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MARQUEE MAY-JUNE 2018
6 Swing Your Razor High, Sweeney
By Judith Schonbak
UPCOMING SHOWS 10 Atlanta Ballet: Bach to Broadway
COREY WEAVER
FEATURE 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
May 11-13 | 8 p.m.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Adriean Childree adriean@encoreatlanta.com
12 The Atlanta Opera: Sweeney Todd
AMP CREATIVE
June 9-17
14 A Conversation With President Bill Clinton
EDITOR Kathy Janich kathy@encoreatlanta.com
June 13| 7:30 p.m.
PRODUCTION MANAGER Mark F Baxter mark.baxter@encoreatlanta.com
15 POD Tours America
DIGITAL MANAGER Ian Carson ian.carson@encoreatlanta.com
June 21 | 7 p.m.
16 An Evening With Bill Maher June 23 | 8 p.m.
18 Lea Michele and Darren Criss June 29 | 8 p.m.
20 Upcoming Events
DEPARTMENTS 4 5 19
Welcome Theater Information Venue Staff | ArtsBridge Foundation Staff Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority Leadership | ArtsBridge Foundation 21 ArtsBridge donors 24 Dining Guide
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kathy Janich, Therra Gwyn Jaramillo, Judith Schonbak ENCORE ATLANTA is published monthly by American Media Products Inc. PRESIDENT Tom Casey CHAIRPERSON Diane Casey TREASURER Kristi Casey Sanders SECRETARY Evan Casey CONTROLLER Suzzie Gilham
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Southern is Served
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WELCOME
TO COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE Dramatic operas, a trio of ballets, a presidential visit, no-holds-barred political discourse and irreverent observational humor are among the highlights of shows that await you in May and June. Earlier this month, in The Atlanta Opera’s Carmen, the fiery title character worked her magic with the help of Bizet’s popular score. In June, the opera — a Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre resident company — returns with its first-ever staging of the deliciously dark and twisty Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Our other resident company, Atlanta Ballet, closes its 17/18 season in May with the three-piece Bach to Broadway. Two pieces are danced to the music of George Gershwin and Bach; the third is a world premiere. Join us for a special evening when former President Bill Clinton talks about his first novel, the thriller The President Is Missing, co-written with best-selling author James Patterson. Pod Save America is on tour with a quartet of solidly left-leaning political insiders sharing wide-open commentary on current events. Then Bill Maher, an Atlanta favorite, returns with his no-one-is-spared jabs and musings on contemporary America. ArtsBridge has ended its field trips for the season with another increase in attendance, and the staff is already preparing a full schedule in 2018/19. Look for them in the fall. Meanwhile, ArtsBridge hosts master classes with cast members from the Broadway in Atlanta touring companies of Hamilton and The Book of Mormon. It also holds a Director’s Bootcamp for metro educators and directors. For more, visit ArtsBridgeGA.org. This issue’s feature story focuses on opera singer Michael Mayes, who plays the title role in Sweeney Todd. Mayes tells Marquee how he creates in himself the wronged barber bent on revenge. Read about all of the May/June shows in this issue, too. For updated schedules, visit cobbenergycentre.com. And … it’s here! Our first Signature Series subscription program is being launched for the 2018/19 season. Subscriptions go on sale May 18. A package includes ticket discounts on four to six shows and lets you choose your favorite seats before tickets go on sale to the public. It also includes perks on parking and concessions. Your choices include Shaken & Stirred — Feinstein & Friends, Dance Theatre of Harlem, The Sound of Music, Kristin Chenoweth, the Temptations and the Four Tops, and The Lightening Thief. Stay tuned for more details and an expanded list of available shows. As always, for updates on everything happening at your Cobb Energy Centre, visit cobbenergycentre.com. Thank you so much for your ongoing support. See you at the theater. Sandie Aaron Managing Director 4 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | 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.
• This policy applies to The Atlanta Opera and Atlanta Ballet only: 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.
ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
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COREY WEAVER
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“I find the nooks, crannies and cracks in that person,” says singer Michael Mayes of creating a character like Sweeney Todd. “Then fill them in with those things we have in common, drawn from my own experiences.”
SWING YOUR
RAZOR HIGH, SWEENEY! By Judith Schonbak
DRAMATIC TALES TOLD IN OPERA and musical theater have brought us the tragic deaths of heroes, heroines, innocents and villains alike. Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd is no exception, save for the number of people who meet their end at the end of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street’s razor. You may know the macabre story that dates to Victorian England. A barber named Benjamin Barker, long imprisoned in Australia on bogus charges, returns to London to find his wife, his daughter and exact his revenge. He finds instead one Mrs. Lovett, who bakes undesirable meat pies but has managed to save his barbering tools. She recognizes him and keeps his confidence. He sets up shop above her meat-pie emporium and waits to use his ever-sharp blade on the throats of those he considers hypocrites. ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
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Sweeney Todd is dark, but it’s not all horror and tragedy. Even Todd has moments when he, uh, cuts up. Consider a lyric from “A Little Priest,” in which Todd and Mrs. Lovett discuss whether to turn the corpses they’ve acquired into savory meat pies. MRS. LOVETT Since marine doesn’t appeal to you, how about … rear admiral? TODD Too salty. I prefer general.
To play Todd, The Atlanta Opera has cast baritone Michael Mayes, probably best known in opera circles for his intense portrayal of Joseph De Rocher in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking. Atlanta Opera stages that piece — among the most-performed 21stcentury American operas — next season. Mayes says he digs deep to make Todd believable, a process he goes through with every role. Once he establishes that framework, he pushes for nuance. “I find the nooks, crannies and cracks in that person,” Mayes says, “then fill them in with those things we have in common, drawn from my own experiences in life.” Mayes grew up in a fundamentalist Christian family in the East Texas town of Cut and Shoot (population today: 1,290), where pretty much everything seemed black and white.
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COREY WEAVER
MRS. LOVETT With, or without his privates? With is extra.
Performing has made him more empathetic, he says. Creating characters has shown him that people have prisms, and dimensions. Playing someone like Todd or De Rocher is draining but has a cathartic upside. “We get to step out of ourselves and can say and do things onstage that would get us arrested if we did them on the street.” Mayes plays nice guys, too, and has throughout his 20-year career, one he describes as a long ascent with plateaus along the way. He also ponders the stability and paycheck he might enjoy if not for three broken fingers. Mayes played linebacker on his high school football team and, at an inopportune moment, broke three fingers. That made it impossible for him to take a typing class, and he opted for choir. A door opened. Music wasn’t exactly new to him, though. Mayes grew up surrounded by shape-note singing, piano, guitar, banjo, mandolin, dobro and traditional bluegrass sounds. Plenty of Opry but not a hint of opera. Family and church steeped him in country and gospel music, and Cut and Shoot’s Longhorn Saloon regularly hosted gigs by Texas musicians. “I experienced singing for the pure joy of it,” he says, recalling how his father taught him to harmonize along with the radio. That joy remains, as does a love of storytelling. Both make opera a fortuitous fit. His true passion, Mayes says, is modern America opera. “I consider it opera with a social conscience.” He’s played characters dealing with the death penalty, for instance, or post-traumatic stress disorder or the Holocaust. These English-sung operas, he says, can reach people directly and change lives.
ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
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ATLANTA BALLET: BACH TO BROADWAY | May 11-13
A
tlanta Ballet closes its 2017/18 season with three works — including a world premiere — all accompanied by the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra. Who Cares?, a salute to Manhattan, is described as a piece “teeming with the energy of the City That Never Sleeps.” This company premiere features choreography by George Balanchine, often called the father of American ballet, and the music of George Gershwin. Gershwin (1898-1937) may be best known for the orchestral compositions Rhapsody in Blue (1924) and An American in Paris (1928), as well as the contemporary opera Porgy and Bess (1935). The title Who Cares? originated with a song in George and Ira Gershwin’s 1931 Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Of Thee I Sing. When New York City Ballet performed Who Cares? in 1970, the Gershwin tunes “Clap Yo’ Hands,” “The Man I Love,” “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” and “I Got Rhythm” were all part of the score.
The New York Times called the piece “a carefree ballet that will send people out humming.” Atlanta Ballet also will dance 7 for Eight, choreographed by San Francisco Ballet’s Helgi Tommasson, and the world premiere of Concerto Armonico by Mariinsky Theatre’s Maxim Petrov. 7 for Eight is said to evoke Balanchine with choreography that intertwines eight dancers with the music of seven Bach movements. A powerful musical score, meanwhile, drives Concerto Armonico. Petrov’s choreography is done to a score for harmonica and orchestra, a concerto composed by Russian-born Alexander Tcherepnin. This Atlanta Ballet performance of Concerto Armonico marks Petrov’s North American choreographic debut.
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CHARLIE MCCULLERS
GERSHWIN, ‘7 FOR EIGHT’ & A WORLD PREMIERE
Supported by:
May 11-13, 2018 Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Live with the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Gennadi Nedvigin CONDUCTOR Tara Simoncic 7 for Eight Music by Johann Sebastian Bach Choreography by Helgi Tomasson Staging by Anita Paciotti Costume Design by Sandra Woodall Lighting Design by David Finn Shirley Irek, Pianist Select 7 for Eight Costumes Courtesy of San Francisco Ballet Who Cares? Music by George Gershwin Choreography by George Balanchine* Staging by Judith Fugate Costume Design by David Heuvel Lighting Design by Joseph R. Walls Scenic Design by Kay Barrell Costumes & Scenery Courtesy of Ballet West *© The George Balanchine Trust Concerto Armonico Music by Alexander Tcherepnin Choreography by Maxim Petrov Costume Design by Tatyana Noginova Lighting Design by Konstonatin Binkin Scenic Design by Anastasia Aleshenko & Sergey Zhdanov Robert Bonfiglio, Harmonica Soloist The performance of Who Cares?, a Balanchine© Ballet, is presented by arrangement with The George Balanchine Trust and has been produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style© and Balanchine Technique© Service standards established and provided by the Trust.
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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 Alexander, Atlanta Ballet Founder, 1929-1960 Robert Barnett, Artistic Director Emeritus, 1961-1994 John McFall, Artistic Director, 1994-2016
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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.
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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.
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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 full-length 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.
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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. I-6 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
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.
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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. I-8 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 TARA SIMONCIC (Conductor) frequently works with symphony orchestras as well as opera and ballet companies in America and abroad. Ms. Simoncic served as music director of Ballet West from 2015-18 and is a frequent guest conductor with the New York City Ballet and the Louisville Ballet. She recently made her conducting debut with the Ballet at Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ms. Simoncic is principal conductor of the Flexible Orchestra in New York City and music director of the Greenwich Symphony’s Young People’s Concerts. In addition to her work in the United States, she has conducted performances of Don Giovanni in Trieste, Italy, and The Barber of Seville with the Slovenian National Opera Ballet Theatre. She holds a B.M. in trumpet performance from the New England Conservatory, a M.M. in orchestral conducting from Northwestern University and a Professional Studies Diploma in conducting from the Manhattan School of Music. HELGI TOMASSON (Choreographer, 7 for Eight) is the artistic director and principal choreographer at San Francisco Ballet. He is regarded as one of the supreme classical dancers of his generation. His uncompromising commitment to classicism remains his preoccupation as a choreographer, teacher and coach; it is the foundation of SF Ballet School’s training. Helgi began his ballet training in Iceland, his birthplace, then continued his studies at Denmark’s Pantomime Theatre and at George Balanchine’s School of
American Ballet in New York. He joined the Joffrey Ballet in 1961; two years later he became a member of Harkness Ballet. Over the next six years, he became one of that company’s most celebrated dancers. In 1969, Helgi entered the first International Ballet Competition in Moscow and returned to the United States with the silver medal. The following year, Balanchine invited him to join New York City Ballet as a principal dancer. He established himself as one of ballet’s consummate artists there — a dancer of technical purity, poetic grace, musicality and intelligence. Helgi left the stage in 1985, when he became artistic director of SF Ballet. He brought a gift for choreographing and teaching, a dynamic vision and the pursuit of excellence. Under his guidance, SF Ballet has achieved recognition as one of the finest ballet companies in the world. Helgi expects no less from SF Ballet School, which he believes is central to the company’s life and evolution. Training at the school is designed to develop the qualities that Tomasson feels are essential to professional dancers: strong classical technique, musicality, coordination, dedication, a commitment to the art form and a joy of dancing. ANITA PACIOTTI (Stager, 7 for Eight), a native of Oakland, Calif., Anita was an original member of the Oakland Ballet. She studied ballet at San Francisco Ballet School and joined the company in 1968, where she performed leading roles in such
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ballets as Sir Frederick Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée and George Balanchine’s Serenade, Symphony in C and The Four Temperaments. In 1987, Paciotti was appointed principal character dancer and the role of Carabosse in Tomasson’s The Sleeping Beauty was created on her, as was the role of Nurse in Tomasson’s Romeo & Juliet. Paciotti has staged ballets by David Bintley, James Kudelka, Jerome Robbins (In the Night and Afternoon of a Faun) and Yuri Possokhov (Firebird for Atlanta Ballet’s 16/17 season). Biography courtesy of San Francisco Ballet. SANDRA WOODALL (Costume Designer, 7 for Eight) has contributed scenic and costume designs to San Francisco Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, Georgian National Ballet, the Norwegian National Ballet, the State Opera Ballet of Austria, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Houston Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Project, Singapore Dance Theatre, National Ballet of Finland and other companies around the world. Her artwork has been shown in solo exhibitions at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Conn.; the San Francisco Museum of Performance and Design; and in such group exhibitions as 2011’s Wearable Art in Hong Kong. In 1999 and 2000, she was a Fulbright scholar teaching at what is now the Taiwan National University of the Arts (TNUA). She has designed many productions in Taiwan and China, including 2009’s opening pageant for the Deaf Olympics; scenic designs for the 100th anniversary of Taiwan National Day; scenic and costume design for Winter Journey by Wan Fang, directed by Stan Lai in Beijing; and scenic and costume designs for the entire opening season of Theatre Above in Shanghai. Ms. Woodall is designing the new Nutcracker for Atlanta Ballet, premiering in December 2018. DAVID FINN (Lighting Designer, 7 for Eight) began his career at age 16 working for puppeteer Burr Tillstrom and “Kukla, Fran & Ollie.” David’s previous work with Atlanta Ballet includes The Four Seasons, Classical Symphony, The Exiled and Camino Real (also scenic design). His dance work includes The Nutcracker (Birmingham Royal Ballet), Romeo & Juliette (Paris Opera Ballet), Swan Lake (The Royal Ballet and Bayerisches Staatsballett) and works for choreographers Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, Sasha Waltz, Merce Cunningham, James Kudelka, José Limón, Liam Scarlett and Dana Reitz. David also was resident lighting designer for Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project (1993-2000). His opera work includes projects for the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera, Paris Opera, La Scala Milan, Salzburg Festival, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Berlin Staatsoper, La Monnaie, Dutch Nationale Opera, Stuttgart Opera, Opera Australia, Canadian Opera Company and San Francisco Opera. For film, Finn consulted on Martin Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence and directed the PBS
