March 15, 2023
Volume 4 Issue 2
There are moments in Atlanta when I celebrate the ways in which dance reflects the nature of our metropolis. Reading the latest issue of Promenade offers one such occasion, because the profiles of dance-makers, written by our staff, recognize how local artists work in niches that are anchored in sophisticated interests, including mathematics, social history, and cross-discipline collaboration. Such exploration can take place in a major city where education and funding help bring the arts to a wide variety of audiences. As a result, dance may find audiences where they least expect it, and it may be the thing that sparks friendships among unsuspecting strangers in the pursuit of creativity.
-Julie Galle Baggenstoss, Writing Committee Chair
November 15, 2022
Volume 4 Issue 1
Promenade kicked off its fourth publication cycle this month. Our roster of artist interviews and profiles reflects a theme that shines throughout work by DanceATL: community. Reading the profiles of local dancers, it is easy to become acquainted with artists who tell their stories of searching for a community; the desire to contribute to a community; the inspiration found within a community. And then, they show up, to pot-luck mixers, technical talks, dance workshops, performances and more, also presented by DanceATL and their peers. We are a dance community where movers share by participating together, and sometimes that together means bridging circles that seem to have nothing in common. How fortunate to be in a major city where dance is so active.
We hope you enjoy Promenade 4.1 and let us know what you think.
-Julie Galle Baggenstoss and Robin Wharton, Writing Committee Co-Chairs
June 22, 2022
Volume 3 Issue 3
DanceATL’s Promenade just wrapped its third full publication cycle. In addition to another exciting roster of artist interviews and profiles, the Promenade team partnered with the DanceATL board and the diversity, equity, and inclusion committee to publish two installments in the “Engaging Atlanta” series. After an open call, we also brought on four new writers–Kiera Baity, Alex Franco, Jodie Jernigan, and Olivia Subero–all of whom have contributed to this issue. While the volunteer efforts of our dedicated writing committee continue to be essential in bringing Promenade to you, for the second year in a row, DanceATL has been able to compensate the writers and copyeditor for every issue. As we grow our funding, we hope to expand our coverage of Atlanta’s dance scene, raise writer and copyeditor pay, and begin to compensate the editors who provide oversight and review throughout the process.
We hope you enjoy Promenade 3.3 and let us know what you think.
– Robin Wharton and Julie Galle Baggenstoss, Writing Committee Co-Chairs
March 8, 2022
Volume 3 Issue 2
December 29, 2021
Applause Board 2021
November 19, 2021
Volume 3 Issue 1
As part of a long-term collaboration between DanceATL’s writing and equity committees, we are excited to announce a new initiative seeking ways we can increase support for and take action toward a more equitable dance community in Atlanta.
Promenade+: Engaging Atlanta
These two volunteer-based committees have been meeting over the past several months in response to feedback received about the need to increase the accessibility of our resources far beyond those who frequently utilize them. DanceATL acknowledges its responsibility to serve all members of the community, and prioritize ensuring our content is relevant and accessible to all.
After having consulted with a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) consultant, the committees have prepared an interview format whereby they will conduct brief interviews with dance organizations around Atlanta to listen and learn about their desires and challenges. In an effort to maintain full transparency, these interviews will be published via our digital publication Promenade. This will ensure accountability on DanceATL’s behalf, and inform readers about the needs of dance organizations in Atlanta.
Our goal in conducting and publicizing these interviews is to gain a better understanding of how we can support all members of the dance community in Atlanta, build a connected network of dance organizations and artists, and institute changes that can act as an example for artistic communities nationwide.
We welcome all feedback about this process, please email info@danceatl.org with any questions or concerns.
We are creating an End of Year 2021 Applause Board. Submit your accomplishments, accolades, and achievements in the link above! This can include anything you’ve recently accomplished – a grant, new project, award, successful show, or anything else you’re excited about.
Submit to our Applause Board
July 9, 2021
Volume 2 Issue 3
Sue Schroeder
Sue is completing her role as board member and chair with DanceATL. She has supported DanceATL for years, secured operation funds, shared knowledge, and provided many free resources. Thank you for your service!
Douglas Scott
Douglas has completed the 30th season of Full Radius Dance, while serving as Dance ATL’s treasurer and continuing to redefine the boundaries of dance.
