Atlanta Ballet is brimming with energy and reasons to celebrate! 2018 kicked off with performances of Yuri Possokov’s Don Quixote that Cynthia Bond Perry of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution called, “an entertaining, visually evocative, fast-paced jaunt into the past, vivified by a young and ambitious group of artists.”

After thrilling audiences for two weekends at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, the Company moved from dancing on stage to swirling around a ballroom. Atlanta Ballet’s Winter Ball at The St. Regis Buckhead was a joyous affair with Atlanta Ballet Company dancers, Trustees, and donors toasting to the future of Atlanta Ballet.

The celebrations continued at the March, April, and May performances. Atlanta Ballet’s Artistic Director Gennadi Nedvigin selected three choreographers, Craig Davidson, Tara Lee, and Maxim Petrov, to create brand new ballets for the 17|18 Season, pushing the Company and the artform forward.

D O N O R NEWSLETTERS U M M E R E D IT I O N2018

A SUCCESSFUL SPRING

Welcome to the newest members of the Atlanta Ballet

Board & Advisory Council

Lindsay Hill Georgia Power Atlanta Ballet Board

Gennadi Nedvigin teaching Company class. Photo by Charlie McCullers.

Atlanta Ballet Company artists Francesca Loi and Jessica He. Photo by Kim Evans.

Trustee Dr. Meria Carstarphen with Richard Courts and Trustee Lynda Courts. Photo by Kim Evans.

Gennadi touched on his desire for the Company to have a strong classical foundation and also be pushed by new approaches to ballet technique in the May issue of Pointe magazine:

“I want my dancers to have an appreciation for the classics while looking forward to new creations…The more styles you learn, the better dancer you become.”

The entire article is worth reading. You can find it on Pointe magazine’s website: www.pointemagazine.com.

There are so many exciting things happening at Atlanta Ballet. Because you are a valued Atlanta Ballet donor, we trust this newsletter provides a glimpse of all the art your gift makes possible.

Susan S. Kettering Kettering Family Philanthropies Advisory Council

Have you considered Atlanta Ballet in your estate plans? Leave a legacy of joy and the wonder of dance for future generations!

Please call Steven Libman, Chief Advancement Officer, at 404.873.5811 for more information.

D O N O R N E W S L E T T E R 2 0 1 8S U M M E R

CELEBRATING CORPORATE SPONSORS THE HOME DEPOT FOUNDATION SUPPORTS CAMP TWIN LAKES AND FRAZER CENTER

“Why are the arts important?” It is a question we face every day. As a supporter of Atlanta Ballet, you likely already have an answer to this question, but you may be surprised at how many different ways you could answer.

Turner and Realtime Electronic Payments (REPAY) each generously sponsored a performance during Atlanta Ballet’s 17|18 Season for unique reasons.

Turner, the global entertainment, sports, and news company based right here in Atlanta, seeks to fuel the creativity of its workforce by providing access for its employees to inspiring performances.

April’s Tu Tu & More program was a perfect fit for the media leader. Each piece, from Stanton Welch’s dazzling Tu Tu to Ohad Naharin’s crowd pleasing Minus 16, pushed the audience to think differently about the definition of a ballet performance.

Turner’s commitment to providing employees with access to new ideas and experiences is sure to foster a culture of innovation.

We take our mission “to enrich and inspire our audiences with performances of the highest level of excellence” and “to serve our community through active engagement” seriously.

Which is why we are so grateful to funders like The Home Depot Foundation that support our work of engaging with Atlanta. Through the support of The Home Depot Foundation, Atlanta Ballet has formed partnerships with two incredible organizations: Camp Twin Lakes and Frazer Center.

This summer will mark the third anniversary of our partnership with Camp Twin Lakes, where challenges

Atlanta Ballet’s partnership with Frazer Center is just taking off. Dance instruction for the Frazer Center Adult Program began in April at Atlanta Ballet’s Centre for Dance Education Virginia Highland location.

