"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...

Wabi Sabi One More Time...

I want to encourage you to attend the next and final performances of the year by Atlanta Ballet's touring Wabi Sabi. The photos in this post are of a Wabi Sabi performance I attended this past summer at the High Museum of Art, which is where they'll again be performing on Friday, November 6 at 7:00 p.m., among the museum's Los Trompos exhibition!

Atlanta Ballet's Wabi Sabi | High Museum of Art

On this particular evening, Atlanta Ballet's Wabi Sabi multi-performance program began with Heath Gill-choreographed IDYLL, which I'd seen earlier in the year at the Atlanta Botanical Garden—the site where I saw Atlanta Ballet perform in advance of seeing them on stage for the very first time.

Atlanta Ballet's Wabi Sabi | High Museum of Art

It was awesome to see the same performance at a different venue, which of course made it not the same at all. That's one of the beauties of Wabi Sabi...it brings ballet into the community, at various venues throughout the Atlanta area, each a unique experience away from the classic stage.

Atlanta Ballet's Wabi Sabi | High Museum of Art

While the regular season's opening show—Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker—is performed at the Fox Theatre in downtown Atlanta, their home is at the magnificent Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. I've often thought its interior to resemble a contemporary Kennedy Center.

Atlanta Ballet's Wabi Sabi | High Museum of Art

The above photo (and the next three) is from Sarah Hillmer-choreographed "between", a high-energy, beautiful, romantic performance by Atlanta Ballet dancers Alexandre Barros, Nadia Mara, Miguel Angel Montoya, Lydia Redpath and John Welker.

Atlanta Ballet's Wabi Sabi | High Museum of Art

There are so many reasons to fall in love with Atlanta Ballet...one performance and you're hooked! It's one of those arts that captures imaginations and allures the least suspecting future fan. It's that strongly appealing an expression of the story of humanity. Am I over romanticizing ballet? I think not.

Atlanta Ballet's Wabi Sabi | High Museum of Art

I was incredibly impressed with how elegant and powerful this performance was given the heat of Atlanta summers! All Atlanta Ballet performances I've had the privilege of experiencing have been magnificent, and I find myself beaming with excitement that a performance that is subject to Mother Nature and the draw of other summer attractions still draws a massive, enthusiastic crowd!

Atlanta Ballet's Wabi Sabi | High Museum of Art

Wabi Sabi is a program of Atlanta Ballet that features a series off-campus performances...they bring the art of ballet into the community. It was founded more than 10 years ago by Atlanta Ballet danceur John Welker, entering his 21st season with Atlanta Ballet! That's John pictured above with Nadia Mara, entering her 10th season with Atlanta Ballet, another of my favorite dancers.

Atlanta Ballet's Wabi Sabi | High Museum of Art

This particular Wabi Sabi performance was performed at various outdoor vistas on the High Museum of Art campus, but the dancing stories above the lawn was unexpected and spectacular!

Atlanta Ballet's 2015-2016 season opens with Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker, one of Atlanta's beloved traditions, on December 11 and will run through December 27 on stage at the iconic Fox Theatre.

Atlanta Ballet's Wabi Sabi | High Museum of Art

The coming season looks spectacular! Having seen every show in their 2014-2015 season—an absolutely magnificent experience—I do believe I'm most looking forward to the upcoming Moulin Rouge The Ballet show the most! As the most famous cabaret in history, you know the ballet is going to be fantastic, especially as performed by Atlanta Ballet!

I'm quite passionate here...if you've not seen Atlanta Ballet, you're in for a magnificent experience when you do. And I love their range of classic to contemporary style.

Los Trompos | Sifly Plaza | High Museum of Art

Mark your calendars and be sure you see the season's final Atlanta Ballet Wabi Sabi performance at the High Museum of Art in Sifly Plaza among their Los Trompos exhibition, pictured above.

And check out the 2015-2016 Atlanta Ballet season!

(The photos in this post were all captured by me and the opinions in this post are all my own expression. A great many of the Wabi Sabi performances are free to the public, as was this one.)

10 Reasons & 10 Ways to Support Atlanta Ballet

A new love affair is always exciting. Especially when it's one that has developed over the years. 

