Dear Friends and Patrons,

Our 13|14 Season rehearsals are now underway, and the studios at the Michael C. Carlos Dance Centre are bursting with energy and creativity. The Company has already spent two weeks with American Ballet Theatre ballet mistress Nancy Raffa staging Alexei Ratamansky’s Seven Sonatas, which we will premiere in March. Alexei Ratmansky, resident choreographer at ABT and former artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet, created this breathtaking piece for ABT’s 2009 fall performance at Lincoln Center. Already recognized for his exceptional talent and creativity, the MacArthur Foundation named him one of its fellows just last week and awarded him one of its 24 coveted MacArthur "genius" grants. This honor is bestowed on artists, social innovators, scientists, and humanists who have significantly contributed to the improvement of cultural and scientific development. Ratamansky, also named a “Mover & Shaper” by the New York Times, is recognized for choreographing around the globe and becoming an integral part of the adventurous and diverse dance community of New York City. Atlanta Ballet seeks this type of artistic release, creating a community in the Southeast that is devoted to experimental and mixed media works as well as attracting world class dancer talent. Having Seven Sonatas on the 13|14 Season is a testimony to how Atlanta Ballet is building a distinctive repertoire. We are looking forward to what is to come from Ratamansky as he continues to transform our understanding of ballet and dance as a MacArthur Fellow. Over the next 5 years, the MacArthur award issues a no-strings-attached grant of $625,000 for Ratamansky to follow his creative vision. At Atlanta Ballet, we are delighted to be in the company of such great accomplishment. Bravo!

We saw many of you last Friday night at our Welcome to the Season event, and I hope you enjoyed the opportunity to meet with dancers, staff, and other supporters of the Company in our West Midtown studio. For those not in attendance, Artistic Director John McFall was on hand to announce that 19 of our 26 Company members will travel to China for the inaugural international ballet season hosted by the National Ballet of China. The Company will present four pieces from our broad repertoire that reflects the versatility of our artists. It is important to note that this is our first major international tour in more than 10 years, and, as the sole representative from the United States, we are honored for the opportunity to share how our Company has evolved and reintroduce ourselves to international dance audiences.

It is shaping up to be another banner year artistically, and we cannot wait to introduce you to these groundbreaking works. In addition, the 13|14 fiscal year is scheduled to be the beginning of a new chapter in Atlanta Ballet’s history, as we launch a major effort to build financial sustainability for generations to come – but that’s another story, about which you will hear more later.

See you at the theater.

Best wishes,

Arturo Jacobus
Executive Director
Atlanta Ballet

Arturo Jacobus. Photo by Charlie McCullers.