documentary The Green Monster. David designed Zed (Tokyo) and Michael Jackson One (Las Vegas) for Cirque du Soleil. Future plans include Atlanta Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Anna Karenina for the Joffrey Ballet, The Crucible for the Scottish Ballet and The Flying Dutchman for the Metropolitan Opera. SHIRLEY IREK (Pianist, 7 for Eight) was born in Croatia and educated at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto, the California Institute of the Arts and The Julliard School. She gave her solo debut at age 5, performing for the prime minister of Canada, and made her orchestral debut at age 7, performing the Mozart Concerto K.488 with Toronto Chamber Orchestra. While at Juilliard, she won an annual concerto competition and performed the Mozart Concerto K. 482 at Lincoln Center. At graduation, she received the highest honor for pianists, the first Van Cliburn Award for outstanding achievement among pianists. Her love for chamber music and two-piano repertoire has taken her throughout Europe, Africa and Asia for performances. Shirley moved to Atlanta in 1996 and is the proud mother of two and the proud teacher of many students in her Buckhead studio, where she enjoys sharing her passion for music. She has performed with Atlanta Ballet several times and is happy to perform these beautiful sonatas with the company. GEORGE BALANCHINE (Choreographer, Who Cares?) (Jan. 22, 1904-April 30, 1983) transformed the world of ballet and is widely regarded as the most influential choreographer of the 20th century. He co-founded two of the ballet’s most important institutions: New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet. Balanchine was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1904, studied at the Imperial Ballet School in St. Petersburg, and danced with Maryinsky Theatre Ballet Company, where he began choreographing short works. In the summer of 1924, Balanchine left the newly formed Soviet Union for Europe, where impresario Serge Diaghilev invited him to join the Ballet Russes. For that company, Balanchine choreographed his first important ballets: Apollo (1928) and Prodigal Son (1929). After Ballet Russes dissolved following Diaghilev’s death in 1929, Balanchine spent a few years on various projects in Europe, and then formed his own company, Les Ballets 1933, in Paris. There, he met American arts connoisseur Lincoln Kirstein, who persuaded him to come to the United States. In 1934, the pair founded the School of American Ballet, which remains in operation to this day, training students for companies around the world. Balanchine’s first U.S. ballet, Serenade, is set to music by Tchaikovsky and was created for SAB students. It premiered on June 9, 1934, on the grounds of an estate in White Plains, N.Y. The company eventually was renamed New York City Ballet, and Balanchine served as its ballet master until his death in 1983, building it into one of the
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most important performing arts institutions in the world and a cornerstone of the cultural life of New York City. He choreographed 425 works over the course of 60-plus years, and his musical choices ranged from Tchaikovsky (a favorite composer) and Stravinsky (his compatriot and friend) to Gershwin (who embodied the choreographer’s love of America). Many of Balanchine’s works are considered masterpieces and are performed by ballet companies worldwide. JUDITH FUGATE (Répétiteur, Who Cares?) is a former principal ballerina with the New York City Ballet and has danced roles in virtually every ballet in the NYCB repertoire with partners Peter Martins, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Nikolaj Hübbe. She toured extensively during her career with groups led by such renowned artists as Baryshnikov, Martins and Cynthia Gregory. She works now as répétiteur for the George Balanchine Trust and the Jerome Robbins Rights Trust, staging these renowned choreographers’ works worldwide. She also directs Ballet N.Y., a small contemporary ballet company based in NYC, with her husband, Medhi Bahiri. It is a company of accomplished dancers that has performed not only in New York City but has also toured the United States, Canada and Mexico. Visit balletny.org. DAVID HEUVEL (Costume Designer, Who Cares?) is costume production director for Ballet West and has been associated with that company since 1979, originally joining Ballet West at the request of then-artistic director Bruce Marks. Previously, he was chief costumer for ballet at P.A.C.T. in South Africa. He left Ballet West for a freelance career in 1989 and returned in 1998. Mr. Heuvel has designed and built costumes for national and international ballet companies including Ballet du Nord, Universal Ballet, Singapore Ballet, Carolina Ballet, Washington Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Arizona Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Richmond Ballet and, of course, Ballet West. JOSEPH R. WALLS (Lighting Designer, Who Cares?) 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 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. Upcoming projects include Sundance’s production of Oklahoma! www.jwallsdesign.com KAY BARRELL (Scenic Designer, Who Cares?)
began as a professional dance designer in 1967 and has never slowed down. He began with Repertory Dance Theatre when modern dance was at its peak. After 17 years of touring, he was hired in 1985 at Ballet West. In 24 years there, he worked with every artistic director in the company’s history — Willam Christensen, Bruce Marks, John Hart, Jonas Kage and Adam Sklute. Kay produced and lit dance in every state, from tiny to giant venues, including six trip to the Kennedy Center. He has designed in Europe, Canada and South America. After 51 years in the dance business, he may be slowing down a bit. MAXIM PETROV (Choreographer, Concerto Armonico) graduated from Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in 2012 and joined the Mariinsky Ballet the same year. In April 2014, as part of the Creative Workshop of Young Choreographers at the Mariinsky Theatre, he presented the one-act ballet Cinema to music by Erik Satie. He also provided choreography for the operas War and Peace (directed by Graham Vick, 2014); The Golden Cockerel (directed by Anna Matison, 2015); and Samson et Dalila (directed by Yannish Kokkos, 2016). At the Creative Workshop of Young Choreographers in 2015, he presented the one-act piece Ballet No. 2 to music by Alexander Tsfasman (Jazz Suite), which subsequently entered the Mariinsky Theatre’s repertoire. June 2015 saw the premiere of the ballet Le Divertissement du roi, created for Igor Kolb to music by Jean-Philippe Rameau. In April 2016, as part of the Creative Workshop of Young Choreographers, he presented the ballet Pavlosk to music by Karen LeFrak. In July 2016, he premiered the one-act ballet Russian Overture to music by Sergei Prokofiev. In 2017, he staged the duet Tromba Lontana to music by Jon Adams for the Creative Workshop of Young Choreographers, and collaborated on The Dreamers (with Ilya Zhivoi and Vladimir Varnava) to the music of Daft Punk. TATYANA NOGINOVA (Costume Designer, Concerto Armonico) graduated from the staging department at the Leningrad State Institute of Theater, Music and Cinematography, specializing in costume design and technology. From 1993 to 2017, she was chief costume designer at the Mariinsky Theater. Noginova designed costumes for 90 theater, opera and ballet productions. At the Mariinsky Theater’s Creative Workshop of Young Choreographers, she designed for Le Divertissement du roi, Russian Overture, Ophelia, Bolero and Premonition of Spring. She lectures on the history of costumes and the technology of making costumes at the Russian Ballet Academy, Vaganova Ballet Academy, I.E. Repin Institute and NTC “Progress.” She has worked with such directors as Vladimir Gurfinkel, Alexander Zykov, Alexei Stepaniuc, Francesca Zambello, David Pountney, Andrei Konchalovsky, Anna Matisson, Irina Molostova,
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Lindsay Posner, Philip Razenkov, Alexei Franchettti and Pavel Sorokin, and such choreographers as Alexei Miroshnichenko, Sergei Vikharev, Yuri Burlaka, Anton Pimonov, Maxim Petrov, Noa Gelber, Yuri Smekalov, Cyril Simonov and Ksenia Zvereva. KONSTANTIN BINKIN (Lighting Designer, Concerto Armonico) was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, to a theater family. He graduated in 2018 from the Russian State Institute of Stage Arts, specializing in stage design technology. As a lighting designer at the Mariinsky Theatre, he has designed the ballet Le Divertissement du Roi (choreographed by Maxim Petrov, 2015); Russian Overture (choreographed by Maxim Petrov, 2016); Violin Concerto No 2 (choreographed by Anton Pimonov, 2017); Paquita (choreographed by Yuri Smekalov, 2017); The Cat on the Tree (choreographed by Anton Pimonov, 2017); Seasons (choreographed by Ilya Zhivoy, 2017); and pieces for the Creative Workshop of Young Choreographers in 2016 and 2017. As a lighting designer for Theatre Ballet Moscow, he has designed the ballets Moon across the Way (choreography by Anton Pimoniov, 2016) and Kreutzer Sonata (choreography by Robert Binet, 2017). In Europe, he has designed for the ballet Her Name Was Carmen (choreography by Olga Kostel, 2016), presented by the St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre at the London Coliseum; and the ballet Enoch Arden (choreography by Donvena Pandoursky, 2017) at the Münster Theatre in Germany.
