COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE :: SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018 + Atlanta Ballet's "Return to Fall"

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM OCT. 13-14

KANSAS RACHEL NEVILLE

SEPT. 28

INCOGNITO OCT. 20

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MARQUEE

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018

FEATURE 8 There’s a lot going on in Kansas land

Rock ’n’ roll’s wayward sons are on a 40th anniversary tour, have bookings into 2019 and plans for another live album.

By Therra Gwyn Jaramillo

UPCOMING SHOWS 12 My Brother, My Brother and Me

23 Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons

13 The Adventure Zone

24 Danny Gokey: Hope Encounter Tour

14 Shaken & Stirred: Feinstein & Friends

26 Rickey Smiley: Comedy Explosion

16 Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Farhan Akhtar

28 Alice Cooper

18 Atlanta Ballet: Return to Fall

30 Dance Theatre of Harlem

20 Russell Peters

32 #IMOMSOHARD

21 Kathy Griffin

33 Incognito featuring Maysa

22 Jeanne Robertson

36 Upcoming Events

7 p.m. Sept. 1

7 p.m. Sept. 2

7 p.m. Oct. 5

8 p.m. Sept. 6

7:30 p.m. Sept. 9 Sept. 14-16

8 p.m. Sept 20 8 p.m. Sept 21

7 p.m. Sept. 22

8 p.m. Sept. 29

8 p.m. Oct. 6

8 p.m. Oct. 10 Oct. 13-14

8 p.m. Oct. 18

7:30 p.m. Oct. 20

DEPARTMENTS

6 Theater Information 34 Venue Staff | ArtsBridge Foundation Staff Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority Leadership | ArtsBridge Foundation 37 ArtsBridge donors 41 Dining Guide

2 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM

Frederic

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BEYOND THE PERFORMANCE At Galloway, students (age 3-grade 12) are inspired to be fearless learners, to embrace challenges, and to discover more about themselves and the world around them.

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EDITOR Kathy Janich kathy@encoreatlanta.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Mark F Baxter mark.baxter@encoreatlanta.com DIGITAL MANAGER Ian Carson ian.carson@encoreatlanta.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kathy Janich, Therra Gwyn Jaramillo ENCORE ATLANTA is published monthly by American Media Products Inc. PRESIDENT Tom Casey CHAIRPERSON Diane Casey GENERAL MANAGER Claudia Madigan CONTROLLER Suzzie Gilham

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THEATER INFORMATION ATM: An ATM is located in the Grand Lobby.

Concessions: Concession stands are located in the center of the lobbies.

Coat check: Available at the concierge desk.

Emergency information: In the event of an emergency, please locate the nearest usher who will direct you to the appropriate exit.

Elevators: Elevators are located on each side of the lobbies on all levels.

Lost and found: Items are turned into the concierge desk on the day of a performance.

To inquire about a lost item, please call Public Safety at 770.916.2911.

Parking: PREPAID PARKING AVAILABLE. Cobb Energy Centre offers prepaid parking for performances. On each performance page on the Cobb Energy Centre website there is now a button to purchase parking in advance for $12. Day-of parking is still available for $10 (cash or credit). There are 1,000 on-site parking spaces; 700 in a four-

level deck and 300 more in a surface lot.

Valet parking is available for The Atlanta Opera and Atlanta Ballet only. $8 day of park fee; $12 prepay option; $15 valet (cash or credit card).

Restrooms: Located on house right and house left of all three lobbies. Family restrooms are located on house right of all three lobbies. Mobility-impaired patrons may use any of our restrooms.

Smoking: Smoking is prohibited inside the building. Please use the terrace exit to step outside and smoke.

Special assistance: Persons requiring access assistance are asked to contact the box office at 770.916.2850 for advance arrangements. Audio clarification devices are available to our hearing-impaired guests at no charge. This is on a first-come, firstserved basis. A limited number of booster seats are also available. Wheelchairs are available upon request. All items require a form of identification to be held until the item is returned.

COBB ENERGY CENTRE REQUESTS: • All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket to be admitted to the performance.

Please be aware that not all events are suitable for children. Infants will not be admitted to adult programs. Parents will be asked to remove children who create a disturbance.

• Please turn off all cellphones before each performance. Please limit conversation during the performance.

• Audio & video recording devices are permitted or restricted at the discretion of the artist(s).

• Please unwrap all candies and cough drops before the performance.

• This policy applies to The Atlanta Opera and Atlanta Ballet only: We know that patrons make every effort to be on time for events out of respect for the performers and other theatergoers.

However, there are times when traffic or weather problems cause late arrivals.

Latecomers may watch the beginning of a show on flat-screen TVs in our lobby until the theater has reopened to allow guests into the auditorium. In addition, touring companies set the policy for allowing those who arrive past curtain time into the theater. We ask late patrons to wait until the approved time and we reopen the theater doors. Please plan ahead to arrive early and relax before the performance begins.

6 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM

KANSAS | 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28

THERE'S A LOT

GOING ON KANSAS LAND Rock ’n’ roll’s wayward sons are on a 40th anniversary tour, have bookings into 2019 and plans for another live album.

By Therra Gwyn Jaramillo

8 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM

COREY WEAVER

IN

KANSAS, THE MIDWESTERN BAR BAND TURNED DARLINGS OF PROGRESSIVE AND ALBUM-ORIENTED ROCK, is celebrating an anniversary. Its Point of Know Return album — from which this tour draws its name — was released 40 years ago. To mark the occasion, Kansas is playing the entire quadruple-platinum-selling album live for the first time on this tour.

Kansas was born in Topeka in 1973. Within five years, all seven members lived in Atlanta. So it’s fitting that the band that “couldn’t draw flies” while gigging in its home state (according to guitarist Rich Williams), begins this tour in Georgia.

“Topeka was a nice place to grow up and a nice place to be,” Williams says, “but we came to Atlanta, and there were all these beautiful girls and a very alive music scene.”

Kansas spent many a night playing in legendary Atlanta promoter Alex Cooley’s clubs.

“It made sense to move here.”

Williams and drummer Phil Ehart are the only band members that played on every Kansas recording (a catalog, to date, of 20 studio and live releases). They’re the last remaining original members still in the group.

“Most of my friends have retired,” says Williams, 68. “I get to do what I want to do. I always just wanted to play in a band, be part of a team.”

He doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon. Kansas played 98 dates in 2016 and has 60 concerts booked for 2019. Williams credits the band’s fan base for giving Kansas some of its - longevity.

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MICHIE TURPIN

“Without them we would not have been able to do this for such a long time,” he says.

“The last three years have been some of the busiest we’ve ever had. There’s a lot going on in Kansas land.”

Classic rock has worn the years well, from the days of its youth in Top 40 radio and vinyl records, to eight-track players, cassette tapes, CDs and, finally, music that downloads directly to a phone or computer. Kansas has worn the years well, too, surviving the winds of cultural change and seismic shifts in musical tastes that happen as decades pass.

“We came out of a good era,” Williams says. “We’ve also been a good live band and deliver a really solid show. We were fortunate to stumble onto a few hits to keep us going.”

That hit list includes 1976’s “Carry On Wayward Son” and 1977’s “Dust in the Wind,” undeniably the band’s best-known songs. “Wayward Son” was certified gold and “Dust” went platinum, selling in excess of 1 million singles. Kansas appeared on the Billboard charts for more than 200 weeks in the 1970s and ’80s. And “Carry On Wayward Son”

JEREMY DANIELS

was one of the Top 2 most-played tracks on U.S. classic rock radio in the ’80s.

A younger generation discovered Kansas through the popular video games “Rock Band” and “Guitar Hero.” They heard the band’s songs in TV shows (“Supernatural,” “South Park”) and movies (Old School, Anchorman).

Today’s lineup — in addition to anchors Williams and Ehart — includes bassist/vocalist Billy Greer, keyboardist David Manion, vocalist/keyboardist Ronnie Platt, violinist/ guitarist David Ragsdale and guitarist Zak Rizvi.

Still, even with a full date book, an upcoming live album and more than a million fans on the Kansas Facebook page, Williams knows the rock ’n’ roll thrill ride won’t last forever. “Fewer and fewer of the bands of our era are out there,” he says, lamenting.

“The era is beginning to come to an end. It’s living rock ’n’ roll history, bands like Kansas.

In 10 years there won’t be any of us out there.”

Then he laughs.

“It’s like a living Mount Rushmore. Better go see it before they blow up the mountain.”

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MY BROTHER, MY BROTHER AND ME | 7 p.m. Sept. 1

CRACKING (UP) THE BRO CODE

T

here’s advice and then there’s advice. Three brothers from West Virginia — Justin, Travis and Griffin McElroy — are the co-counsels in the weekly comedy advice podcast “My Brother, My Brother and Me.” The podcast-turnedvideo program entreats listeners to submit questions and receive life tips from the three-bro panel. New episodes drop Mondays.

Their tips “should never be followed” the brothers say on their website. Why? Because they “aren’t experts on anything” and “barely offer any advice.”

This sparky setup has put “My Brother, My Brother and Me” in Top 10 comedy podcast rankings (including iTunes) more than once.

The format usually involves audience questions followed by discussions that can spiral crazily out of control. In a segment titled “The Money Zone,” ads from corporate sponsors and paid messages from listeners get the McElroy treatment.

Other segments include “Munch Squad,” in which Justin ridicules press releases from

fast-food companies; "Haunted Doll Watch," about random eBay listings of haunted, possessed or cursed dolls for sale; "Movie Watch," in which the brothers discuss incorrect, inaccurate and often-unrelated plot points in movies; and "Sad Libs," in which Travis creates tragic stories with blank spaces and fills them with nonsensical words.

The show titles themselves vary widely, from “Erotic Balloon Puzzles” to “The Legend of Cracker Barrel.” Sandwiches and church pants also have been discussed.

The McElroys created and produced the show — which now tops 400 episodes — in early 2010. In January 2011, “My Brother, My Brother and Me” joined the podcast/ radio-production network Maximum Fun. A podcast-based TV series premiered on the short-lived NBC Universal subscription service Seeso (2016/17) and now streams on the VRV service.

In case you wondered, Justin is the oldest, Travis the middle brother and Griffin the youngest. Watch that dynamic play out.

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THE ADVENTURE ZONE LIVE | 7 p.m. Sept. 2

WHEN DAD IS A DWARVEN CLERIC …

J

ustin, Travis and Griffin McElroy (of the “My Brother, My Brother and Me” podcast), have recruited their dad, Clint, for a campaign of high adventure.

Join all four McElroys as they find their fortune and slay an unconscionable number of ... you know, kobolds or whatever in ... “The Adventure Zone.”

“The Adventure Zone” dates to August 2014, when the McElroy boys recruited Clint soon after eldest brother Justin became a father himself.

A single “Adventure Zone” episode, with the four playing Dungeons & Dragons, grew into a stand-alone podcast loosely based on role-playing games like D&D. The biweekly hybrid comedy/adventure podcast features the family unit solving puzzles, fighting common and uncommon enemies, doing a little slaying here and there, and leveling up their characters in a series of ongoing encounters.

Clint McElroy has been cast as a beach dwarf cleric and a former mercenary

soldier named Merle Highchurch as his sons quest for relics, toy with treasure and bump up against magical weapons of mass destruction. Episodes feature such titles as “Four Sherlock Holmeses and a Vampire Who Is One of the Aforementioned Sherlock Holmeses,” “Petals to the Metal” and “The Suffering Game.”

Follow the father-and-son antics on Twitter @TheZoneCast, post with the tag #TheZoneCast and subscribe on Apple podcasts if you never want to miss a new episode.

And, if you can’t get enough, check out the McElroys’ graphic novel, The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins, released in mid-July in paperback and via Kindle. All four McElroys are credited as authors. It’s illustrated by Brooklyn-based comic artist Carey Pietsch and tracks the “exploits of three lovable dummies set loose in a classic fairy adventure” and “their journey from small-time bodyguards to world-class artifact hunters.”

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SHAKEN & STIRRED: FEINSTEIN & FRIENDS | 8 p.m. Sept. 6

NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT

M

ichael Feinstein’s love affair with the Great American Songbook began even before he spent six formative years as an assistant to legendary lyricist Ira Gershwin.

Gershwin’s influence became the base on which Feinstein — who began playing piano by ear at age 5 — built a performing, composing and arranging career. Many consider him an unparalleled interpreter of tunes by the likes of Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer and Harry Warren.

He’s recorded 30 albums to date, five of which — The Jule Styne Songbook (1993), Michael & George: Feinstein Sings Gershwin (1999), Romance on Film, Romance on Broadway (2002), Michael Feinstein With the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra (2003) and The Sinatra Project (2009) — earned Grammy Award nominations.

In 2007, Feinstein founded the Great American Songbook Foundation, dedicated to celebrating the art form and preserving it through educational programs, including an annual academy for high school students.

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ELA LAURA DO M

He became principal pops conductor at the Pasadena (Calif). Symphony in 2012, and has turned the orchestra into a pre-eminent presenter of the Great American Songbook.

Two years later, he started a pops series at the Kravis Center in Palm Beach, Fla. His Shaken & Stirred show pays tribute to a range of artists, from Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, to Bill Haley, Donny Hathaway, Smokey Robinson, James Taylor and Stevie Wonder, among others. Audiences also will hear tunes associated with James Bond and the “Mad Men” era.

Vocalist Storm Large, who mostly has been known for rock, metal and jazz, attracted national attention as a contestant on the CBS reality show “Rock Star: Supernova” in 2006. More recently, she’s been working in theater and cabaret, along with fronting her own band and touring with Pink Martini, a band based in Portland, Ore., where she lives.

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SHANKAR-EHSAAN-LOY AND FARHAN AKHTAR | 7:30 p.m. Sept. 9

MOVIE MUSIC IN MANY LANGUAGES

M

usic makers Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendons — working under the name “ShankarEhsaan-Loy” — make up the first three-person team of Bollywood movie composers. They also act as music directors, instrumentalists and conductors.

You’ll likely hear them on guitar, keyboard, synthesizer, santoor (an Indo-Persian hammered dulcimer) and sarod (a Hindustani string instrument).

The India-born threesome has written more than 50 film soundtracks across five languages — Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and English.

Their list of honors includes India’s National Film Award, Filmfare awards (honoring excellence in Hindi-language movies) and the International India Film Award (IIFA).

They also compose, produce and perform rock, blues, jazz and pop music — for film and outside of it.

The team is known for creating music that

is both traditional and progressive.

Somewhat ironically, their first big success came with the soundtrack for the movie Dus, which was never actually produced.

Shankar, the trio’s main vocalist, was born in a suburb of Mumbai, India’s largest city. He began learning music at age 5.

Lead guitarist Ehsaan also studied music from a young age. He began his career composing jingles and became part of two Mumbai bands Pegasus and Crosswinds.

Loy, a multi-instrumentalist, plays piano, bass guitar and harmonica and is learning the trumpet. He taught music at a school in the capital city of New Delhi before being invited to write the music for a TV show called “Quiz Time.”

They’re joined onstage by Farhan Akhtar, an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, playback singer and TV host. He was born in Mumbai to a screenwriting mom and dad, and grew up in the Bollywood film industry.

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ATLANTA BALLET: RETURN TO FALL | Sept. 14-16 Jessica Assef and Moises Martin dance in Atlanta Ballet's Return to Fall, a four-piece program that opens the company's 2018/19 season.

CELEBRATING DANCERS’ LIMITS

Return to a Strange Land by Jiří Kylián Sinewy forms entwine in intimate embraces before spiraling across the stage in graceful lifts in the Czech-born choreographer’s emotional tribute to his late mentor, John Cranko. The dancers become physical bodies in space, detached from place and time, travelers in a strange land. Watch them move as counterpoints, exploring the limits of centrifugal force and gravity.

Divertissement of short works The program includes the Grand Pas de

Deux from Don Quixote and a Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux staged by Robert Barnett, a Balanchine protégé and Atlanta Ballet artistic director emeritus.

Czech National Ballet This appearance is part of a new transAtlanta partnership between the Atlanta and Czech National ballets. The Czech dancers perform an excerpt from Vertigo

by Italian choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti.

Witness the emotional metamorphosis of the artists through sensual, off-kilter partnering in this piece, described as highly stylized.

A world premiere by Ricardo Amarante The rising Brazilian choreographer created this piece on Atlanta Ballet’s artists.

Amarante is an English National Ballet School graduate, an accomplished dancer and artistic associate at Astana Ballet Theater in Kazakhstan in Central Asia.

His work is recognized for its emotionally charged, neoclassical style.

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RACHEL NEVILLE

A

tlanta Ballet begins its 2018/19 season with a program celebrating dancers’ physical limits. The fourperformance weekend features work by dance visionary Jiří Kylián, a world premiere from Brazilian choreographer Ricardo Amarante and a selection by visiting members of Czech National Ballet. This is Atlanta Ballet’s third season under artistic director Gennadi Nedvigin and the 89th since its founding in 1929. The lineup:

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Recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award ®

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RUSSELL PETERS | 8 p.m. Sept. 20

THE DEPORTED WORLD TOUR

“N

otorious” was the first Netflix special ever to feature a stand-up comic. The year was 2013 and the comedian was Russell Peters, the Canadian funnyman known for gleefully parrying with audiences and letting few ethnic or cultural characteristics escape mention, including his own. For the record, he’s an Anglo-Indian, Catholic-raised son of immigrants.

