MARQUEE COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
MARCH/APRIL 2018
MAKS, VAL & PETA
©JERRY METELLUS
MARCH 25
COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
Tu Tu & More Supported by
April 13–15, 2018 Featuring Tu Tu by Stanton Welch, Minus 16 by Ohad Naharin & a world premiere by Tara Lee. Witness three show-stopping works that might even have you dancing center stage!
Bach to Broadway Supported by
May 11–13, 2018 Featuring Who Cares? by George Balanchine, 7 for Eight by Helgi Tomasson & the world premiere of Concerto Armonico by Maxim Petrov.
All performances at
Enjoy the music of Bach and Gershwin performed by Atlanta Ballet Orchestra.
Visit atlantaballet.com or call | 1.800.982.2787 to get your tickets today! Groups of 10 or more, call 404.873.5811 x207.
Jessica He & Jackie Nash. Photos by Charlie McCullers.
MARQUEE MARCH — APRIL 2018
6 Everybody Dance!
By Judith Schonbak
COMING SHOWS 10 An Evening With Audra McDonald:
Songs From the American Musical Theater
March 3 | 8 p.m.
12 Set It Off Live Onstage March 9-11
14 Atlanta Ballet’s Black Swan March 16-18
16 Eddie B.: Teachers Only Comedy Tour March 23 | 8 p.m.
©JERRY METELLUS
FEATURES ENCOREATLANTA.COM AMP SALES PUBLISHER Tom Casey tomcasey@encoreatlanta.com VICE PRESIDENT Ginger Roberts ginger.roberts@encoreatlanta.com DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA Stephanie Smith stephanie.smith@encoreatlanta.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT George Colmant george@americanmediaproducts.com CREATOR OF OPPORTUNITIES Adriean Childree adriean@encoreatlanta.com AMP CREATIVE
17 Atlanta Blues Festival
EDITOR Kathy Janich kathy@encoreatlanta.com
18 Maks, Val & Peta Live on Tour: Confidential
PRODUCTION MANAGER Mark F Baxter mark.baxter@encoreatlanta.com
March 24 | 7 p.m.
March 25 | 7 p.m.
19 Silk 25th Anniversary Tour March 28 | 8 p.m.
20 Festival of Praise Tour 2018
DIGITAL MANAGER Ian Carson ian.carson@encoreatlanta.com
March 30 | 8 p.m.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kathy Janich, Judith Schonbak
22 Darren Knight’s: Southern Momma An ’Em Comedy Tour
ENCORE ATLANTA is published monthly by American Media Products Inc.
March 31 | 8 p.m.
24 Shen Yun Performing Arts April 4-8
26 Atlanta Ballet’s Tu Tu & More April 13-15
27 Georgia High School Musical Theater Awards April 19 | 7 p.m. 28 The Atlanta Opera: Carmen April 28-May 6
DEPARTMENTS 4 Welcome
5 Theater Information 31 ArtsBridge donors 37 Venue Staff | ArtsBridge Foundation Staff Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority Leadership | ArtsBridge Foundation
2 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
PRESIDENT Tom Casey CHAIRPERSON Diane Casey TREASURER Kristi Casey Sanders SECRETARY Evan Casey CONTROLLER Suzzie Gilham
American Media Products Inc. 8920 Eves Road, #769479 Roswell, GA 30076 Phone 678.837.4004 Fax 678.837.4066 Copyright 2018 AMP Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Encore Atlanta is a registered publication of AMP Inc. The publisher shall not be liable for failure to publish an ad, for typographical errors or errors in publication. Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable for publication.
MUST SEE
AT LEAST ONCE in YOUR LIFETIME
“ I’ve reviewed about 4,000 shows. None can compare to what I saw tonight.” —Richard Connema, renowned Broadway critic
“Absolutely the No.1 show in the world. No other company or any style can match this!” —Kenn Wells, former lead dancer of the English National Ballet
“Poetry in motion... Priceless.” —Siegfried & Roy, masters of the Impossible
“There is a massive power in this that can embrace the world. It brings great hope… It is
truly a touch of heaven.”
—Daniel Herman, minister of culture of the Czech Republic
“Absolutely the greatest of the great!
It must be experienced.”
—Christine Walevska, “goddess of the cello”, watched Shen Yun 5 times
“Don’t wait, get your tickets now!” —Lee Meriwether, actress
APR 4-8 | Cobb Energy Centre ShenYun.com/Atlanta
877-ATL-SHOW (285-7469)
WELCOME
TO COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE WE WELCOMED 2018 with a packed schedule of performances in all genres. Now, the momentum continues. We have incredible music for you, beginning with the soaring soprano of the gifted Audra McDonald, the multiaward-winning singer-actor. Then the Festival of Praise shines with inspiration from five top artists in the gospel, Christian, jazz, hip-hop and a cappella fields. We also have theater, the blues, R&B and the spectacle of China’s Shen Yun Performing Arts, plus dance and comedy. Funnyman Eddie B., a former science teacher, tells it like it is in his uncensored Teachers Only tour. Our two resident companies — Atlanta Ballet and The Atlanta Opera — present a total of three shows in March-April (plus the final days of the opera’s Daughter of the Regiment). Read deeper into this program for details on Black Swan and Tu Tu & More (at the ballet) and the opera’s Carmen. For the 10th year, talented high school students , R&Bwalk the red carpet and perform for the always sold-out Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards, aka the Shuler Hensleys. Last year, 75 schools from 57 Georgia counties participated. Our thanks to the many people who make this ArtsBridge program so successful and meaningful. Special thanks to Broadway alum Shuler Hensley for his inspirational dedication. For more, visit artsbridgega.org. The issue’s feature story gives you an insider’s view of Maks, Val & Peta Live on Tour: Confidential. Peta Murgatroyd, in an interview with Marquee, talks about new chapters in the dancers’ lives. This issue also contains details on most March-April shows. For updated schedules, visit our website at cobbenergycentre.com. In late spring, look for our new Signature Series subscriptions. These are available for shows in the 2018/19 fall season and let you choose your favorite seats before tickets go on sale to the public. Follow updates at cobbenergycentre.com. We continue striving to bring you more world-class entertainment. Thank you so much for your ongoing support.
See you at the theater. Sandie Aaron Managing Director
4 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
THEATER INFORMATION ATM: An ATM is located in the Grand Lobby. Concessions: Concession stands are located in the center of the lobbies. Coat check: Coat check is 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: 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: PRE-PAY PARKING AVAILABLE AT COBB ENERGY CENTRE! Cobb Energy Centre is offering pre-paid parking for performances. On each performance page on the Cobb Energy Centre website there is now a button to purchase parking in advance for $12.00. Day-of parking will still be available for $10.00 (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 pre-pay option/$15 valet (cash or credit card). Restrooms: Restrooms are located on house right and house left of all three lobbies. Family restrooms are also located on house right of all three lobbies. Mobilityimpaired 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–first served 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 in order 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.
• 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 theatre has re-opened to allow guests into the auditorium. In addition, touring companies set the policy for allowing those who arrive past curtain time into the theatre. We ask those patrons to wait until the approved time to re-open the theatre doors. Please plan ahead to arrive early and relax before the performance begins. this policy applies to The Atlanta Opera and Atlanta Ballet only.
ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
5
EVERYBODY
DANCE!
‘DWTS’ TRIO KEEPS ITS FANCY FOOTWORK IN THE FAMILY By Judith Schonbak
6 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
©JERRY METELLUS
It was through the Burn the Floor stage company that Peta met Maks. He joined “Dancing With the Stars” in 2006. Peta and Val both joined the hit reality show in 2011.
Three’s company with championship dancers Maks Chmerkovskiy (the one with the beard), younger brother Valentin and Maks’ wife, Peta Murgatroyd. The “Dancing With the Stars” pros are all Mirrorball Trophy winners.
ALL FAMILIES HAVE STORIES TO TELL. Brothers Maksim and Valentin Chmerkovskiy, best known for demonstrating their fleet feet on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars,” told theirs in 2016’s Our Way tour. Like fans across the country, Cobb Energy Centre audiences fell for their charm, talent and dazzling smiles. They’re back now, with a third name on the marquee — that of Peta Murgatroyd, who married Maks on July 8, 2017. Maks, Val & Peta Live on Tour: Confidential continues the family’s story. Millions of viewers watched the Peta-Maks romance unfold throughout several “DWTS” seasons. Since marriage, their story has grown. Son Shai (ShuShu) Chmerkovskiy turned 1 in January. ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
7
He’s on tour with his parents and has a section of the tour bus decked out especially for him. And he’s always with his mother onstage — she wears a silver necklace that bears his name. Maks, Val and Peta have been “DWTS” favorites as well as Mirrorball Trophy winners. Each is a U.S. and world champion ballroom dancer with a long list of awards, although that almost didn’t happen for Murgatroyd. Fate, apparently, has a salsa beat. Dance captivated the New Zealand-born Australian at an early age. She began studying ballet when she was 4. At 10, she joined the Graduate College of Dance, one of the more prestigious ballet schools in Australia. But her pointe-shoe days ended at age 15, with a serious ankle injury. Despite multiple surgeries, ballet was out of the question. She found consolation by taking salsa classes at her local town hall. 8 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
©JERRY METELLUS
The love portions of the “Confidential” tour “don’t require acting,” Peta says. “Maks is the love of my life. There is no acting at all. It is what I truly feel.
“I fell in love with it,” she says. She pursued ballroom dancing and, within three months of her final surgery, won the state championship in Latin American dance. She continued competing, winning awards in national and international competitions in contemporary, ballroom and Latin dance. In 2004, she joined Burn the Floor, a dance show that toured 100 world cities and ultimately played Broadway. It was through the Burn the Floor company that she met Maks. He joined “Dancing With the Stars” in 2006. Peta and Val both joined the hit reality show in 2011. The headlining threesome’s Confidential tour has a company of 12 and picks up where Maks and Val’s Our Way left off. It highlights their journey through dance to Hollywood. “It tells a full theatrical story and gives an intimate look into our lives,” Peta says. Audiences will share in family secrets, hopes, dreams and challenges, with an emphasis on their love of family and the Peta-Maks romance. The “love” portions don’t require acting,” Peta says. “Maks is the love of my life. There is no acting at all. It is what I truly feel.” The show contains a few revelations, she says, which, being confidential, will be revealed only onstage. Maks and Val created and choreographed the show. Peta had input but says, “It’s the boys’ tour, and I am more of a special guest.” Putting the show on its feet meant several weeks of 12-hour days, but that’s what Peta calls fun. “We have an incredible love for our work and for each other. What could be better?” ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
9
AN EVENING WITH AUDRA McDONALD | March 3, 8 p.m.
SONGS FROM THE
AMERICAN MUSICAL THEATER
I
f you’re at all in tune with American musical theater, you’ve no doubt heard of Audra McDonald. Six-time Tony Award winner, the only person to earn medallions in all four acting categories. Juilliard-trained performer equally at ease on Broadway or the concert stage. A familiar face and voice in opera, movies and on television. McDonald, at 47, is too young to be an American treasure, but she is just that. She’s versatile, self-effacing and the owner of a radiant, can-do-anything soprano. The songs in her Cobb Energy Centre concert come from the American musical theater. We can only hope she pulls from her Tony-winning work as Carrie Pipperidge in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel, Sarah in the brilliant Ragtime and Bess in The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, and Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. (Her other Tonys came for dramatic roles, in Master Class and A Raisin in the Sun). McDonald, who’s married to Broadway regular Will Swenson (Hair), has two daughters — Zoe (named for her Master Class co-star Zoe Caldwell) and Sally. She 10 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
was born in Berlin (her father was in the military) and raised in Fresno, Calif. She has a close working relationship with composer Michael John LaChiusa, who has written several works for her, including the Broadway musical Marie Christine (1999). One of her five solo recordings, 1998’s Way Back to Paradise, champions LaChiusa’s work along with that of Jason Robert Brown, Ricky Ian Gordon and Adam Guettel, all next-generation Broadway composers. McDonald has successfully defied — or risen above — racial stereotypes in her stage work. As Carrie in Carousel (1996 revival) and Lizzie Curry in 110 in the Shade (2007 revival), she was the first woman of color to play traditionally Caucasian roles. I refuse to be stereotyped,” she’s said. “If I think I am right for a role, I will go for it in whatever way I can. I refuse to say no to myself. I can’t control what a producer will do or say, but I can at least put myself out there.” The producers, it seems, are paying attention. More: audramcdonald.net
Expansive Full Floor Residence • Construction Commenced
3376 PEACHTREE ROAD N.E.
404.995.7580
MORESIDENCESATLANTA.COM
Sales by Karen Rodriguez | GROUP KORA | Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta (The Residences) are not developed, sponsored, owned, offered or sold by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group or any affiliate thereof (MOHG), and MOHG makes no representation, warranty or guaranty of any kind regarding The Residences. The developers and owners of the Residences use the Mandarin Oriental name and trademarks subject to terms of revocable licenses from MOHG which may expire or be terminated. A member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Equal Housing Opportunity.
