Robert Barnett

The Dance World’s Ageless Cavalier

By Holley Calmes

It is the last class of the day at a regional ballet convention. Robert Barnett teaches a pas de deux class consisting of advanced young students. They are eager and in awe.

Barnett imparts technical advice as he partners teenage ballerinas. His manner with the young men is kind, bolstering their confidence. He treats them with the respect he gives everyone. Barnett’s teaching expertise is peerless, but it is only part of his legacy.

When asked about his contributions to dance, Barnett, 95, never fails to trade places on the pedestal with those he respects. A celebrated star of the New York City Ballet under George Balanchine and the undisputed energy behind the Atlanta Ballet’s evolution, he still begins and ends his conversations by praising others.

Dorothy Alexander, founder of the Atlanta Ballet, was a cherished friend. “Such a special lady. I adored her,” he says.

“Dorothy wanted a professional ballet company in Atlanta, and Bobby made it happen,” explains Cynthia Crain, author of Barnett’s biography “On Stage at the Ballet.” In this role, he had opportunities to implement his many talents, but it is other names that Barnett highlights.

Names such as Anne Burton. “She was a special one. A technician, a true artist,” Barnett says. He speaks of other talented dancers he imported to Atlanta, such as Wei Dongsheng and Maniya Barredo, with warmth and affection. There were dancers who became leaders, such as Gil Boggs, now of Colorado Ballet.

The introduction of Balanchine’s work broadened Atlanta’s cultural richness.

Crain quotes Barnett, “Balanchine once said to me, ‘Bobby, my choreography will disappear once I am gone. I promised, ‘Not while I’m around!’” True to his word, Barnett presented Balanchine masterpieces such as “Serenade” and others to Atlanta audiences.

Other dance forms and choreographers were championed by Barnett.

“Dorothy called me one day and said, ‘I have this young man here. He wants to be a part of the school,” Barnett explains. “It was Carl Ratcliff.”

Supported by Barnett and others, the Carl Ratcliff Modern Dance Theatre was launched, encouraging a new wave of contemporary dance within Atlanta’s arts community.

Sharon Story, Atlanta Ballet’s Dean of the Centre for Dance Education expresses a consensus about this Atlanta arts icon: “Robert Barnett is a treasure to us all at Atlanta Ballet and the dance community around the world. His dedication and passion have and continue to guard everyone who has ever worked with him to strive for excellence.”

Bobby Barnett with Virginia Barnett Statue, Photo by Holley Calmes