount for each ticket. You should see the price and total change. If you do not get the discounted price DO NOT CONTINUE WITH THE ORDER. Please call the Theatrical Outfit/Balzer Theater box office at 678-528-1500 for help during their hours of operation Tuesday-Friday, 12pm - 6pm. (If you call or leave a message, please indicate that you are purchasing tickets for the brooks & company dance production of COMPOSED.)
For Children's tickets and Student/Senior discounted tickets call the Theatrical Outfit Box Office at 678.528.1500

Once your internet order is placed, all sales are final.

brooks & company dance (BCD) is proud to present COMPOSED, an evening of dance that explores the chaos and order that composes the inner psyche and external world.

Friday, November 13, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 14, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 15, 2009 at 3:00 p.m.
A pre-show lecture will begin 45 minutes before each performance.

Theatrical Outfit’s The Balzer Theater at Herren’s
84 Luckie Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30303

$25.00 General Admission
$15.00 Student/Senior
Admission is free for children 12 and under.

COMPOSED features two distinctly different views of chaos and order and the effect they have on the human spirit:

Chiaroscuro, which is the interplay of light and shadow, focuses on the inner landscape of the mind. Choreographer and founding member of BCD Kristyn McGeehan examines the moments of darkness in the psyche and the struggle to control the chaos of that internal battle. McGeehan brings those invisible forces that provoke anxiety and depression to life as dancers manipulate one another on stage, unraveling the struggle between the conscious and the subconscious. “The moments of darkness that occur when facing an emotional dilemma have the power to strengthen an individual, which ultimately produces a beautiful lightness in the soul and extends outward into the world”, McGeehan notes.

4.3.5., choreographed by Joanna Brooks, Artistic Director of BCD, explores those external elements of the world that appear chaotic but are actually composed of precise structures and order, often overlooked by the eye. Brooks uses models in nature which are described by deterministic equations and fractal theory to inspire her choreography. “Branching veins, dried mud flats and the surface of the skin create patterns that continue to evolve”, Brooks explains. “I tried to create a choreographic visualization of these mathematical equations to illustrate the order that appears from the seeming chaos in the world”.

We [heart] Flashers

2009-11-01T23:24:00.023-05:00

Flash Mob Dance @Atlanta Pride from Will Day on Vimeo.

Thanks for coming out and shakin' your groove thing. How did you dance in that mud? You all looked great and we had so much fun. We'd like to thank Sheffield and the Atlanta PRIDE Committee for all their support and for sharing the meadow with us. We'd also like to thank Dance 101 for giving us a place to get it all together. Big props & heartfelt gratitude to our partner in crime -- Bubba Carr.

Most of all -- Thanks to everyone of you who put the Flash into flashmob.

Here are two video clips courtesy of Will Day at willday.net -- the first one is a little pre-show fun and the second is the performance.

Here are some additional links to video clips of the dance from Bubba Carr, WhetWetty, clarkrobertf, jpbpsyched, MWpro44, helenkellercantsee, TeacherBlackwell, hueyproductions

We'll continue to post your videos as we come across them (or please email us a link). We'll post our official video soon. WXIA gave coverage about the flashmob during their 10pm newscast and the Southern Voice blog carried this report.

Stay tuned, everyone... we'll do it again! Want to join us? Then just drop us a line at info(at)brooksandcompanydance(dot)org

Here we are, ladies and gentlemen from Will Day on Vimeo.

Join Us for COMPOSED!

2009-11-01T15:01:00.003-05:00

brooks & company dance (BCD) is proud to present COMPOSED, an evening of dance that explores the chaos and order that composes the inner psyche and external world.

Friday, November 13, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 14, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 15, 2009 at 3:00 p.m.
A pre-show lecture will begin 45 minutes before each performance.

COMPOSED features two distinctly different views of chaos and order and the effect they have on the human spirit:

Chiaroscuro, which is the interplay of light and shadow, focuses on the inner landscape of the mind. Choreographer and founding member of BCD Kristyn McGeehan examines the moments of darkness in the psyche and the struggle to control the chaos of that internal battle. McGeehan brings those invisible forces that provoke anxiety and depression to life as dancers manipulate one another on stage, unraveling the struggle between the conscious and the subconscious. “The moments of darkness that occur when facing an emotional dilemma have the power to strengthen an individual, which ultimately produces a beautiful lightness in the soul and extends outward into the world”, McGeehan notes.

4.3.5., choreographed by Joanna Brooks, Artistic Director of BCD, explores those external elements of the world that appear chaotic but are actually composed of precise structures and order, often overlooked by the eye. Brooks uses models in nature which are described by deterministic equations and fractal theory to inspire her choreography. “Branching veins, dried mud flats and the surface of the skin create patterns that continue to evolve”, Brooks explains. “I tried to create a choreographic visualization of these mathematical equations to illustrate the order that appears from the seeming chaos in the world”.

This program is supported in part by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council and by the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs.

Be There

2009-10-28T08:24:00.001-04:00

Happy Meal

2009-10-22T13:14:00.000-04:00

We send out a great big Thank You to everyone who joined us at Wahoo! Grill on Monday night. It was a lot of fun to dine out with you and we hope to do it again soon. Our servers and the entire staff at Wahoo! made the event very nice.

Dine Out for BCD

2009-10-15T04:16:00.005-04:00

Please join us on Monday, October 19, 2009 at the Wahoo! Grill in Decatur for our very first Dine Out for BCD. Come have a great meal and drinks between 5:00-10:00 PM and tell your server you are dining for brooks & company dance. Wahoo! will then donate 10% of your check to BCD. Bar tabs are included too, so this is a great opportunity to invite your friends and coworkers out for happy hour!