world orchestras, including Minnesota Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Orchestra of the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Luxembourg Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Madrid Radio Television Española Orchestra, Mexico City Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In 1988, Cynthia Gregory and Fernando Bujones, two ballet dancers who had not performed together since 1985, danced at City Center in a piece choreographed by Lynne Taylor-Corbett to Vilem Tausky’s Concertino for Harmonica and Orchestra, for which Bonfiglio was the soloist.
ANASTASIA TRAVKINA & SERGEI JDANOV (Scenic Designers, Concerto Armonico) are an art-group Bojemoi based in Moscow. Bojemoi uses mainly collage techniques, working in a range of areas — from illustrations for the internet and printed media to theatrical scenography and animation. They worked for internet media Batenka.ru, The Moscow Times magazine, Sobaka magazine and others. Since 2015 they’ve worked on the social media project Boroda Tolstogo, dedicated to the works and views of Leo Tolstoy. In 2016, Bojemoi created scenography for the ballets Russian Overture and Violin Concerto No. 2 at the Mariinsky II Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. They are now working on a media project dedicated to works by Russian writer Venedikt Yerofeyev. ROBERT BONFIGLIO (Harmonica Soloist, Concerto Armonico) is the founding director of the Grand Canyon Music Festival. Called “the Paganini of the Harmonica” by the Los Angeles Times, Bonfiglio has dazzled audiences at Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, Gewandhaus, Teatro Colón, Teatro Massimo, Teatro Amazonas, the Kennedy Center, Boston Symphony Hall, Lincoln Center and throughout the world with his ability to play harmonica concertos and “sizzle” on the blues. Bonfiglio has been a concerto soloist with leading ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
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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 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 Elizabeth Kline, Lighting Programmer
COSTUMES Colleen McGonegle, Costume Director Sophia Parrish, Wardrobe Supervisor/Costume Technician Rehnuma Tajbin, Draper/Patternmaker Susan Carter, Costume Technician Jane Kuipers, Costume Technician Shelby Mills, Costume Technician Ashleigh Dobrin, Stitcher 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 Rykie Belles, Kwajalyn Brown, Ashley Gibson, 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 Bennet, Harmony Clair, Kelly Cooper, Lonnie Davis, Lauren Derrig, Rebekah Diaddigo, Samba Diallo, Hillary Drawe, Sarah Emery, Taylor Ferguson, Vershion Funderburk, Pedro Gamino, Kate Gaul, 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, 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
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ATLANTA BALLET ORCHESTRA Tara Simoncic, Conductor VIOLIN Lisa Morrison, Concertmaster Sally Gardner-Wilson Assoc. Concertmaster Linda Pinner Principal Second Adelaide Federici Keiko Furness Martha Gardner Patti Gouvas Patrick Ryan Angele Sherwood-Lawless Lee Taylor Elonia Varfi Rafael Veytsblum Ying Zhuo VIOLA Joli Wu Principal Josiah Coe Sarah Park Patrick Shelc Kristeen Sorrells
CELLO Charae Krueger Principal Hilary Glen Mary Kenney Alice Williams CONTRABASS Lyn Deramus Principal Christina Ottaviano HARP Nella Rigell Principal FLUTE Jeanne Carere Principal Kelly Via OBOE Erica Howard Principal Diana Dunn
CLARINET Katherine White Principal Greg Collins
TROMBONE Robb Smith Principal Mark McConnell Richard Brady
BASSOON Amy Pollard Principal Dan Worley
TUBA Don Strand Principal
HORN Jason Eklund Principal Anna Dodd Amy Trotz Richard Williams
TIMPANI Scott Douglas Principal PERCUSSION Mike Cebulski Principal Karen Hunt Jeff Kershner
TRUMPET Kevin Lyons Principal John Morrison Co-Principal Greg Holland
PERSONNEL MANAGER Mark McConnell
Additional Orchestra Personnel: Jeanne Johnson, Violin; Shawn Pagliarini, Violin; Staci Culbreth, Clarinet The Orchestral Musicians in the performance are members of the Atlanta Federation of Musicians, Local 148-462 of the American Federation of Musicians.
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 Silvermintz* 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 Susan S. Kettering Carl Pascarella Jeremy Pilmore-Bedford Eric Robbins Laura Turner Seydel Takashi Shinozuka Ewoud N. Swaak Judith Varnai Shorer Dov Wilker Allen 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
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THE TIME IS NOW The Time is Now: The Campaign for Atlanta Ballet is a $23.5 million multi-year fundraising campaign that will allow Atlanta Ballet to grow needed resources, expand our education and outreach efforts, increase our endowment, and build audiences through balanced programming including our new production of The Nutcracker, Presented by the Carlos Family in Honor of Thalia N. Carlos. Atlanta Ballet is grateful to each individual and organization listed below that has already made a pledge or gift to The Time is Now.
$1 Million+ Anonymous Howell & Madeline Adams, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Chris Michael Carlos Lettie Pate Evans Foundation Thalia N. Carlos & Chris M. Carlos Foundation The City of Atlanta $500,000 - $999,000 Mrs. Daphne Moore Eitel Sarah Kennedy PNC Thalia N. & Michael C. Carlos Advised Fund $250,000 - $499,000 Mrs. Lynn Cochran-Schroder & Mr. Bill Schroder Joyce Houser, Ph.D. The Rich Foundation Thalia N. & Michael C. Carlos Foundation $100,000 - $249,999 Elizabeth & Howell Adams III Arrow Exterminators Ms. Jan P. Beaves Ginny & Charles Brewer Cynthia Crain, Ed. D. & Dwight Lee, Ph. D. Ms. Lavona Currie
Ms. Nancy Field & Mr. Michael Schulder Joseph & Marie Field Family Fund Ms. Amy Gerome-Acuff & Mr. Daniel Acuff Sue & Duane Gibbs SunTrust Bank Trusteed Foundations: Florence C. & Harry L. English Memorial Fund Walter H. & Marjory M. Rich Memorial Fund $50,000 - $99,999 Anonymous Atlanta Ballet Corps de Ballet Barbara & Eric Joiner Kathleen & Kirk Knous Edward Krugman & Jill Pryor Linda & Don Morris Stephanie & Austin Stephens The Imlay Foundation Carol & Ramon TomĂŠ Tull Charitable Foundation Vasser Woolley Foundation Pam Wakefield $25,000 - $49,999 Susan & Tony Catalfano Michelle & David Crosland Mr. and Mrs. Marcus J. Dash
David, Helen & Marian Woodward Fund Mr. & Mrs. Erroll B. Davis, Jr. Kenneth R. Hey Allen W. Nelson & Caroline Gottschalk Kristen Manion Taylor & Jason Taylor $10,000 - $24,999 Dr. Meria J. Carstarphen & Mr. David Heleniak Vanessa & Robin Delmer Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Gagliano Denise & Matthew Halkos Adrienne & Scott Hardesty J. David Hopkins Stuart & Kurt Kronauge Stanley H. Rose III Sharon Story & Kim Kenney Up to $9,999 Mr. & Mrs. Gregg Adzema Mrs. Ghislaine Austin Belcak & Mr. Edward Belcak Kelly & Joseph Cannon Jamila & Whitcliff A. McKnight, Jr. Melissa & Michael Mata Mr. & Mrs. David Porter Winn Fund
GRE AT BENEFACTORS Our most loyal donors are dedicated to supporting incredible dance and the art that happens on our stage, in our school, and within our community programs. These donors also understand that a contribution to Atlanta Ballet is an investment in the cultural life of our city. Our growth and evolution as a company and a ballet school is due in large part to the steadfast and generous support of patrons in the Metro Atlanta area and beyond. We are pleased to present this list of “Great Benefactors� recognizing donors whose cumulative giving to Atlanta Ballet is $100,000 or more since August 1, 2000. (NOTE: This listing represents gifts to capital and annual fund efforts.)