Peters’ stand-up specials started with “Outsourced” in 2006, followed by specials in 2009, 2011 and 2017. The show titled “Almost Famous” prompted the New York Post to ask Peters, then 45, “Why aren’t you fully famous?” It called him “both a comedian and a conundrum” and said he’s “among the world’s most prolific touring comics ... [but] you may have no idea who he is.”

Peters may be fully famous now. He made Forbes’ list of the Top 10 highest-paid comedians in 2016 (at No. 9) and returned to Netflix in 2017 with the comedy-drama series

“Indian Detective,” with William Shatner.

With his Deported World Tour, Peters does what he’s become famous for: his self-deprecation and unvarnished comic conclusions. In “Outsourced,” for example, he admitted he’d tired of getting the stink-eye when traveling just because of his skin color.

“Terrorists like to blow up airports,” he says. “Indians like to work at airports. That would be counterproductive.”

Few culture-isms escape his attention, and Peters has found that most audiences seem to relish it. He calls his act “a collaboration” with those who come to see it.

“My humour comes from acknowledging different communities,” Peters says. “That's what fans are responding to. They know that I ‘get it.’ I take the time to understand them.

I get more complaints from people when I don't talk about them. I've had guys come up to me after a show and go, 'You didn't talk about Latvians!' ”

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KATHY GRIFFIN | 8 p.m. Sept. 21

LAUGH YOUR HEAD OFF WORLD TOUR

C

omedy is often controversial and Kathy Griffin has been at it long enough to know this.

Remember the photo? Yes, that photo.

The anti-Trump picture that ignited a public and critical uproar in May and cost Griffin her 10-year-long co-hosting gig on CNN’s New Year’s Eve celebration. Observers thought her career would dive afterward, but Griffin proved durable. She’s touring the world with a two-plus-hour show in which she tells the tale of the photo and much more.

Griffin’s stand-up career began in the 1990s and got a boost in 1996 when she began a four-year run on the NBC sitcom “Suddenly Susan.” She’s sharpened her comedy claws ever since, pointing at celebrities and their quirks (Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Clay Aiken, among them) and Hollywood culture in general.

She dished like a drunk-on-gossip

girlfriend and built a solid fan base for her raw, rowdy and observational humor. The Bravo network gave her a reality show.

“Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” ran for five years and earned two Emmy awards for outstanding reality program.

She’s had six comedy albums nominated for Grammys, winning in 2014; holds the Guinness World record for the number of TV specials by a comic (20 and counting); and, in 2009, released an autobiography titled Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin.

Whether the subject is sex, religion or celebrity, there’s no such thing as over sharing in Griffin’s comic view. By her own admission “If something happens that’s funny, I have to tell the people.” And if it’s not funny? Chances are she’ll find the humor and make you laugh anyway.

Buckle up. It’s going to be a funny, bumpy ride.

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JEANNE ROBERTSON | 7 p.m. Sept. 22

THE ROCKING CHAIR TOUR

“

Don’t bungee jump naked,” 74-year-old Jeanne Robertson advises in a genteel Southern accent. She talks of visiting Canada with her husband (aka “Left Brain”) when a visitors’ center employee urged them to leap off a bridge with a stretchy cord tied to their feet. They declined, but the story about doing so takes on a funny life of its own.

Robertson, a former beauty queen, tells many such anecdotes as she paces the stage in neat-as-a-pin fashions and matching shoes.

Among her more famous tales: “Don’t Send a Man to the Grocery Store,” “Watching Football With Left Brain” and “Don’t Go to Vegas Without a Baptist.”

The 6-foot-2 Miss North Carolina (1963) competed for Miss America — she was named Miss Congeniality — but decided she was better suited for humor and storytelling.

She doesn’t think of herself as a comedian.

Her family-friendly shows have drawn crowds for more than 50 years. She’s recorded eight DVDs, written three books

(Humor: The Magic of Genie, Mayberry Humor Across the U.S.A. and Don’t Let the Funny Stuff Get Away) and spent hundreds of hours on Sirius XM radio.

Her Rocking Chair tour promises more of her astute observations: on travel (“Stick With the Tiny Shampoos”), on family (“The Baby’s Got the Hammer!”) and on memories (“Grandma Freddie’s Trip to the Holy Land”).

Robertson appears regularly at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry. Her stage appearances have more than 54 million YouTube views.

And she’s a regular on the speaking circuit.

Her overriding principle is that humor is an attitude, an approach toward working with people. Humor can be developed and improved, she says, and outlines how to do so while tickling audiences with her original tales.

“Once you hear her speak,” says Southern Lady magazine, “you’ll remember her. That is, if you can quit laughing long enough to catch your breath.”

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Department of

Dance

Photo: Bubba Carr | KSU Dance Company

ksudance.com

September 14-16, 2018 Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Gennadi Nedvigin Return to a Strange Land

Music by Leoš Janáček Choreography, Scenic and Costume Design by Jiří Kylián Assistant to the Choreographer Jeanne Solan Lighting Design by Kees Tjebbes Technical Realization (Lights/Set) by Hans Boven Return to a Strange Land costumes provided courtesy of Ballet West Adam Sklute, Artistic Director Intermission

Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux

Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreography by George Balanchine© The George Balanchine Trust Staging by Robert Barnett Lighting Design by Joseph R. Walls

Vertigo

Music by Dmitri Shostakovich Choreography and Costume Design by Mauro Bigonzetti Lighting, Scenic and Video Design by Carlo Cerri Performed by Guest Artists of the Czech National Ballet

Don Quixote

Act III – Pas de Deux

Music by Ludwig Minkus Choreography by Marius Petipa Lighting Design by Joseph R. Walls Intermission

The Premiere

World Premiere Music by Camille Saint-Saëns Choreography by Ricardo Amarante Costume and Scenic Design by Renê Salazar Lighting Design by Joseph R. Walls The performance of Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, a Balanchine© Ballet, is presented by arrangement with The George Balanchine Trust and has been produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style© and Balanchine Technique© Service standards established and provided by the Trust.

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ARTISTIC STAFF Sarah Hillmer and Roman Rykine

THE COMPANY Zachary Alden, Erica Alvarado, Jessica Assef, Jacob Bush, Stéphano Candreva, Emily Carrico, Taylor Ciampi, Dylan Clinard, Nikolas Gaifullin, Brooke Gilliam‡, Emma Guertin‡, Monika Haczkiewicz, Sujin Han, Jessica He, Airi Igarashi, Darian Kane, Saho Kumagai, Lucas Labrador‡, Jordan Leeper, Keaton Leier, Igor Leushin, Francesca Loi, Nadia Mara, Juliana Missano‡, Moisés Martín, Sergio Masero-Olarte, Miguel Angel Montoya, Jackie Nash, Jonathan Philbert, Keith Reeves, Mikaela Santos, Aleksandra Shalimova, Anderson Souza, Jared Tan, Ivan Tarakanov, Ashley Wegmann, Olivia Yoch, Fuki Takahashi‡ ‡ – Denotes Atlanta Ballet apprentice Atlanta Ballet dancers are members of

Dean of the Centre for Dance Education Sharon Story

ATLANTA BALLET 2 Adrián Cruz Alvarez, Younès Attoum, Nadyne Bispo, Ellie Borick, Anastasia Cheplyansky, Brett Coppa, Julia Crosby, Charlotte Hermann, Mya Kresnyak, Dominiq Luckie, Aerys Merrill, Remi Nakano, Wevertton Santos, Alexander Roy, Emma Tarragón, Brian Warkentien, Spencer Wetherington, Sage Wilson

GUEST ARTISTS Miho Ogimoto and Michal Štípa Company members of Czech National Ballet (Performing in Vertigo) The Czech National Ballet, headed by Artistic Director Filip Barankiewicz, has played a major role in the development of Czech ballet art, owing not only to its stature, but also its being the largest dance company in the Czech Republic. Czech National Ballet offers contemporary theatre, yet with a singular artistic flavor drawing upon Prague’s enchanting multicultural milieu.

Dorothy Moses Alexandre, Atlanta Ballet Founder, 1929-1960 Robert Barnett, Artistic Director Emeritus, 1961-1994 John McFall, Artistic Director, 1994-2016

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PROGRAM NOTES Return to a Strange Land (Rückkehr ins Fremde Land) Premiere: May 17, 1975 at the Grosses Haus, Stuttgart, Germany Music by Leoš Janáček Choreography by Jiří Kylián A visually quiet and heartbreaking ballet, Jiří Kylián’s Return to a Strange Land (Rückkehr Ins Fremde Land) was choreographed for the Stuttgart Ballet in 1975 as a tribute to the company’s director, John Cranko (Kylián’s mentor and longtime friend), who died suddenly in 1973. Created as a pas de trois in 1974, it was later extended to its present format for six dancers (two women and four men) forming intimate geometric shapes with light and fluid acrobatic poses. A signature of Kylián’s choreography is its perpetual movement. Kylián uses fast running across open spaces, sudden turns, lifts, falls and graceful contortions of the body to give shape and energy to the ballet’s elegiac theme. While the ballet has no story, it mingles themes of passing and reappearance with death and rebirth.

Kylián says, “The title Return to a Strange Land conveys the step from one form of existence into another. … To die is to return into the other land: the strange land of one’s origin.” Return to a Strange Land is a masterly universal expression of longing, loss, dislocation and loneliness.

Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux Premiere: March 29, 1960 at City Center, New York City Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreography by George Balanchine© The George Balanchine Trust George Balanchine created the eight-minute Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux in 1960 to showcase the virtuosity of New York City Ballet principal dancers Violette Verdy and Conrad Ludlow. The choreography demands exceptional speed and even more exceptional musical understanding — qualities that are hallmarks of Balanchine’s choreographic ideals. As is typical with Balanchine, the inspiration for his choreography is the music itself. The duet is set to the music of the original pas de deux from the third act of the first Moscow production of Swan Lake in 1877. This extract from the score was thought to be lost but was discovered many years later in the music library of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Brought to his attention, Balanchine conceived of this brilliant work we know today. Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux follows the structure of a four-part classical pas de deux: The couple performs a slow, sustained adagio together, which is followed by a solo variation for each. Finally, they reunite in a dazzling coda filled with pyrotechnical feats.

Vertigo Premiere: 2006 in Reggio Emilia, Italy Music by Dmitri Shostakovich Choreography by Mauro Bigonzetti Performed by Guest Artists of the Czech National Ballet Italian choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti is a distinct contemporary dance figure. His ballet Vertigo, set to music by Dmitri Shostakovich, takes form in a highly emotional duet, where dynamic energy and mysterious tenderness unite. In this contemplative meditation on relationships, bodies pull away, then fall back into each other, finding balance out of moments of extreme imbalance. Vertigo is a nuanced, sensual work demanding technical perfection and expressive power.

Don Quixote Act III – Pas de Deux Premiere: Dec. 26, 1869 at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow Music by Ludwig Minkus Choreography by Marius Petipa On Dec. 14, 1869, Marius Petipa premiered the multi-act story ballet Don Quixote in Moscow, the first of many successful collaborations with Ludwig Minkus, the Bolshoi Theatre’s house composer. In this extracted virtuoso pas de deux from the final act, the lovers Kitri and Basilio are united in a grand spectacle celebrating their wedding. This ballet’s popularity endures as a result of its explosive, fiery mixture of traditional Spanish dance and pure classicism.

Notes contributed by Nathan Hites, Atlanta Ballet Dance Researcher/Historian Continued on next page ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM

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Notes continued

The Premiere Premiere: Sept. 14, 2018 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta Music by Camille Saint-Saëns Choreography by Ricardo Amarante

(Notes From the Choreographer) In my first commission for Atlanta Ballet, I invite the audience to experience a day in the life of the dancers as they prepare for opening night. A palpable excitement surges through the studio as new and returning dancers come together in preparation for a fresh start to the season and contemplate the endless possibilities that lie ahead. They are full of energy, fueled by a passion burning deep inside them for an art form to which they have dedicated their whole lives. Repetition, repetition, repetition. The dancers push themselves physically and emotionally as they strive for perfection before the premiere.

ATLANTA BALLET LEADERSHIP G ENNADI NEDVIGIN (Artistic Director) was born in Rostov, Russia, and began his training at age 5. At 10, Nedvigin was accepted into Bolshoi Ballet Academy, one of the most prestigious schools in the ballet world. Upon graduating, he joined his first professional company, Moscow Renaissance Ballet, as a soloist before he was invited to dance with Le Jeune Ballet de France in Paris. In 1997, while on tour in the United States, San Francisco Ballet Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson offered Nedvigin a soloist contract. Later that year, he joined San Francisco Ballet. After three years with the company, he was promoted to principal dancer. During his career in San Francisco, Nedvigin won the International Competition’s Erik Bruhn Prize (1999).

He has received three Isadora Duncan Dance awards (2001, 2010 and 2017). Over the years, he has shared his knowledge and training with other dancers by teaching master classes at numerous ballet schools in the United States. Nedvigin has been a guest artist with several internationally acclaimed companies and has appeared in gala performances, tours and festivals worldwide. While at San Francisco Ballet, he served as ballet master for several works by Yuri Possokhov, including Classical Symphony and Swimmer, as well as excerpts from Bells, Diving Into the Lilacs and Carmen. In February 2016, Nedvigin became the fourth artistic director in Atlanta Ballet’s then 87-year history.

ARTURO JACOBUS (President & CEO) enters his tenth season with Atlanta Ballet. He previously was chief executive of Pacific Northwest Ballet and San Francisco Ballet, each for 10 years. Jacobus also has been the chief executive of the Oakland Symphony (Calif.); the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in Louisville; the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts in Napa (Calif.); and Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle. He has master’s degrees in business administration, arts administration and human resources management, and he has completed management certificate programs at the University of Washington and Harvard Business School. Jacobus has served on executive boards for such arts organizations as Dance/USA, Washington State Arts Alliance, Northwest Development Officers’ Association and California Arts Advocates. Throughout his career, he has stayed actively involved in strategy and advocacy in the arts by chairing and sitting on panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, Dance/USA and the city of Atlanta’s Office of Cultural Affairs. Before becoming an arts executive, Jacobus spent 20 years as a bandmaster for the U.S. Navy, leading ensembles in Villefranche, France; Gaeta and Naples, Italy; and San Francisco. While stationed in Naples as leader of the U.S. Navy Band under the Commander in Chief Allied Forces Southern Europe (CincSouth), he founded a 50-member NATO ensemble of service musicians from the armies, navies and air forces of Italy, Greece, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. Jacobus toured Europe with his NATO band, performing concerts, variety shows and military ceremonies on behalf of CincSouth and NATO. I-6

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SHARON STORY (Dean of the Centre for Dance Education) joined Atlanta Ballet after a professional dance career that spanned more than 20 years and included tenures with Joffrey Ballet, the School of American Ballet, New York City Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and 10 years with Boston Ballet. Her Boston Ballet tenure included international tours with Rudolf Nureyev. In 1996, in addition to her role as ballet mistress, Story became dean of the Centre for Dance Education, which has grown to become one of the largest dance schools in the nation. The Centre for Dance Education is nationally recognized for its programs and community initiatives. Under Story’s direction, the Centre achieved accreditation with the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD). She is on the board of directors for NASD and is delighted to serve on many community and national boards. Story received the 2015 Women Making a Mark Award from Atlanta Magazine and was featured in ArtsATL Legacy Series this year. She is committed to providing a noncompetitive atmosphere and access to dance education that is shaped by the community’s needs, is innovative, and inspires the commitment and excellence that are the trademarks of Atlanta Ballet.

She is very proud of the dancers who have studied at the Centre for Dance Education and continue to share their experiences onstage in the Atlanta Ballet company and around the world. She thanks her family for all their love and support during her career.

ARTISTIC STAFF

SARAH HILLMER (Ballet Mistress) trained in the Pre-Professional Division of Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education and began her professional career with Atlanta Ballet, where she performed both classical and contemporary works. Hillmer danced principal roles in such classics as Giselle, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake and originated roles in a variety of contemporary works. Hillmer’s love of coaching, eye for detail and ability to translate choreographer’s ideas and movement to dancers led her to become a ballet mistress at Atlanta Ballet, where she has collaborated with choreographers at every level of the creation process: assisting in the building of full-length ballets by Twyla Tharp and Helen Pickett; restaging repertory works by Ohad Naharin and John McFall; and assisting in the staging of works by Jiří Kylián, Wayne McGregor and Gustavo Ramírez Sansano. Hillmer has restaged choreographers’ works at Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Smuin Ballet, New York Theatre Ballet and UNCSA; and she recently assisted Helen Pickett on new creations for both Pennsylvania Ballet and Scottish Ballet.

Sarah is in her sixth season as ballet mistress at Atlanta Ballet.

