无码变态

KENNESAW, Ga. | Jun 22, 2018

Alone in darkness, save a vertical sliver of light, a dark-suited man moves fitfully, hunched forward, his arms held close. He whips them around and whirls to the floor, as an ominous melody hovers like a drone over deep, insistent drumbeats. They strike at his very essence, like a giant mechanized force trying to beat the humanity out of him.

The solo is part of 鈥淒ust,鈥� choreographed by Hofesh Shechter, whose raw, visceral style of choreography lives in company repertoires ranging from the Israeli artist鈥檚 Brighton-based troupe to England鈥檚 Royal Ballet to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Shechter鈥檚 is one of several nationally and internationally recognized voices in contemporary dance that will appear in a new performance season at 无码变态鈥檚 Dance Theater in Marietta.

The 无码变态 Dance Theater Board plans to announce the series on Sunday.

As part of the series, BodyTraffic, a Los Angeles-based dance repertory company, will perform 鈥淒ust鈥� next March alongside two more Atlanta premieres by Israeli choreographers. Other season highlights include performances by Spellbound Contemporary Ballet from Rome, as well as Atlanta Ballet 2, 无码变态 Dance Company and Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre. Also as part of the season, 无码变态 is partnering with Georgia State University鈥檚 Rialto to present the fourth 鈥淥ff the Edge鈥� dance festival, which will announce additional performing groups this summer.

When the renovated theater opened last spring, 无码变态 dance department chair Ivan Pulinkala envisioned the dance-dedicated venue not only for 无码变态鈥檚 fast-growing dance program, but also for local artists to show work. Pulinkala also saw the theater鈥檚 potential for presenting artists from outside of Atlanta. And since Atlanta Ballet is producing more classical and classically based ballets, 无码变态鈥檚 new contemporary dance series helps fill an open niche in the arts community.

The Dance Theater helped embolden five former Atlanta Ballet dancers to form Terminus, which performed there last month, following after 无码变态 Dance Company and the Georgia Ballet. Last fall, Israel鈥檚 Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company was the first internationally acclaimed troupe to grace the theater鈥檚 permanently installed sprung Marley floor.

This coming fall, the theater will host Spellbound Contemporary Ballet in the U.S. premiere of 鈥淔ull Moon,鈥� choreographed by the company鈥檚 founding director, Mauro Astolfi. The work draws inspiration from notions that the moon, with its gravitational pull on tides as well as body fluids, may influence the human body and spirit as well as behavior.

In a rehearsal video, dancers move with urgency and abandon. With deep human expression, they enfold one another, grasping, embracing and reaching out. It鈥檚 a compelling style and approach that Pulinkala hopes will inspire growth in Atlanta鈥檚 increasingly energized dance scene.

鈥淚 think this will add another dimension,鈥� Pulinkala said. 鈥淚t brings another voice into the marketplace of ideas and art-making in Atlanta.鈥