Anonymous (7) Elizabeth & Howell Adams III Howell & Madeline Adams, Jr. Arrow Exterminators AT&T Foundation Atlanta Ballet Corps de Ballet Atlanta Ballet Boutique & Atlanta Ballet CDE Parents' Association Bank of America Ms. Jan P. Beaves Belk, Inc. Ginny & Charles Brewer Mr. & Mrs. Chris Michael Carlos Susan & Tony Catalfano Charles Loridans Foundation City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Richard W. Courts II Cox Enterprises, Inc. Cynthia Crain, Ed. D. & Dwight Lee, Ph. D. Michelle & David Crosland Lavona S. Currie David, Helen & Marian Woodward Fund Delta Air Lines Mrs. Daphne Moore Eitel Fulton County Arts Council GE Energy Georgia Council for the Arts Ms. Amy Gerome-Acuff & Mr. Daniel Acuff Sue & Duane Gibbs Mr. & Mrs. Joseph R. Gladden Joanne & Alex Gross
Hellen Ingram Plummer Charitable Foundation, Inc. Kendeda Fund Kenneth R. Hey Holder Construction Company Joyce Houser, Ph.D. Jane Smith Turner Foundation Barbara & Eric Joiner Sarah Kennedy Kathleen & Kirk Knous Edward Krugman & Jill Pryor Lettie Pate Evans Foundation Mabel Dorn Reeder Foundation Drs. Christine & Michael Murphy National Endowment for the Arts Mr. Allen W. Nelson Pittulloch Foundation, Inc. Delphine Podsiadlo PNC Price Gilbert Jr. Charitable Fund Publix Super Markets Charities R. Howard Dobbs Jr. Foundation Robert W. Woodruff Foundation Kristy & Michael Robison Stanley H. Rose III Mrs. Lynn Cochran-Schroder & Mr. Bill Schroder Ms. Nancy Field & Mr. Michael Schulder Shailendra Group, LLC Stephanie & Austin Stephens SunTrust Bank SunTrust Bank Trusteed Foundations: Florence C. & Harry L. English Memorial Fund Walter H. & Marjory M. Rich Memorial Fund
Thalia & Michael C. Carlos Foundation The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation The Audrey Morgan Family Foundation The Coca-Cola Foundation The Estate of C.D. Belcher The Estate of John K. Palmisano & Stephen A. Williams, III The Goizueta Foundation The Home Depot Foundation The Imlay Foundation, Inc. The Joseph and Marie Field Fund The Molly Blank Fund of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation The Ray M. & Mary Elizabeth Lee Foundation, Inc. The Rich Foundation The Sara Giles Moore Foundation The Sartain Lanier Family Foundation The Shubert Foundation Tull Charitable Foundation Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Vasser Woolley Foundation, Inc. Karen Vereb & Bud Blanton Pam Wakefield Patti Eloise Wallace Walter Clay Hill & Family Foundation Wells Fargo Foundation William Randolph Hearst Foundation Worldspan Zeist Foundation
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 – March 31, 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 Atlanta Ballet 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.
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INDIVIDUAL DONORS THE DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE $500,000+ Anonymous $100,000+ Anonymous Mr. & Mrs. Chris Michael Carlos $40,000-$99,999 Ginny & Charles Brewer Mr. & Mrs. Richard W. Courts II Sarah 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 Cynthia Crain, Ed. D. & Dwight Lee, Ph. D. 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 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 Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence W. Davis 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 Mr. & Mrs. Gregory W. Blount Lindsay & Evan Borenstein Jeanne Bracken James A. Brennan, M.D. Dr. & Mrs. William Brinkman Sara & Alex Brown Mr. & Mrs. Jerome M Cooper Donna Court 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 Mrs. George C. Blount, Jr. David Cofrin & Christine Tryba-Cofrin Mr. Lawrence M. Cohen Mr. & Mrs. Henry M. Colvin 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 & Zachary Ferguson-Cogdill 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 Grace Pownall & Ron Harris 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 (3) 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. Alexis E. Chase Dr. Sheldon B. Cohen Kelly Tonina Cooper Kathleen & Brian Corrao Lucy Currie Bush & Henry Bush Cynthia & Mike Davison Kate & James Denny Valentine Dike Reverend James D. Duffy Antoinette J. Earley & William L. Green 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 Bridget Matarrese 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 Crista & Glenn Schaab 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
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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) Atlanta Ballet 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 Cynthia Crain
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
La FĂŞte Chocolat M.A.C Cosmetics Margot McKinney & Neiman Marcus National Video Monitoring Co, LLC Peachtree Tents & Events
smartwater Sprinkles Cupcakes Tony Brewer & Company
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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
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r u oPDecis
Awards keep growing for North Georgia’s picturesque wineries. Why not raise a glass or two in their honor? By Therra Gwyn Jaramillo
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STONEWALL CREEK
I
f your lifelong bucket list includes filling your bucket with wine, North Georgia is a fine place to start. The state has some 50 wineries (impressive considering the challenges of grape-growing in the Deep South), with most in or near the mountains, tucked into bucolic niches and spread across rolling landscapes. While other wine regions are undoubtedly more famous, don’t discount Peach State grapes as a secondhand rosé. North Georgia wine country delivers killer views and a rural charm that will relax you before the sipping even starts. The area also produces wines that win regional, national and international awards. Wine is sexy. Oenophiles discuss the body profile, the legs and the finish with a knowing wink. It all means something. Body is how the wine feels in your mouth. The
WILDLIFE SAFARI
s n is o legs are judged by how much liquid clings to the glass. Thicker, slower legs mean a higher level of alcohol or sugar. The finish, or aftertaste, shows quality. Whether you’re wine-confused or a wine connoisseur, Georgia’s vineyards welcome you. We quaffed at grapeproducing gems in Rabun County, where they craft thousands of bottles of red, white and dessert wines annually. If you need a place to stay in Rabun (these wineries don’t offer lodging), try Lake Rabun Hotel, built in 1922 and the last of its kind. Think Old Europe meets rustic-but-genteel American South. Each room ($114 and up) is distinct, and named rather than numbered. (Details: lakerabunhotel.com or 706.782.4946.) When plotting your own wine getaway, keep vineyards ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
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near Dahlonega and at Braselton’s Château Élan in mind, too. All that wine isn’t going to drink itself. 12 SPIES VINEYARDS Founder/winemaker Mike Brown dismisses the idea that the everyday person is not a wine expert. “Do you know what you like? Then you’re an expert at what you like,” says Brown, a former financial services executive. The whimsical tasting room (which Brown built, along with the winery) lends itself to easy conversation and new friends made over a glass or three (perhaps why 12 Spies received a TripAdvisor certificate of excellence). The vino veranda has country views defined by layers of green and a wood-burning oven for pizza parties. Tastings are $1 per pour. The Cabernet Franc alone is worth the trip. 12 Spies also makes an aptly named — for Southerners — Bless Your Heart muscadine (less sweet than others). Brown says the winery’s name is from the Old Testament and came to him as he sat in church. The wines have playful names like Holy Moses Red and Lordy Mercy, a Seyval blanc and Petit Manseng blend. Brown doesn’t enter contests. Yet. But his business has grown from about 500 cases in 2012 to a projected 3,000 this year. For him, it’s about the wine and especially enjoying the people who enjoy wine. DETAILS: 550 Black Branch Road, Rabun Gap.706.490.0890. 12spiesvineyards.com.