SET IT OFF LIVE ONSTAGE | March 9-11
T
THE HEIST IS ON
he action film Set It Off was a 1996 hit for Kimberly Elise, Vivica A. Fox, Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith. Now prolific producer and playwright Je’Caryous Johnson (Married But Single, Two Can Play That Game) brings it to the stage. The Atlanta stop is the first on a multicity tour. Set It Off tells the story of four inner12 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
city women just desperate enough to rob a Los Angeles bank. The stage cast is led by multiplatinum-selling rapper Da Brat (“Funkdafied,” “Ladies’ Night”) as Cleopatra “Cleo” Sims, the role played onscreen by Queen Latifah. Da Brat (born Shawntae Harris) calls Set It Off her favorite movie of all time. She even auditioned for it at the time, but did not get
a role. This time, she headlines. The great Chicago film critic Roger Ebert gave the movie 3.5 out of four stars when reviewing it, focusing on the story and calling it much more than a thriller about four women who rob banks. “It creates a portrait of the lives of these women that’s so observant and informed,” he wrote. “It’s like Waiting to Exhale with a strong jolt of reality.” Johnson, a Houston-based entrepreneur,
wrote, directs and produces Set It Off onstage, making it one of more than 20 shows he has helmed. He promises action and passion that will rival the feature film. He has even bigger plans, too. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle he said, “I’m going to create a movement so great that it can shift the consciousness of a people.” More: jecaryous.com
ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 13
ATLANTA BALLET: BLACK SWAN | March 16-18
A
tlanta Ballet stages two works that look at both the legacy and the future of classical dance: a Swan Lake choreographed by the legendary Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, and Remembrance/Hereafter, a world premiere from emerging Australian choreographer Craig Davidson. French-born Petipa (1818-1910) danced in France and Russia, and is known as the father of classical ballet. His Swan Lake is one of the most celebrated versions in existence. Atlanta Ballet performs the all-important Act 3, when Prince Siegfried mistakes Odile, an evil sorcerer’s daughter, for his true love, Odette. This Swan Lake dates to 1895 and is one of many works by other choreographers that Petipa revived, often creating the definitive versions. The dual role of Odette/Odile remains an ultimate test for classical ballerinas as well as the corps de ballet. 14 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
Atlanta Ballet Artistic Director Gennadi Nedvigin stages Act 3 to Tchaikovsky’s famous score. Davidson’s Remembrance/Hereafter is danced to the music of a live string quartet performing Franz Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden.” It invites each of us to celebrate the memories of those who have passed, those we may soon leave behind and the anticipation of our ultimate reunion. Davidson, 35, trained at Dance World Melbourne and the New Zealand School of Dance. He began choreographing in 2006 and now leads the artists’ collective Creative Arts Davidson, which focuses on work that enriches the lives of both audiences and artists. His work is known internationally for its impassioned, sinuous moments. More: atlantaballet.com
JESSICA ASSEF. PHOTO BY CHARLIE MCCULLERS.
SWAN SONG, WORLD PREMIERE
Supported by April 13-15, 2018 Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Gennadi Nedvigin
Tu Tu
Music by Maurice Ravel, Piano Concerto in G Major Choreography by Stanton Welch Staging by Louise Lester Costume Design by Holly Hynes Lighting Design by Lisa Pinkham Costumes courtesy of San Francisco Ballet
blink
Music by Johannes Brahms, Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 35. Choreography by Tara Lee Costume Design by Tamara Cobus Lighting Design by Joseph R. Walls Pianist, Di Wu This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Minus 16
Music by Various Artists Choreography by Ohad Naharin Staging by Danielle Agami & Shamel Pitts Lighting Design by Avi Yona Beuno (Bambi)
ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
I-1
ARTISTIC STAFF Sarah Hillmer, Roman Rykine, Dale Shields
THE COMPANY Zachary Alden‡, Erica Alvarado, Jessica Assef, Alexandre Barros, Jacob Bush, Stéphano Candreva, Emily Carrico, Dylan Clinard, Taylor Fikes‡, Nikolas Gaifullin, Monika Haczkiewicz, Sujin Han, Jessica He, Airi Igarashi, Saho Kumagai, Jordan Leeper, Keaton Leier, Francesca Loi, Nadia Mara, Moisés Martín, Sergio Masero-Olarte, Juliana Missano‡, Miguel Angel Montoya, Jackie Nash, Keith Reeves‡, Boris Richir, Erin Robinson‡, Mikaela Santos‡, Anderson Souza, Jared Tan, Ashley Wegmann, Olivia Yoch ‡ Denotes Atlanta Ballet apprentice
Dean of the Centre for Dance Education Sharon Story
ATLANTA BALLET 2 Beñat Andueza Molina, Sophie Basarrate, Taylor Ciampi, Bret Coppa, Matisse D’Aloisio, Brooke Gilliam, Charlotte Hermann, Mikayla Hutton, Lucas Labrador, Dominiq Luckie, Rie Matsuura, Lenin Valladares Atlanta Ballet 2 is supported in part by
Dorothy Moses Alexandre, Atlanta Ballet Founder, 1929-1960 Robert Barnett, Artistic Director Emeritus, 1961-1994 John McFall, Artistic Director, 1994-2016
I-2
COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
PROGRAM NOTES Notes contributed by Nathan Hites, Atlanta Ballet Dance Researcher/Historian Tu Tu & More is a high-energy, mixed-repertory program of unleashed technique and physical exploration that displays the range of human experience from three strikingly different points of view. Tu Tu Premiere: May 2, 2003 at The War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, CA Music by Maurice Ravel Choreography by Stanton Welch Stanton Welch’s Tu Tu is a playful and irreverent look at ballet. Employing a full spectrum of the classical vocabulary, 22 dancers explode onto the stage with incredible vibrancy, propelled by Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major. Filled with sensual movements and fiery jumps and turns, the dancers cut through the darkness like beams of intense light. The complex, athletic partnering further showcases the dancers’ commanding classical technique. Luminous, Gustav Klimt-inspired costumes reflect the opulence of the steps and present the dancers like seductive, gilded moving sculptures. blink Premiere: April 13, 2018 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta, GA Music by Johannes Brahms Choreography by Tara Lee blink, set to Johannes Brahms’s Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Op 35, is what choreographer Tara Lee calls “pure energy in movement.” Inspired by stars — their heat, their force, and their relationship to each other — the ballet asks the dancers and the audience to “feel” the dance not as bones and muscles but as fire and energy. In various constellation-like formations, 7 dancers use speed and pure technical virtuosity to showcase the physical potential of the body when taken to extremes. However, Lee liberates the academic with curving lines, free torsos, and punches of the extremities and investigates the often-obscured moments of transition. She compares those moments “in between” to human relationships. She asks, “What happens as we pass or interact? What happens when our trajectory changes? Can we find eternity in those moments?” Minus 16 Premiere: 1999 at Lucent Danstheater, Den Haag, Netherlands Music by various artists Choreography by Ohad Naharin Minus 16 is a phenomenal work set to a thrilling musical compilation of cha-cha, mambo, electronic, and traditional Israeli music. The choreography is based on excerpts from other pieces in choreographer Ohad Naharin’s repertory, including Zachacha, Anaphase, Sabotage Baby, and Moshe. An ever-evolving work, Minus 16 has a defined structure that is tailored differently for each dance group and features improvisational elements as well as audience participation. Adhering to Gaga (Naharin’s movement system, which investigates the scope of personal, physical sensations of the body), he captures the instinctual motions of the dancers, adding or subtracting elements to reflect the individuality of the company performing the work. Minus 16 shakes up the traditional dance concert experience and invites the audience to connect with and feel the visceral power of the movement.
ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
I-3
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 Gennadi a soloist contract. Later that year, Nedvigin joined San Francisco Ballet. After three years with the company, he was promoted to principal dancer. During his career in San Francisco, Nedvigin was a winner of the International Competition’s Erik Bruhn Prize (1999) and 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 many 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 ninth 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. Jacobus has master’s degrees in business administration, arts administration and human resource 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-4
COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
SHARON STORY (Dean of the Centre for Dance Education) is in her 22nd season with Atlanta Ballet. She joined Atlanta Ballet after a professional dance career that spanned more than 20 years, including tenures with Joffrey Ballet, the School of American Ballet, New York City Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and 10 years with Boston Ballet, which 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 one of the largest dance schools in the nation. The Centre for Dance Education is nationally recognized for great accomplishments in 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. 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 the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education and began her professional career with Atlanta Ballet, where she performed both classical and contemporary works. Sarah 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 desire to explore contemporary movement led her to become a founding member of glo, where she performed the original works of Lauri Stallings in Atlanta and New York. Hillmer’s love of coaching brought her back to 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. She is thrilled to be part of the Atlanta Ballet team. 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 the 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 includes contemporary and neoclassical roles. Rykine won the gold medal and first prize at the International Ballet Competition in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1993, and 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 throughout Europe, Asia and the United States, and was a guest artist with various ballet companies. He retired from the stage in 2010 and began teaching. Roman was a guest faculty member at the Boston Ballet School before joining the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in January 2012.
ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
I-5
DALE SHIELDS (Ballet Mistress), a native of Winston-Salem, N.C., graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts and Butler University before starting her career as a professional dancer. After joining and rising to principal dancer with Indianapolis Ballet Theatre under artistic director George Verdak and Dace Dindonis, she appeared in the leading roles of many productions, including Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Romeo & Juliet, Gaité Parisienne, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Coppélia, Night Shadow and The Moor’s Pavane, as well as a great number of original works. As principal ballet mistress for Ballet Internationale, she assisted with the original choreography of several full-length ballets by artistic director Eldar Aliev and worked alongside Irina Kolpakova in staging many well-known classics. John McFall’s invitation to join the artistic staff at Atlanta Ballet has given her the opportunity to assist in mounting many fulllength productions. She is inspired to have worked with national and international choreographers to bring exciting and innovative dance to Atlanta. Teaching the company dancers and students of the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education and guest teaching opportunities are other rewarding parts of her work.
THE COMPANY ZACHARY ALDEN‡ was born in San Francisco and began his ballet studies as a senior in high school with Vaganova-trained dancer Anton Pankevich. He spent that summer training at Ballet San Jose under José Manuel Carreño and became a company trainee on scholarship. In 2014, Zach moved to Pompano Beach, Fla., to further his ballet training with Magaly Suárez at the Art of Classical Ballet School. Despite his relatively late start as a student, Zachary quickly accelerated in ballet and spent the 2016/17 season dancing with BalletMet 2 under the direction of Edwaard Liang and performed in Laing’s Romeo and Juliet. Zachary looks forward to applying his experience at his new home at Atlanta Ballet. 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 her summers training in such acclaimed programs as the Jillana School, the Rock School, San Francisco Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. After high school graduation, Erica joined Ballet Tucson and worked closely with ballet masters Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner, performing leading roles in many Antony Tudor ballets. She joined Milwaukee Ballet II two years later 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 the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. She also danced the role of the principal woman in Peter Martin’s Hallelujah Junction. Special thanks to Erica’s Pas de Deux Society patron, Chris M. Carlos. J ESSICA ASSEF is from São Paulo, Brazil, and received her early training from Escola de Ballet Corpo e Arte with Jolles Salles. At the 2010 Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), she was awarded full scholarships to Orlando Ballet School and the Princess Grace Academy in Monaco. She also won the gold medal at Passo de Arte and went on to receive a YAGP semifinals silver medal and YAGP NYC finals gold medal in 2013. Jessica spent two years at Orlando Ballet School as a trainee before becoming a member of the Orlando Ballet second company. A year later she joined the professional company. In 2014, she competed in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Miss. Special thanks to Jessica’s Pas de Deux Society patron, Chris M. Carlos.