ROMAN RYKINE (Ballet Master) joined Atlanta Ballet from Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in 2016. He graduated from the Rudolph Nureyev State Ballet Academy in his hometown of Ufa, Russia, and was a principal dancer with Boston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, English National Ballet and the Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre. One of the exceptional dancers of his generation, Rykine has danced most of the major classical roles, including La Fille mal gardée, Sleeping Beauty, La Sylphide, Raymonda Act III, La Bayadère Act III, Giselle, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote and Les Sylphides. His repertoire also includes many contemporary and neoclassical roles. Rykine won the gold medal and first prize at the International Ballet Competition in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1993; the bronze medal at both the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Miss., in 1994; and the Rudolph Nureyev International Ballet Competition in Budapest, Hungary, in 1993. He holds the honorary title of Artist of Merit of the Republic from the Government of Ufa, Russia. During his career, Rykine learned from such teachers, choreographers and coaches as Yuri Gregorvich, Natalia Makarova, Nacho Duato, Yuri Possokhov, Christopher Wheeldon, Peter Martins, Helgi Tomasson, James Kudelka, Hans van Maanen and Jorma Elo, among others. He toured extensively in Europe, Asia and the United States, and he was a guest artist with various ballet companies. He retired from the stage in 2010 and began teaching. Rykine was a guest faculty member at the Boston Ballet School before joining the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in January 2012.

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THE COMPANY ZACHARY ALDEN was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He started dancing at age 18, with Kit Ashley Dean and Anton Pankevich. Zachary was a trainee on full scholarship at Ballet San Jose under directors José Manuel Carreño and Dalia Rawson. He was also privately training with Lindsay Salvaldelena, then with the distinguished Magaly Suarez on scholarship for three years at The Art of Classical Ballet School, taking him to BalletMet 2. There he worked with Val Caniporoli, understudying Lambarena. He enjoyed dancing Peasant Pas de Deux in Giselle. Zachary joined Atlanta Ballet last season as an apprentice and is a Company member this season. Favorite roles and ballets include the Nutcracker Prince, La Fille Mal Gardee Pas de Deux, Edwaard Liang’s Romeo and Juliet, Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16, and Rose Adagio from Sleeping Beauty with Adiarys Almeida. Zachary is thankful to his teachers who have helped him, his family for their encouragement, and he is grateful to call Atlanta Ballet his home.

ERICA ALVARADO was born in Tucson, Ariz., and began her dance training at Ballet Arts in Tucson under the direction of Mary Beth Cabana. She spent summers training in such acclaimed programs as The Jillana School, The Rock School, San Francisco Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. After graduating from high school, she joined Ballet Tucson and worked closely with ballet masters Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner and performed leading roles in many Antony Tudor ballets. Two years later, she joined the Milwaukee Ballet II program, and, in 2011, joined City Ballet of San Diego as a principal dancer. At City Ballet, she performed lead roles in Firebird, Giselle and Romeo and Juliet as well as principal roles in such George Balanchine works as Who Cares?, Donizetti Variations, Allegro Brillante, Serenade and Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux. Alvarado also danced the role of the principal woman in Peter Martin’s Hallelujah Junction.

JESSICA ASSEF, originally from São Paulo, Brazil, received her early training at Escola de Ballet Corpo e Arte with Jolles Salles. At the 2010 Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP), she was awarded full scholarships to Orlando Ballet School and the Princess Grace Academy in Monaco. That same year, she won the gold medal at Passo de Arte and a YAGP semifinals silver medal, and in 2013 she earned a YAGP NYC finals gold medal. Assef spent two years at Orlando Ballet School as a trainee before becoming a member of its second company. A year later, she joined the professional company. In 2014, she competed in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Miss.

JACOB BUSH grew up in Coon Rapids, Minn., where he trained at Minnesota Dance Theatre under the direction of Lise Houlton. He continued his training under Sharon Story at the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education as well as the San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet under Susan Connally. He spent the 2012-2014 seasons with Germany’s Theatre Augsburg, where he worked with such notable choreographers as Douglas Lee, Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa, Christian Spuck, Michael Pink and Itzik Galili. In Atlanta, Bush has danced many principal roles in classical, neoclassical and contemporary works, including Ivan in Yuri Possokhov’s Firebird, the principal male in George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and Gutman in Helen Pickett’s Camino Real. He has been featured in Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine, Craig Davidson’s Remembrance/Hereafter, Red couple in Stanton Welch’s Tutu and world premiere of Tara Lee’s blink.

STÉPHANO CANDREVA is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and graduated from the Alice Arja School of Dance in 2006. He attended summer programs at Miami City Ballet School and Milwaukee Ballet School on full scholarship. At age 18, he began his professional career dancing with Sesiminas Cia de Dança.

He went on to dance with Milwaukee Ballet II, City Ballet of San Diego and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet.

Candreva represented Brazil at the 2012 Seminario Internacional de Dança de Brasília, where he was a silver medalist. He has been a guest artist with Cisne Negro, Ballet Chicago and California Ballet; and he has performed principal roles in many George Balanchine ballets, including Allegro Brillante, Donizetti Variations, Danses Concertantes and Serenade.

EMILY CARRICO is from Lexington, Ky., and began her training at the Kentucky Ballet Theatre Academy under the direction of Rafaela Cento Muñoz. At age 14, Carrico received a scholarship to attend The Harid Conservatory, where she was received the Dance Study Award during both years of attendance. In 2012, she joined Kentucky Ballet Theatre under the direction of Norbe Risco, performing many solo and principal roles. After two years, she moved to Florida to study under Magaly Suarez at The Art of Classical Ballet School. She then danced with Columbia City Ballet for two seasons. Carrico has competed in the Youth America Grand Prix on several times, placing in the top 12 and qualifying for the New York City finals every time. She is excited to join Atlanta Ballet and thrilled to call Atlanta home.

TAYLOR CIAMPI was born in Baltimore, Md., and began her pre-professional training at The Rock School in Philadelphia under the direction of Bo and Stephanie Spassoff. While there, Ciampi competed I-8

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in the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), winning numerous semifinals. In 2015, she was awarded the Grand Prix Award in Austin, Texas, and placed top 12 in the finals at Lincoln Center. Ciampi was one of six American women chosen to compete at the Prix de Lausanne. She trained at the Dutch National Ballet Academy in Amsterdam under the direction of Jean-Yves Esquerre and, in 2016, began her professional career as an apprentice with the National Ballet of Canada. She joined Atlanta Ballet 2 in 2017, performing the Enchantress in Bruce Wells’ Beauty & the Beast and in Craig Davidson’s world premiere of Remembrance/ Hereafter. This past summer, she participated in the Jacob’s Pillow Ballet program. Ciampi is thrilled to be a Company member for the 18|19 Season.

DYLAN CLINARD, from Clemmons, N.C., began his dance education at the UNCSA Preparatory Dance Program under the direction of Dayna Fox. At age 13, he was offered a scholarship to train at Houston Ballet Academy, where he spent three years in the top level of the school before his promotion to Houston Ballet II under the tutelage of Andrew Murphy, Sally Rojas, Sabrina Lenzi, Claudio Muñoz and Stanton Welch.

While at Houston Ballet II, Clinard performed in Welch’s Raymonda, A Dance in the Garden of Mirth, La Bayadère, Clear, Swan Lake, The Gentlemen, Blue, The Long and Winding Road and Brigade. He joined Atlanta Ballet as an apprentice in 2015. His favorite performances to date are Yuri Possokhov’s Classical Symphony, Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine and Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort. He is thrilled to return to Atlanta Ballet this year as a Company member and thanks his family for their love and support.

NIKOLAS GAIFULLIN was born in Sarasota, Fla., and received his ballet training from his parents, Stephanie Murrish of Sarasota Ballet and Daniil Gaifullin of Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet Academy. Gaifullin has danced with the American Ballet Theatre Collegiate Program, the National Ballet School of Canada, the School at Jacob’s Pillow and Kansas City Ballet II. He has competed in the Youth America Grand Prix many times, receiving awards in both the semifinal and final rounds. In 2007, he performed in Italy’s International Spoleto Festival. In 2012, he was a silver medalist at the World Ballet Competition, received the Grishko Scholarship award from the Carreno Dance Festival and was a guest performer with the 17th International Miami Dance Festival Young Medalists. At Kansas City Ballet II, he performed Devon Carney’s Swan Lake, Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty, as well as George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Viktor Plotnikov’s Vesna and Bruce Wells’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In his first season with Atlanta Ballet, Gaifullin performed principal roles as the Cavalier and Snow King in Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker by John McFall; Basilio in Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote; and Prince Siegfried in Black Swan Act III. He also performed in Helgi Tomasson’s 7 for Eight, Tara Lee’s blink and Max Petrov’s world premiere Concerto Armonico. This is his second season with Atlanta Ballet.

BROOKE GILLIAM‡, from Boulder, Colo., began her training at the Colorado Conservatory of Dance under the direction of Julia Wilkinson Manley. After her sophomore year, she attended Atlanta Ballet’s Professional Summer Intensive and was invited to the Conservatory program on a merit scholarship. Gilliam was a part of the second company for two seasons and performed leading roles in Bruce Wells’ Snow White and Beauty & the Beast, Robert Barnett’s Arensky Dances and Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine. She has appeared in such Atlanta Ballet productions as Paquita, Swan Lake, and Yuri Possokhov’s Firebird and Don Quixote. She is thrilled to join the Company as an apprentice this season.

EMMA GUERTIN‡ was born in Ontario and began dancing at age 5 with the Oakville Ballet under the direction of Amanda Paterson. While with Oakville Ballet, she spent summers attending National Ballet School of Canada and Orlando Ballet school’s summer intensives. Beginning at age 16, Guertin spent two years at Orlando Ballet School as a trainee, and she was then promoted to Orlando Ballet’s second company.

While with Orlando Ballet, she attended the 2017 Youth American Grand Prix semifinals, receiving a bronze medal in contemporary, advancing to the final round and performing at Lincoln Center in New York. This past summer, Guertin competed in the USA International Competition in Jackson, Miss., and she was offered her Atlanta Ballet apprenticeship. She is excited to start the next chapter of her career at Atlanta Ballet. Favorite performances include George Balanchine’s Serenade and Sleeping Beauty.

MONIKA HACZKIEWICZ was born and raised in Las Vegas. She has trained and danced at Nevada Ballet Theatre, Kwak Ballet Academy, Tara Foy’s Elite Ballet, Nevada School of Dance and Royal Winnipeg Ballet. In 2015, Haczkiewicz competed in the Youth American Grand Prix, ranking second in the Senior Division of the Las Vegas semifinals and performing in the finals at Lincoln Center. In the 2015|2016 Season, she received a full-tuition Nijinsky Dance Scholarship to Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Professional Division program, where she performed the lead in Paquita with the professional division and the Paquita Pas de Trois. This is Haczkiewicz’ third season at Atlanta Ballet. She has performed featured roles in Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine and George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and Who Cares?. She also performed the Queen of Dryads in Don Quixote.

Haczkiewicz is grateful to have worked with such choreographers as Yuri Possokhov, David Bintley, Tara Lee and John McFall.

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SUJIN HAN is from South Korea. She began dancing at age 9, and entered the Yewon School and studied character dance at the Vaganova Academy. In 2010, Han entered the Seoul Arts School on scholarship. There she performed pas de deux such as the Sugar Plum Fairy Variation from The Nutcracker. She also participated in many South Korean ballet competitions, including the Seoul International Dance Competition. Sujin earned the Great Performers Scholarship to attend Ewha Womans University, where she began choreographing and learned several George Balanchine works and the Bournonville method. After graduating, she worked as a freelance ballet dancer with M Ballet and Seoul Ballet Company in South Korea. Han joined Atlanta Ballet for the 2017|2018 Season, danced the role of Queen of the Dryads in Don Quixote and worked with choreographers Craig Davidson, Ohad Naharin and Max Petrov.

JESSICA HE is from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. She received her early ballet training at Inland Pacific Ballet Academy. Jessica moved to Philadelphia in 2012, at age 14, to enter the pre-professional training program at The Rock School for Dance Education on full scholarship. While there, she received multiple awards and merit scholarships at competitions such as the Youth America Grand Prix and World Ballet Competition.

Jessica danced with Houston Ballet’s second company for the 2015|2016 and 2016|2017 seasons, touring internationally and performing a varied repertoire, including Stanton Welch’s A Dance in the Garden of Mirth and Brigade, George Balanchine’s Allegro Brilliante, Ben Stevenson’s Sleeping Beauty Act III, and John Neumeier’s Yondering. Last year, in her debut season with Atlanta Ballet, she was grateful for the opportunities to perform the lead female in Craig Davidson’s world premiere Remembrance/Hereafter as well as featured roles in George Balanchine’s Who Cares?, Helgi Tomasson’s 7 for Eight and Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote.

AIRI IGARASHI was born in Gunma, Japan. At age 7, she began her training at the Reiko Yamamoto Ballet School. She continued her training under John Neumeier at The Ballet School of the Hamburg Ballet in Germany, where she performed in Neumeier’s The Nutcracker and danced the role of Princess Florine in Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty. She won first place at the All Japan Ballet Competition in 2011 and third place in 2015. In addition, she was a semi-finalist at the Prix de Lausanne International Ballet Competition in Switzerland in 2013 and 2015. Airi joined Atlanta Ballet last season where she performed the role of Marya in Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker, Amore in Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote and one of the soloist roles in the world premiere of Craig Davidson’s Remembrance/Hereafter. Some of Airi’s favorite performances include Swan Lake, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, Václav Kuneš’ Double Beethoven and Victor Gsovsky’s Grand Pas Classique.

DARIAN KANE is from northern California. She received her dance training with Stuart Carroll and Sharon Newton at Capitol Ballet Center in Sacramento. From 2015 to 2018, she danced with BalletMet2 and BalletMet under the direction of Edwaard Liang, performing in Edwaard Liang’s Age of Innocence, Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16, and Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s Carmen, as Cigaretta. Kane has danced the soloist roles of Zulma, Fairy of Beauty, and Doll and Spanish in Nutcracker. She attended summer intensives with Boston Ballet, Ballet Hawaii and on scholarship at Marin Dance Theatre with Margaret Swarthout. She is excited to join Atlanta Ballet this season.

SAHO KUMAGAI is from Sapporo, Japan, where she began dancing at age 9. In 2009, she moved to the United States to study at the Boston Ballet School and Pacific Northwest Ballet School Professional Division under the direction of Peter Boal. In 2014, she placed among the 20 finalists at the Prix de Lausanne International Ballet Competition in Switzerland. After dancing in Charlotte Ballet II, she joined Atlanta Ballet as an apprenctice in 2014. Last season, her first as a Company dancer, she enjoyed performing First Duet in Craig Davidson’s Remembrance/Hereafter, Cupid in Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote, Tara Lee’s blink and Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16.

LUCAS LABRADOR‡ was born in Cosquín, Argentina, and began his dance training at age 16. He spent two seasons at Ballet Nacional de Argentina under the direction of former Royal Ballet principal dancer Inaki Urlezaga. Lucas toured Argentina, Spain and Portugal, performing roles in Swan Lake, Carmen, Paquita, La Traviata and Giselle. In 2016, he accepted a full scholarship to study at The Rock School in Philadelphia. In January 2017, he won first place in the pas de deux category at the Youth America Grand Prix Atlanta and second place in the ensemble category at the New York City finals. Most recently, as a member of Atlanta Ballet 2, his repertoire included lead and starring roles in Beauty & the Beast and Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker, plus roles in Swan Lake and Don Quixote. Lucas is grateful to be an apprenctice with Atlanta Ballet this season.

JORDAN LEEPER, a native of Jamestown, N.Y., began dancing at age 12 with the Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet and later studied at San Francisco Ballet. Leeper danced with Charlotte Ballet under the direction of Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride, performing at the John F. Kennedy Center during Ballet Across America in 2013. He has performed works by Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Twyla Tharp, Jiří Bubeníček, Sasha Janes, Mark Diamond and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, among others. He has been a guest I-10 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM

artist with Metropolitan Ballet Theatre and City Ballet of Wilmington. He also danced with Complexions Contemporary Ballet under Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson during the company’s 20thanniversary season at the Joyce Theater in New York City.

KEATON LEIER, originally from Canada, grew up in the small city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Keaton started studying ballet at a later age, and joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in 2013. After graduation from the school in 2016, he then moved on to dance with Houston Ballet’s second company for one year where he danced many works by Stanton Welch. Joining the ranks of Atlanta Ballet for the 2017|2018 Season, he’s now commencing his second season with the Company. Some of his favorite highlights from dancing with Atlanta Ballet include performing the closing of Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker by John McFall and the premiere of Craig Davidson’s Remembrance/Hereafter.

IGOR LEUSHIN was born in Uzbekistan. His family moved to Russia when he was 5, and he began training in ballroom dancing at school. He studied at the Novosibirsk State Choreographic College from 2002 to 2010. After graduation, he studied at the Vaganova Ballet Academy for two years and received a bachelor’s degree. Leushin danced in the Yacobson Ballet Theatre in 2012|2013. While there, he participated in tours to Belarus, Italy and China. He then worked at Slovak National Theatre, performing such roles as Lankedem in Le Corsaire; Phoebus in Esmeralda; Vaslav Nijinsky and Mikhail Fokin in Nijinsky; and Peasant Dance, Peasant Pas de Deux and Albert in Giselle.

FRANCESCA LOI was born in Cagliari, Italy, and began her training at the ballet school of Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. She graduated from the La Scala Ballet School in Milan and went on to perform many ballets with the La Scala Ballet Company, including Raymonda, Giselle, Aida and Notre Dame de Paris.

She worked with Opera National de Bordeaux and the Royal Ballet of Flanders and was a member of the Hong Kong Ballet. With Hong Kong Ballet, she performed demi-soloist and soloist roles and worked with choreographers Cynthia Harvey, Nina Ananiashvilli, Alexei Ratmansky, Alexander Ekman and Krzysztof Pastor, among others. At Atlanta Ballet, she has performed Sugar Plum Fairy in Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker and Snow White in the Bruce Wells ballet. Last summer, she won bronze in the Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition and participated in the 2017 Jacob’s Pillow Ballet Program.

