May 10-12, 2013 Love Stories
Join us as we explore the theme of love through classic and innovative
choreography that highlight the athleticism and passion of Atlanta
Ballet’s dancers.
White Swan Pas de Deux from Swan Lake by Matthew Bourne
Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Performed by guest artists Domenico Luciano and Dominic Walsh
For the first time ever, Atlanta audiences will have the opportunity to witness one of the biggest sensations in modern dance – the centerpiece duet from British choreographer Matthew Bourne’s Tony Award-winning Swan Lake. Bourne, who is widely praised as the UK’s most popular and successful choreographer, debuted the almost all-male Swan Lake in 1995 – eschewing tradition and turning the ballet world on its head. Bourne’s avant-garde interpretation of Swan Lake tells the timeless story of ill-fated, forbidden love with dynamic modern day flair. New York Times dance critic Gia Kourlas described the ballet as “a painterly exploration of desire told through dance.” For Atlanta’s premiere, the White Swan pas de deux will be performed by guest artists Domenico Luciano and Dominic Walsh of Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre (DWDT) in Houston. DWDT first performed the duet in 2009 and is the only company outside of Bourne’s own that has been permitted to perform the work.
Wedding Night Pas de Deux from Madame Butterfly by Stanton Welch
Music by Giacomo Puccini
Arrangement by John Lanchbery
Atlanta Ballet is thrilled to present the quixotic wedding night pas de deux from Stanton Welch’s Madame Butterfly. Named a “showstopper” by AJC, the pas de deux is the romantic climax of one of the world’s greatest tragic love stories. The Telegraph called the piece “sexy and stunningly challenging.”
Prayer of Touch by Helen Pickett
Music by Felix Mendelssohn
Making its world debut last season with Atlanta Ballet, Prayer of Touch was a crowd favorite that left audiences breathless with anticipation. According to Creative Loafing, “Helen Pickett… gives outrageously dramatic and humorous life to Mendelssohn violin music in Prayer of Touch.” Throughout the work, the dancers “struggle between the desire to touch and the fear of being touched, like flipped magnets, in a dance of attraction and repulsion” (ArtsATL).
Requiem for a Rose by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Music by Franz Schubert
Set to an achingly romantic and longing adagio by Schubert, Requiem for a Rose
is passionate piece that blends contemporary staging with classical
dance. Become mesmerized by the movements as the dancers are transformed
into a garden of blossoming roses. Netherlands-based choreographer
Annabelle Lopez Ochoa presents a piece filled with “tender” moments that
is “deftly and honestly crafted” (Dance View Times).