Jacque Pritz and Tamara Irving
Jacque and Tamara participated in the ALMA workshop and presented their creative placemaking projects. Jacque, a part of team seafoam, won the adjudicator’s award as well as the audience choice award.
Hannah Myers
Hannah Myers has recently created a new website featuring her portfolio of past and present works. She looks forward to networking with more Atlanta artists of all mediums in hopes of future collaborative efforts. Check it out here.
Thank you for your contributions to the Atlanta Dance community, we will miss you!
Angelina Pellini
Angelina is a dancer and stage manager, currently working for Ballet West in Utah. Be sure to check out an in-depth article about her here.
Jessica Bertram
Jessica recently premiered Our Hair Feels Like Flower Petals with multiple sold out shows. She will be moving to Denver for graduate school at CU Boulder!
Instagram
Jacob Lavoie
Jacob is an avid volunteer who recently completed his wildly successful show So long, Farewell, Goodbye. Congratulations and thank you for your support. We wish you much prosperity in your move to New Hampshire!
Instagram
Catherine Messina
Catherine is the creator of Fall for Fall and the Spring for Spring festivals, a teacher for many studios, and a dancer with Kit Modus. She has moved away from Atlanta to pursue graduate school in New York City, but we thank her for her contributions to Atlanta and wish her the best!
Instagram
Tsiambwom Akuchu
Congratulations to Tsaimbwom for accepting a position as an Assistant Professor of dance at California State University, Long Beach. He will be teaching hip-hop dance forms with an emphasis on the socio-cultural and historic context to the dances as Afro-diasporic performative traditions. He will also develop curriculum and work as the program coordinator for the hip-hop dance track while producing scholarship and creative work!
Instagram
March 1, 2021
Volume 2 Issue 2
Thank you to everyone who attended A.M. Collaborative’s Taste event!
On the evening of February 26, 2021 from the comfort of their homes, 56 people met via Zoom to “taste” the collaborative works of over 20 artists created over the past five months. The doors “opened” at 6:55 p.m. with a formal welcome ten minutes later by lead curator, Samatha Spriggs. After brief introductions from the involved artists, the curators guided a Q&A session highlighting the voices from each collaborative pair or trio while showcasing a taste of their work on the screen. The entire event shined with fervor, leaving everyone present ardently optimistic and inspired for what’s to come next.
You can view all the projects from the A.M. Collaborative artists by clicking here.
Are you interested in joining next season’s A.M Collaborative program? Fill out our interest form.
Dance Hub ATL
Announcing a formation of a new creative structure in the Atlanta dance scene!
Dance Hub ATL was chosen among 70 proposals from the Atlanta community to become a resident of the Hambidge Cross-Pollination Art Lab, curated by Hambidge Center in partnership with Rubenstein Partners and Uptown Atlanta with funding from Lubo Fund and Fulton County Arts and Culture.
Dance Hub ATL consists of 7 professional artists representing a diverse collective of artistic disciplines including dance theatre, Butoh, modern/contemporary dance, and performance art: Jessica Bertram, Leo Briggs, Porter Grubbs, Jacob Lavoie, Catherine Messina, Frankie Mulinix, and Nadya Zeitlin.
Submit to our Applause Board
October 31, 2020
Volume 2 Issue 1
Beth Del Nero
Beth’s dance trapeze piece, The Anxiety of Waiting, which she choreographed at the height of Atlanta shelter-in-place was accepted into two virtual projects: The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs’ Pandemic Atlanta project and Modco’s Quarantine Chronicles. Beth has revamped the piece for an exciting virtual aerial arts performance which will be presented by the instructors of Challenge Aerial end of October.
Facebook | Instagram | Classes
George Staib
George Staib was elected to the Dance/USA Board of Trustees in June of 2020. Beginning this November, he will serve the organization with a focus on programming and development. This includes, but is not limited to DEI work, navigating the fiscal crises many artists and arts organizations are facing, and elevating emerging artists to greater visibility.
Website
Want your name on our Applause Board? Share your wins (both big and small) here and we will post these with every issue.
#DanceTheVote
Video edit: Jacob Lavoie
Applause Board
This is a new element we are adding to Promenade. Share your achievements, accomplishments, accolades… whatever you want to call them, and let us give you a round of applause! Share these wins (both big and small) here and we will post these with every issue.
COVID-19: So what does this mean for Atlanta dance?
June 1, 2020
Volume 1 Issue 2
How are you staying creative during the quarantine?