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WENDY PALMER
Naturally, 12 Spies founder and winemaker Mike Brown especially enjoys entertaining people who love wine. The vineyard's Cabernet Franc alone is worth the 2.5 hour drive.
STONEWALL CREEK VINEYARDS
Max the dog will wag you inside the tasting room at Stonewall Creek Vineyards. Samples there often come with cheese, crackers, fine-wine jellies and conversation.
STONEWALL CREEK VINEYARDS Stonewall Creek’s valley view is striking, and its wines won multiple awards at the 2016 Georgia Trustees Wine Challenge. Uncork and unwind in the homey tasting room or on the expansive covered patio, which overlooks 3,000 precisely planted vines and the rise of Glassy Mountain. Co-founder/winemaker Carl Fackler, a retired orthopedic surgeon, now uses his tactile skills on the vines. Everything is done by hand, from planting and harvesting the grapes to labeling every bottle in the 900 cases of wine produced each year. Leftover wine goes into fine-wine jellies, served with cheese and crackers in the tasting room. You’ll often find Fackler and wife Carla there, conversing with visitors. Max the dog will wag you inside. Red wine lovers will love Stonewall Creek. Its Cabernet Franc is an award winner; the mild, tasty 2015 Malbec is aged 12 months in French and Bulgarian oak. The Malbec is named Three Eagles, for the couple’s sons, all Eagle Scouts. Tastings here are $10 for six samples or $6 for three samples. DETAILS: 323 Standing Deer Lane, Tiger. 706.212.0584. stonewallcreek.com. ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
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TIGER MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS In 1995, a fifth-generation family farm became Tiger Mountain Vineyards, the first in the area and the first vinifera (white Mediterranean grape) vineyard in Georgia. At 100 acres, it’s still one of the largest, too. John Ezzard, who made his living as a urologist, was born on the farm in 1936, and founded the winery with wife Martha, a onetime columnist and author (The Second Bud, Deserting the City for a Farm Winery). He died in November, but you might meet Miss Martha, who at 77, is still a force of nature. Tiger Mountain focuses on fine, dry, white European wines and has a list of awards as long as the mountain views from the property's 75-year-old Red Barn Café. That list includes prestigious international honors. Your many choices include whites (a one-of-a-kind, lateharvest Petit Manseng) and reds (go for the Malbec). The challenge is deciding which eight wines to taste for the $10 cost. Each May, Atlanta’s Seed & Feed Marching Abominables visit to perform and “wake the vines” for growing season. This year, that is happening May 12. If you missed it, and wine is your thing, you can always plan for next year. DETAILS: 2592 Old 441 S, Tiger. 706.782.4777. tigerwine.com. WENDY PALMER
The much-honored Tiger Mountain Vineyards focuses on fine, dry, white European wines but offers plenty to please the palates of red-wine lovers, too. If you go, try to meet Miss Martha.
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Ins I st on makI ng a t o a s t. Enjo y l I f E t o t hE f ul l E s t thEr E arE no drE ss rE h Ea r s a l s . hav E y our st E ak and E at I t, t o o .
F ou r AtlAntA restAur Ants to s e rv e Y o u Alpharetta · Buckhead · Centennial olympic Park · Kennesaw For location details, visit RuthsChris.net
ELSEWHERE IN GEORGIA
CHÂTEAU ÉLAN WINERY AND RESORT The granddaddy of Georgia wineries was founded in 1984 and recently changed ownership. There's much to do on these 3,500 acres — go gourmet at mealtime, stay a few days, swim, play golf, get married, take cooking classes, disappear into the spa and, of course, drink wine. Should you tire of wine (???), grab a pint at the Irish pub. Tastings are $25 for seven samples; $63 buys eight samples, a guided tour, and a sampling of chef-selected cheeses and seasonal goodies. DETAILS: 100 Rue Charlemagne Drive, Braselton. 678.425.0900 or chateauelan.com.
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CAVENDER CREEK, CHATEAU ELAN
CAVENDER CREEK VINEYARDS Five acres of vines produce Norton, Petit Manseng and cabernet sauvignon grapes. Two of Cavender’s 2016 reds are award winners. Tastings are $12 for four samples, with the option of adding a shot of “wine shine” (apple or peach) for $3. Also tempting: the sangria and wine slushies. Stay on-site in the 1820s log cabin ($225 nightly) and relax on the porch with Tinkerbell and Tucker, two Great Pyrenees who look after the place. Donkeys and free-range chickens will keep you company, too. DETAILS: 3610 Cavender Creek Road, Dahlonega. 706.867.7700 or cavendercreekvineyards.com.
KAYA VINEYARD AND WINERY, MONTALUCE WINERY & RESTAURANT, WOLF MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS AND WINERY
KAYA VINEYARD AND WINERY Numbers tell the tale at Kaya: specifically 1,600 and 2,000. You’re at an elevation of 1,600 feet here, and can take in views from a 2,000-sq. ft. front porch. Fill your glass with the reserve chardonnay, a 2017 award winner, or any of 19 other estate-grown varietals. Tastings start at $14 for five samples. Onsite cottages will open to guests this summer (call ahead) and Kaya has a Jeeps in the Vines party (live music, dozens of Jeeps and, of course, wine) each April. DETAILS: 5400 Town Creek Road, Dahlonega. 706.219.3514. kayavineyards.com.