“The Frazer Center Adult Program is not a place for people with disabilities to be hidden, sheltered, or protected. Instead, it is a place where adults with a variety of abilities gather together to learn and to flourish with the ultimate goal of full integration into the broader community.” – Frazer Center

Realtime Electronic Payments (REPAY) is also headquartered in Atlanta and is the premier full-service payment technology and processing provider for the consumer finance, auto, and receivables management industries. Named one of Fortune’s 2017 Best Small & Medium Workplaces, REPAY understands excellence and was drawn to the opportunity to support the premier ballet Company in its hometown.

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer John Morris first connected with Atlanta Ballet through his daughters’ experience in our Centre for Dance Education.

“Atlanta Ballet has been an extremely influential part of my family’s life for the past 15 years. All four of my daughters were students at the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education; through this commitment, they developed a passion for the arts and learned the valuable lessons of dedication, perseverance, and discipline. REPAY is thrilled to support Atlanta Ballet in hopes that it will continue to thrive and promote the arts within the community, ultimately developing and encouraging the next generation of passionate students and loyal patrons.”

– John Morris, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, REPAY and parent, Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education

We are grateful to Turner and REPAY for finding their own answers to the question of why the arts are important and stepping forward to support the performing arts in Atlanta.

Erica Alvarado and Sergio Masero-Olarte in Stanton Welch’s Tu Tu. Photo by Kim Kenney.

From left to right: Sarah, Lisa, Tahmina, and Meshelle take class with Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education instructor Taylor Ferguson. Photos provided by Frazer Center.

become triumphs. Camp Twin Lakes provides a fully-accessible camp experience for over 50 special needs groups in Georgia like FOCUS + Fragile Kids, for children who are medically fragile or have significant developmental and/or physical disabilities, and Camp to Belong, where siblings currently separated in foster care reunite.

“After spending every other day of the year adapting to the world around them, for one week, camp adapts to them.” – Camp Twin Lakes

Campers in dance class. Photo by Kim Kenney.

Our partnership aims to offer safe, entertaining physical exercise as well as exposure to different art forms and to assist adults with developmental disabilities in discovering different forms of dance while finding enjoyment and health benefits in regular exercise.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled about collaborating with Atlanta Ballet,” says Paige McKay Kubik, Frazer Center’s CEO. “This partnership will give the adults in our program the chance to broaden their horizons by learning new skills and meeting new people in the professional community.”

We cannot thank The Home Depot Foundation enough for making each of these partnerships possible.

Michael C. Carlos Dance Centre 1695 Marietta Boulevard, NW | Atlanta, GA 30318

Atlanta Ballet gratefully acknowledges the support of:

WHY COMMISIONS MATTER TO CHOREOGRAPHER CRAIG DAVIDSON

Craig Davidson shared how being commissioned to create Remembrance/Hereafter for the Black Swan program in March made an impact on his career as an emerging choreographer.

“This commission came at exactly the right moment in my career. Up until this point, I feel like I’ve been building the blocks. One day I see myself doing full-evening works, but I have to build up to that. The creation of Remembrance/Hereafter allowed me to experience multiple firsts, pushing me to grow as an artist.

This is the first time I’ve worked with multiple casts and with so many dancers. This was also my first time working with live musicians. And Remembrance/Hereafter was my first work to premiere in the US, which is very exciting.

You don’t know if you can do something until you have the opportunity to try.”

Craig Davidson’s Remembrance/Hereafter received enthusiastic applause from audiences and from the press.

“[Rememberance/Hereafter] allowed the ensemble to move with unearthly grace and a clarity that was as refreshing as it was captivating. Davidson Jessica He in Craig Davidson’s Remembrance/Hereafter. Photo by Gene Schiavone.

carefully crafted a work with pronounced attention to Schubert’s score, bridging sections with effortless transitions, seamlessly delivering the audience from one idea to the next.” –George Staib, ArtsAtl

We look forward to watching your career blossom, Craig!– Your friends at Atlanta Ballet

C O N N E C T W I T H U S Atlanta Ballet @atlantaballet @atlantaballet Atlanta Ballet