Atlanta Ballet Creates Immersive and Family-Friendly Opportunities To Explore Ballet

Atlanta Ballet’s 2024|25 season offers one-of-a-kind opportunities to immerse the whole family in the world of dance. The fall season will kick off on Sunday, July 21, 2024 with the Centre for Dance Education’s annual Open House, where participants will have the opportunity to take free dance classes and sign up for brand-new class offerings for the fall. The season will also bring to the stage two beloved productions catered to all ages, with The Nutcracker in December and Atlanta Ballet 2’s The Swan Princess in February.

“Incorporating these special events and performances for young people and families into our new season provides all ages an opportunity to experience the beauty and energy of ballet, fostering opportunities to create indelible memories together,” said Tricia Ekholm, chief marketing officer of Atlanta Ballet. “Our team is constantly offering creative new ways to engage new groups, as many of our audience members cultivate their appreciation for dance at a young age. Atlanta Ballet has long served as a hub for performing arts for children and families, and we trust this season will provide countless opportunities to participate in our programs.”  

 Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education to Host its Annual Open House

The Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education will host its annual Open House on Sunday, July 21, 2024, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at its Michael C. Carlos Dance Centre in Atlanta. Families are invited to visit the West Midtown studio to take free dance classes and meet the talented instructors from the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education. The Open House will allow adults and children of all ages to experience the art form of dance, participate in fun activities, such as learning how to build the perfect ballet bun, and enroll in Fall classes offered at all three Centre locations (West Midtown, Buckhead, and Virigina-Highland). This year, the Centre will introduce brand-new class offerings, such as “Silver Swans”, a beginner-friendly 55+ adult dance program exclusively for those looking to learn about the art of ballet as an adult.

The Open House is free and will be held at the Michael C. Carlos Dance Centre at 1695 Marietta Blvd., NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 in West Midtown, Atlanta. Classes will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

For more information, including the schedule of classes, visit https://centre.atlantaballet.com/ or call 404.873.5811.

Atlanta Ballet to Present Annual Performance of The Nutcracker at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

Under the artistic direction of Gennadi Nedvigin, Atlanta Ballet will premiere its annual production ofThe Nutcracker from December 7-26, 2024. The immersive family performance will feature original choreography by award-winning choreographer Yuri Possokhov, who reimagined the holiday classic exclusively for Atlanta Ballet in 2018. With intricately designed costumes, larger-than-life sets, high-tech lighting, and state-of-the-art life-like video projections, the production has been acclaimed as one of the most technically advanced versions of the show. The Atlanta Ballet Orchestra is also set to perform the iconic Tchaikovsky score, upholding Atlanta Ballet’s tradition of being one of the few regional Nutcracker ballet productions with live music. 

“Atlanta Ballet’s The Nutcracker offers an enchanting and memorable experience,” said Gennadi Nedvigin, artistic director of Atlanta Ballet. “We are proud to create a lasting tradition with our reimagined version of the beloved classic production.”

For more information about Atlanta Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker and to purchase tickets, please visit https://www.atlantaballet.com/performances/nutcracker.

Atlanta Ballet 2 to Present the Short Family Ballet – The Swan Princess by Bruce Wells

Atlanta Ballet 2, the highest level of the Centre for Dance Education’s and a training ground for the next generation of dancers, will present The Swan Princess on February 15-16, 2025 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The show was created to be an introduction to the adored classic Swan Lake, the tale of Princess Odette who meets and falls in love with Prince Siegfried, only to fall under the spell of the wicked Count Von Rothbart and be turned into a beautiful swan. It is the story of Odette and Siegfried’s journey to true love.

The production will feature original choreography by acclaimed choreographer Bruce Wells, who has created over 50 ballets, including the previous captivating productions of Atlanta Ballet 2’s Beauty & the Beast and Cinderella.

“We are thrilled to bring The Swan Princess back to stage as it tells the classic Swan Lake story in a charming and delightful way,” said Wells. “The narration and condensed one-hour timeline of our reimagined version of the iconic three-act ballet provides an excellent way for younger audiences to engage with the performance and be introduced into the world of dance.”

For more information about Atlanta Ballet 2’s performance of The Swan Princess and to purchase tickets, please visit https://www.atlantaballet.com/performances/swan-princess.