NADIA MARA was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, and trained at Uruguay’s National School of Ballet, graduating as the best dancer in school and earning the Elena Smirnova Gold Medal. In the United States, Nadia began dancing with North Carolina Dance Theatre and joined Atlanta Ballet in 2006. Her most notable lead roles include Giselle, Kitri in Don Quixote, Sugar Plum Fairy in Nutcracker, Mina in Michael Pink’s Dracula, Nathalie in Jorden Morris’ Moulin Rouge® - The Ballet and Marguerite in Helen Pickett’s Camino Real. Principal roles include Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, Stars and Stripes and Who Cares?; James Kudelka’s The Four Seasons; David Bintley’s Carmina Burana and Yuri Possokhov’s Firebird, among others.

She has been featured in works by choreographers Alexei Ratmansky ’s Seven Sonatoas, Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16 and Secus, Alexander Ekman’s Cacti, Christopher Wheeldon’s Rush, Jorma Elo’s 1st Flash, Wayne McGregor’s Eden|Eden and Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine. Nadia has received the award of “Outstanding Artist” given by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Mundo Hispanico.

MOISÉS MARTÍN was born in Reus, Spain, and trained at the Municipal Dance School of Zaragoza and Escuela de María de Ávila. He continued his studies on scholarship at the San Francisco Ballet School, under the direction of Lola de Avila, later joining the company and becoming a soloist in 2005. In 2007, he joined the Dutch National Ballet and danced as a second soloist until 2011. He has performed a mix of classical and contemporary works, including pieces by Kenneth MacMillan, George Balanchine, Frederick Ashton, Rudolf Nureyev, Jerome Robbins, Helgi Tomasson and Yuri Possokhov, among others. In 2012, he joined Compañía Nacional de Danza as a principal dancer and performed such leading roles as Sonatas and Raymonda Divertimento by José Carlos Martínez; Giselle by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot; Who Cares?

by George Balanchine; and Espada and Basilio in Don Quixote alongside guest dancers Elisa Badenes and Yolanda Correa; among other works. In 2016, he participated in the International Dance Festival of Cuba, dancing the full-length Swan Lake with Viengsay Valdés and the National Ballet of Cuba.

SERGIO MASERO-OLARTE is from Madrid and began his training at the Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Mariemma. He trained on scholarship at San Francisco Ballet School and then joined Ballet Memphis as a Company dancer. At Ballet Memphis, he performed lead roles in Steven McMahon’s Romeo & Juliet and Swan Lake; Matthew Neenan’s The Darting Eyes and Water of the Flowery Mill; and in works by Mark Godden, Gabrielle Lamb and Yuri Sands. As a principal guest artist, he has danced with Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet and Avant Chamber Ballet in Dallas. In addition to dancing, he enjoyed teaching and choreographing in the Memphis area. Masero-Olarte has created two pieces for the Company dancers of Ballet Memphis and two full-length productions for the Dance Academy of Bartlett in Tennessee.

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JULIANA MISSANO‡ was born in Lloyd Harbor, N.Y., and began studying ballet at age 5. She trained at the Lynch School of Ballet until she was 15, and then she continued her training at The Rock School under the direction of Bo and Stephanie Spassoff. In 2017, Juliana was named a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts and performed at the Kennedy Center. She has competed in the Youth America Grand Prix, receiving the Grand Prix Award, placing first in the pas de peux category and advancing to the final round where she performed at Lincoln Center. This is Juliana’s second season with Atlanta Ballet. Some of her favorite repertoire include Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote, Stanton Welch’s Tutu and Max Petrov’s Concerto Armarico.

MIGUEL ANGEL MONTOYA was born in Cali, Colombia, and began his training at the Instituto Colombiano de Ballet and Incoballet. He continued to dance with Incoballet Company under the direction of Gloria Castro de Martínez. In 2008, Montoya moved to Philadelphia to attend The Rock School. In 2010, he reached the second round semifinals in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Miss., as well as the Youth America Grand Prix New York City finals. In 2012, as an Atlanta Ballet apprentice, he originated roles in Twyla Tharp’s The Princess & the Goblin. Other favorite roles include the Slave in Le Corsaire and Basilio in Don Quixote. He joined the Atlanta Ballet company in 2013 and has performed in such notable ballets as Jorden Morris’ Moulin Rouge® - The Ballet, Michael Pink’s Dracula, Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16, Gina Patterson’s I AM, Helen Pickett’s Camino Real, Christopher Wheeldon’s Rush and Alexei Ratmansky’s Seven Sonatas. He has been featured in the Paquita Pas de Trois, George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort.

JACKIE NASH, a native of Connecticut, started her pre-professional ballet training at the Connecticut Dance School under the direction of Alan Woodard. She then spent two years in the dance and academic residency program at The Rock School, graduating in 2009. During her summer studies, she attended the Chautauqua Institute, Nutmeg Conservatory, Miami City Ballet and the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education. She has enjoyed dancing principal roles in Yuri Possokhov’s Classical Symphony and Firebird, and the lead female in George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante. She has performed featured roles in works

by Christopher Wheeldon, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Douglas Lee and Alexei Ratmansky. She has had the pleasure of working with choreographers such as James Kudelka for The Man in Black, Jorma Elo for 1st Flash and Ohad Naharin for Secus. Jackie was named one of Pointe Magazine’s “12 Standout Performances of 2017” for her work as a guest artist with Amy Siewart’s Imagery.

JONATHAN PHILBERT is from New York and began his dance training at Fiorello LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. While in high school, he was accepted into the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of American Ballet Theatre (ABT JKO) under the direction of Franco Devita.

During this time he was a national training scholar and was exposed to the talent and training that the ballet world has to offer. Philbert performed with the company on numerous occasions and in such ballets as The Nutcracker, Sylvia and La Bayadère. After graduating from the ABT JKO School, he attended Joffrey Ballet Studio Company under the direction of Ashley Wheater. There he danced such roles as Baron Von Rothbart in Swan Lake and Lead Couple in Napoli Divertissements, and danced with the company in fall and spring productions. This is Philbert’s first season with Atlanta Ballet.

KEITH REEVES is from Augusta, Ga., and began his training at age 15 with Jennifer Tools at the Jessye Norman School of the Arts. In 2010, he began training with the Augusta Ballet School, later joining Dance Augusta under the direction of Zane and Ron Colton. In 2015, he trained under Nicolas Pacana and Jocelyn Buchanan at the Atlanta Festival Company. In 2016, Reeves received the Audrey B. Morgan Scholarship for the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education Conservatory program. He also has received scholarships to summer programs at Joffrey Ballet, Nashville Ballet and The School at Jacob’s Pillow. He has performed works by John McFall, George Balanchine, Jorden Morris, David Bintley, Tara Lee, Yuri Possokhov and Ohad Naharin, among others. After two successful years as an apprentice, Reeves is excited to become a Company member for the 2018|2019 Season.

MIKAELA LAURYN SANTOS, a native of the Philippines, began her ballet training at Effie Nañas School of Classical Ballet. In 2014, she was awarded second place at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Ballet Competition. In 2016, she was among the top 15 finalists at the World Ballet Competition in Florida. She joined the Philippine Ballet Theatre as an apprentice in March 2016. At age 17, she joined the fellowship program at the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education and later joined as an apprentice in 2017.

Mikaela took the summer intensive ballet program under scholarship at Jacob’s Pillow and was featured in performances such as Kitri’s friend in Don Quixote, Princess in Black Swan and Spanish in The Nutcracker.

She had the opportunity to work with renowned choreographers such as Bruce Wells, Craig Davidson, Stanton Welch, Helgi Tomasson and Maxin Petrov, to name a few. Mikaela is excited to join the Company in the 2018|2019 Season.

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ALEKSANDRA SHALIMOVA is from Krasnodar in southern Russia. She graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy and was then invited to join Slovak National Theatre. She performed the work of Russian choreographers, including Vasily Medvedev’s Le Corsaire, in the roles of Odalisques and Gulnara; and in Boris Eifman’s Karamazov Brothers. She danced the role of Princess Golden Hair in Slovak choreographer Josef Dolinsky’s staging of From Fairytale to Fairytale and as Romola de Pulsky in Daniel de Andrade’s Nijinsky: God of Dance. Shalimova is open to everything new and interesting, especially the new season at Atlanta Ballet.

ANDERSON SOUZA is from from the south region of Brazil and received his training at the Conservatório Brasileiro de Dança under Jorge Teixeira. After graduating he joined the Cia Brasileira de Ballet in Rio de Janeiro, dancing principal and soloist roles and competing in national and international competitions, including the Beijing International Ballet Competition. Souza traveled with the Company to perform in Colombia, China, Israel and France. In 2013, he joined Gelsey Kirkland Ballet as a Company member, receiving praise from national critics, including those at The New York Times. His most notable roles and repertoire include Marius Petipa’s Paquita, Leonid Yakobson’s Wedding Procession, Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty, the Prince in The Nutcracker, Phillip in Cavalry Halt, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, and Basilio and Espada in Don Quixote, among others. He is excited for his third season with Atlanta Ballet.

FUKI TAKAHASHI‡ was born in Yokohama, Japan, and began training at age 3 at Yuzue Ballet Academy.

She moved to the United States in 2010 and trained at Princeton Ballet and Hariyama Ballet in New York.

She was invited to compete in the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Miss., in 2014 and 2018. She earned silver in the Tanzolymp International Dance Festival and was offered a place in the Orlando Ballet Trainee Program during the American Dance Competition. In 2017, she joined Orlando Ballet’s second company. Favorite performances include Serenade, Don Quixote, Le Corsaire and Sleeping Beauty. She is excited to begin her career as an Atlanta Ballet apprentice.

JARED TAN comes from the Philippines and began dancing at age 9 with Philippine Ballet Theatre under the direction of Gener Caringal. He trained for more than 14 years under Russian Ballet Master Anatoly Panasyukov. Tan came to the United States in 2009 to join American Repertory Ballet in New Jersey under the direction of Graham Lustig, and, in 2010, joined Atlanta Ballet. He is most proud of the work he has done with choreographers Ohad Naharin in Minus 16 and Secus, Alexandre Ekman in Cacti and Jiří Kylián in Petite Mort. He has performed featured roles in many works, including Christopher Hampson’s Rite of Spring, Michael Pink’s Dracula, Alexei Ratmansky’s Seven Sonatas, Twyla Tharp’s The Princess & the Goblin and Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine.

IVAN TARAKANOV is from St. Petersburg, Russia, and is in his first year with Atlanta Ballet. He won first prize in the pas de deux category at the Italian Ballet Competition in Rieti in 2011, and both the Special Grand Prix of best male dancer and first prize at XI Children and Youth International Choreography Competition in 2015. Ivan graduated from Vaganova Ballet Academy (affiliated with Kirov Ballet) and has performed yearly in St. Petersburg, with Mariinsky Theatre as a graduating performer, and worked with Mikhailovsky Theatre since 2009. In 2015, he joined Israel Ballet Company as a principal dancer, and since 2016, Ivan has been a guest principal with Perth City Ballet in Australia and Festival Ballet in St. Petersburg.

Ivan has performed the roles of Albrecht in Giselle by Perro and Coralli with Perth City Ballet Australia; Jean de Brien in Raymonda by Petipa; the Prince in Cinderella by R. Savkovich with Israel Ballet; and Polovckiy dancer, soloist in Prince Igor by Golezovsky with Mikhailovsky Theatre.

ASHLEY WEGMANN was born in New Jersey and began her training at the National Ballet of New Jersey.

She later studied on scholarship at the Princeton Ballet School. After attending Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s graduate program, she joined the company as a corps de ballet member in 2007. From 2012 to 2015, she danced with BalletMet. Wegmann joined Atlanta Ballet in 2015. Some of her favorite roles and repertoire include Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine, Mercedes in Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote, a stomper in Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, Nurse in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s Lovely Together, and James Kudelka’s Real Life and The Four Seasons.

OLIVIA YOCH, from Richmond, Va., received her dance training at the School of Richmond Ballet and Butler University. She spent two years with Tulsa Ballet II and Tulsa Ballet before joining Atlanta Ballet as an apprentice in 2014. Olivia holds a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and a B.A. in English Literature from Butler University. Her favorite repertoire includes roles in Craig Davidson’s Remembrance/Hereafter, Gemma Bond’s Denouement, Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, the Paquita Pas de Trois, and Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine. She loves reading memoirs, discussing art and eating pasta. Olivia thanks her husband for his unwavering support. ‡ Denotes Atlanta Ballet apprentice

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ARTISTIC AND PRODUCTION TEAM JIŘÍ KYLIÁN (Choreographer, Set Designer and Costume Designer, Return to a Strange Land) was born in Czechoslovakia in 1947. He started his dance career at age 9 at the School of the National Ballet in Prague. In 1962, he was accepted as a student at the Prague Conservatory. He left Prague in 1967, when he received a scholarship to the Royal Ballet School in London. He then left to join the Stuttgart Ballet led by John Cranko. Kylián made his debut as a choreographer with Paradox for the Noverre Gesellschaft in Stuttgart. After making Viewers, Stoolgame and La Cathédrale Engloutie for the Nederlands Dans Theater, he became artistic director of the company (1975-1999). In 1978, he put NDT I on the international map with Sinfonietta. In that same year, he founded Nederlands Dans Theater II, the junior company. In 1991, he initiated Nederlands Dans Theater III, a unique company for dancers age 40 or older. Kylián has created nearly 100 works, many of which were created for the Nederlands Dans Theater. His works are performed worldwide.

Kylián has worked with many creative personalities of international stature: composers Arne Nordheim (Ariadne in 1979) and Toru Takemitsu (Dream Time in 1983), and designers Walter Nobbe (Sinfonietta in 1978), Bill Katz (Symphony of Psalms in 1978), John Macfarlane (Forgotten Land in 1980), Michael Simon (Stepping Stones in 1991), Atsushi Kitagawara (One of a Kind in 1998), Susumu Shingu (Toss of a Dice in 2005) and Yoshiki Hishinuma (Zugvögel in 2009). In the summer of 2006, with film director Boris Paval Conen, he created the film Car-Men, choreographed “on location” on the surface brown coal mines in the Czech Republic. In 2010, Kylián served as mentor in dance for the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative. From 2013 through 2017, he created four films, including the full-evening dance/film production East Shadow, dedicated to the victims of the tsunami in Japan. Kylián has received many international awards, including Officer of the Orange Order (the Netherlands), an Honorary Doctorate (The Juilliard School in New York), the Honorary Medal of the President of the Czech Republic and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Czech Ministry of Culture in Prague. In 2008, he was awarded the Medal of the Order for Arts and Science of the House of Orange, given to him by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. During the Celebrating Kylián! Festival in 2017, he received the prestigious gold penning as an honorary citizen of The Hague, the Netherlands. In September 2017, he received the prestigious lifetime achievement prize known as the Positano Premia La Danza Léonide Massine Award.

JEANNE SOLAN (Assistant to the Choreographer, Return to a Strange Land) was born in New Jersey in 1948. For the past 20 years, she has worked as an international teacher with dance companies and conservatories around the world. She also assists choreographer Jiří Kylián, teaching his earlier works I-14

to international ballet companies. She has danced with the Harkness Ballet in New York (1968-70), the Deutsche Oper Ballett in Berlin (1970-71), the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company in New York (1971-73, 1986-88), the Nederlands Dans Theater I in The Hague (1973-78, 1980-86), Dennis Wayne’s Dancers in New York (1978-80), and the Nederlands Dans Theater III in The Hague (1993-99). In addition to Kylián, she has worked with such choreographers as Rudi van Dantzig, Lar Lubovitch, William Forsythe, Mats Ek, Christopher Bruce, Nacho Duato, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Jennifer Muller, Martha Clarke, Paul Lightfoot, Sol Léon and Johan Inger. In 1996, Solan received the Golden Swan Award for career achievement.

KEES TJEBBES (Lighting Designer and Technical Supervisor for Jiří Kylián, Return to a Strange Land) worked with the Dutch theater and dance groups Toneelgroep Theater, Introdans, Scapino Ballet Rotterdam and Nederlands Dans Theater after his studies at the Brussels Academy of the Arts. For Introdans and Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, he began creating lighting designs for new works by such choreographers as Ed Wubbe, Nils Christe and Itzik Galili. In 2000, choreographer Jiří Kylián asked Tjebbes to create the lighting design for Click-pauseSilence; since then, he has collaborated on almost all of Kylián’s dance productions. The list includes 27'52" (NDT II, 2002), Claude Pascal (NDT I, 2002), When Time Takes Time (NDT III, 2002), Far too close (NDT III, 2003), Last Touch (NDT I, 2003), Sleepless (NDT II, 2004), Toss of a Dice (NDT I, 2005), Chapeau (NDT II, 2006), Tar and Feathers (NDT I, 2006), Vanishing Twin (NDT I, 2008), Gods and Dogs (NDT II, 2008), Mémoires d’Oubliettes (NDT I, 2009), and his creation for the Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris, 2004’s Il Faute Qu’une Porte (2004). In the past few years, Tjebbes has supervised, adapted or re-created the lighting designs for Kylián productions being staged or restaged around the world.