I-6
COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
ALEXANDRE BARROS is from Rio de Janeiro and received his early training from Escola de Dança Alice Arja and Escola Estadual de Danças Maria Olenewa. At age 15, he came to the United States to study with the Harid Conservatory. After graduating from the conservatory, he joined the Atlanta Ballet Fellowship Ensemble in 2011. In 2012, he progressed into the Company, where he has performed works by John McFall, David Bintley, Ohad Naharin, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, George Balanchine, Yuri Possokhov, Helen Pickett, Tara Lee, Jiří Kylián, Andrea Miller and others. Alexandre is thrilled for his sixth season with Atlanta Ballet and thanks his family and friends for their support and love. Special thanks to Alexandre’s Pas de Deux Society patron, Lavona S. Currie. JACOB BUSH grew up in Coon Rapids, Minn., where he trained at Minnesota Dance Theatre under the direction of Lise Houlton. He continued 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 2012-14 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, Jacob has danced 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, among others. He has been featured in Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort and Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine. Special thanks to Jacob’s Pas de Deux Society patrons Susan & Tony Catalfano. STÉPHANO CANDREVA is from Rio de Janeiro and graduated from the Escola de Dança Alice Arja in 2006. He attended summer programs at Miami City Ballet School and Milwaukee Ballet School on full scholarship. At 18, he began his professional career with Sesiminas Cia de Dança. He went on to dance with Milwaukee Ballet II, City Ballet of San Diego and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet. Stéphano 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 has performed principal roles in numerous George Balanchine ballets, including Allegro Brillante, Donizetti Variations, Danses Concertantes and Serenade, to name a few. Special thanks to Stéphano’s Pas de Deux Society patron, Lynda Courts. 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, Emily received a scholarship to attend the Harid Conservatory, where she received Dance Study awards during both years she attended. In 2012, she joined the Kentucky Ballet Theatre under the direction of Norbe Risco, where she performed many solo and principal roles. Two years later, she moved to Florida to study under Magaly Suárez at the Art of Classical Ballet School, where she was guided to dance with Columbia City Ballet for two seasons. She has also competed in the Youth America Grand Prix, placing in the Top 12 and qualifying for the New York City finals each time. Emily is excited to join Atlanta Ballet and is thrilled to call Atlanta her home. Special thanks to Emily’s Pas de Deux Society patron, James L. Jackson. DYLAN CLINARD is from Clemmons, N.C., and 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 being promoted to Houston Ballet II under the tutelage of Andrew Murphy, Sally Rojas, Sabrina Lenzi, Claudio Munoz and Stanton Welch. While with Houston Ballet II, he 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. In 2015, Dylan joined Atlanta Ballet as an apprentice. His favorite performances thus far are Yuri Possokhov’s Classical Symphony, Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine and Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort. He is thrilled to return to Atlanta Ballet as a Company member and thanks his family for their love and support. ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
I-7
TAYLOR FIKES‡, an Atlanta native, began her formal ballet training in 2008 at Baltimore School for the Arts. In 2010, she enrolled in the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C. As a recipient of the U.S. State Department and Russian American Foundation’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth scholarship, Taylor trained at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow for six weeks. This was the springboard to being accepted as a full-time student with the Bolshoi. After Moscow, Taylor moved to New York City to attend the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet and to begin studying at Columbia University. Ultimately, she committed to a career in ballet and accepted an offer to join the Joffrey Academy Trainee Program in Chicago. Taylor’s time at Joffrey exposed her to a multitude of opportunities and experiences that have served as catalysts to her acceptance at Atlanta Ballet. 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 prestigious Bolshoi Ballet Academy. Nikolas 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 the International Spoleto Festival in Italy. In 2012, he was a silver medalist at the World Ballet Competition, a recipient of the Grishko Scholarship award from the Carreno Dance Festival and a guest performer in the 17th International Miami Dance Festival Young Medalists performance. 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. MONIKA HACZKIEWICZ was born and raised in Las Vegas. While training, she danced at Nevada Ballet Theatre, Kwak Ballet Academy, Tara Foy’s Elite Ballet, Nevada School of Dance and Royal Winnipeg Ballet. In 2015, Monika competed in the Youth America Grand Prix, ranking second place in the senior division of the Las Vegas semifinals and performing at Lincoln Center in the finals. In the 2015/16 season, Monika received a full-tuition Nijinksky Dance Scholarship to Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Professional Division Program, where she performed the lead in Paquita with the Professional Division in addition to the Paquita Pas de Trois. Monika joined Atlanta Ballet last season, performing featured roles in Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine and George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, and having the pleasure of working with renowned choreographers Yuri Possokhov, David Bintley and John McFall. Special thanks to Monika’s Pas de Deux Society patron, Daphne Elizabeth Moore Eitel. SUJIN HAN, from South Korea, began dancing at age 9 at the Yewon School and studied character dance at the Vaganova Academy. At the Yewon School, she performed Flower Festival in Genzano and Don Quixote, among others. At age 16, she entered Seoul Arts School on scholarship, where she performed such pas de deux as the Sugar Plum Fairy variation in The Nutcracker. She also participated in ballet competitions in South Korea, like the Seoul International Dance Competition. Sujin earned the great performers scholarship to attend Ewha Womans University, where she began choreographing, learned several Balanchine works and the Bournonville method. After graduating, she worked as a freelance ballet dancer and performed Ahn Jung Geun, a Dance in the Heaven with M Ballet and Tree with Soul Ballet Company, both in South Korea. Sujin is excited to dance with Atlanta Ballet. Special thanks to Sujin’s Pas de Deux society patron, the Corps de Ballet.
I-8
COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
J ESSICA HE is from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and began her ballet training at Inland Pacific Ballet Academy. She moved to Philadelphia in 2012 to enter the more vigorous pre-professional training program at the Rock School on full scholarship. In 2015, she joined Houston Ballet’s second company. Jessica has attended prestigious summer programs across the country and earned multiple awards and merit scholarships at the Youth America Grand Prix and the World Ballet Competition. While dancing with Houston Ballet II, Jessica toured internationally and performed Stanton Welch’s A Dance in the Garden of Mirth and Brigade, George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, Ben Stevenson’s Sleeping Beauty Act III and John Neumeier’s Yondering. She has also danced in many Houston Ballet productions, including Welch’s world premiere of Giselle and The Nutcracker. Special thanks to Jessica’s Pas de Deux Society patrons Vanessa & Robin Delmer. A IRI IGARASHI was born in Gunma, Japan. She began training at age 7 at the Reiko Yamamoto Ballet School. She continued 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 Neumeier’s The Sleeping Beauty. She won first place at the All Japan Ballet Competition in 2011 and third place at the All Japan Ballet Competition in 2015. She was a semifinalist at the Prix de Lausanne International Ballet Competition in Switzerland in 2013 and 2015. Airi’s favorite performances include Swan Lake, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, Václav Kuneš’ Double Beethoven and Victor Gsovsky’s Grand pas Classique. SAHO KUMAGAI is from Japan and began dancing at age 9. She moved to the United States in 2009 to study on scholarship at the Boston Ballet School. Saho continued studying with Pacific Northwest Ballet School Professional Division under the direction of Peter Boal, where she performed corps roles in Kent Stowell’s Nutcracker and George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2014, she joined Charlotte Ballet II and danced soloist roles in Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s Nutcracker and worked with resident choreographer Dwight Rhoden. That year, she placed among the top 20 finalists at the Prix de Lausanne International Ballet Competition in Switzerland. Since joining Atlanta Ballet, Saho has danced the role of Marya in Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker and in works by Yuri Possokhov and Darrell Grand Moultrie. Special thanks to Saho’s Pas de Deux Society patron, Dante Stephensen. JORDAN LEEPER is from Jamestown, N.Y., and began dancing at age 12 with the Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet. He later studied at San Francisco Ballet and went on to dance with the 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. Jordan has performed works by Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Twyla Tharp, Jiří Bubeníček, Sasha Janes, Mark Diamond, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and many other outstanding choreographers. He has been a guest artist with Metropolitan Ballet Theatre and City Ballet of Wilmington and has danced with Complexions Contemporary Ballet under Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson during the company’s 20th season anniversary at the Joyce Theater in New York City. Special thanks to Jordan’s Pas de Deux Society patrons Erroll & Elaine Davis. KEATON LEIER grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where he discovered his love for dance at age 8 while doing hip-hop. He began taking ballet classes at age 15 at his local dance studio, Brenda’s School of Baton and Dance. In 2013, he began training at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, receiving scholarships throughout his three years and graduating with marks of distinction. In the 2016/17 season, Keaton danced with Houston Ballet’s second company. He has danced the lead role in Marius Petipa’s Paquita and George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante. He also has danced Alexander Gorsky’s La Fille mal gardée Pas de Deux, Nikolai and Sergei Legat’s Fairy Doll Pas de Trois and excerpts from John Neumeier’s Yondering. In addition, Keaton has performed in such Stanton Welch ballets as Brigade, Play, A Dance in the Garden of Mirth and A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. Special thanks to Keaton’s Pas de Deux Society patrons Ginny & Charles Brewer and family. ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
I-9
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. Francesca danced with Opera National de Bordeaux and the Royal Ballet of Flanders, and was part of the Hong Kong Ballet, where she performed as a demisoloist and soloist and worked with renowned 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, Francesca won bronze in the Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition and participated in the 2017 Jacob’s Pillow Ballet Program. Special thanks to Francesca’s Pas de Deux Society patron, Chris M. Carlos. NADIA MARA was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, and trained at Uruguay’s National School of Ballet, where she graduated as the best dancer in the school and earned the Elena Smirnova Gold Medal. In the United States, she danced with North Carolina Dance Theatre before joining Atlanta Ballet as a Company dancer in 2006. Nadia’s most notable lead roles include Giselle, Kitri in Don Quixote, Mina in Michael Pink’s Dracula, Nathalie in Jorden Morris’ Moulin Rouge - The Ballet and Marguerite in Helen Pickett’s Camino Real. She has been featured in works by Alexei Ratmansky, Ohad Naharin, Alexander Ekman, Christopher Wheeldon and Wayne McGregor, among others. Last season, she danced lead roles in George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort and Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine. In 2016, Nadia was invited to Despertares, a world-renowned international ballet and modern dance festival in Guadalajara, Mexico. There, she shared the stage with Atlanta Ballet Artistic Director Gennadi Nedvigin and event presenter Isaac Hernández. Special thanks to Nadia’s Pas de Deux Society patron, Amy Nelson & Style Design.
®
MOISÉS MARTÍN was born in Reus, Spain, and trained at the Municipal Dance School of Zaragoza and Escuela de María de Ávila. He studied on scholarship at the San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Lola de Avila, later joining the company. He became a soloist in 2005. In 2007, he joined the Dutch National Ballet, dancing as a second soloist until 2011. Moisés 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. In 2012, Moisés joined Compañía Nacional de Danza as a principal dancer, doing lead roles in 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. 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. Special thanks to Moisés’ Pas de Deux Society patron, Katherine Scott. 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 became a company dancer at Ballet Memphis. There 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. Sergio also has enjoyed teaching and choreographing in the Memphis area. He has created two pieces for company dancers there, as well as two full-length productions for the Dance Academy of Bartlett. Special thanks to Sergio’s Pas de Deux Society patrons Susan & Tony Catalfano.
I-10 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
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 age 15, then continued 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 competed in the Youth America Grand Prix, receiving the Grand Prix Award, placing first in the pas de deux category and advancing to the final round, where she performed at Lincoln Center. Favorite performances include Nutcracker and Don Quixote. Juliana is very excited to start her career with Atlanta Ballet. Special thanks to Juliana’s Pas de Deux Society patron, Chris M. Carlos. M IGUEL ANGEL MONTOYA was born in Cali, Colombia, where he began his training at the Instituto Colombiano de Ballet and Incoballet. He then danced with Incoballet Company under the direction of Gloria Castro de Martinez. In 2008, Miguel 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. After joining the Atlanta Ballet company in 2013, Miguel performed in 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 also was featured in the Paquita Pas de Trois, George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort. Special thanks to Miguel’s Pas de Deux Society patrons Bonnie & Terry Herron.
®
JACKIE NASH was born in Connecticut and 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 danced such roles as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker, principal roles in Yuri Possokhov’s Classical Symphony and Firebird, and the lead female in George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante. She has also performed featured roles in works by Christopher Wheeldon, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Douglas Lee and Alexei Ratmansky. She has had the pleasure of working with such choreographers as James Kudelka for The Man in Black, Jorma Elo for 1st Flash and Ohad Naharin for Secus. Last summer, Jackie was a guest artist with Amy Siewert’s San Francisco-based Imagery, a contemporary ballet company. Special thanks to Jackie’s Pas de Deux Society patrons Kathleen & Kirk Knous. KEITH REEVES‡ is from Augusta and began his training with Jennifer Tools at the Jessye Norman School of the Arts. In 2010, he began training with the Augusta Ballet School and later joined the company Dance Augusta under the direction of Zane and Ron Colton. Before joining Atlanta Ballet, he trained with Nicolas Pacana and Jocelyn Buchanan of the Atlanta Festival Ballet Company and studied at such distinguished dance schools as Nashville Ballet, Joffrey Ballet School and the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education. He has received the Audrey B. Morgan scholarship for the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education Conservatory program, among others. With Atlanta Ballet, Keith has performed works by George Balanchine, David Bintley, Yuri Possokhov, Jorden Morris, John McFall, Tara Lee, Bruce Wells and Helen Pickett, among others. Special thanks to Keith’s Pas de Deux Society patrons Asif & Lisa Ramji.
ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
I-11
BORIS RICHIR is from Antwerp, Belgium, and received his dance education at the Paris Opera Ballet School. In 2009, he joined the Semperoper Ballet in Dresden, Germany, under the direction of Aaron S. Watkin, as a corps de ballet member. In 2014, he joined Boston Ballet. His most notable roles include the Principal Couple in “Emeralds” from George Balanchine’s Jewels and Count von Rothbart in Aaron S. Watkin’s Swan Lake. Boris has performed in the corps de ballet, as a soloist and in lead roles in ballets by George Balanchine, Rudolf Nureyev, John Neumeier, John Cranko, Mikko Nissinen, August Bournonville, Jiří Bubeníček, Aaron S. Watkin, Alexei Ratmansky and William Forsythe, among others. ERIN ROBINSON‡ is from Acworth and began her training at the Georgia Ballet under the direction of Gina Hyatt-Mazon and Janusz Mazon. At age 16, she was a finalist for the National Security Language Initiative for Youth program, affiliated with the Russian American Foundation, and spent six weeks studying at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. She later was invited to attend the international program year-round. In 2012, she won the Audrey B. Morgan scholarship for the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education Conservatory program. A year later, she was promoted to the Fellowship Ensemble, where she danced such lead roles as Snow White in Bruce Wells’ Snow White and Aurora in John McFall’s The Sleeping Beauty. Erin is an instructor with the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education and is thrilled to join Atlanta Ballet as an apprentice for the 2017/18 season. Special thanks to Erin’s Pas de Deux Society patrons Adrienne & Scott Hardesty. MIKAELA SANTOS‡, from Manila, Philippines, began her dance training at Effie Nañas School of Classical Ballet, joining Philippine Ballet Theatre as an apprentice in March 2016. She was offered a scholarship to the Atlanta Ballet Professional Summer Intensive and was subsequently offered a position in the Fellowship Ensemble. In 2014, Mikaela finished second in the junior division at the first Cultural Center of the Philippines Ballet Competition; two years later, she was a finalist at the World Ballet Competition in Orlando, Fla. Mikaela has performed in Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker, choreographed by John McFall; Bruce Wells’ Snow White; Marius Petipa’s Paquita; Yuri Possokhov’s Firebird; David Bintley’s Carmina Burana; and Robert Barnett’s Arenskey, among others. She’s excited to dance with the Company as an apprentice this season. A NDERSON SOUZA, from the South Region of Brazil, 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, where he danced principal and solo roles and competed in national and international competitions, including the Beijing International Ballet Competition. Anderson traveled with the company to perform in China, Colombia, France and Israel. In 2013, he became a company member with Gelsey Kirkland Ballet, where he earned praise from national critics, including The New York Times critic. 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. Anderson is excited for his second season with Atlanta Ballet. Special thanks to Anderson’s Pas de Deux society patron, the Corps de Ballet. J ARED TAN is from the Philippines and began dancing at age 9 with the Philippine Ballet Theatre under the direction of Gener Caringal. He trained for more than 14 years under Russian ballet master Anatoly Panasyukov. In 2009, Jared came to the United States to join American Repertory Ballet in New Jersey under the direction of Graham Lustig; in 2010, he joined Atlanta Ballet. Jared is most proud of the work he has done with choreographers Ohad Naharin in Minus 16 and Secus, Alexander 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. Special thanks to Jared’s Pas de Deux society patron, the Corps de Ballet.
I-12
COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
A SHLEY WEGMANN is from New Jersey and received early training from the National Ballet of New Jersey, later studying on scholarship at the Princeton Ballet School. She attended the graduate program at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, joining the company as a corps de ballet member in 2007. She danced with BalletMet (201215) and joined Atlanta Ballet in 2016. Ashley has worked with many choreographers and dances in a variety of styles. Favorite roles and repertoire include Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine, 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. Special thanks to Ashley’s Pas de Deux Society patron, Jan P. Beaves. O LIVIA YOCH is from Richmond, Va., and completed 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 has a B.F.A. in dance performance and a B.A. in English literature from Butler University. Last season, her first as a Company member, Olivia orginated a role in the world premiere of Gemma Bond’s Denouement. Favorite ballets include Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, the Paquita Pas de Trois and Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine. Olivia thanks her husband and the rest of her family for their love and support. Special thanks to Olivia’s Pas de Deux Society patrons Kathleen & Kirk Knous. ‡ Denotes Atlanta Ballet apprentice Photos by Charlie McCullers
ARTISTIC AND PRODUCTION TEAM STANTON WELCH (Choreographer, Tu Tu), an Australian choreographer, assumed leadership of Houston Ballet in July 2003. Since then the company has grown to 60 dancers, making it America’s fifth-largest classical ballet company. Mr. Welch has revitalized Houston Ballet by raising the level of the company’s classical technique and commissioning new works from the world’s best dance makers. The company has made numerous appearances in the United States and internationally, including London, Germany, Spain, Montreal, Ottawa, Paris, Australia, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Mr. Welch has created works for such prestigious companies as San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, the Australian Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet. He has choreographed more than 20 works for Houston Ballet, including the full-length narrative ballet Marie (2009), Romeo and Juliet (2015), Giselle (2016) and The Nutcracker (2016), as well as spectacular stagings of Swan Lake (2006) and La Bayadère (2010). Under his leadership, the Houston Ballet Academy teaches more than 1,000 students every year. About half of the current company trained at the Academy. TARA LEE (Choreographer, blink) began her dance training with Donna Bonasera of Connecticut Dance Theatre and Joffrey II, which led to a 21-year dance career with Atlanta Ballet. She made her choreographic debut in 2003 when then-Atlanta Ballet artistic director John McFall handpicked her piece Sixteen String from an Atlanta Ballet choreographer’s workshop and presented it the
following season. A second invitation to choreograph in 2004 led to the premiere of Poem. After several years of focusing mainly on dancing and joining Ballet British Columbia for a year, Tara made Pavo in 2012 and the authors in 2014 for Atlant Ballet. She has also created original works for Emory Dance Company, Atlanta Ballet’s Wabi Sabi, Georgia Public Broadcasting and New Orleans Ballet Theatre. In 2017, Tara co-founded Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre (TMBT) and created its company debut, exstasis. Her next work for TMBT, The Vertical, opens in May 2018, and she will premiere a new duet for Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami at NYC’s Joyce Theater in June, 2018. OHAD NAHARIN (Choreographer, Minus 16) is a choreographer and the artistic director of Batsheva Dance Company. Born in 1952 in Mizra, Israel, he began his dance career with Batsheva in 1974 and made his choreographic debut in New York in 1980. In 1990, Naharin was appointed artistic director of Batsheva Dance Company and established its junior division, Batsheva — the Young Ensemble. He has created more than 30 works for both companies and set pieces on other companies including Nederlands Dans Theater, the Paris Opera Ballet and Les Grand Ballets Canadiens de Montréal. In addition to his stage work, Naharin developed Gaga, the innovative movement research and daily training of Batsheva’s dancers that has spread globally among both dancers and non-dancers. Naharin is a citizen of both Israel and the United States, and he lives in Israel with his wife, dancer and costume designer Eri Nakamura, and their daughter, Noga.
ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
I-13
LOUISE LESTER (Stager, Tu Tu) was born in Yorkshire, England, and received her ballet training at the Royal Ballet School. In 1972, she joined the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich, where she rose to the rank of principal. After a career as a dancer, she became ballet mistress for the Bavarian State Ballet until 1996. In 1996, she began working as a guest teacher and répétiteure with such companies as La Scala, the Royal Danish Ballet, Ballet du Rhîne, Teatro Colón Buenos Aires, the Australian Ballet and Joffrey Ballet. Ms. Lester has staged ballets for many major companies, including Peter Wright’s production of The Sleeping Beauty, John Neumeier’s production of The Nutcracker, Christopher Bruce’s Hush, George Balanchine’s Serenade and Symphony in C, and Stanton Welch’s La Bayadère and Tu Tu. Ms. Lester joined the artistic staff of Houston Ballet as ballet mistress in 2004 and since then has assisted in the creation of many of Stanton Welch’s ballets. SHAMEL PITTS (Stager, Minus 16) is Brooklynborn and received his dance training at LaGuardia High School for Music & Art and the Performing Arts and the Ailey School. He received a B.F.A. in Dance from The Juilliard School, earning the Martha Hill Excellence in Dance Award. As a professional dancer, he has worked with Les Ballets Jazz Montréal and Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Hell’s Kitchen Dance project. He danced for seven years at Batsheva Dance Company, where he began teaching the Gaga movement language. As an instructor, he has worked as faculty or guest faculty for Movement Invention Project, Springboard Danse Montréal, Netherlands Dance Theater Summer Intensive, SUNY Purchase and The Juilliard School. In 2015, Shamel created a poetic dance performance installation titled BLACK BOX: Little Black Book of RED that has been performed in Israel, Brazil, Berlin and New York. Other creations include a Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art commission Black, White, and RED with installation artist Orly Sever and lighting designer Tom Love. Shamel teaches at Harvard University and The Juilliard School, performs with Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar’s L-E-V Dance Company, and stages Ohad Naharin’s repertory on many companies around the world. www.shamelpitts.com HOLLY HYNES (Costume Designer, Tu Tu) has designed more than 250 ballets, including 70 works at New York City Ballet, where she served as director of costumes for 21 years. Her other designs can be seen on the stages of American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Houston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, the Paris Opera, the Bolshoi, Kirov Ballet, the Royal Opera House and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, where she served as resident costume designer from 1999 until it closed in 2017. As a costume consultant, Holly assists ballet companies around the world in re-creating iconic ballet designs for many of Jerome Robbins’ and George Balanchine’s ballets. Tu Tu is her third I-14
COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
design at Atlanta Ballet, following Seven Sonatas and Reunions. Holly is the 2018 winner of the Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award for her dance designs. She is now designing the costumes for Bespoke at San Francisco Ballet. TAMARA COBUS (Costume Designer, blink) danced and choreographed throughout high school and received a choreographic scholarship to college. After working in the ballet costume shop at the University of Utah, Cobus realized her passion for costume design and opened her own business. She has been designing nationally and internationally for theater, dance, performance artists and ad agencies for more than 25 years. Her designs have been seen on runways in the worlds of fashion, bridal and arts festival and in print and media ads for the 2002 Winter Olympics. She has designed for Richmond Ballet, the Egyptian Theater, Perry Mansfield, Plan B Theatre and Theatre Works West and choreographers like Jessica Lang and Ma Cong. Cobus is now working in feature films and is pleased to return to Atlanta Ballet to design for Tara Lee’s new work. LISA PINKHAM (Lighting Designer, Tu Tu) is resident lighting designer at Houston Ballet. She has designed lighting for dance for more than 30 years, working with classical, contemporary and modern companies. Her lighting can be seen in the repertories of such national companies as American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. Internationally, her work is included in the repertories of Birmingham Royal Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Berliner Staatsballett, Wiener Staatsballett and Singapore Dance Theatre. For Stanton Welch, she has designed lighting for the full-length Swan Lake, Marie, Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle and Mr. Welch’s recent production of The Nutcracker. From 1991 to 1999, she was lighting director at San Francisco Ballet and designed the lighting for more than 35 of the company’s productions. She was lighting designer for Alonzo King’s LINES Contemporary Ballet from 1994 to 2001. JOSEPH R. WALLS (Lighting Designer, blink) has designed for dance companies across the United States, Canada and Central America. His projects include world premieres for Atlanta Ballet, STEPS Panama, Staibdance, Raiin Dance Theater, Inland Pacific Ballet, the Charlotte Ballet and the Washington Ballet at the Kennedy Center. For Atlanta Ballet, Joseph recently designed Gemma Bond’s Denouement, Bruce Wells’ Beauty and the Beast and Snow White, Andrea Miller’s Push, Paquita and Swan Lake Act III. He was nominated for the prestigious Premios Escena award in the category of best lighting design for his 2017 work on Rent in Panama City. Upcoming projects include Sundance’s production of Oklahoma! www.jwallsdesign.com
AVI YONA BUENO (BAMBI) (Lighting Designer, Minus 16) started his career as a rock concert lighting designer, working with such leading Israeli artists as Ofra Haza, Achinoam Nini (Noa), Arik Einstein, Shalom Hanoch, and many more. Between 1982 and 1986, Bambi lived in London while working for Britannia Row Productions, Pink Floyd’s lighting company. He also toured Europe with such artists as Mike Oldfield, the Cure, Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Dizzy Gillespie. His works include designs for Israel’s leading theaters, including the Gesher Theatre, the Itim Theatre Ensemble, the Cameri Theatre and Habima National Theatre. Bambi works regularly with the Israeli Opera and
has designed most of its productions. He has worked in opera houses throughout the world, including Tokyo, Amsterdam, Bilbao and Nice, among others. Bambi is the resident designer at the Batsheva Dance Company. He has worked with Ohad Naharin for the past 25 years, and his lighting design has become inseparable from Naharin’s work. Bambi has worked for such companies such as Nederlands Dans Theater, Frankfurt Ballet, Ballet Nacional de España, Cullberg Ballet and Les Grands Ballets Canadiennes, among others. He has won numerous awards for his work including eight Best Lighting Design of the Year awards from the Israeli Theatre Academy.
Minus 16 music credits: “It Must Be True” performed by the Hohn Buzon Trio. Written by Gus Arnheim, Harry Barris and Gordon Clifford. Used by permission with Sony/ATV Music Publishing. “Hava Nagila” ©1963, ren. 1991 Surf Beat Music. All rights reserved. Written and arranged by Dick Dale under license from Surf Beat Music. “Echad Mi Yode’a” Lyrics and Music Traditional. Arranged by the Tractor’s Revenge (Green, Belleli, Leibovitch). Published by the Tractor’s Revenge (Green, Belleli, Leibovitch). “Nisi Dominus, R.608 – IV. “Cum dederit” (Andante)” by Vivaldi. “Over the Rainbow” by E.Y. ‘Yip’ Harburg and Harold Arlen. Used by permission of Sony/ATV Music Publishing. “Hooray for Hollywood” (Richard Whiting and Johnny Mercer) ©1973 Written by Johnny Mercer and Richard Whiting. Used by permission with Warner/Chappell Music. “Sway” by Pablo Beltran Ruiz, Luis Demetrio, Traconis Molina and Norman Gimbel; Words West LLC d/b/a/ Butterfield Music (BMI). “E Flat Major, Opus 9 & 2” by Chopin. “Adios Pampa Mia” by Francisco Canaro, Mariano Mores and Guillermo Juan Pichot. Used by permission of Peer International Corp. All rights reserved.
