"The Princess & the Goblin" Has Come Home

Atlanta was a young city of only 25 years when the children's fantasy novel The Princess and the Goblin was first published in 1872 by English author George MacDonald. Fast-forward 140 years to February 10, 2012, when Atlanta Ballet presented the world premiere of Twyla Tharp's "The Princess & the Goblin", which met with rave reviews.

The Princess & the Goblin has come home to Metro Atlanta, currently being performed by Atlanta Ballet on the same stage as their world premiere, with many dancers reprising their roles. 

Twyla Tharp's The Princess & the Goblin | Atlanta Ballet | Photo: Kim Kenney 

Twyla Tharp's (now 74, living in New York City) "The Princess & the Goblin" was in 2012 co-commissioned by Atlanta Ballet and Canada's Royal Winnepeg Ballet. Today, the piece is being co-produced by both ballet companies.

One significant difference is that instead of Ms. Tharp being on hand to stage the ballet, with Tharp's full blessing, Atlanta Ballet Mistress Sarah Hillmer, who was Tharp's assistant in the 2012 world premiere, has restaged the show, and done so brilliantly! 

Twyla Tharp's The Princess & the Goblin | Atlanta Ballet | Photo: Kim Kenney 

This performance was a delightful surprise. That's to say that it was so much more than I could have even imagined.

The dancing is so enrapturing that I didn't even notice the overall minimalism of the sets—however the sets that were used were breathtaking. Walking to the car, still in a daze at what I'd just seen, I was asking myself, "How did they do that? How did they hold my full attention for 82 minutes?" The answer revealed itself as wholly obvious...it was the dancing! That and that the dancing told a story.   

While I've not read the book, Atlanta Ballet tells the story through the formality of ballet and the emotional expressiveness and wit of modern dance. It's a story unlike most...the Princess is not in need of rescuing, she in fact is courageous and daring, acts with purpose and is determined.

Twyla Tharp's The Princess & the Goblin | Atlanta Ballet | Photo: Charlie McCullers 

In Tharp's version of the classic fantasy tale, Princess Irene (Alessa Rogers) has two sisters, Stella and Blu (Maya Arena and Elise Halkos). The sisters are captured by the Goblins and without the help of her not-at-all-engaged father, King Papa (John Welker), Princess Irene sets off to rescue them herself.

She does get some help along the way, from her new-found commoner friend, Curdie (Benjamin Stone) and her great-great-grandmother (Nadia Mara) through a magical piece of thread. Yes, this is a fantasy tale, but the courage, sisterly love, morals and the reward of helping those in need are indeed prevalent in the story, as is an inevitable happy ending.

"The Princess & the Goblin" was the first full-length ballet in which Twyla Tharp used children. A significant note given that her career at that time spanned 50 years. Tharp uses the child as the driving force and moral heart and soul of the enchanting tale. Most of the central characters, general narrative line and moral themes remain true to the MacDonald's 1872 story.

The world premiere included included 13 child dancers from the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education in West Midtown, as does the 2016 run, with one child reprising her role!

Twyla Tharp's The Princess & the Goblin | Atlanta Ballet | Photo: Kim Kenney 

This show included one of the magnificent opportunities to hear the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra play live for a performance. I don't know what it is about live music accompanying a live stage performance, but when it's as wonderful as our Atlanta Ballet Orchestra, it help brings the story to life, mesmerizing eyes and ears!

While the 2012 world premiere ran over a period of eight days, the restaged version is running for only one weekend, April 15-17, 2016, on the same stage at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. I sincerely hope you've had the opportunity to see Atlanta Ballet perform Twyla Tharp's The Princess & the Goblin this weekend. 

And do check out their other shows throughout the season...they always have something coming up that I am looking forward to with great enthusiasm! Also, keep an eye out for the announcement of this year's Wabi Sabi performances...

Romeo et Juliette

Perhaps the strongest force on the planet—and decidedly the most delicate—love is, of course, the focal point of Shakespeare's timeless story of romance-turned-tragedy, Romeo and Juliette.

I for one, being the (self-proclaimed) romantic that I am, highly recommend seeing Romeo et Juliette at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, on stage now through Valentine's Day.

Maillot's Romeo et Juliette (Photo: Charlie McCullers)

One of the pleasures, hopefully not a disappointment, of writing a personal blog—although I approach it as a service to Atlanta's tourists, visiting and local—is that I can write about something as profound as ballet without having to have the provenance of a classically trained dancer. Sound and resolute enthusiasm and love of the arts drive my writing on such a topic.

With that said, I personally found Jean-Chrostophe Maillot's Romeo et Juliette, as performed by Atlanta Ballet and Atlanta Ballet Orchestra to be delightfully sublime, wonderfully entertaining, and magnificently delivered. 

Maillot's Romeo et Juliette (Photo: Charlie McCullers)

This particular rendition of Romeo et Juliette is delivered in a cinematic format, which I thought was brilliant, being a lover of dance and cinema. 

There were two aspects of the performance that I particularly enjoyed. The magnetism of Christian and Alessa's performances together and the segment that was performed in slow-motion...both are magnificent!

Maillot's Romeo et Juliette (Photo: Charlie McCullers)

The roles of Romeo and Juliette have been reprised by Atlanta Ballet company dancers Christian Clark and Alessa Rogers, respectively. And the communicators at Atlanta Ballet have been kind enough to let us hear from them both on performing their roles:

Christian Clark on Romeo: VIDEO

Alessa Rogers on Juliette: VIDEO

Maillot's Romeo et Juliette (Photo: Kim Kenney)

The purity of the set design and lighting are subtle, to the point of magnifying the dancers' performance. My applause to those designers for such artistry. 

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. I'd not attended a performance there in a while, to my detriment. I'd of course remembered its beauty and thinking that it felt like a contemporary Kennedy Center—a relatively petite version of the amazing Kennedy Center. I quite like the Cobb Energy Centre and I love its Sydney Opera House-esque silhouette. 

Maillot's Romeo et Juliette (Photo: Charlie McCullers)

The evening I was there to see Romeo et Juliette, I and many of the other guests were privy to a public and incredibly touching marriage proposal. She said, "Yes!" 

To those who say seeing Romeo et Juliette during Valentine's season is cliche or corny—and there have been a few of you—I say your heart could be in a sweeter place...and Romeo et Juliette just might help it get there. 

The couple that became engaged that evening now have a wonderful story to tell their children, their grandchildren, their friends and other family...for a lifetime. And a romantic story at that! I say good for them. We should all be so lucky.

You only have a few days left to see this splendid performance of a love story that we all know, performed in a manner we've never seen. Release your inner romantic and get yourselves to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre to see Romeo et Juliette!