Behind the scenes of America’s longest-running ballet company

Recently I was amazed by a collection of inspiring photos; in fact, they can be seen for several more weeks as part of an exhibition at Spalding Nix Fine Art. These intimate photos by Charlie McCullers, Atlanta Ballet’s principal photographer for over twenty years, capture vivid and vulnerable moments of Atlanta Ballet’s professional dancers in rehearsals and backstage.

For those of us in the performing arts, we revel in a stage set for success: the curtain rises, spotlights illuminate moving objects, and all eyes focus on the best dancers in the world. The emotions felt by the dancers performing for the company from our city, the longest continuously operating ballet company in the USA, are accompanied by the reactions of the audience wanting to experience their artistry.

Today, Atlanta Ballet is a leading company in the world of dance – fresh from bringing to life international hits like our world premiere Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Iconco-produced by Hong Kong and Queensland Ballet, to leading the industry in fair compensation for professional artists, to supporting a more diverse future for the art form, to expanding our reach in arts education throughout the region, Atlanta Ballet is on the precipice of a new golden era.

If you haven’t been to the ballet recently, you absolutely must go. Our performances are filled by increasingly large numbers of younger and more diverse audiences. Experience our large-scale production of The Nutcracker at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center this holiday season, complete with intricately designed costumes, gigantic sets, state-of-the-art lighting, immersive video projections, and Tchaikovsky’s iconic score performed live by the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra.

Over the past 65 years, over 1,500,000 audiences have watched Atlanta Ballet perform three different versions of “The Nutcracker,” and today’s families gather to celebrate this annual tradition by watching a thrilling performance choreographed by Yuri Possokhov, worthy of the best stages in the world . Moreover, a year after its premiere in Atlanta, it was invited to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in our nation’s capital and received enthusiastic reviews.

Atlanta Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” a leading holiday artistic tradition, is an opportunity for students of our Dance Education Center to showcase their talents. Over the past 65 years, over 150,000 local children have acted as party animals, soldiers, chickens and mice – performing alongside professional dancers from around the world. This experience builds their ability to concentrate and discipline, healthy habits and coordination, and most importantly, self-confidence and self-esteem. The thrill of performing on a professional stage with world-class artists and the feeling of applause that the performance always evokes is a rare gift for a young person.

At Atlanta Ballet, our mantra is: “Dance for All!” Dance is a universal expression of joy. We all dance, on a small scale, with family and friends, and at events throughout our lives.

Have any of you ever wanted to try your hand at dancing? It’s never too early or too late! We encourage people of all ages to break the fourth wall and pursue their interests to take the next step into the world of dance.

In 1996, Atlanta Ballet opened the Dance Education Center to nurture young dancers and provide adults with the opportunity to express their creativity. Our Dance Education Center offers classes ranging from Tiny Dancer and Me, which teaches locomotion at age 2, to Silver Swans, a beginner-friendly dance program for adults 55+, designed exclusively for those who want to learn the art of ballet as an adult. . Atlanta Ballet’s roots are deeply rooted in the Atlanta community and continue to play a key role in the city’s cultural development and revitalization.

And for those whose talents do not include tutus, there are countless volunteer opportunities within the context of our arts organization! For example, “Corps de Ballet” is a group of dedicated individuals who support our mission through advocacy, volunteering and fundraising. Group members get an inside look at what it takes to create world-class performances. “En Pointe Society” supports the continued success of our institution by cultivating the next generation of ballet patrons through advocacy and exclusive events. Membership is open to dynamic young professionals aged 21 to 40 with a passion for dance and provides specialized benefits and experiences throughout the season.

Like photographer Charlie McCullers’ famous still lifes of ballet artists in action, beneath the surface of our organization lies tremendous motivation and purpose.

Founded in 1929, Atlanta Ballet is one of the nation’s premier dance companies and the official state ballet of Georgia. After 95 seasons, Atlanta Ballet continues its commitment to sharing and educating audiences about the empowering joy of dance. To discover top talent, Artistic Director Gennadi Nedvigin, Sharon Story, Dean of the Atlanta Ballet Center for Dance Education, and their teams travel the world to create an outstanding company worthy of any major city. Our hard-working staff, group of dancers, orchestra members and artistic staff can strive to keep things looking sleek and smooth at all times, but we can’t do it all alone as we see our program’s second century on the horizon.

As Georgia ranks last in arts funding per capita, we must support institutions like Atlanta Ballet and push for more resources to support and sustain major arts and cultural entities and events. It’s more important than ever to get involved now and we’d love for you to see us up close!

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