Atlanta Ballet: From the Solitude of Serenbe to a Block Party in the City

Kiara Felder and Alexandre Barros in Two and a Half Songs, choreography by Nathan Griswold.

 

On August 23, Atlanta Ballet’s Wabi Sabi ventured south of the city for its first engagement at Serenbe, the progressive community connected to nature on the edge of Atlanta. In WHIM, the troupe performed works by Atlanta Ballet‘s Tara Lee, Heath Gill, and Sarah Hillmer. 

The next weekend the public had a rare opportunity to check out one of the metro area’s most happening arts HQs at the first Atlanta Ballet Block Party.  The suggested donation of $20 was for a worthy cause, The Dancers' Resource Fund, which supports dancers as they prepare for second careers after dance. Upon retirement from the stage, dancers have used the funds for everything from college tuition to videography equipment for their career transitions. 

 

The family-friendly event featured mini dance classes, a rehearsal viewing (for February’s performance of “Moulin Rouge — The Ballet”), scenery-wardrobe tours, a costume sale, stage makeup demos, a DJ spinning tunes, a Top Golf Midtown demo station, a photo booth, food trucks and door prizes. 

 

In addition, Wabi Sabi, Atlanta Ballet’s contemporary summer offshoot ensemble, shared the spotlight with the Alliance Theatre's performance of an excerpt from its season-opening One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and the Atlanta Opera's soloist Elizabeth Claxton, who performed an aria.

 

 

Highlights below:



Nadia Mara and Miguel Angel Montoya in between (lowercase is correct), choreography by Sarah Hillmer.

John Welker (center) introduces choreographers: Tara Lee, Heath Gill, Nathan Griswold and Sarah Hillmer.

Alexandre Barros, Kiara Felder, Sara Havener, Lydia Redpath, Jared Tan, John Welker
 and Olivia Yoch in the swimmer, choreography by Tara Lee.

Atlanta Ballet's Christian Clark is ready to dunk fellow dancer Jacob Bush.

Photo booth fun with Atlanta Ballet Young Professional.

Miguel Angel Montoya, John Welker and his son, Christine Winkler and Benjamin Stone.

Playing dress-up at the costume sale.

Ask a Dancer session with Kiara Felder and Alessa Rogers.

 Alliance Theatre's performance of an excerpt from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

An aria performed by Atlanta Opera's soloist Elizabeth Claxton.

Stage make-up demonstration by Jackie Nash and Sara Havener.

Jonah Hooper not only shines as a dancer (pictured here as Dracula),
he is also the official Wabi Sabi photographer.

Atlanta Ballet dancers were not the only ones dunked.
Allen Nelson, Atlanta Ballet Board Chair, got wet, too.

A Wabi Sabi performance:
Nadia Mara and Miguel Angel Montoya in Sarah Hillmer's between.

The extraordinarily-talented Atlanta Ballet family.

 

For more information about Atlanta Ballet, visit www.atlantaballet.com.