Let us know by tagging us or sending a direct message on Instagram to @danceatlanta
-
Courtesy of @oji_dannelley
Being puppies & singing ” Head, Shoulders” with my Granddaughter Clementine. This gets us both moving! ( When we got to the “ears” part, she couldn’t decide if we should point to our real ears or the puppy ears.💜) #Grandmother #Quarantine -
Courtesy of @jcublavoie
One of the ways I’ve been coping is by volunteering my time and skills to sew reusable masks for healthcare workers with a team of designers and stitchers on behalf of Out Front Theatre Company. It feels good to know that I’m helping from the safety of my home! -
Courtesy of @jaxdance
I decided to choreograph a dance propaganda film promoting healthy habits during the COVID-19 pandemic. We had zoom rehearsals to create the movement and block the camera angles, and each dancer filmed on their phones. It was a very different type of creative process! -
Courtesy of @triplestepstudios
In lieu of our planned Shim Sham workshop this month, we have created a virtual one! Watch in-depth breakdown of the Shim Sham at our Youtube channel, and finetune your moves-throughout the end of April. You can send us back a video of your Shim Sham, and we will give you personalized feedback for free! -
Courtesy of @canicolornowstudios
Painting has kept me sane. It is a way for me to slow down, to pause, to reconnect to my breath, and to lose myself in the image I am creating. It’s not about finishing or accomplishing. It’s just about enjoying the colors and textures of this new world.
April 1, 2020
Volume 1 Issue 1
EDITORIAL BOARD
All of our writers who make up our Editorial Board are volunteers from our Writing Committee. If you are interested in writing for Promenade, please email your interest to info@danceatl.org.
Julie Galle Baggenstoss is a scholar and frequent lecturer in the field of flamenco history and culture. She has an M.A. in Spanish from Georgia State University, where she analyzed flamenco through the lens of Spanish history, literature, and linguistics. She is the Executive Director of A Través, 501c3, dedicated to flamenco arts in the state of Georgia, and she is a founder of the Atlanta Flamenco Festival. In addition to performing and working with students in grades K-12 as a teaching artist, Julie teaches flamenco at Emory University.
Laura (Leo) Briggs is an Atlanta-based dance artist. They received a B.A. in Dance & Movement Studies from Emory University in 2019. As a performer, Laura has worked with Nathan Griswold of Fly on a Wall, Okwae A. Miller and Artists, and Benji Stevenson. Their latest independent work, Search History, premiered at Fall for Fall Dance Festival in August 2020. A collaborative duet with artist Ethan Brasseaux, Search History investigates the uniquely queer experience of discovering one’s history and culture on the Internet.
Ashley Gibson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Kennesaw State University. During her time at KSU, she performed with the KSU Dance Company, working with renowned individuals such as Christine Welker and McCree O’Kelley. She is a current faculty member at both Studio Go and the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education. Ashley is also a freelance writer in the Atlanta community and contributes to DIYdancer. When she’s not dancing or teaching, she enjoys hiking and spending time outdoors.
Robin Wharton is a writer working in Atlanta, Georgia. She studied dance at the School of American Ballet and the Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and she was a member of Tulane University’s Newcomb Dance Company. She holds a law degree and a PhD in English, both from the University of Georgia.
WRITERS
Emma Bausback holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology/ Dance and Bachelor of the Arts in Theatre and Drama from Indiana University. After undergrad Emma danced as an apprentice with Jose Limon Dance Company before transitioning into the medical field. She found her way to Atlanta after receiving her Doctorate in physical therapy from The University of St Augustine. While working in outpatient therapy on a daily basis, she also works with Broadway tours and local theatres providing concierge PT to the artists and crews.
Maile Griffeth is an Atlanta based dancer currently dancing with ImmerseAtl. She is a junior in highschool with plans to pursue cultural anthropology and linguistics in college. Maile is interested in the intersection of culture, language, movement, and dance.
Jacob Lavoie is a maker, performance artist, and educator. In his work, he has a special interest in exploring the extremes within human gesture, the avant-garde, and using the body as the primary vehicle for storytelling. Jacob graduated Summa Cum Laude from Keene State College in May 2019 with a B.A. in Theatre and Dance with dual concentrations in Dance: Choreography and Performance and Theatre Arts: Directing. https://www.jacobdlavoie.com
Edward McNally is a lifelong patron of the dance and theatre arts in Atlanta, having served as an advisor or board member for Fly On A Wall, Zoetic Dance Ensemble, 7 Stages Theatre, PushPush Theatre and the Atlanta Fringe Festival, among others. “Scenes & Motions”, his regular podcast / monthly column about the performing arts appears in Creative Loafing. Edward has also appeared on stage as one of the dancers in gloATL’s “Cloth/Tower” featuring ASO Artistic Director Robert Spano.