ATLANTA BALLET BOARD OF TRUSTEES Allen W. Nelson, Chairman Elizabeth Adams, Vice Chair Barbara S. Joiner, Vice Chair Kristen Manion Taylor, Vice Chair Asif Ramji, Vice Chair Sue Gibbs, Treasurer Kathleen Knous, Secretary Trustees Jan Beaves Ron Breakstone Ginny Brewer Kelly C. Cannon Chris Carlos Dr. Meria Carstarphen Tony Catalfano Lynn Cochran-Schroder Lynda B. Courts Cynthia Crain David Crosland Lavona S. Currie Cynthia Day Vanessa Delmer Nancy Field Janet Gagliano Amy Gerome Lindsay R. Hill Joyce Houser, Ph.D. AJ Igherighe Arturo Jacobus*
Edward B. Krugman Allen Maines Linda Morris Gennadi Nedvigin* Joey Reiman Sharon Silversmintz* Stephanie Thomas Stephens Kirsi Tehrani* Juan Carlos Urdaneta Pam Wakefield Jon S. Wright Advisory Council 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 Carl Pascarella Jeremy Pilmore-Bedford Eric Robbins Laura Turner Seydel Takashi Shinozuka Ewoud N. Swaak
Judith Varnai Shorer Dov Wilker Allen W. Yee 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
ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
I-15
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 Dale Shields, Ballet Mistress FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION Pamela Whitacre, Chief Operating Officer Bradley Renner, General Manager Mary French, Operations Director Lene Sabin, Accounting Manager Hana Miller, Bookkeeper/Office Manager Alan Strange, IT/Database Coordinator DEVELOPMENT & FUNDRAISING Steven B. Libman, Chief Advancement Officer Mia Colson, Institutional Giving Officer Amy Green, Major Gifts Officer Lauren Elliott, Individual Gifts Officer Celeste Pendarvis, Special Events Manager Elizabeth Root, Development/Marketing Intern MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS Tricia Ekholm, Chief Marketing Officer Kelly Pierce, Associate Director of Marketing Julia Berg, Director of Public Relations Brian Wallenberg, Videographer Myredith Gonzales, Group Sales Manager Lauren Caplan, Marketing Coordinator Julie Sharpe, Graphic Designer Ă ine Imbach, Public Relations/Graphics Assistant TICKETING & PATRON SERVICES Lindsay Smith, Associate Director of Ticketing & Patron Services Dana Hylton Calabro, Patron Services Associate Desiree Houston, Patron Services Assistant Bekkie Murphy, Patron Services Assistant PRODUCTION Thomas Fowlkes, Director of Production John Beaulieu, Production Manager/Technical Director Amanda Craig, Stage Manager Sicily Palms, Company Manager/Assistant Stage Manager Joseph Walls, Lighting Supervisor Matt Oliner, Production Head Electrician Bridget Chervenka, Lighting Programmer
I-16
COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
COSTUMES Colleen McGonegle, Costume Director Sophia Parrish, Wardrobe Supervisor/Costume Technician Rehnuma Tajbin, Draper/Patternmaker Susan Carter, Costume Technician Shelby Mills, Costume Technician Jane Kuipers, Costume Technician Ashleigh Dobrin, Finisher CENTRE FOR DANCE EDUCATION Gennadi Nedvigin, Artistic Director Sharon Story, Dean/Ballet Mistress Kelly Cooper, Centre Administrative Director Diane Sales, Community Partnerships Manager Kate Gaul, Buckhead Centre Principal Nicole Adams, Virginia-Highland Centre Principal Kaitlyn Wesche, Centre Programs Coordinator Ansilla Bearden, Satellite Manager CENTRE EDUCATION ASSOCIATES Ashley Gibson, Desiree Houston, Ann Heard, Kelly Anne Hynek, Madia Menlee, Reanna Osler ATLANTA BALLET BOUTIQUE Leslie Campbell Judge, General Manager Kate LaFoy, Midtown Boutique Manager Nardja el-Shabazz, Buckhead Boutique Coordinator Sarah Pinson, Warehouse/Inventory Manager Hillary Drawe, Company Shoe Manager FULL-TIME FACULTY Serena Chu, Guangchen Fu, Armando Luna, Carol Szkutek, Abigail Tan-Gamino FACULTY Nicole Adams, Sterling Baker-McClary, Ansilla Bearden, Shirley Bennett, Britt Brown, Harmony Clair, Kelly Cooper, Lonnie Davis, Rebekah Diaddigo, Samba Diallo, Hillary Drawe, Sarah Emery, Taylor Ferguson, Vershion Funderburk, Pedro Gamino, Ashley Gibson, Giselle Gilmore, Alera Harrison, Sarah Hillmer, Sean Nguyen-Hilton, Nathan Hites, Michelle Jericevich, Jelani Jones, Terelyn Jones, Chelsea Manning, Rosemary Miles, Terese Reynolds-Thomas, Ella Richardson, Chantia Robinson, Erin Robinson, Diane Sales, Roscoe Sales, Jared Tan, Calla Vaughn, Alexis Whitehead-Polk ACCOMPANISTS Alan Brown, Kyla Cummings, Elizabeth Grimes, Aleksandra Korshunova, Ronnie Ray, Yulia Rice, Gretel Rodriguez, Chie Smith
2018 | 2019 Season Just Announced! Learn more and create your season package at atlantaballet.com/subscribe Emily Carrico. Photo by Charlie McCullers.
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 November 1 ,2016 – February 28, 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 x222.
Foundation, Corporate & Government Donors $100,000 & UP Arrow Exterminators Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Inc. PNC The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation The Coca-Cola Company The Home Depot Foundation The Molly Blank Fund of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation The Rich Foundation The Sartain Lanier Family Foundation, Inc.
$5,000 - $9,999 Anonymous Atlantic Capital Bank John & Mary Franklin Foundation Georgia Council for the Arts Holland & Knight Jones Day JPMorgan Chase Massey Charitable Trust Morris, Manning & Martin The Fraser-Parker Foundation
$50,000 - $99,999 Corps de Ballet Delta Air Lines Neiman Marcus The Pittulloch Foundation, Inc. The Shubert Foundation, Inc. The Zeist Foundation, Inc. Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Walter Clay Hill and Family Foundation
$2,500 - $4,999 Anonymous Denise Newton Memorial Fund of The Philadelphia Foundation Hellen Ingram Plummer Charitable Foundation, Inc. Turner Foundation, Inc
$25,000 - $49,999 Anonymous (2) City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs Fulton County Arts Council Publix Super Markets Charities, Inc. REPAY The Kettering Family Foundation Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. $10,000 - $24,999 Audrey and Jack Morgan Family Foundation Bobbie Bailey Foundation Inc. Brunello Cucinelli Charles Loridans Foundation, Inc. Comcast David Yurman Dior Flourish by Legendary Events Georgia Dermatology Center Georgia Power Foundation Holder Construction Company JBS Foundation Lenox Square Mark & Evelyn Trammell Foundation National Endowment for the Arts Paymetric Price Gilbert, Jr. Charitable Fund The National Society of High School Scholars Ray M. and Mary Elizabeth Lee Foundation, Inc. Wells Fargo Foundation
$1,000 - $2,499 Lois & Lucy Lampkin Foundation Publix Super Markets Thomas H. Lanier Family Foundation MATCHING GIFT CORPORATIONS Avanade Comcast Google Illinois Tool Works JPMorgan Chase Microsoft Norfolk Southern SAP America SunTrust The Coca-Cola Company The Home Depot Foundation Turner
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.
I-20 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
INDIVIDUAL DONORS THE DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE $500,000+ Anonymous $100,000 - $499,999 Anonymous Mr. & Mrs. Chris Michael Carlos $40,000-$99,999 Ginny & Charles Brewer Mr. & Mrs. Richard W. Courts II Sarah & Jim Kennedy Katherine Scott Mr. Jon S. Wright $25,000 - $39,999 Anonymous (2) Ms. Jan P. Beaves Susan & Tony Catalfano Mrs. Lynn Cochran-Schroder & Mr. Bill Schroder Lavona S. Currie Vanessa & Robin Delmer $15,000 - $24,999 Anonymous James J. Andrews Dr. Meria J. Carstarphen & David Heleniak Drs. Cynthia Crain & Dwight Lee Barbara & Eric Joiner Kathleen & Kirk Knous Linda & Don Morris Asif & Lisa Ramji Mr. Dante S. Stephensen Pam Wakefield Jamila & Whitcliff A. McKnight, Jr. $10,000 - $14,999 Anonymous (2) 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 Mr. Douglas Hopkins Joyce Houser, Ph.D. Akpo Igherighe & Celeste Pendarvis Edward Krugman & Jill Pryor Mr. J. Allen Maines & Ms. Pam Yarbrough Kristen Manion Taylor & Jason Taylor Mr. Allen W. Nelson Delphine Podsiadlo Joey Reiman Mr. William F. Snyder Stephanie & Austin Stephens Carol & Ramon Tomé Mr. & Mrs. Juan Carlos Urdaneta THE ENCORE CIRCLE $7,500 - $9,999 Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Cannon Mr. & Mrs. Erroll B. Davis, Jr. 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 Catherine & George Manning Andrea & Edward Montag Amy Nelson & Style Design Doug & Ginger (Brill) Pisik Dana & Mark Ray Stanley H. Rose III Danna & Mike Sanders Sharon & David Schachter Mr. & Mrs. James E. Stueve Karen Vereb & Bud Blanton $2,500 - $4,999 Diana & Miguel Arteche Mrs. Barbara Bastin William Bishop Michael Bracken Nigel Ferguson Jacqueline Flake & David Dase Joanne & Alex Gross Steve, Susan & Grace Hauser Laurie & John Hopkins Elvira & Arturo Jacobus Dr. Leslie & Mrs. Marilyn Kelman Drs. Christine & Michael Murphy Debby & Baker Smith Johannah Smith Dr. John Trimble & Ms. Marianne Stribling Pam & Paul Whitacre Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Yellowlees $1,000 - $2,499 Anonymous (3) Dr. Florence C. Barnett Hope Barrett Drs. Mark & Bianca Bell Lindsay & Evan Borenstein Jeanne Bracken James A. Brennan, M.D. Dr. & Mrs. William Brinkman Sara & Alex Brown Mr. & Mrs. Jerome M Cooper Donna Court Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence W. Davis Robert Paul Dean & Robert Epstein Susan & George Dunn Mr. Richard Delay & Ms. Francine Dykes Mr. & Mrs. Howard F. Elkins Mr. & Mrs. Robert C. Goddard Dr. Marvin Goldstein Mrs. Carol L. Goodman Steffi & Bill Huber Dr. Lorie Hughes Ben Hunter Lee Kapner Marsha King Mitchell & Stacey Kopelman Morgan Kuhr Leigh Anna & Steven Lang Melanie & Chris Leeth Ms. Doreen M. Lewis Mrs. Vaughn Linder Ms. Linda Lively & Mr. James Hugh Josh & Kallarin Mackey Annette & Steven McBrayer Margaret P. McCamish Mr. & Mrs. Eugene F. Meany Mr. Michael Mitchell Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Montag The Mortimer Family Ms. Sandra Noecker Ms. Christine Noguere & Mr. Phillip Pope Robert W. Parris & Bradley W. Renner Mr. & Mrs. Larry Pelletier Ms. Charlene R. Pletz Stuart Pliner & Barbara Bing Pliner
Margery & Dan Reason Family Fund The RFP Fund, Inc. Stacy Galan Shailendra Dr. & Mrs. Mark Silverstein Dr. & Mrs. Peter J. Sones Anne M. Spratlin Sharon Story, Julien & Kim Kenney Mr. John J. UyHam & Dr. Kirsten Travers-UyHam Harriet H. Warren Paula & Mike Wilson Ted & Whitney Woodward Allen W. Yee THE PATRON CIRCLE $500 - $999 Anonymous Spring & Tom Asher Mrs. George C. Blount, Jr. David Cofrin & Christine Tryba-Cofrin Mr. Lawrence M. Cohen James Datka & Nora DePalma Carol Comstock & Jim Davis Courtney Crandell 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 and Zachary FergusonCogdill Mrs. Susan Fleck Mr. Robert J. Fornal Danny Futrell Kathryn & Patrick Gaul Clover Hall Ms. Marguerite Hallman Virginia Hepner & Malcolm Barnes Helen & Jeff Herbert Lisa & Forrest Hibbard Michal & Jack Hillman Dr. John P. Horton Tom Lambert Mariana Laufer Steven Libman & Carol Killworth Gino & Belinda Massafra Mr. William McClain Mr. Philip R. Mertz Terri & Stephen Nagler Miho & Gennadi Nedvigin Mrs. William A. Parker, Jr. Mrs. Polly N. Pater & Mrs. Patty S. Beem Mr. & Mrs. Sidney Perkowitz Mr. & Mrs. Robert Ratonyi Denise Reese Dr. & Mrs. William M. Scaljon Teena Stern Judith Story Dr. Michael & Francoise Szikman Mr. Tarek Takieddini Mr. & Mrs. Perry Taylor Roberta Taylor & James Hill Charlotte & David Terrell Mr. and Mrs. James S. Thomas, Jr. Dr. Peter & Mrs. Beverly Thomas Time Space Organization Ronald E. Toussaint, Jr. 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 (2) Mark & Belinda Anderson Dr. & Mrs. Charles R. Arp Jordan Barkin 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. Sheldon B. Cohen Mr. & Mrs. Henry M. Colvin Kelly Tonina Cooper Kathleen & Brian Corrao Lucy Currie Bush & Henry Bush Cynthia & Mike Davison Kate & James Denny Valentine Dike Reverend James D. Duffy Elaine Eaton Dytre Fentress & Stephen Rann Noel Francis Louise B. Franklin Lisa & David Frist Judy & Edward Garland glassybaby white light fund Bridget Grant Amy Green Dr. & Mrs. Edmond Griffin Sandra D. Haisten Jim & Mary Long Howard Mr. & Mrs. Mark E. Jackson Natalie M. Jones Jean Gatton Jones Anna Kaiser Mr. & Mrs. Peter G. Kessenich Tanneshia Kirby Abe Levine Allan & Vaneesa Little Gwen McAlpine, Ed.D. Jean & Robert McColl Debia & Robert McCulloch Jennifer & Virginia McGuffey Joshua V. Montague Michelle Flake Morgan Henrietta Muller Sarah G. Murray Karen Olsen-Howard, M.D. Christopher Omueti Mrs. Debby Overstreet Darryl Payne & Lisa Richardson Jonathan Popler Chongkolni J. Potitong Dr. Robert & Gail Riesenberg Viktoriia & Larry Robinson Roman Rykine Robert & Susan Saudek Timothy & Jerrye Scofield Beverly & Milton Shlapak Hannah Sledd Danielle Squires Dr. & Mrs. Alan Sunshine Barbara & Jon Swann Rosemary Trudeau Annie-York Trujillo Ms. Karen Trujillo Alice Washington Jody Weatherly Kara & Brian Williamson
ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
I-21
GIFTS IN HONOR & MEMORIAM In Honor of Robert Barnett James J. Andrews
In Honor of Lynda & Richard W. Courts II Dr. Sheldon B. Cohen Mrs. Vaughn Linder
In Honor of Louisa Basarrate Jeff Carrico
In Honor of Lynda Courts Kathi & Robert Goddard
In Honor of Sophie Basarrate Bridget Grant
In Memory of Louis Molino Michael Bracken In Memory of Edward Mortimer The Mortimer Family In Honor of Hannah Morris Elizabeth & Chris Morris
In Honor of Anne Burton Avery James J. Andrews
In Honor of Vonetta Daniels Shari Blalock Terence Hooks Julia Houston
In Honor of Margaret Carton Annette & Steven McBrayer
In Memory of Bernadette Datka James Datka & Nora DePalma
In Memory of Bob Podsiadlo Delphine Podsiadlo
In Honor of Chris Casey & Doug Weiss Allen W. Yee
In Honor of Patti Gouvas Charles Griffin
In Honor of Julianne Kepley Spratlin Anne M. Spratlin
In Honor of the Clark & Whitaker Families Mary French
In Honor of Jamila Hall Clover Hall Jonathan Karron
In Memory of Edwin Story Sandra Noecker Judith Story
In Honor of Steven Libman Eric & Ana Robbins
In Honor of Sharon Story Cynthia Crain, Ed.D. & Dwight Lee, Ph.D.
