Best Reason to Get Excited about the Future of Dance in Atlanta

When it comes to retelling the story of Dracula, it seems like there couldn’t possibly be anything new under the sun to say. The vampire myth has been resuscitated countless times, with many recent incarnations seemingly more dead than undead. Enter John Welker. The Atlanta Ballet principal dancer took on the title role in the Ballet’s latest revival of the Bram Stoker classic in February, and he slithered into a wickedly limber and fresh portrayal of the Transylvanian Count. His depiction was at once terrifying and alluring. It was impossible to take your eyes away when he was on stage. He killed it. less...

Finding venues, getting exposure and connecting to potential audiences have long been major challenges for Atlanta’s independent dancers and choreographers. But recently, an exciting new energy has been buzzing through the local dance scene. Like Atlanta’s increasingly robust emerging visual art scene, ATL dance has also caught the collaboration bug, forming alliances among artists, between companies and across disciplines. Dance Truck’s July 2011 production, PLOT, at the Goat Farm used an army of visual artists, videographers, designers, tech crew and volunteers to get a gorgeous production off the ground for a series of sold-out shows. Independent dancers banded together to produce the strong mixed program Magnetc Drift at the neglected Magnetic Theater in Reynoldstown in May. Choreographer Nicole Livieratos got up close and personal with poet Patricia Henritze for the intimate ongoing series Proximity. To top it all off, the meetings, blog, and events calendar of the new dance service org DanceATL have become an important focal point for Atlanta’s independent dancers and choreographers as they gather and plan for their long overdue takeover of the city. danceatl.org. less...