Dance: Fresh Loaf, Creative Loafing Atlanta

Atlanta Ballet announces 2013-14 season

Andrew Alexander — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:27:00 -0400

"The play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king," Hamlet famously says. For the Atlanta Ballet, the play is certainly the thing for its 2013-14 season.…

Review: Ellisorus Rex shows it takes a village

Andrew Alexander — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 10:21:00 -0500

We here at Creative Loafing love great dance performances almost as much as we love being totally right about something. Luckily, we got a nice dose of both this weekend as Atlanta choreographer Corian Ellisor's new company Ellisorus Rex premiered the work "It takes a village" on the evenings of Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8 and 9, at the Erickson Clock building in Castleberry Hill.…

Review: Atlanta Ballet's "Dracula" lives on

Andrew Alexander — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 10:06:00 -0500

British choreographer Michael Pink seemingly approached Dracula as if he were the first one to ever tell the story. In his 1997 ballet adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, created on the 100th anniversary of that work, Pink managed to bring out all the original's creepiest elements, approaching the enduring myth as if no one had ever told it before, digging down to the primal imagery and universal fears at the story's core - infestation, domination, sexuality, infection, death - that have made the story such a sensation.…

A few questions with Sidra Bell

Andrew Alexander — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:05:00 -0500

New York choreographer Sidra Bell will be among the artists to present work at the second installment of Tanz Farm, Atlanta's newest platform for cutting-edge contemporary dance. Her company will perform the new piece Nudity this weekend, December 14-16, in the Goodson Yard building at the Goat Farm Arts Center alongside new work by Seattle's zoe|juniper, Atlanta's Staibdance and Atlanta composer Klimchak.…

A few questions with the Atlanta Ballet's new Resident Choreographer Helen Pickett

Andrew Alexander — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 08:02:00 -0500

Brooklyn-based artist Helen Pickett, a rising star on the international choreographic scene, was recently selected to be the new Resident Choreographer for the Atlanta Ballet, a three-year commitment that includes a new creation each season. The Atlanta Ballet first got to know Pickett when she choreographed two world premiere works,"Petal" in March of 2011 and "Prayer of Touch" in May of 2012.…

Tanz Farm line-up changes due to severe weather

Andrew Alexander — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:59:00 -0400

A recent feature in Creative Loafing reported on Tanz Farm, the new contemporary dance platform at the Goat Farm Arts Center. Unfortunately, severe weather in the Northeast has forced some last-minute schedule changes to the line-up.…

Two dance shows this weekend mark the last chapter for a Decatur institution

Andrew Alexander — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 12:40:00 -0400

Decatur’s Beacon Hill Arts Center, which has housed dance classes, company rehearsals, and performances in downtown Decatur over the past 25 years, will cease to operate as an arts center at the end of 2012. Two dance companies which currently call the space home—Beacon Dance and Gathering Wild—will perform shows this weekend, marking the end of an era when such companies occupied and thrived in the community space.…

Take a peek inside the cardboard house of "Threshold"

Andrew Alexander — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 07:54:00 -0400

What's it like to build a house made entirely of cardboard? And what motivates someone to put together the "50,000 square feet of cardboard, 100 gallons of glue, 30 artists, 70 volunteers, 2000 hours" (and an average of 50 cups of coffee a day) to make it all happen?

Threshold, a performance that took place August 16-19, 2012, in a house made entirely of cardboard on the campus of Georgia Tech, was one of the most talked about Atlanta dance productions of the year.…

So they think they can dance: The Nicholas Brothers

Gabe Wardell — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 10:59:57 -0400

When Bruce Goldstein—Repertory Programming Director of New York’s Film Forum, editor of its quarterly repertory film calendar, and founder of the classic film distribution company Rialto Pictures—talks, you should listen.

While he's at Emory to screen a show that promises more zingers than tonight's presidential debate: William Castle's camp/horror classic The Tingler as part of the Special Effects series, (Tonight at 7:30 PM in White Hall, not the Plaza at had previously been reported), Mr. Goldstein will stick around tomorrow to deliver a special program showcasing the Nicholas Brothers, a dancing duo largely unknown by contemporary audiences despite their mad acrobatic skills, spellbinding synchronized tap and nut-busting splits bound to make male viewers wince.…

gloATL rehabilitates Maddox Pool for free performances, Sept. 21-22

Andrew Alexander — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:06:00 -0400

An inanimate object can't really tell its own story, but still, it would be fascinating to hear what the pool at Maddox Park might have to say about its life so far. The pool sits in the middle of historic Maddox Park, originally opened in 1931, about a mile and a half west of the Georgia Tech campus.…

The Atlanta Ballet's Wabi Sabi bids summer farewell at the Botanical Garden

Andrew Alexander — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:20:00 -0400

Summer's coming to an end so it's time to get outside and enjoy all the things we love about the season before they totally slip away. Long sunsets, cold cocktails, evenings in the garden, and great outdoor performances are all at the top of our list.…

The late work of German choreographer Pina Bausch to be discussed at free Emory lecture

Andrew Alexander — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:48:00 -0400