In Honor of Dylan Clinard Angela & Kirk Clinard
In Memory of Vaughn Nixon Player Mrs. Vaughn Linder
PAS DE DEUX SOCIETY Members of the Pas de Deux Society have made an extra gift of $5,000 to artistically support an individual dancer for the 17|18 Season. Ms. Jan P. Beaves Ginny & Charles Brewer and family Chris M. Carlos (4 dancers) Susan & Tony Catalfano (2 dancers) Corps de Ballet (3 dancers) Lynda Courts
Lavona S. Currie Erroll & Elaine Davis Vanessa & Robin Delmer Daphne Elizabeth Moore Eitel Adrienne & Scott Hardesty Bonnie & Terry Herron
James L. Jackson Kathleen & Kirk Knous (2 dancers) Amy Nelson & Style Design Asif & Lisa Ramji Katherine Scott Dante Stephensen
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 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. Carithers Flowers Flourish by Legendary Events David Yurman Jean Padberg & Associates Jones Day
I-22 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
La FĂŞte Chocolat M.A.C Cosmetics Margot McKinney & Neiman Marcus Microsoft Corporation Peachtree Tents & Events
smartwater Sprinkles Cupcakes Tony Brewer & Company
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 Delta Air Lines, The Official Airline of Atlanta Ballet M.A.C Cosmetics, The Makeup Provider of Atlanta Ballet Motion Stability, The Official Physical Therapy Provider of Atlanta Ballet Kennesaw State University, The Official Academic Partner of Atlanta Ballet Publix Super Markets, The Preferred Super Market 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 Smith & Howard, Audit Firm Jean Padberg & Associates, P.C., Immigration Counsel Jones Day, Attorneys ASV, Video Services Charlie McCullers Photography Corporate Sports Unlimited J.D. French & Assoc. Kim Kenney Photography Advertising for Good Interprint Communications
For more information, please visit our website at www.atlantaballet.com.
Atlanta Ballet is grateful for the support from our in-kind sponsors:
ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
I-23
Photo: Robert Pack | KSU Dance Company
Dance Department of
ksudance.com
EDDIE B.: TEACHERS ONLY COMEDY TOUR | March 23, 8 p.m.
(COMEDY) CLASS IN SESSION Eddie B., a Houston native and reformed science teacher, cuts loose in a stand-up kind of way. Eddie B. has tapped into a niche — and a nerve — with his riffs on what teachers are really thinking as they invest day after day and week after week in their noble profession. His comedy began with a series of minute-long videos (available on YouTube) titled “What Teachers Really Say.” His original material, often raw and “What teachers really say when they see uncensored, comes with physical comedy back-to-school stuff in stores so soon,” for and has entertained educators from America example, goes something like this: to Africa, Dallas to Dubai, and New York to “When parents see back-to-school, New Delhi. teachers see back-to-struggle … His mirth even comes with a message. “Back to drinking … “Here’s the kicker about this guy,” said “Back to acting like we like other people’s one teacher, a fan who recommends Eddie kids.” B.’s style and subject matter. “I think he might In rapid-fire fashion, Eddie B. shares his be able to bring some attention to issues views on what teachers think about bad that are choking the profession, such as behavior, parental support, calling roll, on a testing and the extreme need for students to snow day, the holiday potluck, committees and standards, having to go back to work on have access to wraparound services.” Monday and their, umm, paychecks. 16 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
ATLANTA BLUES FESTIVAL | March 24, 7 p.m.
THEY’VE GOT A RIGHT TO SING THE BLUES
T
he Atlanta Blues Festival turns 15 this year. Here’s a closer look at acts you’ll see (subject to change at press time), including Sir Charles Jones, Tucka, T.K. Soul, Pokey Bear, Nellie Tiger Travis and J’Wonn. Jones, an Ohio-born, Birmingham-raised artist, is part throwback and part modern R&B, all based on traditional Southern soul and blues. The vocalist, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist calls himself “the undisputed king of Southern soul.” He folds jazz, gospel and blues into satiny melodies, to winning affect. He won BB. King Achievement awards in 2003 and 2004; the American Blues Network named him international entertainer of the year (2001-04) and named his Love Machine the 2002/03 album of the year. Tucka, a Louisiana crooner nicknamed “the king of swing,” blends old-school soul and R&B, then gives it a rap twist. The evidence: the tunes “Love Doctor,” “Sex on My Mind” and “Tanqueray & Patron.” He cites Barry White and R. Kelly as equal influences. Tucka’s career began in 2007, when he sang lead with Keith Frank & the
Soileau Zydeco Band. He began his solo career in 2008. The Atlanta Blues Fest bill includes: • T.K. Soul. A Louisiana native known for a contemporary soul sound that mixes traditional R&B with hip-hop. His influences include Al Green, the Jackson 5, Rick James, Prince and Stevie Wonder. • Pokey Bear. Another Southern bluesman from Louisiana, said to inject a larger-thanlife swagger into his R&B-flavored bayou soul sound. • J ’Wonn. Born Jawonn Smith in Jackson, Miss., he grew up in church choirs. His contemporary Southern R&B is known for its youthful sound. • Nellie Tiger Travis. A fiery Chicago blues singer whose music encompasses contemporary Southern soul. She grew up in Mound Bayou, Miss., and the church, was her high school’s homecoming queen and chose music over an acting career.
ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 17
MAKS, VAL & PETA LIVE ON TOUR: CONFIDENTIAL | March 25, 7 p.m.
KEEPING IT CONFIDENTIAL You no doubt know them from ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ Dancers Maksim Chmerkovskiy, younger brother Val and Maks’ wife, Peta Murgatroyd have won a total of five Mirrorball trophies and legions of fans. Confidential is a follow-up to 2016’s autobiographical Maks & Val Live on Tour: Our Way, which visited 45 cities. Like Our Way, Confidential speaks to their family bonds. Maks, 38, a native of the Ukraine and now a U.S. citizen, joined ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” in 2006, staying for 14 seasons. He won the Mirrorball Trophy in 2014 with Olympic ice dancer Meryl Davis, left for a bit and then returned. He’s also a Latin ballroom dance champion and a Broadway performer. Valentin “Val” Chmerkovskiy, 32, jumped onto the “DWTS” stage in 2011. He began ballroom dancing as an after-school activity in Brooklyn and has won the Mirrorball 18 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
Trophy twice — in 2015 with actor Rumor Willis and in 2016 with Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez, a gold medalist. He, too, is now an American citizen. His memoir, titled I’ll Never Change, is out this month. Peta Murgatroyd, 31, was born in New Zealand but raised in Australia and considers herself an Aussie. She joined “DWTS” in 2011 as a background dancer and became one of the pros in 2012, winning the Mirrorball Trophy with Green Bay Packers great Donald Driver. She won again in Season 22 with model and actor Nyle DiMarco, an activist for the deaf. She also writes a glamour-to-glitz blog titled “All Things Fam & Glam.” She and Maks married in 2017. To Maks, Val and Peta, there’s nothing like family. You’re invited to join theirs for an evening, and celebrate dancing, life and love.
SILK 25TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR | March 28, 8 p.m.
SOME LIKE IT HOT
W
hether you call it R&B, contemporary R&B or New Jack swing, the five vocalists and instrumentalists of Silk have it covered. The group, formed in Atlanta and discovered by singer-songwriter-producer Keith Sweat in 1992, is still propelled by its original members — Timzo (Timothy Cameron), Jim (Jimmy Gates Jr.), Big G (Gary Glenn), Lil G (Gary Jenkins) and John John (Jonathan Rasboro). Their calling card: smooth, sexually suggestive songs like “Freak Me” (1993), “Girl U for Me” (1992) and “Meeting in My Bedroom” (1999), among many others. The group has sold more than 5 million records in its two decades-plus — “Freak Me” reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and “Girl U for Me” reached doubleplatinum status in sales. Silk has a total of seven albums to its
credit and a 2004 compilation album. Lose Control (1992) went double platinum in the United States and gold in Canada. Silk (1995) went gold stateside; Tonight (1999) went triple platinum; and Love Session (2001) went platinum. Silk’s beginnings reach back to the 1980s when Timzo, Jim and John John were working at McDonald’s. Big G joined a short time later. They were known as a gospel group, and got their big break singing church songs in their manager’s basement. It’s there they polished their harmonies. Silk’s most recent release is 2016’s Quiet Storm. Behind the scenes, the five are known as generous businessmen. They’re honorary members of Men of Distinction and received a proclamation from Atlanta’s mayor for their community service. More: silkenterprizes.com
ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 19
FESTIVAL OF PRAISE TOUR 2018 | March 30, 8 p.m.
TEXTURE OF A MAN
TWILIGHT PRODUCTIONS 2 PRESENTS
T
he five acts on this bill own a combined 12 Grammys, 16 Dove, two BET and two Soul Train awards. They hail from Alabama, Chicago, Detroit, Texas and Long Island, N.Y. They encompass gospel, Christian, jazz, hip-hop and a cappella music. One began his career when he was homeless with four children. Another lost a younger brother in an accident and was sexually abused. Each found his sound and his faith in a different way. Here’s a capsule look at each. • Fred Hammond. The Detroit native, 57, is a towering figure in contemporary gospel. He began singing with his church choir at age 12, and sang and played bass with the Winans in the early 1980s. In 1991, he began soloing. He’s worked with Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg, Boyz II Men and “American Idol” winners Reuben Studdard and Fantasia Barrino. • Take 6. This a cappella sextet (think a blend of the classic gospel quartet, jazz and doo-wop) traces its roots to Alabama’s Oakwood College, where two members first put their voices together. Famed producer Quincy Jones calls them “the baddest vocal cats on the planet.” • Donnie McClurkin. The 58-year-old from Amityville, Long Island, is one of the major figures in 21st-century gospel. His sound lies somewhere between the modern gospel of Kirk Franklin, the gospel soul of Andraé Crouch and the contemporary traditionalism of Marvin Winans. Family tragedies prompted him to devote himself to worship at age 9.
