The new year has brought a palpable feeling of excitement to the Atlanta dance community, with the hope of the potential return of a recognizable performance season. Though planning still seems next to impossible for in-person rehearsal and performance space, dance makers are laying out goals for the coming months. We at ITP have reached out to choreographers and facilitators to give you a sneak peak of what’s coming up in Atlanta this year. Check out three organizations' plans below!
ALA Dance
ALA Dance, a multidisciplinary dance company founded and directed by Atarius Armstrong, made their live performance premier at the Fall for Fall Dance Festival in September, 2020. During their opening season, the company also created film work, reaching even wider audiences and incorporating dancers from multiple locales.
They are currently planning to host their first evening performance this summer. The company will hold auditions for this work in February. This will be a paid opportunity and announcements will be made via the ALA Dance instagram (@_aladance). This performance will also incorporate two or three other dance makers or groups, creating a fully billed show. Keep an eye out to be a part of ALA!
Full Radius Dance
Full Radius, a physically integrated dance company, has embraced the world of virtual dance training and performance. They have developed a program that rigorously trains dancers with and without disabilities. These classes ran all season and have now resumed for the spring semester. The virtual class is captured by Rev.com and is open for all to join. Check out their website or social media (@fullradiusdance)for more information.
The company’s director, Douglas Scott, also gave us some information about upcoming virtual performances. Restructure is the third and final film in their Return series, created in response to Covid-19. The series asks: how we will reemerge, reorganize, and restructure as we continue to create our art? The project is partially funded by Art on the Beltline, a juried public art exhibition. This iteration will be presented in March of this year. The Return series will also be presented as a prerecorded repertory concert in April along with The Spider Tapestry (2018), a collaboration with the Urban Youth Harp Ensemble and composer Maurice Draughn.
The company will also utilize virtual platforms to connect with dancers internationally from March to June in their new The Call and Response project. This will be a series of dance videos from dance companies beyond Atlanta that will be derived from responses to Full Radius choreography. The material that comes out of the responses will be used in collaboration with Full Radius, as well as be developed into stand-alone choreographic pieces by the participating companies. Be on the look-out for Full Radius’s annual open call and presentation of The MAD (Modern Atlanta Dance) Festival, which Scott says will likely follow the 2020 structure of a virtual dance festival.
DanceATL
DanceATL has been one of the largest forces of organization and change for the dance community in Atlanta over the past three years. True to their mission of nurturing, connecting, and engaging the dance community, they’ve hit the ground running in 2021 by offering many opportunities for dancers and makers. They just released their new membership structure that offers unlimited access to community building events, discounts on workshops and seminars, publicity through their social media pages, and more. One of these events, their annual potluck mixer, will be hosted virtually on January 31st at 5:30pm. Click here for details.
DanceATL has also created a new engaging outlet that will continue to grow into the new year, the A.M. Collaborative. Since October, dancers, interdisciplinary artists, and designers have been paired up and have been working, collaborating, and serving as accountability partners in their processes. This process-oriented initiative works to provide feedback and community to its artists. The A.M. Collaborative is one of the few platforms offered that matches artists across genres in Atlanta, filling the need for cross-pollination of creators in the city. The final product of these processes will be presented in their public showing in February 2021. Mark your calendars!
These artists and organizations, as well as so many others, are beginning this year anew with the hopes of continued growth and development following the turmoil of 2020. We are excited to see the outcome of these projects from the resilient creators of the Atlanta dance community as we move forward to a New Year together.