GEORGE BALANCHINE (Choreographer, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux). Simply put, George Balanchine (Jan. 22, 1904-April 30, 1983) transformed the world of ballet. He is widely regarded as the most influential choreographer of the 20th century and co-founder of two of ballet’s most important institutions: New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet. Balanchine was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. He studied at the Imperial Ballet School in St. Petersburg and danced with Maryinsky Theatre Ballet Company, where he began choreographing short works. In the summer of 1924, Balanchine left the newly formed Soviet Union for Europe, where impresario Serge Diaghilev invited him to join the Ballet Russes. For that company, Balanchine choreographed his first important ballets: Apollo (1928) and Prodigal Son

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(1929). After Ballet Russes was dissolved following Diaghilev’s 1929 death, Balanchine spent the next few years on various projects in Europe and then formed his own company, Les Ballets 1933 in Paris.

There, he met American arts connoisseur Lincoln Kirstein, who persuaded him to come to the United States. In 1934, the pair founded the School of American Ballet, which remains in operation today, training students for companies around the world.

Serenade, Balanchine’s first U.S. ballet, was set to music by Tchaikovsky and created for SAB students.

It premiered June 9, 1934, on the grounds of an estate in White Plains, N.Y. Balanchine served as New York City Ballet’s ballet master from 1948 until his death in 1983, building the company into one of the most important performing arts institutions in the world and a cornerstone of cultural life in New York City. He choreographed 425 works over the course of 60-plus years; his musical choices ranged from Tchaikovsky (a favorite composer) to Stravinsky (his compatriot and friend) to Gershwin (who embodied Balanchine’s love of America). Many Balanchine works are considered masterpieces and are performed by ballet companies around the world.

Courtesy of New York City Ballet.

ROBERT BARNETT (Stager, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux) was born in Washington state in 1925, and graduated from Wenatchee High School in 1943.

He joined the U.S. Navy during World War II, mustering out in June 1946. He began his ballet training with Bronislava Nijinsky in Los Angeles, joining the original Ballet Russe in Barcelona, Spain in 1948. He studied in Paris with Lubov Igorova, returning to the United States where he was elevated to the position of soloist. In 1958, Barnett and his wife, Virginia Rich Barnett, were invited by Atlanta Ballet founder and director Dorothy Alexander to join her company as co-directors and principal dancers. Alexander appointed Barnett as artistic director when she retired in 1961, a position he held until 1994. He is the proud father of Virginia and sons Robert Jr. and David, and grandfather of grandsons Aaron, Ryan and Austin Barnett. He is pleased to remain a devoted supporter of Atlanta Ballet, Artistic Director Gennadi Nedvigin and Dean Sharon Story of the Centre for Dance Education as well as the board of directors, staff and, especially, the talented dancers who fill him with pride.

JOSEPH R. WALLS (Lighting Designer, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, Don Quixote and The Premiere) has designed several pieces for Atlanta Ballet, including Gemma Bond’s Denouement, Bruce Wells’ Beauty & the Beast and Snow White, Tara Lee’s blink and Andrea Miller’s Push. He has also designed for STEPS Panama, Staibdance, RAIIN Dance Theater, Inland Pacific Ballet, Charlotte Ballet and The Washington Ballet at the Kennedy Center. This past summer, Walls designed Sundance Mountain Resort’s production of Oklahoma!. He was recently nominated for the

prestigious Premios Escena award as best lighting design for his 2017 design of Rent in Panama City, Panama. www.jwallsdesign.com MAURO BIGONZETTI (Choreographer and Costume Designer, Vertigo) was born in Rome. He received his dance training at Scuola di Danza del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma and entered Balletto dell’Opera di Roma in 1979. In 1983 he joined Aterballetto, a contemporary ballet company in Reggio Emilia, Italy, where he had a chance to collaborate with Alvin Ailey, Glen Tetley, William Forsythe and Jennifer Muller. His repertoire also included works by Balanchine and Massine.

Bigonzetti’s first ballet, Sei in Movimento (to music

by J.S. Bach), was created for Aterballetto in 1990. In 1993, he left Aterballetto to become a freelance dance maker. His most important relationship in the next four years was with Balletto di Toscana, where he served as resident choreographer. In 1997, he returned to Compagnia Aterballetto as artistic director, a position he held until 2008. He still choreographs for the company. Bigonzetti has choreographed for the English National Ballet, Ballet National Marseille, the Stuttgart Ballet, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Dresden, Ballet Teatro Argentino, Balè da Cidade de Sao Paulo (Brazil), Ballet Gulbenkian (Portugal), New York City Ballet, Turkish State Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Ballet du Capitole Toulouse, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Teatro alla Scala, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Arena di Verona and Teatro di San Carlo in Naples. His recent work includes Cinque (Reflections for the Bolshoi Ballet); In Vento, Oltermare and Luce Nascosta for New York City Ballet; InCanto dall’Orlando Furioso and Romeo and Juliet for Aterballetto; I Fratelli for Stuttgart Ballet; Le Quattro Stagioni for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens; Caravaggio for Staatsballett Berlin; and Festa Barocca for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Many of Bigonzetti’s notable ballets — Songs, Persephassa, Furia Corporis, Comoedia Canti, Sogno, Cantata, Rossini Cards, Vespro, Les Noces, Psappha, Orma and WAM — are in the repertory of major European and American companies.

CARLO CERRI (Lighting, Scenic and Video Designer, Vertigo) was born in Rome in 1957. He worked at the Balletto di Toscana from 1989 to 2000 as resident lighting designer. In 2001, he joined the Aterballetto. As a lighting designer, he has collaborated with the Ballet Gulbenkian (Lisbon, Portugal); Bat Dor (Tel Aviv, Israel); English National Ballet (London); Ballett du Capitol de Toulouse (France); Stuttgarter Ballett (Germany); Basel Ballet (Switzerland); Les Grands Ballets Canadiens Montreal; Ballet Jazz Montreal, Canada; National Ballet of China in Beijing; Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (New York City); Companhia Nacional de Bailado (Lisbon); and Ballett Dortmund (Germany). He has designed the sets and lighting for the productions Giulietta e Romeo (choreography by Fabrizio Monteverde,

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Balletto di Toscana), Don Giovanni (choreography

by Mauro Bigonzetti, Balletto di Toscana), Barbablù (choreography by Fabrizio Monteverde, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino), Next (choreography by Fabrizio Monteverde, Aterballetto),Caravaggio (choreography

by Mauro Bigonzetti, Staatsballett Berlin), Casanova (choreography by Richard Wherlock, Ballet Basel), Le Sacre (choreography by Mauro Bigonzetti, Aterballetto), La Piaf (choreography by Mauro Bigonzetti, Staatsoper Hannover), Canto per Orfeo (choreography by Mauro Bigonzetti, Aterballetto), Don Q (choreography by Eugenio Scigliano, Aterballetto), Alice (choreography by Mauro Bigonzetti, Gauthier Dance), Der Prozess (choreography by Mauro Bigonzetti, Staatsballett Hannover), and Cinderella (choreography by Mauro Bigonzetti, Teatro alla Scala).

MARIUS PETIPA (Choreographer, Don Quixote) is considered the Father of Classical Ballet. Petipa (March 11, 1818-July 14, 1910) came from a family of artists in Marseilles, France. His father, Jean, was a ballet master, and his brother, Lucien, was a principal dancer and choreographer at the Paris Opéra.

In 1870, after many years of dancing in Europe, Petipa was offered a position as principal dancer in St. Petersburg. There he apprenticed under ballet masters Jules Perrot and Arthur Saint-Léon. In 1870, Saint-Léon left Russia, and Petipa was named chief ballet master. He was the architect of greatness at the Imperial Ballet during the last 30 years of the 19th century, developing the opulent, multi-act eveninglength spectacle that was to set the pattern for the entertainments so loved by the court audience. It was this grand classical style of controlled emotion (stressing the formal values of clarity, harmony, symmetry and order) that produced such successes as Don Quixote, La Bayadère, Raymonda and, ultimately, Sleeping Beauty. One of Petipa’s greatest contributions to classical ballet was the crystallization of the pas de deux, which always has a well-defined structure in his ballets — the opening adagio for the ballerina and her partner, variations for each dancer and the concluding coda for both dancers, which usually contains a display of pyrotechnics.

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RICARDO AMARANTE (Choreographer, The Premiere) was born in Brazil. He studied at the National Ballet School Cuba and English National Ballet School. As a soloist, he worked with Paris Opera Ballet, Jeune Ballet de France and Royal Ballet of Flanders. After creating many ballets for the Royal Ballet of Flanders, he participated in the New York Choreographic Institute. His ballet Love Fear Loss received the French Dance Foundation award and was performed at many international galas. He has restaged and created works for Palluca Schule Dresden; English National Ballet School; Royal Ballet School of Antwerp in Belgium; and Dortmund Ballet in Germany. He also choreographed the Adeline Genée Awards. In 2014, he created In Flanders Fields for the Royal Ballet of Flanders (Belgium), which was praised by dance magazines. Since 2016, Amarante has been the resident choreographer and an artistic associate at Astana Ballet in Kazakhstan, which has performed and toured his ballets to major theaters and festivals worldwide.

RENÊ SALAZAR (Costume and Scenic Designer, The Premiere) graduated as a stage designer from the University of Scenography at Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO). His most significant work includes scenery for the ballet Catulli Carmina for Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro (TMRJ) and scenography for the opera Orpheus and Eurydice by Christoph W. Gluck for the UNIRIO orchestra and theater, both in 2014. In 2016, Salazar created the costume design for the triple bill titled Trilogia Amazônica for TMRJ. He also created the costume and set designs for the ballet Diversity by choreographer Ricardo Amarante, done at the ceremonial opening of the new Theatre Ballet Astana in Kazakhstan. In 2017, Salazar created new costume and set designs for Contrasts and Touch of Illusion at Astana Ballet. In 2018, he created costumes and sets for Giselle at Astana Ballet. Today he lives in Rio de Janeiro, and he works at TMRJ and as a freelance designer.

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MUSIC CREDITS Return to a Strange Land Music by Leoš Janáček “Sonata 01 October 1905/No. 1 (Presentiment)” “On an Overgrown Path” “In the Mist” “Sonata 01 October 1905/No. 2 (Death)” Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Excerpt from “Swan Lake, Op. 20, Act III” Vertigo Music by Dmitri Shostakovich “Chamber Symphony for Strings in C. Major, Op. 49a — Moderato” “Piano Concerto No. 1 for Piano, Trumpet & Strings, Op. 35 — 2. Lento” By arrangement with G. Schirmer, INC. publisher and copyright owner.

The Premiere Music by Camille Saint-Saens “Danse Macabre in G Minor, Op. 40” “Concerto No. 3 in B Minor for Violin” “Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28”

ATLANTA BALLET BOARD OF TRUSTEES Elizabeth Adams, Chair Barbara S. Joiner, Vice Chair Kristen Manion Taylor, Vice Chair Asif Ramji, Vice Chair Sue Gibbs, Treasurer Kathleen Knous, Secretary Allen W. Nelson, Immediate Past Chair

Allen Maines Linda Morris Gennadi Nedvigin* Sharon Silversmintz* Stephanie Thomas Stephens Kirsi Tehrani* Juan Carlos Urdaneta Pam Wakefield Jon S. Wright

Trustees Jan Beaves Ron Breakstone Ginny Brewer Kelly C. Cannon Chris Carlos Dr. Meria Carstarphen Lynn Cochran-Schroder Lynda B. Courts Cynthia Crain David Crosland Lavona S. Currie Vanessa Delmer Nancy Field Janet Gagliano Amy Gerome Lindsay R. Hill Joyce Houser, Ph.D Arturo Jacobus* Edward B. Krugman

Advisory Board David M. Barnett Mark Bell Barbara Bing Kevin Brown Erroll B. Davis William De Baets F. Javier Diaz Raoul “Ray” Donato Jorge Fernandez Maria Stela Frota Robert L. Green Susan S. Kettering Carl Pascarella Eric Robbins Laura Turner Seydel Takashi Shinozuka Ewoud N. Swaak Judith Varnai Shorer Nadia Theordore

Dov Wilker Allen Yee Kim Young-jun Honorary Board Margaret Carton Kenneth R. Hey Wade Hooper J. David Hopkins Bill Huber, CPA Michael Jones Sloan Kennedy-Smith Amanda Shailendra Michelle Sullivan Trustees Emeriti Lynda B. Courts, Chair Emeritus Lavona S. Currie Stanley Rose III Karen Vereb Patti Wallace Lifetime Board Jane Dean Carole Goldberg Joseph Prendergast Deen Day Sanders *Ex-Officio

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ATLANTA BALLET ADMINISTRATION EXECUTIVE Arturo Jacobus, President & CEO Manda Wilhite, Board Relations & Capital Campaign Manager ARTISTIC Gennadi Nedvigin, Artistic Director Sarah Hillmer, Ballet Mistress Roman Rykine, Ballet Master FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION Pamela Whitacre, Chief Operating Officer Thomas Fowlkes, General Manager Mary French, Operations Director Lene Sabin, Controller Hana Miller, Bookkeeper/Office Manager Alan Strange, IT/Database Coordinator DEVELOPMENT & FUNDRAISING Steven B. Libman, Chief Advancement Officer Mia Colson, Institutional Giving Officer Lauren Elliott, Individual Gifts Officer Amy Green, Major Gifts Officer Liz Root, Special Events Assistant Sherren Sandy, Special Events Manager MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS Tricia Ekholm, Chief Marketing Officer Julia Berg, Director of Public Relations Kelly Pierce, Associate Director of Marketing Brian Wallenberg, Videographer Julie Sharpe, Design Manager Myredith Gonzales, Group Sales Manager Toni C. Vacinek, Communications Manager Ă ine Imbach, Public Relations/Graphics Assistant TICKETING & PATRON SERVICES Lindsay Smith, Associate Director of Ticketing & Patron Services Dana Hylton Calabro, Patron Services Manager Desiree Houston, Patron Services Assistant Bekkie Murphy, Patron Services Assistant PRODUCTION John Beaulieu, Production Manager/Technical Director Amanda Craig, Stage Manager Sicily Palms, Company Manager Joseph R. Walls, Lighting Supervisor Matt Oliner, Production Head Electrician Jane Kuipers, Assistant Stage Manager

COSTUMES Colleen McGonegle, Costume Director Rehnuma Tajbin, Draper/Patternmaker Sophia Parrish, Wardrobe Supervisor/Costume Technician Susan Carter, Costume Technician Shelby Mills, Costume Technician Alexandra Nattrass, Costume Technician Jane Kuipers, Costume Technician Ashley Dobrin, Finisher Abby Parker, Company Shoe Manager CENTRE FOR DANCE EDUCATION Gennadi Nedvigin, Artistic Director Sharon Story, Dean Kelly Cooper, Centre Administrative Director Diane Sales, Community Partnerships Manager Nicole Adams, Virginia-Highland Centre Principal Kate Gaul, Buckhead Centre Principal Kaitlyn Wesche, Centre Programs Coordinator Ansilla Bearden, Satellite Manager Centre Education Associates Dixie Boston, Jasmine Carter, Ann Heard, Nacolean Hillsman, Kelly Anne Hynek Atlanta Ballet Boutique Leslie Campbell Judge, General Manager Kate LaFoy, Midtown Boutique Manager Nardja el-Shabazz, Buckhead Boutique Coordinator Sarah Pinson, Warehouse/Inventory Manager Faculty Ramatu Afegbua-Sabbatt, Sterling Baker-McClary, Ansilla Bearden, Taylor Benion, Shirley Bennett, Britt Brown, Serena Chu, Harmony Clair, Kelly Cooper, Lonnie Davis, Rebekah Diaddigo, Hillary Drawe, Vershion Funderburk, Pedro Gamino, Ashley Gibson, Giselle Gilmore, Nell Heflin Goza, Nathan Griswold, Alera Harrison, Nathan Hites, Aaron James, Michelle Jericevich, Jelani Jones, Caroline Kraehe, Armando Luna, Sergio Masero-Olarte, Rosemary Miles, Anna Penny, Terese Reynolds-Thomas, Chantia Robinson, Diane Sales, Roscoe Sales, Carol Szkutek, Abigail Tan-Gamino, Calla Vaughn, Alexis Whitehead-Polk Accompanists Gretel Rodriguez, Company Pianist Alan Brown, Elizabeth Grimes, Aleksandra Korshunova, Greg Matteson, Ronnie Ray, Yulia Rice, Chie Smith, Kyla Zollitsch

Stage hands working this production are members of the Atlanta Stage Hands Local Union 927 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.

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Atlanta Ballet gratefully acknowledges the following individuals, businesses, foundations and volunteer groups, whose generous annual contributions as well as sponsorships of special events were received during the period of Aug. 1, 2017-June 30, 2018. If you find that you are listed incorrectly or we did not recognize you appropriately, we apologize and want to include you. Please contact Individual Gifts Officer Lauren Elliott at lelliott@atlantaballet.com or 404.873.5811, Ext. 1222.