• James Fortune. This preacher’s kid from Houston, now 39, combines choir directing, preaching and worship leading.
20 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
PRESENTS
FRED HAMMOND
DONNIE MCCLURKIN
JAMES FORTUNE
TAKE 6
PASTOR CHARLES JENKINS
FRI, MARCH 30TH He fuses hip-hop with messages of hope, COBBhealing ENERGY CENTRE forgiveness, and grace. The most 8:00 PM recent of his eight albumsGA is Dear Future ATLANTA, Me (2017). TICKET INFO: BOX OFFICE &
• Pastor Charles Jenkins. The songwriter, producer and all-around entrepreneur, now 42, began his music career in 2012, with the release of The Best of Both Worlds. The album became his Billboard breakthrough, charting at No. 41 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Gospel chart. W: TWILIGHTPRODUCTION2.COM
: @TWILIGHTPRODUCTIONS2
: TWILIGHTPRODUC2/
ANOTHER SASSY MITCHELL HAIR & TWILIGHT PRODUCTION 2
More: festivalofpraisetour.com
APRIL14 THRUJUNE 3 ENJOY ROYAL SAVINGS! SPONSORED BY
Discount tickets available at select Sam’s Clubs
BUY DISCOUNT TICKETS ONLINE
www.garenfest.com Atlanta’s Best Entertainment Value! Free Parking! JUST SOUTH OF ATLANTA – I 85 AT EXIT 61 - 1.5 MILES WEST ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
21
DARREN KNIGHT’S SOUTHERN MOMMA AN ’EM COMEDY TOUR | March 31, 8 p.m.
ONE HOT MOMMA
C
omedian Darren Knight was born 32 years ago in Munford, Ala., a rural town of 1,232 souls. His people didn’t have much, but they had pride in their name, their family and their hometown. Knight came with an extra funny bone. You may know him better as “Southern Momma” the social media character he created with a million tales to tell: “Southern Mom Takin’ em Kids to JC Penney.” “Southern Momma at the High School Football Game.” “Southern Mom Meets Her Ex’s New Girlfriend.” “Southern Momma Huntin’ With Randy.” They are all wildly popular on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Southern Momma, conjured with Knight’s voice and facial expressions but no costume or makeup, routinely draws millions of viewers. He describes himself simply, as “a skinny white boy trying to make a life” for himself. Southern Momma sprang from vivid childhood memories and time spent observing his grandmother and mother. Mama wasn’t an early fan, he says. “I
22 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
remember the first video I put up. My mama said, ‘You’re gonna have to take that down. People in town are going to think we’re crazy!’ ” He didn’t, and she soon came around. His stage show — he’s sold out more than 130 in the past 14 months — is different than his videos, he says, adding: “It’d be pretty boring if it wasn’t.” Southerners call the slight, long-haired Knight the “funniest man in America.” He’s been favorably compared to Jeff Foxworthy (“You might be a redneck if ... ”). People say he’s been lucky. He prefers the word “blessed” and refers to his family’s humble beginnings and how hard he’s worked to get where he is. He’s also not sure if Southern Momma will be his only character or a career-long one. “If I want to start doing an old man for the rest of my life,” he says, “I want to be able to do it.” More: comediandarrenknight.com
SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS | April 4-8
THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF CULTURE
S
hen Yun invites you on an enlightening journey through 5,000 years of history. The company, founded in 2006 by practitioners of the Falun Gong spiritual discipline, performs classical Chinese dances, ethnic and folk dances, and story-based dances with orchestral accompaniment and solo performers. Falun Gong, Mandarin for “Dharma Wheel Practice” or “Law Wheel Practice,” combines meditation and qigong exercises with a moral philosophy centered on truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. It has both Buddhist and Taoist roots. This traditional Chinese culture — with its profoundly optimistic worldview and deep spirituality — was displaced by Communism. Shen Yun tours annually to keep the old spirit alive. Each performance runs more than two hours and demonstrates five millennia of traditional Chinese culture through dance, music, vivid costumes and projected backdrops. Large-scale group dance is central. Some
24 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
40 dancers perform moves that have been passed down for thousands of years, moves that emphasize acrobatics, tumbling, forms and postures. Their repertoire draws on stories from history and legend — Mulan, “Journey to the West” and “Outlaws of the Marsh,” among them. It also tells the story of Falun Gong today and includes elements of Yi, Miao, Tibetan and Mongolian dance. Shen Yun dancers wear intricate costumes and often carry handkerchiefs, drums, fans, chopsticks and silk scarves as props. Some of their costumes imitate the dress of various ethnicities; others depict ancient Chinese court dancers, soldiers or characters from classic stories. The digital backdrops show Mongolian grasslands, imperial courts, ancient villages, temples and mountains. And what does “Shen Yun” mean? “Shen” is a general term for divine being. “Yun” means rhythm. So, you are about to see divine rhythms. More: shenyunperformingarts.org
Falany Performing Arts Center
1.6 MILLION AMERICANS
SUFFER PROOF FROM CROHN’S OR COLITIS
Encore Atlanta
or f e r e h Be t’s next wha The University Choirs Sunday, April 8, 3 p.m.
CHANCES ARE, IT’S SOMEONE YOU KNOW. Imagine a life filled with pain, surgeries, and disruptions. That’s Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. For 1.6 million Americans, that life is a reality. They need you to stand up for them. Please work with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America to help find cures.
HELP SOMEONE YOU KNOW.
Reinhardt.edu/fpac 770-720-9167
CCFA.ORG/GA
ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 25
ATLANTA BALLET: TU TU & MORE | April 13-15
A TRIO OF SHOWSTOPPERS Atlanta Ballet’s four-performance run of Tu Tu & More introduces a world premiere, reprises a popular favorite and brings us an company premiere. Tu Tu, choreographed by Stanton Welch to Maurice Ravel’s Concerto for Piano in G major, is mysteriously characterized as classical and highly stylized with a playful twist. You’ll have to see for yourself. The Australia-born Welch, artistic director of Houston Ballet since July 2003, has been a frequent guest choreographer with the Atlanta company. Former Atlanta Ballet dancer Tara Lee returns with a brand-new work. She’s previously done five world premiere commissions for the company. Lee spent 21 seasons with Atlanta Ballet, retiring in May 2017 and, shortly thereafter, helping found Terminus 26 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
Modern Ballet Theatre with four other Atlanta Ballet alums. Atlanta Ballet first performed Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin’s critically acclaimed Minus 16 in 2013, bringing it back in 2015 and reprising it for a second time now. Naharin favors a free-flowing movement style that embraces the unconventional and thrives on the unexpected. Audience interaction is part of the piece, which uses a musical score ranging from Dean Martin and mambo to traditional Israeli songs. One of its goals: to break the barrier between performer and spectator. Dancing shoes might be in order. More: atlantaballet.com
JESSICA HE AND ALEXANDRE BARROS. PHOTO BY CHARLIE MCCULLERS.
To glimpse the spectrum of dance today, you need only spend an evening or afternoon with Atlanta Ballet.
GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATER AWARDS | April 19, 7 p.m.
AND THE WINNERS ARE …
T
he Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards, often referred to as the Shuler Hensley awards or even the Shulers, celebrate excellence in musical theater. For one night each spring, student singer-actors, their directors, music directors, choreographers, designers, stage managers, families and friends converge at Cobb Energy Centre for a few hours of high spirits and camaraderie. The show is televised live on Georgia Public Broadcasting. The Shulers — named for Marietta native and Broadway regular Shuler Hensley — are more or less fashioned after Broadway’s Tony awards. The evening features solo and ensemble numbers from male and female actors, choruses and dancers, a lot of screaming from supporters and a fair number of envelopes. In 2017, some 75 Georgia public and private high schools participated, leading to 17 nominations for 35 schools. Student performers come from all over the state, including Fulton, Catoosa, Cobb, Gordon, Gwinnett, Richmond and Rockdale counties. And every year is a clean slate. In addition to the awards, several
scholarships for intensive study are awarded. The topper: The winning leading actors (male and female) compete in New York at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards. The Shulers are produced by ArtsBridge Foundation, the arts-education outreach arm of Cobb Energy Centre. Since its inception in 2007, the nonprofit has served more than 300,000 students and educators from 58 Georgia counties with field trips, master classes, a family series and the Shulers. Hensley, himself, is a multi-award-winning actor who’s done Broadway, off-Broadway, film and television. His Tony Award came in 2002 for his work as Jud Fry in a revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, which also brought him Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards. In 2012, he won acclaim as the title character in the Samuel D. Hunter drama The Whale and, in 2016, he played opposite Sutton Foster in an off-Broadway staging of Sweet Charity. More: artsbridgega.org
ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 27
THE ATLANTA OPERA: CARMEN | April 28-May 6
TRIPLE TROUBLE Georges Bizet’s 1875 masterpiece, set in 19th-century Spain, centers on Carmen, a beautiful and free-spirited Gypsy who makes men melt. When the naive Don José falls for her, he falls hard and into a dangerous obsession. He breaks up with his childhood sweetheart and abandons the military. But Carmen cannot be tamed, and she grows weary of Don José once she meets the glamorous toreador Escamillo. Carmen scandalized and shocked its first audiences — at the Opéra-Comique in Paris — with its convention-breaking story. Its depictions of proletarian life, immorality, lawlessness and the death of the main character broke ground in French opera and were quite controversial. Most reviews were negative, and the French people were largely indifferent. Carmen gained its reputation in productions outside France and was not revived in Paris until 1883, when it received a much more positive response. Bizet wouldn’t live to see this success.
He died suddenly after Carmen’s 33rd performance. His masterwork remains one of the most popular and frequently performed operas in the classical canon. The “Habanera” from Act 1 and the “Toreador Song” from Act 2 are among the best known of all operatic arias. (The score has also proven popular with many Olympic figure skaters.) Such famous sopranos as Maria Callas, Denyce Graves, Anna Moffo, Jessye Norman and Leontyne Price have sung Carmen onstage or on recordings. For The Atlanta Opera, Latvian mezzosoprano Zanda Švēde makes her company debut as the untamable Gypsy. Italian tenor Gianluca Terranova (La bohème) returns to Atlanta to sing Don José, and American baritone Edward Parks is the bullfighter Escamillo. Carmen is sung in French with English supertitles.
This messy love triangle won’t end well.
28 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
More: atlantaopera.org
You’ll love life in our custom apartment homes as much as you’ll love life outside of them. This is the life you’ve worked so hard for. Contemporary, spacious apartment homes, customized to your personality. Vibrant, active lifestyles limited only by your own independent spirit. And a relaxing, beautifully landscaped campus that features upscale dining, resort-like amenities, access to the finest healthcare and a caring staff rated as one of the best in Georgia. This is life at St. George Village. This is the life for you. For more information, call Stacy Anthony at (678) 987-0402. St. George Village, Roswell’s first senior living Life Plan community, offers an energetic, carefree and independent retirement lifestyle.
11350 Woodstock Road, Roswell, GA 30075 (770) 645-2340 | stgeorgevillage.org
Every. Four. Years. The dance world comes to Jackson. June 10-23, 2018. Two weeks of exciting performances by ballet’s rising stars • Opening night guest artists: Joffrey Ballet dancers; Ashley Wheater, Artistic Director • Arts & Lecture Series with Alexei Ratmansky, Edward Villella & more
For schedule and tickets visit usaibc.com/attend
ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 29 USAIBE_Encore Atlanta_4.625x3.75.indd 2
1/18/18 1:36 PM
UPCOMING EVENTS at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre For the most up-to-date list of performances, please visit
Tickets sold at the Bank of North Georgia box office at Cobb Energy Centre, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000
CHARLIE MCCULLERS
cobbenergycentre.com
Atlanta Ballet Bach to Broadway
The Atlanta Opera Sweeney Todd
May 11-13
June 9-17
VENUE SPONSORS
30 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM | A DECADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Bill Maher June 23
creating the future through arts education
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS! Producer $25000+ 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
Playwright $2500 - 4999 Atlanta Braves Foundation René & Barbarella Diaz Larry Dingle Nigel & Clare Richardson Ticketmaster Joanne Truffelman Publix Super Markets Charities Tull Charitable Foundation The Vinings Rotary Club
Director $10000 - 24999 Audrey B. Morgan, The Morgan Family Fund Jimmy & Helen S. Carlos Cobb Community Foundation Lynn Cochran-Schroder Delta Community Credit Union Ed Voyles Automotive Group Emerson Climate Technologies John & Mary Franklin Foundation Livingston Foundation Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company National Endowment for the Arts Jerry & Cheryl Nix Regions Bank Sartain Lanier Family Foundation Scicom Infrastructure Services Jack & Jean Ward
Presenter $1000 - 2499 Mike Boyce Bill Brantley 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 Earl Smith John & Ka Karen Spiegel Terri Theisen Bob & Belle Voyles
Designer $5000 - 9999 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 Wells Fargo Foundation
Lead Actor $500 - 999 Julian Bene Cobb Travel & Tourism Randy Donaldson John & Carole Harrison Gene & Patricia Henssler Shelly Kleppsattel Christine Nix Robert Parris Alex Paulson Benjamin & Christine Phelps Emma Polla Pollard Holly B. Quinlan Bennie Shaw 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 Fred & Judih Keith Sherry Kendrick Mike Knowles Susan M. Levy Deborah Lundquist Alan Martin Leslie McLeod Kyle Moon David & Barbara Nadler Richard Parker Brenda Rhodes Janice Scott Linda Smith Naomi Smith Leslie Stone James Tyson Jim & Joanne Van Duys Juliana Vincenzino The Westminister Schools Ge George & Jan Yano
ATLANTA’S PERFORMINGListing ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM reflects gifts made between October 1, 2016 and January 31, 2018 31
Food for Thought MARCH/APRIL 2018
By David Danzig 34 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
DAVID DANZIG
News of biscuits in the ’burbs, a taste of Spain in Inman Park, a new South City Kitchen in Alpharetta and much more.