Katie Watkins is a performer, choreographer, poet, and educator from Metro Atlanta. Currently, she is pursuing a B.A. Dance and B.A. English double major from Brenau University and is working as one of DanceATL’s 2021 Summer Interns. For two years, she has served as Editor-In-Chief of The Elixir, Brenau University’s student-run Literary & Arts Magazine. In her two years at Brenau, Katie has been cast in concert dance works by choreographers such as Nicholas Palmquist, Allyne Gartrell, and Xavier Lewis.
Henry Koskoff is an undergraduate student in his third year at Emory University, as well as one of DanceATL’s Spring 2022 interns. He is majoring in Creative Writing and Anthropology, but devotes the rest of his studies toward the practice and creation of movement. At an early age he began his immense lifelong commitment to artmaking in all of its forms, and now wants to pursue a literary career post-graduation. He serves on several of Emory’s editorial boards including Anthropos and Alloy, and you can find his poetry in local publications such as Wussy Magazine.
Olivia Subero is posing with her violin and bow in hand. She’s wearing a long-sleeved black shirt and has her hair pulled back as she smiles for the camera.
Olivia Subero is an Atlanta-based freelance writer and editor. With three years of writing and editing experience; Olivia also has a year of freelance writing experience. During my college years, she has worked with businesses and entrepreneurs to create website content, with article-writing as her specialty. Olivia’s writing is featured in online publications such as Comic Book Resources, Visionary Artistry Magazine, and The Peak. She has written and edited pieces ranging from indie musicians to “Top 10” lists; some are even educational, like her “9 Common Japanese Honorifics in Anime, Explained.”
Her love of writing started in childhood, just after learning to read. English was her favorite subject in school, and she loved reading all kinds of literature, from biographies to folktales. Olivia graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Kennesaw State University with two minors in Professional Writing and Japanese. At the moment, she is pursuing her Master’s degree in Professional Writing with a concentration in Creative Writing.
Kiera is wearing a hot pink dress with mulberry grape earrings, and a black necklace. Her red-orange hair is in a ponytail on top of her head, and the light from the sun glosses her caramel skin. Kiera smiles while standing in front of trees and a grassy area.
Kiera Baity is a twenty-seven-year-old graduate student pursuing my Masters in Professional Writing with a focus in Creative Writing. She is specialized in fiction, non-fiction, songs, poetry, news, blogs, web content, copy-editing and articles (just to name a few). What makes her writing unique is the way she blends prose and professional language, ultimately producing content that both informs and intrigues.
Jodie looks directly at the camera. She has shoulder length brown hair and is against a grey backdrop.
Jodie Jernigan received her A.A. with an emphasis in dance from Florida State College at Jacksonville in 2020 before receiving her B.A. in Dance and B.A. in English from Brenau University in 2022. At FSCJ, Jodie danced with and managed their dance repertory company, danceWORKS. At Brenau, Jodie conceptualized and directed the annual cross-department dance on film showcase, “Poetry in Motion.” Her choreography has been selected to represent Brenau University at a variety of events and conferences, including the 2022 American College Dance Association Southeast Conference. Outside of academia, she served as an intern with Fly on a Wall in Atlanta, Georgia for their 2020-2021 season. In 2021, she was commissioned by Zoetic Dance Ensemble to create an independent dance film for their annual Mixtape Atlanta film festival. Jodie’s written work has been featured in Brenau University’s “Elixir” as well as having been presented at the 2022 Sigma Tau Delta convention. Jodie looks forward to continuing to become acquainted with the Atlanta dance community.
A black-and-white close-up photo of Alex Franco, with his eyes closed behind his glasses. His chin rests on his left hand. In the background, shelves of liquor bottles can be seen.
Alex Robert Franco is a writer from Atlanta, GA. He studied literature at Bard College and the Sorbonne, and his work has appeared in over a dozen different publications. He believes art is life. More of his writing can be found at www.alexrobertfranco.com