MONTALUCE WINERY & RESTAURANT Italian-style la dolce vita (the sweet life) is served daily, and Montaluce’s wine and food are 2017 North Georgia Top Chef and Wine Tasting winners. Tastings are $18-$23 for five samples (white only, red only or mixed). Montaluce also makes mead. Weekend wine hikes are $45. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily, with a Sunday brunch that includes chefmade cinnamon rolls. DETAILS: 501 Hightower Church Road, Dahlonega.706.867.4060 or montaluce.com. WOLF MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS AND WINERY The first Georgia winery to win best in class and double gold medals at both the San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles International competitions offers Napa Valleystyle opulence. Tastings are $20 for six samples. Lunch and dinner (reservations required) are served in the Vineyard Café. Ask about the gourmet winemaker’s dinner. Check out the library and 19th-century wine artifacts. DETAILS: 180 Wolf Mountain Trail, Dahlonega. 706.867.9862 or wolfmountainvineyards.com. ENCORE ATLANTA | ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
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THE ATLANTA OPERA: SWEENEY TODD | June 9-17
“A
ttend the tale of Sweeney Todd,” the ensemble invokes as Stephen Sondheim’s musical thriller comes to life. “His skin was pale, and his eye was odd. He shaved the faces of gentlemen, who never thereafter were heard of again.” Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is widely considered Sondheim’s greatest achievement. And Sondheim is widely considered the most important figure in 20th-century American musical theater. His nine Tony awards, including one for Lifetime Achievement, a Pulitzer Prize and a Kennedy Center Honor attest to that status. Sweeney Todd is not for the faint-hearted or squeamish. It’s the story of a barber, unjustly convicted and transported to Australia by a wicked judge who coveted his wife. Upon his return, the barber takes the name Sweeney Todd and takes his revenge by slitting the throats of his clients, who are then turned into meat pies by his coconspirator, Mrs. Lovett. This Grand Guignol epic opened on
Broadway on March 1, 1979, with Len Cariou as Todd and Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett. It won eight Tony awards — for best musical, book, score, scenic design and costumes, as well as Harold Prince’s direction and the performances of Cariou and Lansbury. The piece has been popular with theater and opera companies ever since, all eager to tell the tale and sing its demanding songs. Now count The Atlanta Opera among them. The Atlanta Opera, one of Cobb Energy Centre’s two resident companies (Atlanta Ballet is the other), closes its 2017/18 season with the piece The New York Times called “endlessly inventive” and “highly expressive.” Baritone Michael Mayes, who sings Todd, has been praised for his powerful voice and stage presence. He’s probably best known for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Joseph De Rocher in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking. Mezzo-soprano Maria Zifchak sings Mrs. Lovett. The Atlanta Opera staging is sung in English with English supertitles.
12 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
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A CONVERSATION WITH PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON | June 13, 7:30 p.m.
A NOVEL IDEA
T
he President Is Missing. That’s both the title and plot of a suspense tale by newly minted novelist Bill Clinton and mega-selling mystery author James Patterson. The old friends and golfing buddies are on an 18-city book tour to talk about where literary and real life meet as well as their writing process, research and current events. Their partnership marks the first time a novelist has collaborated with a U.S. president on a fictional thriller, though neither is new to the best-seller list. Clinton’s 2004 nonfiction work, My Life, sold more than 2 million copies. A second effort, Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World, debuted atop sales lists in 2007. Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States and a two-term commander in chief, knows a thing or 10 about life in the halls of power. Those kinds of details reportedly fill The President Is Missing, which Showtime has
optioned for a series. After leaving the White House, the former president established the Clinton Foundation, which helps improve global health, increase opportunity for girls and women, reduce childhood obesity and preventable diseases, create economic opportunity and growth, and address the effects of climate change. Patterson, no slouch in his own world, holds the Guinness World Record for the most New York Times best-sellers. His crime and young adult titles have a wide audience and include Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider (both of which became films starring Morgan Freeman). In 2001, global market data firm Nielsen named Patterson the planet’s No. 1 selling novelist with 350 million in total book sales. Trivia tidbit: In his former life as an ad exec, Patterson co-created the “I’m a Toys R Us Kid”jingle.
14 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM
POD TOURS AMERICA | June 21, 7 p.m.
OBAMA STAFFERS SPEAK UP
T
he unabashedly left-leaning Pod Save America is all about highspirited, often no-holds-barred political discourse, tilted toward activism born in the wake of the 2016 presidential election. Pod Tours America is a live, nononsense conversation about politics, the press and the challenges posed by the Donald Trump presidency. An internet headline not long ago asked: “Is Pod Save America the best podcast network for surviving the Trump era?” The answer seems to be yes. The progressive podcast has been downloaded 175 million times since its launch in early 2017. It’s co-hosted by Jon Favreau (President Barack Obama’s head speechwriter); Tommy Vietor (an Obama-era National Security Council spokesman); Daniel Pfeiffer (a longtime Obama aide and senior adviser); and Jon Lovett (a speechwriter for Hillary Clinton and Obama, who famously penned the president’s remarks at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner). Their guests range from journalists
and politicians to activists and celebrities, including a post-election Clinton. In addition to being Pod partners, each of the four is active and in the public eye. Favreau has written for The Daily Beast, a news and opinion website, and traveled the world speaking about politics and speechwriting. Lovett co-created and wrote for “1600 Penn,” a 2012 NBC sitcom about a dysfunctional White House family. Pfeiffer, a magna cum laude Georgetown University grad, worked as communications and policy VP for peer-funding phenom GoFundMe and contributed to CNN. Vietor has appeared on “Meet the Press” and recently had a high-profile Twitter showdown (about Obama’s foreign policy) with New York Times columnist Bret Stephens, who called Vietor a name unprintable here. Discussion is all in a day’s work for the Pod Save America four, with more highprofile conversations to come, it seems. HBO has announced a series of specials based on the podcast for its fall lineup.
ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 15
AN EVENING WITH BILL MAHER | June 23, 8 p.m.
NO SACRED COWS IN COMEDY
T
o Bill Maher, boundaries don’t seem to matter much. For some 25 years, the comedian, writer and sociopolitical commentator has made a career of gleefully elbowing the edges of convention. His first forum, “Politically Incorrect” (1993-2002 on Comedy Central and ABC), led to HBO’s “Real Time With Bill Maher.” Throughout its 15 years, he has quipped and quibbled with everyone from Ann Coulter to Al Franken and chatted with the likes of filmmaker Spike Lee, actor Alec Baldwin and musician Elvis Costello, among dozens of others. Maher’s acerbic wit and in-your-face observations have earned him 34 Emmy nominations and a win or two. In 2005, he ranked 38th on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 greatest stand-up comics ever. In 2008, he took a cinematic swipe at organized religion, and the result, Religulous, became the eighth-highest grossing
documentary of all time. He even received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010. While Maher skews left politically, he’ll happily skewer Republicans and Democrats alike, along with pundits, celebrities and whatever current events can be tapped for his style of observational humor. “We need more people speaking out,” he’s said. “This country is not overrun with rebels and free thinkers. It’s overrun with sheep and conformists.” In 2013, Maher’s boldness prompted a lawsuit from a man who would be president, Donald Trump. It was eventually dropped, but on more than one occasion Maher’s irreverent and uncompromising attitude has resulted in heated public discourse with what he calls “the purity police.” “I don’t want to live in a country where nobody ever says anything offensive,” he told The Buffalo News (N.Y.) in a 2017 interview. “That’s why we have Canada.”
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ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 17
LEA MICHELE AND DARREN CRISS | June 29, 8 p.m.
A GLEEFUL REUNION Broadway, “Glee” and now Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Actor/musicians Lea Michele and Darren Criss perform together and as solo artists on their first-ever co-headlining tour, dubbed LM/DC. Expect to hear songs from Broadway, movies, each artist’s recordings and a bit from the “Glee” songbook, of course. The two most likely are best known for their musicalizing on “Glee” (2009-15), the Fox network comedy-drama about a show choir at Ohio’s fictitious William McKinley High School. Michele, an original cast member, played diva-ish Rachel Berry, perhaps the most talented girl in school, if a bit prickly. Criss signed on in 2010 as Blaine Anderson, a private-school singer who soon transfers to McKinley High and finds romance. The roles made them both household names.