THIS COLUMN catches up on projects linked (or unlinked) to chefs Linton Hopkins, Bill Greenwood, Richard Blais and Floridian Michael Schwartz, along with hot chicken news and a Garden & Gun club.
The menu at C. Ellet’s at The Battery Atlanta includes White Oak Pastures’ steak tartare with fried capers and bone marrow (left) and (above, from top) cold water oysters and apple strudel with vanilla ice cream.
WELL DONE Brunch-crazed suburbanites will rejoice at the arrival of Maple Street Biscuit Co. in Woodstock and Duluth. The fast-casual recipe is simple: Order fresh-make cathead-size biscuits and fill them with pecan-smoked bacon, fried chicken, sausage gravy, goat cheese (any or all); serve with sides; brew strong, delicious Red Leaf coffee; and serve from early morning through midafternoon. Already a phenomenon in parts of Florida, look for a Maple Street Biscuit on a street near you soon. … Star chef Linton Hopkins has finally opened C. Ellet’s Steak House at The Battery Atlanta at SunTrust Park. It’s named for his great-grandfather, Charles Ellet Jr., a Union solider during the Civil War and a bridge-building engineer. As Food for Thought reported last year, C. Ellet’s had been slotted for a May 2017 opening. The James Beard Award-winning Hopkins and wife Gina previously teamed on Restaurant Eugene, Holeman and Finch, ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 35
After a misfire with the Cockentrice, Krog Street Market welcomes Bar Mercado, a concept that that fits intown’s Inman Park neighborhood like a red cape fits a matador. The space, inspired by Madrid’s Mercado de San Miguel, gets a handsome reboot with a menu of cured meats, cheeses and tapas from multiple regions of Spain. Hipster craft cocktails and Spanish wines keep the casual fiesta going beyond the comida. … Florida-based celebrity chef Michael Schwartz — a restaurateur, James Beard award winner and author — expands his empire to Phipps Plaza with Genuine Pizza, a superapproachable Italian joint with gourmet Neapolitan-style pies and toppings like short ribs and gruyere, meatballs with peppers and onions, slow-roasted pork and fig, and rock shrimp with
36 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
DAVID DANZIG
Genuine Pizza at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead creates fancy Neapolitan pies at highly reasonable prices. The mushroom pizza (top) comes with porcini and cremini mushrooms and Taleggio and fontina cheeses. Above: The interior.
Longleaf and H&F Burger. Their C. Ellet’s is a 6,500-sq. ft. room that seats up to 200. The dining room feels like it was plucked from New Orleans’ Garden District, with an elegant design that evokes a gentile but informal Southern atmosphere, a spot for an intimate bite or a rousing party. Steaks are the stars here, and Hopkins did his research, sourcing bovines from farms in eight states and offering a premier seafood program with cold and hot options. Baseball season opens March 29, so you still have a few nonbaseball days — and those out-of-town-game days — to get your steak on. Plus, the Battery is open 365 days a year. …
COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM VENUE STAFF
COBB-MARIETTA COLISEUM & EXHIBIT HALL AUTHORITY
MANAGING DIRECTOR Sandie Aaron
HEAD ELECTRICIAN Mike Wolmer
CHAIRMAN Jerry Nix | Post 6
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Barbara Kiss
HEAD AUDIO ENGINEER Jon Summers
VICE-CHAIR A. Max Bacon | Post 2
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & SPONSORSHIPS Tom Rowland
HEAD CARPENTER/RIGGER Mark Newman
SECRETARY Johnny Gresham | Post 4
RECEPTIONIST Beryl Bernier
DIRECTOR OF FACILITY SERVICES Arthur McDowell
Mike Boyce | Post 5
ASSISTANT BOX OFFICE MANAGER Russel Kennedy
DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING Joe Green
Steve “Thunder” Tumlin | Post 1
HOUSE MANAGER Richard Stevens
CHIEF ENGINEER Marty Taylor
GENERAL MANAGER & CEO Michele L. Swann
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Jessica Coale
ENGINEER Keddrick Ragland
Earl Smith | Post 7
Robert P. Voyles | Post 3
DIRECTOR OF SAFETY & SECURITY Larry Green PUBLIC SAFETY MANAGER Jamie Wheeler
ARTSBRIDGE FOUNDATION STAFF
ARTSBRIDGE FOUNDATION
CULINARY DIRECTOR/ EXECUTIVE CHEF Nicholas Walker
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer D. Dobbs
PRESIDENT Clare Richardson
DIRECTOR EMERITUS Barbara E. Williams
SOUS CHEF Camilo Aguirre
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & COMMUNITY OUTREACH Sarah Clay Lindvall
VICE PRESIDENT Joanne Truffelman
DIRECTOR EMERITUS John A. Williams
FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER Ramin Djaved
DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Lizzy Morin
BANQUET MANAGER Abol Ghoreishi
PROGRAM COORDINATOR Audine Crosse
BEVERAGE & CONCESSION MANAGER Fernando Quintero
SECRETARY/TREASURER Larry M. Dingle DIRECTOR Helen S. Carlos DIRECTOR Barbarella Diaz DIRECTOR Jerry Nix
HOUSEKEEPING MANAGER Jeri Wallis
DIRECTOR Sam Olens
HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST Lorena Dominguez
DIRECTOR Kessel D. Stelling
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Ben Tilley
DIRECTOR Percy Vaughn DIRECTOR Jack Ward
37 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM | A DECADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT
fresh manchego cheese. With the most expensive item on the menu only $21, it’s very un-Buckhead pricewise.
Woody’s CheeseSteaks (above) grows with a second location in Buckhead. Like the original intown spot, it uses a chopped steakonion-Cheez Whiz recipe that has pleased crowds for more than 40 years.
SIMMERING Opening day appears imminent for the long-awaited Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, the Nashville phenom that teased metro Atlantans last year with brief, impactful appearances at summer and fall festivals. Hattie’s will take over an old laundromat near Little Five Points, serving hot chicken in six spice levels, ranging from “Southern” (no heat) to “shut the cluck up” (burn notice). … The legendary Woody’s CheeseSteaks adds a second location near the East Andrews Entertainment district in Buckhead. The chopped steak/onion/Cheez Whiz creations are a 40-plusyear tradition at the original location on Monroe Drive intown. The Buckhead spot will feature an expanded menu, says owner Steven Renner, who took over Woody’s in 2010. …
Fifth Group Restaurant’s footprint grows with South City Kitchen Avalon in the Alpharetta dining/retail development. The fourth South City Kitchen serves its sophisticated, seasonal, Southern food at breakfast, lunch and 38 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
DVAID SANZIG
Fans of Southern style magazine Garden & Gun likely will enjoy a brick-and-mortar experience that is due in spring. The Charleston-based operation plans to open Garden & Gun Club at The Battery Atlanta. Despite the “club” in its name, no membership will be required. Garden & Gun will pour cocktails and serve lunch and dinner. …
dinner daily, and at weekend brunch. Fifth Group also plans to take over the former BrickTop’s space at Peachtree Street and Piedmont Avenue in Buckhead. TOAST Roswell lost Greenwoods on Green Street and Swallow at the Hollow at year’s end, leaving a comfort food void in the neighborhood. Greenwoods had served stick-tothe-ribs Southern classics since 1986; Swallow at the Hollow had smoked ’que since 1999. Bill Greenwood, the man behind both concepts, decided to retire. … Flip Burger Boutique in Buckhead, originally one of three Flip gourmet burger locations in the city, has shut down its fryers. Only the Howell Mill Road restaurant remains. The buzz about the boutique eateries, the brainchild of “Top Chef” master Richard Blais, had been eroding since Blais left Atlanta to pursue projects elsewhere. … Finally, the last cow has left Cowtippers, the iconic Midtown spot that served steaks near Piedmont Park for more than 20 years. News of a January closing prompted a community outcry and a stay of execution. That lasted until mid-February. :: For more Food for Thought, visit the Encore Atlanta website at encoreatlanta.com. Our 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.). Tips? Please email kathy@encoreatlanta.com.
You’ll need to wrap your mouth around oversized creations (top) like this one at Maple Street Biscuit Co. spots in Woodstock and Duluth. Nashville-based Hattie B’s Hot Chicken (above) is opening soon in Little Five Points.
ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 39
THE ENCORE ATLANTA
DINING GUIDE
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A GREAT NIGHT OUT? AMERICAN PACES & VINE — Located in The Vinings Jubilee with classic American comfort food crafted from locally sourced ingredients. Shared plates, fish, steaks. Wine-centric bar with craft cocktails. Weekday lunch, weekend brunch and dinner menus led by Atlanta Chef Kyle Schmidt who comes to Paces & Vine after eight years in Atlanta kitchens King and Duke, JCT Kitchen and No. 246, among others. Lunch, dinner, Saturday and Sunday brunch. Vinings Jubilee, 4300 Paces Ferry Road, 404.205.8255, pacesandvine.com 40 COBBENERGYCENTRE.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.
4300 Paces Ferry Road S.E. Atlanta, GA 30339
call for reservations (404)205-8255 | www.pacesandvine.com
HALF-OFF WINE BOTTLE SUNDAYS Join us Sundays for half-priced bottles of wine! Choose from our extensive wine list and toast to a weekend well spent. Treat yourself!
HOURS
Monday: 11am - 9pm Tuesday-Friday: 11am - 10pm Saturday 10am - 10pm Sunday: 10am - 9pm Limited Bar Menu: 3pm - 5pm Sat/Sun Brunch: 10am - 3pm
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 ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 41
THE ENCORE ATLANTA [COBB COUNTY] DINING GUIDE 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. 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.
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, 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. 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 RIGHT: COPELAND’S OF NEW ORLEANS’ Eggplant Pirogue: fried eggplant slices, au gratin sauce, Gulf shrimp, fresh crab claws served on a bed of angel hair pasta.
42 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
MARK F BAXTER, COPELAND’S OF NEW ORLEANS
SOHO’s Painted Hills short rib tacos, black pepper mustard, caramelized onions, cilantro sauce in potato shell.
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
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
Soho_TAO1511 hp.indd 1
11/3/15 10:42 PM
Celebrating Cobb Energy Centre Patrons and the Arts
The Battery Atlanta | 2605 Circle 75 Pkwy | www.c-ellets.com ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 43
JOIN US BEFORE OR AFTER THE SHOW
ATLANTA
2851 Akers Mill Rd. Atlanta, GA 30339 770-952-5550 cincorestaurants.com
co_CEPAC1710 hp.indd 1
44 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
9/29/17 5:02 A
Marietta’s newest and most unique festival. Be there from the beginning. Join us for M2R Trailfest: a two-day, two-mile celebration of the arts. Enjoy art performances, live music, food trucks, and visual installations throughout the trail, offering an immersive celebration of the arts for all ages.
M2RTRAIL.com
WellStar and Mayo Clinic. Working together. Working for you. As a proud member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, WellStar Health System is even closer to achieving our vision of world-class healthcare. Through this innovative collaboration, WellStar doctors have special access to Mayo Clinic knowledge, expertise and resources while patients continue to receive care delivered right here, close to home. And now with even more WellStar locations working together with Mayo Clinic, you get peace of mind knowing that we are here for you. Innovation. World-class care. WellStar. For more information, please visit wellstar.org/mayo. For physician referral, please call 770-956-STAR (7827).
WellStar Health System, the largest health system in Georgia, is known nationally for its innovative care models, focused on improving quality and access to healthcare. WellStar consists of WellStar Medical Group, 240 medical office locations, outpatient centers, health parks, a pediatric center, nursing centers, hospice, homecare, as well as 11 inpatient hospitals: WellStar Atlanta Medical Center, WellStar Atlanta Medical Center South, WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center (anchored by WellStar Kennestone Hospital), WellStar West Georgia Medical Center, and WellStar Cobb, Douglas, North Fulton, Paulding, Spalding Regional, Sylvan Grove and Windy Hill hospitals. As a not-forprofit, WellStar continues to reinvest in the health of the communities it serves with new technologies and treatments.
We believe in life well-lived.