Click here for address and a map to Wahoo! Grill.

See you at dinner!

Meet Jena Michele Kovash

2009-10-09T20:28:00.002-04:00

The light at the end of the tunnel is beginning to crest...

2009-10-07T15:48:00.005-04:00

Kristyn McGeehan and I are almost finished with the choreography for Composed! Her work, titled Chiaroscuro is looking fantastic. I am consistently awed by Kristyn's creativity and vision. In dance it is rare and refreshing to see new movement I have never seen before, and Kristyn never fails to make my jaw drop. Yesterday during Kristyn's rehearsal I saw Jena and Stephen do a complete revolution in a lift, face to face and right-side up, with Jena's legs extended absolutely perpendicular to the ceiling. Try to imagine that.

My new work is titled 4.3.5. I am not telling a story or making a statement; it is simply a dance. The lack of drama does seem a little bit different from my usual M.O. Last night I was talking to my mom on the phone about this piece and she asked if she was going to cry when she sees it. I told her that this ballet is not at all depressing and no one dies so I didn't think she would. I think my mom may even smile, or better yet, laugh!

The six BCD company members have been working harder than ever for Composed, as has our apprentice, Kayte Porter. Since she has been the only understudy, I've thrown Kayte into the run-thrus a few times now and she always receives applause from the company for hitting the choreography.

Five more weeks until curtain. See you there.

Meet Kristyn McGeehan!

2009-09-26T10:52:00.003-04:00

Getting to Know the Dancers - Cara O'Grady

2009-09-14T13:17:00.005-04:00

From the Eye (and Mouth) of the Director

2009-08-24T22:24:00.007-04:00

I have spent the last several weeks thinking hard about what I should write for my very first entry on BCD's new blog. I wanted it to be informative about what the company has been working on, as well as welcoming, insightful and entertaining. Once I got my hands on our newest toy, the fabulous Flip camera (an in-kind donation from the "momarvelous" folks at Momar), it became very clear what my first entry should be... a VLOG!

I hope you enjoy this first behind-the-scenes look at BCD, and please join us on September 27th, 2009 as we unveil the '09-'10 season and our beautiful new images. Enjoy, and be sure to catch us live and in the flesh this season!

Anniversaries to Celebrate with Our Peers

2009-08-20T00:10:00.009-04:00

Congrats to all of you. Thanks for blazing the trail for us. We wish you many more successful years!

The Atlanta Ballet: 80th Anniversary
The Georgia Ballet: 50th Anniversary
Several Dancers Core: 30th Anniversary
Ballethnic Dance Company: 20th Anniversary
Giwayen Mata: 15th Anniversary
The Inman Park Dance Festival: 10th Anniversary
Zoetic Dance Ensemble: 10th Anniversary

FCAC Contract Signing

2009-08-13T13:19:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was signing day for artists who received Fulton County Arts Council Contracts for Services. Events like this are fun because you get to meet peers from all disciplines and catch up on what they've done over the past year and what they've got planned for the upcoming season. Yesterday was extra special because it marked the 30th anniversary of the FCAC.

Our very first grant was through the Fulton County Arts Council - a time that strangely seems both far away and near. Maybe that's because its not just the grant process that stands out but rather the friendships that were formed with staff members who were genuinely concerned with helping us create a successful grant, folks who want to see artists and the Arts succeed. These are the same staff members who attended our performances or who we see at other performances and events around town. We've had similar experiences with staffers at the Georgia Council for the Arts.

As we get ready to announce our fourth season, we do so with great appreciation to the Fulton County Arts Council, The Georgia Council for the Arts and the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs. These organizations currently provide the majority of our funding.

Givin' back a little

2009-07-29T23:54:00.001-04:00

Joanna flew over to southeast Georgia this evening to speak on an Arts Leadership panel for the Camden County School System... herself, a graduate from that system. She will now be serving on the Camden County High School Fine Arts Academy Advisory Committee. Still working hard at forging her own career and company, it means a lot that she makes time to engender others from where her interest in the performing arts sprang.

Two years ago, BCD went to Camden County for four performances from our repertory. It was a fun road trip with lots of camaraderie and good beach weather. The performances were great and our energy was high. About 2000 students saw the performances (The Lottery) and they were absolutely riveted to their seats--in all fairness, they were probably motionless because they were pressed into their seats by blasting Stravinsky's Rite of Spring so loud that all of the bass and percussive notes would push the doors open slightly in the back of the huge theater. Ohhhhhh.. That's why they were so quiet??!!! They probably couldn't even breathe!

Joanna's personal connection made these performances particularly special. She hosted a Q&A after each performance and an auditorium full of students envisioned their own companies and talked business(and school work) with her. Students came up to speak with her one on one after the Q&A. One young man, in particular, touched our hearts as he told Joanna how much he longed to dance, and how much he was harassed for it. Educators were happy to see Joanna ten years since her graduation. They expressed a sense of pride that she's manifesting her dream and striving to conduct herself, and her company, in a very professional manner.

Now she is stepping up to the next level of leadership in her hometown and taking a more active role in assuring that others may have the opportunity to manifest their dreams.

Rehearsals Underway

2009-07-29T23:39:00.000-04:00

First day of rehearsals during our regularly scheduled times (10-1, TWF) and the company members have already got a few logistical things completed... studio/head shots session was great and the proofs are back in our hands, general agreements are being reviewed, and a new interactive environment was set-up online so company members can share info in real time.

Back in the studio

2009-07-27T16:33:00.000-04:00

Company members and choreographers are spending four days together at the Atlanta Ballet Cobb & Buckhead studios doing a dance intensive. Getting a jump on the rehearsal process.