FOUNDATION, CORPORATE & GOVERNMENT DONORS $100,000+ Arrow Exterminators Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Inc. Jones Day Foundation PNC The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation The Coca-Cola Foundation The Home Depot Foundation The Molly Blank Fund of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation The Rich Foundation The Sara Giles Moore Foundation The Sartain Lanier Family Foundation, Inc. The Thalia N. Carlos and Chris M. Carlos Foundation The Zeist Foundation, Inc. William Randoph Hearst Foundation $50,000 - $99,999 Atlanta Ballet Corps de Ballet Delta Air Lines Neiman Marcus Northside Hospital REPAY The Imlay Foundation, Inc. The Pittulloch Foundation, Inc. The Shubert Foundation, Inc. $25,000 - $49,999 Anonymous City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs Fulton County Arts Council Publix Super Markets Charities, Inc. The Kettering Family Foundation Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation $10,000 - $24,999 Anonymous Bobbie Bailey Foundation, Inc. Charles Loridans Foundation, Inc. Comcast David Yurman Dior Georgia Council for the Arts Georgia Dermatology Center Georgia Power Foundation Holland & Knight LLP JBS Foundation Lenox Square Mark & Evelyn Trammell Foundation Morgan Family Fund National Endowment for the Arts Paymetric

Price Gilbert, Jr. Charitable Fund The Ray M. and Mary Elizabeth Lee Foundation, Inc. Wells Fargo Foundation $5,000 - $9,999 Anonymous (2) Atlantic Capital Bank Hellen Ingram Plummer Charitable Foundation, Inc. Ida Alice Ryan Charitable Trust John & Mary Franklin Foundation JPMorgan Chase Massey Charitable Trust The Fraser-Parker Foundation $2,500 - $4,999 Anonymous Denise Newton Memorial Fund of The Philadephia Foundation $1,000 - $2,499 Lois & Lucy Lampkin Foundation Publix Super Markets Thomas H. Lanier Family Foundation MATCHING GIFT CORPORATIONS ADP Avanade Comcast Google Illinois Tool Works JPMorgan Chase Microsoft Norfolk Southern Novartis SAP America SunTrust The Coca-Cola Company The Home Depot Foundation Turner Varian Medical Systems

Atlanta Ballet is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA also received support from its partner agency, the National Endowment for the Arts. Major funding is provided by the Fulton County Commission under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council, and major support is provided by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

Additional funding has been provided by our individual donors, corporate sponsors and foundations.

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INDIVIDUAL DONORS THE DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE $500,000+ Anonymous Mr. & Mrs. Chris Michael Carlos $30,000-$99,999 Ginny & Charles Brewer Mr. & Mrs. Richard W. Courts II Lavona S. Currie Vanessa & Robin Delmer Sarah Kennedy Katherine Scott Mr. Jon S. Wright $20,000-$29,999 James J. Andrews Ms. Jan P. Beaves Dr. Meria J. Carstarphen & Mr. David Heleniak Susan & Tony Catalfano Lynn Cochran-Schroder & Bill Schroder Cynthia Crain, Ed. D. & Dwight Lee, Ph. D. Kathleen & Kirk Knous Linda & Don Morris Asif & Lisa Ramji Stephanie & Austin Stephens Pam Wakefield $15,000-$19,999 Anonymous Barbara & Eric Joiner Mr. Dante S. Stephensen $10,000-$14,999 Anonymous Elizabeth & Howell Adams III Michelle & David Crosland Ms. Nancy Field & Mr. Michael Schulder Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Gagliano Ms. Amy Gerome-Acuff & Mr. Daniel Acuff Sue & Duane Gibbs Adrienne & Scott Hardesty Bonnie & Terry Herron Beth & Tommy Holder Mr. Douglas Hopkins Joyce Houser, Ph.D. Edward Krugman & Jill Pryor Mr. J. Allen Maines & Ms. Pam Yarbrough Kristen Manion Taylor & Jason Taylor Mr. Allen W. Nelson Delphine Podsiadlo Mr. William F. Snyder Carol & Ramon Tomé Mr. & Mrs. Juan Carlos Urdaneta THE ENCORE CIRCLE $7,500-$9,999 Kelly & Joseph Cannon Elaine & Erroll Davis James L. Jackson $5,000-$7,499 Anonymous Angela & Kirk Clinard Dr. and Mrs. O. Anderson Currie, Jr. Mrs. Daphne Moore Eitel Mr. Daniel E. Gaylord & Ms. Marilyn Altman Julie & Paul Hagedorn Marius Hechter J. David Hopkins Laurie & John Hopkins Elvira & Arturo Jacobus Catherine & George Manning Andrea & Edward Montag Amy Nelson & Style Design

Doug & Ginger (Brill) Pisik Stanley H. Rose III Danna & Mike Sanders Mr. & Mrs. James E. Stueve Karen Vereb & Bud Blanton $2,500-$4,999 Diana & Miguel Arteche Barbara Bastin & Children Michael Bracken Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence W. Davis Nigel Ferguson Jacqueline Flake & David Dase Joanne & Alex Gross Steve, Susan & Grace Hauser Dr. Leslie & Mrs. Marilyn Kelman Drs. Christine & Michael Murphy Sharon & David Schachter Debby & Baker Smith Johannah Smith Dr. John Trimble & Ms. Marianne Stribling Pam & Paul Whitacre Allen W. Yee Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Yellowlees $1,000-$2,499 Anonymous (2) Dr. Florence C. Barnett Hope Barrett Drs. Mark & Bianca Bell Mr. & Mrs. Gregory W. Blount Lindsay & Evan Borenstein Jeanne Bracken James A. Brennan, M.D. Dr. & Mrs. William Brinkman David Brinkman Sara & Alex Brown Mr. & Mrs. Jerome M Cooper Donna Court Robert Paul Dean & Robert Epstein Mr. Richard Delay & Ms. Francine Dykes Mr. & Mrs. Howard F. Elkins Mary & Christopher French Stacy Galan Shailendra Mr. & Mrs. Robert C. Goddard Dr. Marvin Goldstein Mrs. Carol Lanier Goodman Steffi & Bill Huber Dr. Lorie Hughes Ben Hunter Lee Kapner Marsha King Mitchell & Stacey Kopelman Leigh Anna & Steven Lang Mariana Laufer Melanie & Chris Leeth Ms. Doreen M. Lewis Mrs. Vaughn Linder Ms. Linda Lively & Mr. James Hugh Gino & Belinda Massafra Josh & Kallarin Mackey Margaret P. McCamish Mr. & Mrs. Eugene F. Meany Mr. Michael Mitchell Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Montag Elizabeth & Chris Morris The Mortimer Family Ms. Sandra Noecker Ms. Christine Noguere & Mr. Phillip Pope Robert W. Parris & Bradley W. Renner Ms. Charlene R. Pletz Stuart Pliner & Barbara Bing Pliner Jonathan Popler Margery & Dan Reason Family Fund The RFP Fund, Inc.

Dr. & Mrs. Mark Silverstein Dr. & Mrs. Peter J. Sones Anne M. Spratlin Sharon Story, Julien & Kim Kenney Dr. Kirsten Travers-UyHam & Mr. John J. UyHam Harriet H. Warren Paula & Mike Wilson Ted & Whitney Woodward THE PATRON CIRCLE $500-$999 Anonymous William Bishop Mrs. George C. Blount, Jr. Suzanne & Rob Boas David Cofrin & Christine Tryba-Cofrin Mr. Lawrence M. Cohen Mr. & Mrs. Henry M. Colvin Carol Comstock & Jim Davis Courtney Crandell James Datka & Nora DePalma Dr. Catherine Dekle & Dr. Keith Mannes Mr. Philip A. Delanty Mr. & Mrs. Gregory S. Durden Tricia & Chris Ekholm Lauren & Rick Elliott Sarah Segrest Emerson Amy & Niels Engberding Cole & Zachary Ferguson-Cogdill Mr. Robert J. Fornal Danny Futrell Kathryn & Patrick Gaul Charles Griffin Ms. Marguerite Hallman Virginia Hepner & Malcolm Barnes Helen & Jeff Herbert Lisa & Forrest Hibbard Michal & Jack Hillman Dr. John P. Horton Dr. Ronald Eugene Huet Steven Libman & Carol Killworth Allan & Vaneesa Little Annette & Steven McBrayer Mr. William McClain Mr. Philip R. Mertz Terri & Stephen Nagler Mary Nakashige Miho & Gennadi Nedvigin Mrs. William A. Parker, Jr. Mrs. Polly N. Pater Grace Pownall & Ron Harris Mr. & Mrs. Robert Ratonyi Dr. & Mrs. William M. Scaljon Teena Stern Judith Story Mr. Tarek Takieddini Mr. & Mrs. Perry Taylor Roberta Taylor & James Hill Charlotte & David Terrell Mr. & Mrs. James S. Thomas, Jr. Dr. Peter & Mrs. Beverly Thomas Time Space Organization Mrs. Julie Turner-Davis & Mr. John Davis Veronica M. Vincent & Robert I. Wertheimer Stephen Walker Alan & Marcia Watt Drs. Cherry Wongtrakool & Vin Tangpricha $250-$499 Anonymous Donna Adams Hall Mark & Belinda Anderson Dr. & Mrs. Charles R. Arp Jordan Barkin Mr. and Mrs. Brian D. Beem

Ms. Martha Bobo Paul & Jeanne Bolton Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Borenstein Cynthia Brant Dr. Harold J. Brody & Donald Smith Elizabeth Carlson Jim Carpenetti & Lara Ghavami Mrs. Carolyn Champion Dr. Alexis E. Chase Dr. Sheldon B. Cohen Liz & Charlie Cohn Kelly Tonina Cooper Jennifer and Andy Coppa Kathleen & Brian Corrao Lucy Currie Bush & Henry Bush Cynthia & Mike Davison Michelle & John Decker Kate & James Denny Reverend James D. Duffy Mr. Mark du Mas Antoinette J. Earley & William L. Green Elaine Eaton Mrs. Susan Fleck Dytre Fentress & Stephen Rann Noel Francis Louise B. Franklin Lisa & David Frist Judy & Edward Garland Christine A. Gilliam glassbaby white light fund Bridget Grant Amy Green Dr. & Mrs. Edmond Griffin Sandra D. Haisten Laura Heyward Miranda Hitti Jim & Mary Long Howard Mr. & Mrs. Mark E. Jackson Natalie M. Jones Jean Gatton Jones Anna Kaiser Mr. & Mrs. Peter G. Kessenich Tanneshia Kirby Eric A. Larson Abe Levine Deidre Lewis Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Mager Marist School Bridget Matarrese Jean & Robert McColl Debia & Robert McCulloch Jennifer & Virginia McGuffey Carol & Ben Mitchell Joshua V. Montague Michelle Flake Morgan William Morrow Henrietta & Cory Muller Sarah G. Murray Karen Olsen-Howard, M.D. Christopher Omueti Mrs. Debby Overstreet Darryl Payne & Lisa Richardson Mr. & Mrs. Sidney Perkowitz Chongkolni J. Potitong Dr. Robert & Gail Riesenberg Viktoriia & Larry Robinson Roman Rykine Robert & Susan Saudek Crista & Glenn Schaab Beverly & Milton Shlapak Hannah Sledd Danielle Squires Dr. and Mrs. Edward F. Sugarman Dr. & Mrs. Alan Sunshine Barbara & Jon Swann Dr. Michael & Francoise Szikman Rosemary Trudeau Annie York Trujillo Ms. Karen Trujillo Jody Collins Weatherly Kara & Brian Williamson

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GIFTS IN HONOR & MEMORIAM In Honor of Robert Barnett James J. Andrews

In Honor of Lynda Courts Kathi & Robert Goddard

In Memory of Edward Mortimer The Mortimer Family

In Memory of Virginia Barnett Teena Stern

In Honor of Vonetta Daniels Shari Blalock Terence Hooks Julia Houston

In Honor of Hannah Morris Elizabeth & Chris Morris

In Honor of Louisa Basarrate Jeff Carrico

In Memory of Bernadette Datka James Datka & Nora DePalma

In Honor of Sophie Basarrate Bridget Grant

In Honor of Sarah DuBignon Denise & Michael Wilbert

In Honor of Anne Burton Avery James J. Andrews

In Honor of Patti Gouvas Charles Griffin

In Honor of Margaret Carton Annette & Steven McBrayer In Honor of the Clark & Whitaker Families Mary French

In Honor of Jamila Hall Clover Hall Jonathan Karron

In Honor of Dylan Clinard Angela & Kirk Clinard

In Honor of Steven Libman Eric & Ana Robbins

In Honor of Lynda & Richard W. Courts II MrsVaughn Linder

In Memory of Louis Molino Michael Bracken

In Memory of Vaughn Nixon Player Mrs. Vaughn Linder In Memory of Bob Podsiadlo Delphine Podsiadlo In Honor of Amelia Popler Jonathan Popler In Honor of Julianne Kepley Spratlin Anne M. Spratlin In Memory of Edwin Story Sandra Noecker Judith Story In Honor of Sharon Story Cynthia Crain, Ed.D. & Dwight Lee, Ph.D. In Honor of Ella & Haper Tillman Ashley & Terry Tillman

THE DOROTHY ALEXANDER LEGACY SOCIETY Honoring our Past, Stewarding our Present, and Planning for Our Future Individuals who have included Atlanta Ballet in their long-term estate plans through bequests and other deferred-giving arrangements.

Madeline & Howell Adams, Jr. C.D. Belcher Cynthia Crain Mrs. Lynn Cochran-Schroder

Patty & Marc Dash Mrs. Daphne Moore Eitel Melodi Ford Joyce Houser, Ph.D.

Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Morgan Elizabeth Morgan Spiegel John K. Palmisano & Stephen A. Williams, III

IN-KIND SUPPORT Atlanta Ballet is grateful to the following organizations for their in-kind support.

Britt Wood Designs Carithers Flowers Flourish by Legendary Events David Yurman Electronic Theatre Controls

Jean Padberg & Associates La Fête Chocolat Margot McKinney & Neiman Marcus Mathews Furniture + Design National Video Monitoring Co., LLC

Peachtree Tents & Events Sprinkles Cupcakes Tony Brewer & Company

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Join us for an inspiring season!

La Sylphide Feb 15–23, 2019

With the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra

Look/Don’t Touch Supported by March 22–24, 2019

With the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra

Director’s Choice May 10–12, 2019

Visit atlantaballet.com or call 1.800.982.2787 for tickets!

Groups of 10+, email groupsales@atlantaballet.com.

Sergio Masero-Olarte. Photo by Rachel Neville.

ATLANTA BALLET IS GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT FROM THE FOLLOWING Atlantic Capital, The Preferred Bank of Atlanta Ballet Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters, The Official Coffee Provider of Atlanta Ballet Kennesaw State University, The Official Academic Partner of Atlanta Ballet Publix Super Markets, The Preferred Supermarket of Atlanta Ballet Ryder Truck Rental Systems Inc., The Official Set Transporter of Atlanta Ballet Dr. Frank A. Sinkoe, Podiatric Orthopedics Dr. Kara Pepper, Laureate Medical Group Dr. Laura Gandy, Laureate Medical Group Dr. Amanda Blackmon, Mandy Dance PT Dr. Emma Faulkner Smith & Howard, Audit Firm Jean Padberg & Associates, P.C., Immigration Counsel Jones Day, Attorneys Charlie McCullers Photography Corporate Sports Unlimited J.D. French & Assoc.

Kim Kenney Photography

For more information, please visit our website at www.atlantaballet.com.

Atlanta Ballet is grateful for the support from our in-kind sponsors:

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The Official School of Atlanta Ballet

N O W E N R O L L I N G F O R FA L L !

Enjoy a variety of dance classes for ages 2 & up.

Call or email to schedule an appointment to tour our studios and register your child today!

Buckhead Centre in Chastain Square Kate Gaul, Principal kgaul@atlantaballet.com 404.303.1501 Michael C. Carlos Dance Centre in West Midtown Kelly Cooper, Centre Administrative Director admissions@atlantaballet.com 404.873.5811 x1225 Virginia-Highland Centre in Amsterdam Walk Nicole Adams, Principal nadams@atlantaballet.com 404.883.2178

centre.atlantaballet.com

Photo by Kim Kenney.

Atlanta Ballet celebrated the Centre for Dance Education on Saturday, May 19, 2018 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The celebration raised essential support for scholarship funding and the community outreach programs of the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education. Special thanks to Celebration Co-Chairs Louisa Basarrate and Rebecca Gupta, and Patron Co-Chair Ginny Brewer.

