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    Atlanta Ballet redefines boundaries in “20|20 Visionary” performance

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    (All photos courtesy of Atlanta Ballet)

    Atlanta Ballet’s “20|20 Visionary” performance, showcasing three premier contemporary works by guest choreographers, marks the third show in artistic director John McFall’s final season with the company.

    Staged at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre March 18-20, “20|20” perfectly captures the impressive athleticism and effortless beauty of dance and reflects the rich diversity of Atlanta’s culture.

    The opening piece, “Boiling Point”, created by Darrell Grand Moultrie in 2008 specifically for Atlanta Ballet, redefines the boundaries of ballet and features the incredible versatility of the Atlanta Ballet company. Moultrie’s choreography takes the precise movements of classical ballet and transforms them into something fresh and unpredictable.

    The simplistic and minimalistic costume design celebrates the beauty of the extreme physical strength dancers possess—a facet of dance typically not made apparent by most classical ballet productions. “Boiling Point” is a stunningly action-packed work charged with energy that seems to push dancers to their limits.

    Created by renowned choreographer Douglas Lee in collaboration with Atlanta Ballet company dancers, the world premiere of “Playground” artistically twists the nostalgic memories of childhood play into something more sinister.

    Although the choreographer intended to express both the innocence of childhood and the grim view of the world most adults perceive, the darker aspects come across much more strongly. The entire stage lacked color during this piece and the hanging movie set-like lighting created harsh shadows across the stage.

    Adding to the element of mystery, the dancers’ movements are almost inhuman and creature-like as they disappear from the pools of light into the dark shadows. A combination of the repetitive eerie music and the similar pattern of steps seemed to put the audience in a trance for the duration of the piece.

    “Playground” is an unconventionally beautiful piece; Lee pushes odd angles and movements together in a way that works but shouldn’t work and allows the audience to lose a sense of time for a few moments.

    As a tribute to the culture and history of Atlanta, the final piece on the program, “Home in 7”, mixes dance with live spoken word and music.

    “I am betting my life you can keep me to yourself…,” Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Atlanta native and Morehouse College graduate, said when the lights first illuminated the stage. “If you were me, would you bet on you?”

    Through seven distinct poems, accompanied by Daniel Bernard Roumain’s music and Amy Seiwert’s choreography, Joseph takes the audience through his memories of Atlanta, from the darker areas of Atlanta’s past to the Georgia red clay to the beauty of the southern belle.

    In addition to incorporating speech into the piece, “Home in 7” is unique because Joseph is onstage with the dancers, using his powerful voice to guide the movement of the piece between several contrasting dynamics.   

    Despite the fact that all three works lacked traditional sets, the performance is a visual masterpiece. “20|20” takes advantage of the capabilities of lighting and special effects in order to create extremely impactful images on stage.

    The blood-red lighting bathing the stage in “Home in 7” as Joseph spoke of red Georgia clay, the hanging lights eerily creating long shadows behind the dancers in “Playground”, and the subtle smoke hanging in the air as the dancers of “Boiling Point” moved across the stage all capture and hold the audience throughout the entire show.

    As a non-traditional dance performance that modernizes classical ballet, “20|20” is a breathtaking show that has something to offer for every audience.

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    Atlanta Ballet redefines boundaries in “20|20 Visionary” performance