Pina Bausch, who died in June of 2009 at the age of 68, was one of the world's most influential and fascinating modern dance artists. Although Atlanta was never lucky enough to host her company, Bausch was recently the subject of the beautiful documentary Pina, lovingly created by her friend and colleague, German filmmaker Wim Wenders: the film played here in early 2012.…

Crossover Movement brings free dance to the BeltLine

Andrew Alexander — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 09:19:00 -0400

Decatur-based dance company Crossover Movement Arts is helping to kick off a new season of Art on the BeltLine with the series' first dance performance this Sunday, September 9, at 6 p.m at the intersection of the Atlanta BeltLine with Allene Avenue SW, near Adair Park. The event is free and open to the public.…

gloATL and the Goat Farm announce 2012-13 season of contemporary performance

Andrew Alexander — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 15:44:00 -0400

Dance company gloATL and the Goat Farm Arts Center announced today the creation of the center's first ever season of contemporary dance performance. The inaugural Tanz Farm will run from September 10, 2012 to May 12, 2013 at the Goat Farm and will include performances by some of the most innovative national and international artists in contemporary dance.…

Hip-hop and ballet unite in "Remove the Ego"

Andrew Alexander — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 10:10:00 -0400

For a long time, Stephanie Cottle wanted to see a show in Atlanta that mixed together the different styles of dance she loved—hip-hop, ballet, contemporary—with live music. After a while it became clear that if she wanted to see it, she would probably have to make it herself.…

Project 7 brings on the "monsters" of dance

Andrew Alexander — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 06:59:00 -0400

Cherrise Wakeham admits that her demanding, athletic style of choreography takes a special type of dancer. "They're monsters," she says of the five dancers who will perform in her company Project 7's up-coming show EquiLIFTrium this weekend.…

gloATL lines up for the Wednesday commute

Andrew Alexander — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 11:13:00 -0400

Atlanta's daily commute is bound to be a little out of the ordinary this Wednesday. Site-specific dance company gloATL will perform at the Lindbergh MARTA station on Wednesday, July 11, beginning at 5:30 p.m.…

Cinderella speaks up in "Conversations with Cinderella"

Andrew Alexander — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 14:01:00 -0400

The performing arts group TheaRadical will present a staged reading of the new musical Conversations with Cinderella this weekend at Georgia State University. The performance combines dance, film, scholarly research, and music in a retelling of the classic fairytale featuring a black princess.…

Atlanta Ballet's Wabi Sabi to perform at the Botanical Garden

Andrew Alexander — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 07:08:00 -0400

The dancers of the Atlanta Ballet will take to the Botanical Garden this Thursday night for "Cocktails in the Garden." As visitors sip cocktails, the dancers of the Ballet's chamber performance group Wabi Sabi will premiere new works at various locations throughout the property.…

Dance Canvas offers free performances at Atlantic Station this weekend

Andrew Alexander — Thu, 31 May 2012 06:21:09 -0400

You love free stuff, art, and parties, right? Then we're pretty sure you'll love a free art party.…

Drawing dance at the Decatur Arts Festival

Andrew Alexander — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:04:53 -0400

Dance will be an integral part of the Decatur Arts Festival this weekend, and what better way to celebrate the whole shebang than by participating in a cool little collaboration between the visual and performing arts?

Friday evening's Artwalk—with twenty participating restaurants, shops, art institutions and galleries hosting free exhibitions in downtown Decatur—kicks off the festival from 5 to 10 pm. During the walk, CORE studios right on the square will host a live drawing event featuring dancers from CORE Performance Company and students from the Art Institute of Atlanta-Decatur.…

KSU Dance Company returns to National College Dance Festival

Adam Carlson — Wed, 23 May 2012 09:40:00 -0400

For the third time in a row, Kennesaw State University’s Dance Company has been invited to perform at the National College Dance Festival. KSU’s Dance Company will perform Rhizome, choreographed by dance program director Ivan Pulinkala.…

Atlanta artists make Dances Made to Order

Andrew Alexander — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:43:00 -0400

We all know how great it is to order, say, a pecan waffle or a plate of fries, but you know what's really awesome to order? A monthly dose of cool, cheap and convenient culture fresh from the internet with a portion of the proceeds going to support local artists.…

Atlanta dancers to collaborate with world-renowned architects Scogin and Elam

Andrew Alexander — Mon, 21 May 2012 08:20:00 -0400

Imagine dancing in a house where the walls, the roof, the floor, and everything from the couch and the kitchen table to the toaster and the doorknobs are entirely made of cardboard. That's the vision that Atlanta dancer Blake Beckham plans to turn into reality this summer

To that end, Beckham has enlisted the help of Atlanta's foremost experts at creating unusual buildings.…

Review: Atlanta Ballet in New Choreographic Voices

Andrew Alexander — Sat, 19 May 2012 09:53:00 -0400

The three short pieces that make up the Atlanta Ballet's New Choreographic Voices are abstract works without specific characters, settings or stories, but nonetheless there's about as much drama on stage as you'd ever want in an evening at the theater. The program, which ends the ballet's 2011-12 season, premiered last night and runs through the weekend at the Alliance.…