PRESENTING SPONSORS Ginny & Charles Brewer Chris Michael Carlos Morgan Family Fund GRAND BENEFACTOR PATRONS Cynthia Crain, Ed. D. & Dwight Lee, Ph. D. Nardelli Family Foundation REPAY BENEFACTOR PATRONS Jan Beaves Louisa & Armando Basarrate Lynn Cochran-Schroder & Bill Schroder Vanessa & Robin Delmer Rebecca & Sanjay Gupta Laura & Gregg Heard Ashley & Terry Tillman PATRONS Elizabeth & Howell Adams Lynda & Richard Courts Lavona Currie Jane & Rusty Gore Tim & Wendy Harben Marius Hechter & Joli Wu Lisa & Tom Hermann AJ Igherighe & Celeste Pendarvis Barbara & Eric Joiner Elizabeth & Chris Morris Kerry & Jason Owen Ezequiel Paz & Maite Miranda-Paz Thays & Juan Carlos Urdaneta Pam Wakefield SUPPORTERS Teri Cloud Paige & Kevin Feagin Stephanie & David Ford Denise & Matthew Halkos Wayne & Missy Holt Sharon & Howard Silvermintz Tanya & Chad Theriot

FUND THE NEED DONORS $25,000+ Chris Michael Carlos $5000+ Susan & Robert Nardelli $2000+ REPAY $1000+ Jan Beaves Lynn Cochran-Schorder & Bill Schroder Lynda & Richard Courts Vanessa & Robin Delmer Nancy Field & Michael Schulder Denise & Matthew Halkos Elvira & Arturo Jacobus Edwina & Wyatt Johnson Christina Kline Mr. & Mrs. Nelson Marchioli Nancy & Stephen Mathews Pam Wakefield $500+ Elizabeth & Howell Adams III Marc Castillo Paige & Kevin Feagin Jane & Rusty Gore Lee Hannah & Lynn Rae Ezequiel Paz & Maite Miranda-Paz Kelly L. Rodts Pam & Paul Whitacre $100+ Anonymous Kevin Flower Rueh Ford Pedro Gamino & Abi Tan-Gamino Tim & Wendy Harben Kathryn & Patrick Gaul Steven Libman & Carol Killworth Doug & Ginger (Brill) Pisik Kelly Rodts Roman Rykine Caroline & Jeffrey Tucker Amy & Everett Ward

J O I N AT L A N TA BA L L E T F O R A N U N F O R G E T TA B L E E V E N I N G O F G L A M O U R A S W E C E L E B R AT E OU R N EW P RODU C T ION .

T H E C A R L O S FA M I LY I N H O N O R O F THALIA N. CARLOS PRESENTS

Opening Night Gala S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 8 T H E F O X T H E AT R E THIS ELEGANT EVENING INCLUDES Creative cocktail reception and pre-performance Gala dinner.

Premium seating for the opening night performance of The Nutcracker.

Gala After-Party with late-night bites, libations, and music.

VISIT ATLANTABALLET.COM/NUTCRACKER-GALA

Sponsors

The Sara Giles Moore Foundation

Food for Thought SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

Film/TV epicenter Covington gets a hip pharmacy, Nashville and Savannah imports arrive and another food hall is due to arrive in 2019. story and photos by David Danzig

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City Pharmacy in Covington feels retro-hip and of the moment. The menu includes (above, from top) avocado toast on H&F multigrain toast with avocado, pickled peppers, cucumbers and a soft boiled egg; his month we find epicurean bliss at the pharmacy, watch watermelon salad with a tiny dancers twirl, welcome new flavors and say goodbye blood orange reduction, candied peanuts, mint to longtime favorites. It’s all ... food for thought. granita and feta;and a cheffed-up mac-ncheese.

WELL DONE Go east, young man (or woman) on I-20 to an extraordinary little gem in downtown Covington. There, a Norman Rockwell setting awaits. A scenic 19th-century clocktower overlooks a town square with quaint shops and cafes — including the allnew, buzzworthy City Pharmacy.

T

The space did, indeed, begin as a pharmacy. After a renovation, the décor feels hipster/retro and the cuisine, led by chef Christian Perez (formerly of The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM

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and the Pig and the Pearl), feels of the moment. Chili-rubbed fried chicken, butter-poached scallops and shrimp risotto, Kobe beef burgers and pork porterhouses are a few of Perez’ creations, all sophisticated, top-quality fare. With Covington (about 35 miles southeast of Atlanta) now a certified movie/TV hotbed, both the city and City Pharmacy seem ready for their close-up …

Hattie B's takes over the old Phillips 66 station on Moreland Avenue in Little Five Points. The chicken (tenders, wings sandwiches) comes in six spice levels.

The spiciest opening of late is Nashville darling Hattie B’s.

After teasing us for a few years, the Nashville Hot Chicken phenom is burning up Little Five Points (in the former 1950s-era Phillips 66 gas station on Moreland Avenue). Order one of six spice levels, starting with “Southern style” (no heat) and culminating with “Shut the Cluck Up,” which turns the birds crimson and renders them lip-burningly hot. Get your fix as a chicken sandwich, chicken tenders or wings. The sides are standard Southern barbecue: crinkly fries, collard greens, pimento mac-and-cheese and a wickedly good banana pudding or peach cobbler for dessert …

After much anticipation, Tiny Lou’s has opened in the reimagined Hotel Clermont on Ponce de Leon Avenue. It’s named for the 1950s dancer who once grooved in the hotel’s Gypsy Room and, as legend has it, refused to dance for Adolf Hitler. Follow a pink neon sign down a staircase to the FrenchAmerican brasserie decorated midcentury modern with French accents.

The menu follows traditional brasserie guidelines with steak tartare, escargot, steak-frites, trout almondine and a doublestacked burger with gruyere and a house bacon jam. After dinner, ride the elevator to the sixth-story rooftop bar crowned

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by the original Hotel Clermont tower, a 10,000-plus pound, neon-draped, 65-foot steel obelisk, and enjoy the westward view of Ponce City Market and the sunset …

From Savannah comes Zunzi’s, a next-level South Africaninspired sandwich shop that made a “34 Meals Worth Actually Traveling For” list on the Buzzfeed website. The West Midtown (Howell Mill Road) takeout-and-catering spot does have sitdown seating. Its sandwiches come on classic French baguette and are stuffed with white meat chicken, salmon, boerewors (a South African smoked sausage), curry chicken salad and more, then smothered with one of Zunzi’s proprietary savory dressings.

Don’t forget to finish with a bag of Byrd’s Famous Cookies, little powdered-sugar grenades of flavor.

SIMMERING The Collective, a 20,000-sq.-ft. space opening in Midtown in 2019 as part of the Coda at Tech Square development, will further sate Atlanta’s appetite for food halls. Developers project 10 concepts, beginning with chef Hector Santiago’s El burro Pollo Burrito Kitchen, Poke Burri (sushi burritos, sushi doughnuts, sushi corndogs, poke bowls) and Wildleaf (fast-casual salads, grain bowls, soups, smoothies) ...

Olivea Restaurant Group (of the Italian market/wine bar Bellina Alimentari in Ponce City Market) plans to debut two eateries in spring 2019, both inspired by Israeli food. You’ll find Aziza, a refined, sit-down experience, at Westside White Provisions.

Rina a casual option, will become part of the Ford Factory Lofts near the Atlanta BeltLine in the Old Fourth Ward ...

Follow the pink neon sign to Tiny Lou's in the reimagined Hotel Clermont on Ponce de Leon Avenue. The brasserie-style menu includes steak-frites.

Another Nashville import is on the way. Slim and Husky’s Pizza beeria is seeking a permit for a ground-up restaurant on Metropolitan Parkway. The brand is known for specialty pizzas and local craft beer; the name comes from the owners’ physiques.

ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM

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Zunzi's, a fresh South African-inspired sandwich shop, has arrived from Savannah. It comes with takeout, catering and sit-down options and the Conquistador (pictured) with chicken, romaine lettuce, tomato, sauce and dressing.

TOAST Hand in Hand in Virginia-Highland has been pulling pints of British beer for 18 years, but no more. Financial issues, slow traffic and escalating intown real estate prices shut the taps in mid-July. Hand in Hand joins Rose and Crown (Powers Ferry Road), Fox & Hounds (Buckhead) and Prince of Wales (Piedmont Avenue in Midtown), all thriving British pubs once upon a time, in ale heaven ...

After nearly 10 years, late-night ramen legend Miso Izakaya has served its last loving spoonful. The Edgewood Avenue spot fell victim to rising lease costs and a tsunami of competition from Krog Street and Ponce City markets.

The fortune of Buford Highway’s legendary Chef Liu is an unfortunate one: You’re out of business. Hot Melody Chinese replaces Chef Liu in Doraville. The restaurant was famous for its soup dumplings and noodles but was stung recently by health-code issues. :: Food for Thought, Encore Atlanta’s bimonthly dining column, keeps you up to date on openings, closings and what chefs are up to in one of three categories — well done (reasons for praise), simmering (what’s in the works) and toast (what’s closed, etc.). Email kathy@encoreatlanta.com.

I-32 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM

FRANKIE VALLI AND THE FOUR SEASONS | 8 p.m. Sept. 29

FIVE DECADES OF FOUR SEASONS A 65-year-long music career really is something to sing about.

Just ask Francesco Stephen Castelluccio (known to fans worldwide as Frankie Valli).

The New Jersey kid’s career dates to 1953, but he really came to fame in 1962 as lead singer of the Four Seasons.

When the band’s first single, “Sherry,” shot to No. 1 on the charts, it became clear that Valli’s impressive falsetto and the band’s R&B-tinged doo-wop pop sound resonated with audiences.

More hits and gold records followed — “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” “Rag Doll.”

This stream of radio-ready tunes made the Four Seasons one of only two U.S. bands (along with the Beach Boys) with major chart success before, during and after the Beatles and the British Invasion.

The singing didn’t end even when the ’60s’ did. The Four Seasons charted in 1975 with “December 1963 (Oh What a Night”), and Valli scored two No. 1 hits with “My Eyes Adored You” (1974) and “Grease” (1978). The Four Seasons joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999.

Everything old and gold became new again in 2006, when the jukebox musical Jersey Boys, based on the life, times and songs of the Four Seasons, premiered on Broadway. It became a hit, earning four Tony awards including best musical and later became a movie.

As this Cobb Energy Centre date shows, Valli continues to perform well into the 21st century and the Seasons remain one of the best-selling groups of all time, with worldwide sales of 100 million records.

ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 23

DANNY GOKEY: HOPE ENCOUNTER TOUR | 7 p.m. Oct. 5

THE TRIUMPH OF HOPE Danny Gokey’s story is a dramatic one.

The ex-truck driver and church music director from Milwaukee lost his wife in 2008.

Four weeks after her death, he auditioned for Season 8 of “American Idol," making it to Hollywood, becoming an audience favorite and finishing third in the reality-show competition.

Gokey released his debut album, the country-flavored My Best Days in 2010, and then began doing contemporary Christian

music, a genre he found a more comfortable fit for his message.

His second album, Hope in Front of Me (2014), debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Albums chart and produced three hit singles.

Christmas Is Here came in 2015, followed in 2016 by La Esperanza Frente a Mi (a Spanish-language version of Hope in Front of Me).

In 2017, Gokey’s released Rise, his

24 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM

fifth studio album. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Albums chart and went on to earn a Grammy Award for best contemporary Christian music album.

“It’s been a dream of mine since ‘American Idol’ to headline my own major tour,” says Gokey.

He's joined here by Grammy nominee Tauren Wells (frontman for the Christian pop-rock band Royal Tailor) and 18-year-old Nashville singer/songwriter Riley Clemmons.

So, despite personal tragedy, the 38-year-old Gokey has had a couple of big dreams come true in his life.

And, in addition to “American Idol” and headlining this tour, Gokey has a goal. He wants the Hope Encounter tour to encourage and spread positive energy.

“My purpose is that people walk away entertained, inspired, empowered,” he says, “and that hope invades every area of their lives.”

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RICKEY SMILEY: COMEDY EXPLOSION | 8 p.m. Oct. 6

KEEPING IT CLEAN Comedian. TV host. Actor. Syndicated radio personality. Father of six.

Entertainer Rickey Smiley returns to Cobb Energy Centre almost a year to the date he last visited. He’s known for delivering clean laughs to millions on nearly 60 radio stations, from his home base at Atlanta’s WHTA-FM (Hot 107.9) to places like Baltimore, Chicago, St. Louis and Flint, Mich.

The drive-time “Rickey Smiley Morning Show” (6-10 a.m. daily) features news, information, interviews, the latest in hip-hop, and — perhaps most famously — the host’s patented prank phone calls.

The 50-year-old is known for his downhome Southern humor, using insight instead of vulgarity to get laughs onstage, onscreen and on-the-air. His audiences know such original characters as Mrs. Bernice Jenkins, Lil’ Darrl, Joe Willie and Beauford.

To moviegoers, Smiley is probably known best for All About the Benjamins and Friday After Next, both with Ice Cube and Mike Epps and both from 2002.

He’s recorded eight best-selling CDs, including the popular Rickey Smiley: Prank Calls 6. On television, he’s hosted BET’s “Open Casket Sharp” and “ComicView,” and appeared on “Showtime at the Apollo,” “Uptown Comedy Club,” HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam” and “Snaps.”

Smiley is a featured columnist on the nationally syndicated Fox show “Dish Nation” and, in 2015, began appearing on “Rickey Smiley for Real,” an unscripted reality-TV series that shows how he balances his career, personal life and parenthood.

His book, Stand by Your Truth: And Then Run for Your Life! (Gallery Books, $25.99), was published in October 2017. It’s part memoir, part testimonial and part life guide.

“I’m very passionate about everything that I do and I don’t play any games,” Smiley says.

“I just keep it honest. I don’t put on airs.

That’s the only way you can be. If you tell one lie, you’ve got to tell another lie. I’m cool with who I am. What you see is what you get.”

26 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM

ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 27

ALICE COOPER | 8 p.m. Oct. 10

SHOCK ROCK IN THE HOUSE

28 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM

ROB FENN

S

panish surrealist Salvador Dali once said that shock rocker Alice Cooper was “the best exponent of total confusion I know.” In Dali’s world, it was a high compliment for a fellow artist, one known for menacingly witty shows that feature Cyclops, guillotines, boa constrictors and an electric chair. Dali proclaimed himself — and Cooper — the “greatest living artists.”

Dali died in 1989. Cooper, 70, carries on with his brand of song and stage mayhem that began in 1969 and has continued for almost 50 years.

Born in Detroit as Vincent Damon Furnier, the raspy-voiced singer and harmonica player became a pioneer of grand rock ’n’ roll theatrics when his band exploded on the international scene in 1971 with the growling, teenage-angst anthem “I’m Eighteen.” In 1972, “School’s Out,” another yell to disaffected youth (banned on some radio stations for promoting rebelliousness) reached the Top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart. In 2004, the song ranked No. 319 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The original Alice Cooper band joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

Cooper’s heavy-metal sound (with pre-grunge and post-psychedelic elements) and vaudeville-meets-Saturday-night-horror-flick concerts earned him the title of “The Godfather of Shock Rock.” This Paranormal Evening With Alice Cooper event promises more shock-and-awe theatrics and shout-along hits, along with tunes from his 2017 album, Paranormal.

Once the heavy black eye makeup comes off and the straitjacket stage wear is folded away, Furnier is known in everyday life as a genial golf fanatic, born-again Christian and allaround good guy. The Rolling Stone Album Guide named him the world’s “most beloved heavy-metal entertainer.”

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What are you waiting for?

HELP SOMEONE YOU KNOW.

CCFA.ORG/GA ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 29

DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM | 8 p.m. Oct. 13; 3 p.m. Oct. 14

D

ancer/choreographer Arthur Mitchell was on his way to the airport in April 1968 but never made it. The U.S. government had asked him to help establish the National Ballet of Brazil. The day he was to depart, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis.

King’s death and the burgeoning civil rights movement prompted Mitchell, the first African-American principal dancer in a major ballet company (New York City Ballet), to co-found Dance Theatre of

Harlem. He did so for the poor, mostly black neighborhood in which was raised. He was joined by colleague/mentor Karel Shook.

Shook (1920-1985), a former ballet master at Dutch National Ballet and a white man, was the only teacher of European descent willing to train black dancers in the classical technique.

Dance Theatre of Harlem, now in its 50th year, is a significant presence in the world of dance. Its 16 multi-ethnic dancers perform a repertoire of classics, neoclassical

30 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM

RACHEL NEVILLE

STILL DANCING AFTER 50 YEARS

works by resident choreographer Robert Garland and the great George Balanchine, and contemporary works that use ballet to celebrate African-American culture.

The dancers come from California, Colorado, Maryland, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Brazil, Puerto Rico, East Harlem and New York City.

The company hit a rough patch in 2004 when a debt of $2.3 million forced a nineyear hiatus. Artistic director Virginia Johnson — the company’s star ballerina for 28 years

— has brought back a nimble, if much smaller, DTH. You may have seen her perform in A Streetcar Named Desire (for PBS’ “Dance in America”), Creole Giselle (the first full-length ballet broadcast on NBC) and Fall River Legend (winner of a cable ACE award).

Today, in addition to touring nationally, DTH includes a training school for ballet and allied arts, and Dancing Through Barriers, a program for arts education and community outreach.

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#IMOMSOHARD | 8 p.m. Oct. 18

MOM’S NIGHT OUT: ROUND 2

M

oms and best friends Kristin Hensley and Jen Smedley are the creators of the viral web series #IMOMSOHARD, where they discuss the good, the bad and the funny of motherhood, all with the help of a little red wine.

Both have two small children, a regularsize husband and, between them, three dogs. Everyone is fair game.

The Los Angeles-based duo played Cobb Energy Centre in July 2017. This visit, the kids and the moms are older, but the funny business is brand-new.

The duo’s live performances reflect casual conversations that touch on such topics as sick kids, Spanx, baby sitters, working out, girl crushes, bedtime stories and being married, among other issues.

Kristin and Jen have been performing, teaching and writing comedy for a combined 40-plus years. #IMOMSOHARD has more than 1.5 million followers across all

platforms and more than 120 million video views.

One of their most-shared episodes, titled “I Swimsuit Season Hard,” had them trying on summer swimwear from the hottest to most ridiculous. It picked up more than 20 million views and earned a fair amount of press coverage.