Michele, now 31, released her first album, Louder, in 2014. Last year, she promoted her second album, Places, selling out shows on her Intimate Evening With Lea Michele minitour. Still, her roots are on the stage. She made her Broadway debut in Les Misérables at age 8 and went on to play the Little Girl in Ragtime (1998-2000) and Wendla (Drama Desk nomination) in Spring Awakening (2006-09). Criss, also 31, recently debuted his first solo project in more than seven years, a five-track indie EP titled Homework. He, too, has been on Broadway, appearing briefly as a J. Pierrepont Finch replacement in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (2012) and a Hedwig replacement in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2015). “We’ve always had so much fun performing together for one-off gigs,” the two said, “it’s high time we took that show on the road. We share so much musical history.”
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COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM VENUE STAFF
COBB-MARIETTA COLISEUM & EXHIBIT HALL AUTHORITY
MANAGING DIRECTOR Sandie Aaron
HOUSEKEEPING MANAGER Jeri Wallis
CHAIRMAN Jerry Nix | Post 6
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Barbara Kiss
HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST Lorena Dominguez
VICE-CHAIR A. Max Bacon | Post 2
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & SPONSORSHIPS Tom Rowland
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Ben Tilley
MARKETING COORDINATOR Shawny Metcalf
PRODUCTION MANAGER Jon Summers
RECEPTIONIST Beryl Bernier
HEAD CARPENTER/RIGGER Mark Newman
BOX OFFICE MANAGER Richard Scholla
DIRECTOR OF FACILITY SERVICES Arthur McDowell
ASSISTANT BOX OFFICE MANAGER Russel Kennedy BOX OFFICE SUPERVISOR Dianna Cassin-Khoury HOUSE MANAGER Richard Stevens DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Jessica Coale DIRECTOR OF SAFETY & SECURITY Larry Green PUBLIC SAFETY MANAGER Jamie Wheeler CULINARY DIRECTOR/ EXECUTIVE CHEF Nicholas Walker SOUS CHEF Camilo Aguirre DIRECTOR OF FOOD & BEVERAGE Susan Burchell FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER Ramin Djaved
SECRETARY Johnny Gresham | Post 4 Mike Boyce | Post 5 Earl Smith | Post 7 Steve “Thunder” Tumlin | Post 1 Robert P. Voyles | Post 3 GENERAL MANAGER & CEO Michele L. Swann
DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING Joe Green CHIEF ENGINEER Marty Taylor ARTSBRIDGE FOUNDATION ARTSBRIDGE FOUNDATION STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer D. Dobbs DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & COMMUNITY OUTREACH Sarah Clay Lindvall DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Lizzy Morin PROGRAM COORDINATOR Audine Crosse
PRESIDENT Clare Richardson
DIRECTOR EMERITUS Barbara E. Williams
VICE PRESIDENT Joanne Truffelman SECRETARY/TREASURER Larry M. Dingle DIRECTOR Helen S. Carlos DIRECTOR Barbarella Diaz DIRECTOR Jerry Nix DIRECTOR Sam Olens DIRECTOR Kessel D. Stelling
BANQUET MANAGER Abol Ghoreishi
DIRECTOR Percy Vaughn
BEVERAGE & CONCESSION MANAGER Fernando Quintero
DIRECTOR Jack Ward
ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 19
UPCOMING EVENTS at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre For the most up-to-date list of performances, please visit
cobbenergycentre.com
Tickets sold at the Synovus Box Office at Cobb Energy Centre, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800.745.3000
Bowzer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Party
ABBA The Concert
My Brother, My Brother & Me
Shaken & Stirred — Feinstein & Friends
July 27
Aug. 16
Sept. 1
Sept. 6
Jeanne Robertson
Kansas
Rickey Smiley
Alice Cooper
Sept. 22
Sept. 28
Oct. 6
Oct. 10
Dance Theatre of Harlem
National Geographic: Symphony For Our World
Lewis Black
The Sound of Music
Nov. 2
Nov. 23-24
Oct. 12-13
Oct. 25
VENUE SPONSORS
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creating the future through arts education
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS! Listing reflects gifts made between October 1, 2016 and March 28, 2018 Producer $25000+ Jimmy & Helen S. Carlos 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 Director $10000 - 24999 Audrey B. Morgan, The Morgan Family Fund Cobb Community Foundation Lynn Cochran-Schroder Delta Community Credit Union Ed Voyles Automotive Group Emerson Climate Technologies 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 Designer $5000 - 9999 Abney Family Foundation Atlanta Braves Foundation Bobbie Bailey Foundation Bruce & Sylvia Dick John & Mary Franklin Foundation 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 Tull Charitable Foundation Wells Fargo Foundation
Playwright $2500 - 4999 René & Barbarella Diaz Larry Dingle Nigel & Clare Richardson Smiley for Kylie Foundation Ticketmaster Joanne Truffelman Publix Super Markets Charities The Vinings Rotary Club Presenter $1000 - 2499 Mike Boyce Bill Brantley Terry Chandler C hildren’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 & Karen Spiegel Terri Theisen Bob & Belle Voyles Lead Actor $500 - 999 Judith M. Alembik 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 Johnny 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 Shea Jones Fred & Judih Keith Sherry Kendrick Mike Knowles Susan M. Levy Deborah Lundquist Alan Martin Leslie McLeod Kyle Moon David & Barbara Nadler Kinsey OLee Richard Parker Brenda Rhodes Janice Scott Linda Smith Naomi Smith Leslie Stone James Tyson Jim & Joanne Van Duys Juliana Vincenzino The Westminister Schools George & Jan Yano
If you do not see you rname or are listed incorrectly, we apologize. Please contact us at 770.916.2718 to correct.
ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM
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Over 300,000 Georgia students and educators served since 2007!
creating the future through arts education
ArtsBridge Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, provides quality arts education and community engagement programming designed to inspire creativity and foster the next generation of artists and arts supporters.
2018 SEASON CLASSES & TRAINING
Skill development for both students and educators in the performing arts
Jun. 2 & 9
July 21
Sept. 22
Choreography Technique
Performance Technique
Choreography Technique
Above classes in partnership with Broadway Connection
Visit ArtsBridgeGA.org for the most up-to-date schedule!
DIRECTOR’S BOOTCAMP CALLING ALL FINE ARTS EDUCATORS AND COMMUNITY DIRECTORS! June 26-28, 2018 | $75 Registration Fee 3-day bootcamp for directors of all experience levels on topics like: lighting design, audio, set design, choreography, makeup design, music direction, & more!
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Jimmy & Helen S. Carlos
DONATE TODAY! Visit ArtsBridgeGA.org to learn how you can help keep ticket prices low and the buses rolling!
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
The truffle mac-and-cheese at Paces & Vine is a don’t-miss kinda dish. Seriously.
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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 25
THE ENCORE ATLANTA [COBB COUNTY] DINING GUIDE 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.
SAGE WOODFIRE TAVERN is best known for their hickory and oak wood fire grill preparations of an assortment of marketfresh seafood, hand-cut steaks, chops, and chicken. Sage also features a wide variety of gourmet salads and unique pastas. The quality and innovation of their dishes, as well as the relaxing ambiance and uplifting nightly entertainment are what guests have come to expect when dining at Sage. 3050 Windy Hill Rd. SE, at the busy intersection of Powers Ferry and Windy Hill, 770-955-0940, sagewoodfiretavern.com/ windy-hill 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,
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. 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
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MARK F BAXTER
SOHO’s Painted Hills short rib tacos, black pepper mustard, caramelized onions, cilantro sauce in potato shell.
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 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.
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
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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 27
JOIN US BEFORE OR AFTER THE SHOW
ATLANTA
2851 Akers Mill Rd. Atlanta, GA 30339 770-952-5550 cincorestaurants.com
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9/29/17 5:02 A
Time on the dance floor
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wellstar.org 770-956-STAR (7827)