Although I've been a fan of dance all my life—you should have seen me in the 80s and 90s—looking back, even I was surprised to realize that I've attended three Atlanta Ballet performances since December. Each was unique and absolutely thoroughly magnificent. I've always admired dance—in its many forms—but I can now say that I'm a true fan, a love affair of sorts, of ballet. With a particular zeal for Atlanta Ballet. 

In December, my best friend treated me to Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker. In February I treated myself to Romeo et Juliette—Gold Section seats!—and just last month, Atlanta Ballet treated me to the world premiere of Camino Real. Already I can hardly wait for the next performance!

Atlanta Ballet | Camino Real | Photo: Kim Kenney

10 REASONS TO SUPPORT ATLANTA BALLET

In a relatively brief period of time, the dancers, choreographers, costumer designers, performance venues, administration and marketing (my apologies to anyone I left out) have made me a major fan of Atlanta Ballet and I'd like to share with you a few reason you may want to join me in supporting them. In no particular order...

1. Opening Night!

Atlanta Ballet knows how to do Opening Night! And a Red Carpet Opening Night is a fantastic experience. Most recently I attended Opening Night of Camino Real with my dear friend Nancy and our pre-show and intermission experience at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre was magnificent.

Pre-show and intermission entertainment varies from show to show, but in my brief experience it includes a DJ spinning lively music, dance performances, specialty cocktails, there's a gift shop, usually more than one private reception going on, and when attending Romeo et Juliette in February, I and hundreds of others were witness to a proposal of marriage. She said, "Yes!" 

Atlanta Ballet | Camino Real | Photo: Kim Kenney

2. Camino Real

"Pickett had debuted her first full-length work, a daunting challenge with dramatic narrative based on a difficult play. A well-tuned collaboration between Pickett, composer Peter Salem, set designers David Finn and Emma Kingsbury, and costume designer Sandra Woodall, Camino is one of the most unusual and original dance collaborations the company has ever produced." - ArtsATL

Cynthia Bond Perry's ArtsATL review of Camino Real is particularly well-written, especially for an audience that follows dance. I invite you to read it in its entirety. I definitely agree with her use of the word "unusual", for it was that indeed. But in the most wonderful of ways. For the skeptics who envision taking a nap at the ballet...not going to happen at a performance of Camino Real! It's incredibly mesmerizing.

Atlanta Ballet | Camino Real | Photo: Charlie McCullers

3.  Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker

Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker has been a favorite tradition for many since 1995. 

And for many young Atlantan's (and us older one's too), it was a first experience of Nutcracker, a first experience of The Fox Theatre, and a first experience of Atlanta Ballet, perhaps even the first time seeing a ballet!

I can't even imagine Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker not being part of all the spectacular holiday offerings Atlanta has to offer, especially one this special. I've met people who have seen it many, many times and others who have wanted to see it for years. I'm well on my way to being in the first group and if you're in the latter group, I hope you'll remedy that this December.





4. Atlanta Ballet Orchestra

If you're a fan of live music performances—a great majority of Atlantans are—then you're in for quite the treat. The Atlanta Ballet Orchestra performs live every performance. I wish we saw more of them, but we do have the opportunity to express our gratitude with applause—and I encourage you to applaud loudly!

Atlanta Ballet has deep roots in live music. In fact, in 1946 the Company became the first in the nation to help fund a symphony by donating that season's proceeds to the Atlanta Youth Symphony, which later became the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

For this year’s world premiere of Camino Real, the Company commissioned an original score. It was new for the composer, the orchestra, the choreographer, the dancers and it was new for the delighted audiences who attended that world premiere weekend.

I've never heard anything like it—quite likely because there is nothing like it—and it was remarkable! Congratulations to all who created and brought the score to life.

5. They're Environmentally Responsible

The Michael C. Carlos Dance Centre, Atlanta Ballet headquarters, was designed and constructed to pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council, the Centre achieved LEED-Gold certification when it opened in 2010.

Even more impressive, Atlanta Ballet is the only arts organization in the country whose headquarters has LEED-Gold certification, the second highest achievement for LEED certification! I would even suggest that Atlanta Ballet was a pioneer among Atlanta organizations to adopt such a strong sustainability stance so early.

At 55,000 square feet, the West Midtown headquarters is twice the size of its former location and only the sixth location in the Company's more than 85 year history. The facility houses five (5) full size dance studios, a physical therapy suite, a student library, a massive costume shop, nearly 8,000 square feet of office space, a full-service box office and a LOT more! Impressive doesn't begin to describe it.

