Dance - Pan air

With a buzz-worthy collaboration with the Indigo Girls in the works, a new executive director finally in place and the memory of a nasty musicians strike at last fading, folks at the Atlanta Ballet are likely to be walking on air these days — some with the help of wires and harnesses.

To create the illusion of dancers defying gravity in its new production of Peter Pan, the ballet tapped Foy Interventerprises Inc., a company that’s managed the flight mechanisms for many Broadway versions of the J.M. Barre classic. But don’t expect your typical Mary Martin-esque take on the boy who never grew up. This rendition of Never Land eschews the longstanding tradition of gender-bending for the leader of the Lost Boys, casting a male instead of a female Peter.

The production, choreographed by Atlanta Ballet Artistic Director John McFall and scored by the Cincinnati Ballet’s Carmon DeLeone, comes to Atlanta after a London debut and tour of North America. The children’s show wraps up the Atlanta Ballet’s tempestuous 71st season, which saw the departure of executive director Robert Chumbley and less than dazzling revenues for its holiday Nutcracker.

The Atlanta Ballet’s Peter Pan will be performed May 10-12 and May 18-20 at the Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St., with performances at 7:30 p.m. Thurs., 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat. and 2 p.m. Sat. and Sun. $10-$50. 404-817-8700.??