The twosome has appeared on NBC’s “Today” show and the TV talk show “The Doctors,” among others. They were listed among People magazine’s best of 2017.

Their plan for complete world “momination” includes a half-hour comedy that’s in development with CBS. An evening with Kristin and Jen is pretty much like an evening with two old besties, except you have to wear shoes. It’s also funnier, a little edgier and probably comes with more wine. Cheers!

Please note: This show is for mature audiences. Only age 18 and up will be admitted.

32 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM

INCOGNITO FEATURING MAYSA | 7:30 p.m. Oct. 20

C

ALL THAT ACID JAZZ

ombine elements of jazz and soul, toss in some disco and funk and serve it hot. That’s what Incognito does as a purveyor of acid (or club) jazz, a fusion groove genre germinated in the London club scene in the 1980s. Incognito was founded by Paul “Tubbs” Williams and Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick as an offshoot of late 1970s disco funk outfit, Light of the World. The group’s debut, Jazz Funk (1981), was the first of 16 albums. The most recent, In Search of Better Days, came out in 2016.

Incognito made a few appearances on the U.K. Singles Chart, first breaking into the Top 10 in 1991 with a cover version of the Ronnie Laws song “Always There,” featuring American R&B singer Jocelyn Brown. It peaked at No. 6.

The next year smooth jazz vocalist Maysa Leak joined the band and a remake/ mix of Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” hit No. 19 in the U.K. and climbed the contemporary jazz charts in America.

In 1994, the group — known for its remixes — appeared on the socially significant Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool album released by the Red Hot Organization, an international nonprofit dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.

The record, designed to raise funds to support AIDS relief in the African-American community, was named Album of the Year

by Time magazine.

In 1996 the band contributed the song “Water to Drink” to another AIDS-benefit album, Red Hot + Rio. As pioneers in the acid jazz movement, Incognito has been getting fans out of their seats to dance and sway for decades.

Appearing here with the band is Atlanta-based soul singer/songwriter Khari Cabral Simmons; Brenda Nicole Moorer (named by hyper-local news/arts outlet Creative Loafing as the Best Soul and Jazz Vocalist of 2017); and Masters of Groove jazz guitarist Grant Green Jr.

ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 33

COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM VENUE STAFF

COBB-MARIETTA COLISEUM & EXHIBIT HALL AUTHORITY

MANAGING DIRECTOR Sandie Aaron

HOUSEKEEPING MANAGER Jeri Wallis

CHAIRMAN Jerry Nix | Post 6

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Barbara Kiss

HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST Lorena Dominguez

VICE-CHAIR A. Max Bacon | Post 2

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & SPONSORSHIPS Tom Rowland

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Ben Tilley

RECEPTIONIST Beryl Bernier

PRODUCTION MANAGER Jon Summers

BOX OFFICE MANAGER Richard Scholla

HEAD AUDIO ENGINEER David Young

ASSISTANT BOX OFFICE MANAGER Russel Kennedy

HEAD ELECTRICIAN Julia Jordan

BOX OFFICE SUPERVISOR Dianna Cassin-Khoury HOUSE MANAGER Richard Stevens DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Jessica Coale DIRECTOR OF SAFETY & SECURITY Larry Green

HEAD CARPENTER/RIGGER Mark Newman

SECRETARY Johnny Gresham | Post 4 Mike Boyce | Post 5 Earl Smith | Post 7 Steve “Thunder” Tumlin | Post 1 Robert P. Voyles | Post 3 GENERAL MANAGER & CEO Michele L. Swann

DIRECTOR OF FACILITY SERVICES Arthur McDowell DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING Joe Green

ARTSBRIDGE FOUNDATION

CHIEF ENGINEER Marty Taylor

PRESIDENT Clare Richardson

DIRECTOR Sam Olens

VICE PRESIDENT Joanne Truffelman

DIRECTOR Kessel D. Stelling

PUBLIC SAFETY MANAGER Jamie Wheeler PUBLIC SAFETY SUPERVISOR Carlyle Roberts

ARTSBRIDGE FOUNDATION STAFF

SECRETARY/TREASURER Larry M. Dingle

DIRECTOR Percy Vaughn

CULINARY DIRECTOR/ EXECUTIVE CHEF Nicholas Walker

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer D. Dobbs

DIRECTOR Helen S. Carlos

DIRECTOR Jack Ward

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & COMMUNITY OUTREACH Sarah Clay Lindvall

DIRECTOR Shan Cooper

DIRECTOR OF FOOD & BEVERAGE Susan Burchell FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER Ramin Djaved BANQUET MANAGER Abol Ghoreishi

DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Lizzy Morin PROGRAM COORDINATOR Audine Crosse

DIRECTOR Barbarella Diaz

DIRECTOR EMERITUS Barbara E. Williams

DIRECTOR Fran Friedrich DIRECTOR Jerry Nix

BEVERAGE & CONCESSION MANAGER Fernando Quintero

34 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM

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*While it is Movement Mortgage’s goal to provide underwriting results within six hours of receiving an application, process loans in seven days, and close in one day, extenuating circumstances may cause delays outside of this window. Mozelle Brick, Loan Officer NMLS ID# 18796. 1425 Ellsworth Industrial Dr, Ste 38, Atlanta, GA 30318 | GA-58817 | Movement Mortgage, LLC supports Equal Housing Opportunity. NMLS ID# 39179 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) | 877-314-1499. Movement Mortgage, LLC is licensed by GA # 23002. Interest rates and products are subject to change without notice and may or may not be available at the time of loan commitment or lock-in. Borrowers must qualify at closing for all benefits. “Movement Mortgage” is a registered trademark of the Movement Mortgage, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. 8024 Calvin Hall Rd, Indian Land, SC 29707.

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ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 35

UPCOMING EVENTS at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre For the most up-to-date list of performances, please visit:

cobbenergycentre.com

Tickets sold at the Synovus Box Office at Cobb Energy Centre, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800.745.3000.

Lewis Black

Ina Garten

The Sound of Music

Nov. 2

Nov. 13

Nov. 23-24

The Atlanta Opera: West Side Story Nov. 3-11

Sesame Street Live

Il Divo

Will Downing

Annie Leibovitz

Nov. 16-18

Nov. 21

Nov. 25

Nov. 29

Dave Koz Christmas 2018

The Piano Guys

Alliance Theatre: A Christmas Carol

Jeff Foxworthy

Nov. 30

Dec. 1

Dec. 12-24

VENUE SPONSORS

36 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM

March 16

creating the future through arts education

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS! Listing reflects gifts made between October 1, 2016 and August 6, 2018

Producer $25000+ Jimmy & Helen S. Carlos Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority Genuine Parts Company Georgia Lottery Lettie Pate Evans Foundation The Molly Blank Fund (Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation) Walton Communities The Zeist Foundation Director $10000 - 24999 Audrey B. Morgan, The Morgan Family Fund Cobb Community Foundation Lynn Cochran-Schroder Delta Community Credit Union Ed Voyles Automotive Group Emerson Climate Technologies Georgia Council for the Arts John & Mary Franklin Foundation Livingston Foundation Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company National Endowment for the Arts Jer & Cheryl Nix Jerry Regions Bank Sartain Lanier Family Foundation Scicom Infrastructure Services Jack & Jean Ward Wells Fargo Foundation Designer $5000 - 9999 Abney Family Foundaion Atlanta Braves Foundation Bennett Thrasher Foundation Bobbie Bailey Foundation Bruce & Sylvia Dick Georgia Power Company KIA Motors of America The Martha & Wilton Looney Foundation, Inc. William A. Parker, Jr. Six Flags Over Georgia David & Michele Swann Synovus Foundation Tull Charitable Foundation

Playwright $2500 - 4999 René & Barbarella Diaz Larry Dingle Nigel & Clare Richardson Smiley for Kylie Foundation Ticketmaster Joanne Truffelman Publix Super Markets Charities The Vinings Rotary Club Presenter $1000 - 2499 Mike Boyce Bill Brantley BrandBank Terry Chandler Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Cobb County School District Fidelity Bank Richard Horder Peter & Ronnie Kessenich, Sr. McKenney’s, Inc. Sam & Lisa Olens Pope and Land Enterprises Jim Rhoden, Jr. Kathleen E. Rios Laura Schilling Bennie Shaw Earl Smith John & Karen Spiegel Terri Theisen Bob & Belle Voyles Lead Actor $500 - 999 Judith M. Alembik Julian Bene C obb Travel & Tourism Cumberland Mall Randy Donaldson John & Carole Harrison Gene & Patricia Henssler Shelly Kleppsattel Christine Nix Ro Robert Parris Alex Paulson Benjamin & Christine Phelps Emma Pollard Holly B. Quinlan Cynthia Widner Wall

Ensemble $250 - 499 Robert & Susan Arko Atlanta Jewish Film Society, Inc. Charlie & Yetty Arp Thomas Casey Mike Cronin Jack & Shirley Demarest Chris Galla Johny Gresham Pam Hubby Margaret Kleiman Don & Patsy Mabry Gas South Walter W. McBride Sid Roy Sara Stephens Gordon Via Denice M. Wetzel Audience $1 - 249 Suzanne Alea Anonymous Julie Arnold Carole Brooks Anne Camery Cantigny Research Foundation, Inc. Ushe Ushers at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Michael Cooper Cynthia Crain Lee Winn Crump Sondra Dillon Dwight Dyer Nancy Gault Katherine Hansil Shea Jones Fred & Judih Keith Sherry Kendrick Mike Knowles Susan M. Levy Deborah Lundquist Alan Martin Leslie McLeod Kyle Moon David & Barbara Nadler Kinsey OLee Richard Parker Brenda Rhodes Elizabeth H. Roper Janice Scott Linda Smith Naomi Smith Leslie Stone Tama Tanowitz Jam James Tyson Jim & Joanne Van Duys Juliana Vincenzino The Westminister Schools George & Jan Yano

37 ENCORE ATLANTA | IfATLANTA’S ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE you do not see PERFORMING your name or are listed incorrectly, we apologize. Please contact usATLANTA.COM at 770.916.2817 to correct.

creating the future through arts education

Over 350,000 Georgia students and educators served since 2007!

ArtsBridge Foundation, the non-proďŹ t arm of the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, provides quality arts education and community engagement programming designed to inspire creativity and foster the next generation of artists and arts supporters.

2018-19 SEASON FIELD TRIPS

High-quality, educational performances that connect to Georgia Standards of Excellence and Common Core

Thursday, October 4, 2018 10:15 AM & Noon Grades K - 12 | $10 per ticket

ARTRAGEOUS

THE PHANTOM

TOLLBOOTH

Friday, October 12, 2018 11:00 AM Grades 3 - 12 | $10 per ticket

DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM

WEST SIDE STORY Presented by The Atlanta Opera

Wednesday, October 17, 2018 10:15 AM & Noon Grades K- 6 | $10 per ticket

ArtsBridgeGA.org

Friday, November 2, 2018 10:30 AM - 1:00 PM Grades 9 - 12 | FREE Admission

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Skill development for both students and educators in the performing arts

September 22, 2018 Musical Theatre Dance Class in the style of Aladdin

This class presented in partnership with Broadway Connection

October 29, 2018 FREE Admission with Registration

FAMILY PROGRAMMING All new interactive show that unfolds on one of the world’s most famous streets at the funniest, furriest party in the neighborhood!

Friday, November 16, 2018 10:30 AM & 6:00 PM Saturday, November 17, 2018 10:00 AM & 2:00 PM Sunday, November 18, 2018 2:00 PM

DONATE TODAY! Visit ArtsBridgeGA.org to learn how you can help keep ticket prices low and the buses rolling!

THE ENCORE ATLANTA

DINING GUIDE

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A GREAT NIGHT OUT? AMERICAN PACES & VINE — Located in The Vinings Jubilee featuring eclectic American comfort food along with lighter fare. Menu highlights include the lobster Cobb salad, Guinnessbraised beef brisket, Charred Salmon, and crispy pork shank. P&V is also a wine-lover’s haven with an extensive, carefully-curated wine list, Wednesday Wine Tastings and Half-Off Wine Bottle Sundays. Lunch, Dinner, Saturday and Sunday Brunch.

Vinings Jubilee, 4300 Paces Ferry Road, 404.205.8255, pacesandvine.com

The truffle mac-and-cheese at Paces & Vine is a don’t-miss kinda dish. Seriously.

PACES & VINE

Try one of these great Cobb County restaurants before or after the show.

For dinner-and-show packages, please visit encoreatlanta.com/offers.

A

COMFORT AND

DELIGHT 4300 PACES FERRY ROAD S.E .

30339 - VININGS

(404)205-8255

ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 41

THE ENCORE ATLANTA [COBB COUNTY] DINING GUIDE dinner (both have gluten-free options) plus their All-American Sunday dinner: a lobster boil. Order ahead to ensure availability, Vinings Jubilee, 4300 Paces Ferry Road, 770.801.0069, sohoatlanta.com.

SAGE WOODFIRE TAVERN is best known for their hickory and oak wood fire grill preparations of an assortment of marketfresh seafood, hand-cut steaks, chops, and chicken. Sage also features a wide variety of gourmet salads and unique pastas. The quality and innovation of their dishes, as well as the relaxing ambiance and uplifting nightly entertainment are what guests have come to expect when dining at Sage.

3050 Windy Hill Rd. SE, at the busy intersection of Powers Ferry and Windy Hill, 770-955-0940, sagewoodfiretavern.com/ windy-hill SOHO — American-style bistro offers fish and seafood, beef, game and poultry, with gluten-free lunch and dinner options, plus their specially-priced Cobb Energy Centre theater menu will get you in and out with plenty of time to make the performance; just show your tickets to your server.

Different weekly “wine and tapas” flights debut each Wednesday night. Lunch,

ITALIAN CRISPINA — Neapolitan style ristorante and pizzeria in Vinings. Pizza dough is naturally leavened, never frozen, and pastas are made freshly daily. 3300 Cobb Parkway SE, Unit 208, 678-426-7149, crispinaatlanta.com.

MEXICAN CINCO – Authentic, Latin-infused Mexican cuisine served in a setting that is designed to put a contemporary twist on Mexico’s culture. Unique menu offers an upscale variety of items that are carefully prepared from scratch, using only the finest ingredients. Fire-roasted salsa is made fresh several times a day and their signature guacamole is always made to order. Wide selection of tequilas from moderately priced to, well — check out their $100 margarita, “perfect for any occasion,” they say. 2851 Akers Mill Rd SE, 770-952-5550, cincorestaurants.com

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SOHO’s Painted Hills short rib tacos, black pepper mustard, caramelized onions, cilantro sauce in potato shell.

CREOLE/CAJUN COPELAND’S OF NEW ORLEANS — Bayou fare, plus steak, chicken, pasta and sandwiches. Fresh desserts and pastries from the Cheesecake Bakery. Live Jazz Sunday brunch buffet. A favorite gathering spot for Saints fans. Libations include the “Pontchartrain Beach” martini. Lunch, brunch, dinner. Takeout available.

3101 Cobb Parkway, 770.612.3311, copelandsatlanta.com.

FRESH, SEASONAL FOOD IN VININGS VILLAGE Join us before or after the show! Theater menu available.

4300 Paces Ferry Road • 770.801.0089 • www.SOHOatlanta.com

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Falany Performing Arts Center

Reinhardt.edu/fpac | 770-720-9167

11/3/15 10:42 PM

Ted Vigil’s John Denver Musical Tribute (second show added) Thurs., Nov. 8, 2018 3 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

READ ENCORE ATLANTA ONLINE Find out what you need to know before the show.

Read the current and past Encore Atlanta programs for the Fox Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Alliance Theatre, The Atlanta Opera, Rialto Center for the Arts and Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre online at issuu.com/encoreatlanta.

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JOIN US BEFORE OR AFTER THE SHOW

ATLANTA

2851 Akers Mill Rd. Atlanta, GA 30339 770-952-5550 cincorestaurants.com

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Crispina Ristorante & Pizzeria Neapolitan Style Italian LOCALLY OWNED X GLOBALLY INSPIRED HOURS M-F 11:30a-2:30 M-Th 4:30p-10p F-Sa 4p-11p Su 4p-10p

LOCATION 3300 COBB PARKWAY SE UNIT 208 ATLANTA, GA 30339 (678) 426-7149

CrispinaAtlanta.com 44 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ITALIAN RESTAURANT ANTIPASTI • ZUPPA E INSALATA • PRIMI PIATTO • VITELLO E CARNI • POLLO • PESCE • DOLCE

DINNER + LIVE ENTERTAINMENT SEVEN NIGHTS A WEEK OPEN FOR LUNCH TUESDAY - FRIDAY

3000 Old Alabama Road • Johns Creek, Ga. 30022 • (770) 664-8055 altobeli_s@hotmail.com • altobelis.com

WELLSTAR & MAYO CLINIC

WORKING TOGETHER. WORKING FOR YOU. At WellStar Health System, we want every patient to receive the care they need right here in Georgia. As a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, our doctors have special access to Mayo Clinic knowledge, expertise and resources. And you get the peace of mind that comes with knowing we’re here for you.

ASK YOUR WELLSTAR PHYSICIAN ABOUT THE MAYO CLINIC CARE NETWORK. WellStar is the first health system in Georgia to become a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

wellstar.org/mayo 770-956-STAR (7827)