Atlanta Ballet | Camino Real | Photo: Kim Kenney

6. Heath Gill

Atlanta Ballet danseur Heath Gill is the one company member I've seen perform more than any other. Between Wabi Sabi performances, Nutcracker at The Fox Theatre and performances at Cobb Energy Center, I've lost count of how many times I've seen him. There's comfort in familiarity, of course, but Heath's love for what he does shows in his performance. That I admire.

The Atlanta Ballet company dancers range in experience from debut season to 20th season! And they represent a vast array of experience and quite a few countries. The breadth of possibilities for what to expect from this compilation of talent is practically infinite. It's wonderfully exciting is what it is!





7. Nadia Mara

During the press preview for Camino Real, Nadia Mara was a mere few feet away from me—they were running scenes for us in the main dance studio, with mid-construction sets in place—that was pretty cool. 

Nadia gave a performance of an intoxicated young lady unlike anything I've ever seen on a Hollywood big screen. On film, she'd be an Oscar-winning actress, but I'm quite happy to be able to see her perform live as a heart-winning ballerina.






8. Set Design & Fabrication

The set for Camino Real was designed and fabricated at Atlanta Ballet's West Midtown headquarters. I had the awesome opportunity to see those sets mid-fabrication during a press preview about two weeks before opening night.

Check this out...when they moved to West Midtown, they built their main dance studio to scale of the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center stage, where the Atlanta Ballet is a resident company. So, you can imagine just how much that facilitates rehearsals, as well as set design.

Atlanta Ballet | Camino Real, Set Fabrication | Photo: Kim Kenney

9. Costume Design and Fabrication

Costumes for Camino Real, being a world premier, were designed, by Sandra Woodall, and fabricated at the Atlanta Ballet campus. You should see their Costume Shop! It's the size of a department store...a mesmerizing and magical place. 

I've had the pleasure of seeing the Costume Shop twice...once four years ago at a networking event and again recently. It's still a treasure trove of ensembles that will evoke a flood of marvelous memories. There are many, many shows represented in that majestic closet!  

Atlanta Ballet | Camino Real Costume Concept | Photo: Atlanta Ballet

10. You're Supporting Someone's Dream

We all have aspirations and that one dream career that we're either in or working toward. Believe me when I tell you that it takes more than a village to produce and perform even one Atlanta Ballet show. By supporting Atlanta Ballet, you're supporting the dreams of dancers, choreographers, musicians, engineers, costume designers, facility managers, marketing professionals, set designers...the list goes on and on!

And please have a look at what they're doing at their multi-campus Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education!

Atlanta Ballet | Camino Real | Photo: Charlie McCullers

10 WAYS TO SUPPORT ATLANTA BALLET

Please allow me to share a few ways that you can support Atlanta Ballet. Some of these are obvious, but oftentimes the obvious eludes us or we forget by time we're in a place to take action. So, I offer these these as inspiration, or at the very least may they serve as reminders. In no particular order...

• See a performance
• "Coordinate a group outing
• Like" Atlanta Ballet's Facebook page
• Purchase a subscription
• Take a class
• Volunteer
• Attend the Atlanta Ballet Ball
• Attend a Wabi Sabi performance
• Get a job
• Join a summer program

I encourage you to pick at least one—or turn the whole list into a checklist!—and have fun supporting the performing arts and Atlanta Ballet. 

How will I support Atlanta Ballet, you ask? I will continue to attend performances, I'll continue to share their magnificence on Social Media, and I've always wanted to learn how to tap dance, so don't be surprised if one day I share of video of my inaugural dance recital, the result of classes offered through Atlanta Ballet!

In case you missed it, here's a look at the one-of-a-kind, totally mesmerizing performance that I hope is a show that will tour the world, Camino Real...





One last thing. It means a lot to me, and I think most would agree, to see Atlanta Ballet embrace and demonstrate their Mission Statement:

To enrich the human spirit through dance; inspire through performance and empower through education, while building on the rich legacy of the art of dance.

Well, it's now after midnight and tonight is Opening Night of The Best of Modern Choreographic Voices, three ballets in one performance! It's at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center through Sunday, so get your tickets now. 

I'll see you at the ballet!