Hit the Links..."Fore" a Great Cause!

Dan McBain, Event Chair

Get ready for an afternoon of fun and fundraising! It's time for our annual NADTee It Up Golf Tournament.

As you know, NADT is a non profit organization. We delight in teaching young people the art of dance and bringing their talents to the stage through live performances. We hold steadfast to the belief that dance is a touchstone to so many other strengths and skills. Our dancers graduate well rounded and confident and ready to face the world with an appreciation for art. But, as a nonprofit, we cannot do this wonderful work without support from our parents and our community.

We rely on your support to make the magic happen! So we're asking everyone to consider signing up to be part of NADTee It Up! The event takes place September 23rd at 2 p.m. at Bear's Best in Suwanee, Georgia. All ages and skill levels are welcome.

This year's Event Chair, Dan McBain is a former professional dancer and his daughter, Olivia is a rising eighth grader and company dancer with NADT. Dan says this event is a wonderful opportunity to include fathers. "I think it is probably difficult for many fathers to fully understand the connection that their child has with dance and the benefits that came come from it. Often we hear about the injuries, personal struggles, disappointments," says McBain. But he adds, there are so many inspiring outcomes from the discipline and the joy of dance.

Dan explains, "the dedication it takes to attempt to perfect the dance and to show up even when you would rather not, the perseverance it takes to stay with it even when your mind and body want to give up and the ability to work with others to create something bigger and greater than you could have ever done by yourself makes our children better and stronger." McBain believes these life lessons are, "priceless and something any father can appreciate."

NADTee It Up will host 35 foursomes. Anyone can join; fathers, uncles, grandparents, neighbors.
Our tireless creative team has been hard at work planning what is sure to be a marvelous afternoon. Golfers will be greeted by stilt walkers and then handed goody bags. Refreshments will be available including a celebratory NADT 20th Anniversary bottle of bubbly. Vendors like Pasta Vino and Taco Mac will be providing food along the course. Additionally, Titos and Patron will be serving drinks and there will be raffle prizes. The tournament will conclude with a fire performance, hors d oeuvres, awards and a cash bar.

There are various levels of sponsorship should you be interested. The cost for a foursome is $500.00 and individuals are $145.

We would be so grateful for your time and support. Please call us 770-772-8000 or email: northatlantad658@bellsouth.net for registration and sponsorship information

What They're up to Now?

Spring is such a wonderful and often bittersweet time of year.  Young dancers, whom we’ve watched grow from young children to accomplished young adults, leave us to graduate and move on to exciting futures. Some of them take all the poise and dedication they’ve learned from dance and parlay that into wonderful careers. Others choose to continue their practice. Two NADA and NADT Alumni Emily Patterson and Bridget West have been cast in some pretty incredible ballets as they extend their education at the University of South Carolina. We had a moment recently to catch up with Emily who tells us all about What They’re Up to Now!

Emily Patterson:

On April 15th, Bridget and I had the chance to perform in the University of South Carolina’s annual Ballet Stars of New York performance. Every year, our teacher, Stacey Calvert (former New York City Ballet soloist) invites several current Principal dancers from NYCB to perform iconic Balanchine ballets with us. The fact that we even get to perform these ballets at all is special, because the Balanchine Trust has so many rules about who can perform them, who can set them, and how the production runs as a whole. This year, we performed “Allegro Brillante” and “Stars and Stripes,” two incredibly difficult but well known Balanchine works. I was honored to dance in Allegro Brillante, a fifteen-minute ballet danced by four corps couples and a principal couple, which was danced by Ashley Bouder and Jared Angle. Though it was one of the most challenging ballets I’ve ever danced, it was absolutely a dream to perform. The second work in the show was commissioned by Sara Mearns for NYCB, titled “The Bright Motion” and choreographed by the renowned Justin Peck. This one was a phenomenal duet between Sara and Robbie Fairchild, and it was thrilling to watch. Finally, the showstopper was the famous “Stars and Stripes” Ballet, set to the famous Sousa music, arranged by Hershey Kay. It was especially thrilling to hear it played by our live orchestra! The ballet is split into five sections, or “Regiments,” as Balanchine named them, and Bridget and I both danced in the opening section— usually called the Short Girl Regiment. Of the thirteen girls in that section, we actually danced right next to each other (just like old days!). Following our regiment were the Tall Girls and the Men, with the men’s regiment leader role danced by NYCB’s Anthony Huxley, an incredibly exciting and beautifully technical dancer to watch. Then, Sara Mearns and Robbie Fairchild took the stage again for an exhilarating pas de deux as the Liberty Bell and El Capitan. The ballet culminated with all 41 dancers on stage together. We enjoyed every moment of this performance!

taken by Jason Ayer, and features the USC Dance Company with Sara Mearns, Robbie Fairchild, Anthony Huxley and the men of Columbia City Ballet

So what’s next?

Emily will graduate from USC on May 12^th. She’s been auditioning and sending her performance reel to a lot of different companies. While in undergrad, she also completed the prerequisites for a Physical Therapy graduate school, because she’s always been interested in helping dancers recover from injuries and the science behind physical activity. “So somewhere down the road, I’d like to pursue that as well... but not until I’ve had my fill of performing,” says Emily.

Bridget is a rising junior at USC, and, along with dance, she is interested in learning more about Athletic Training—whether that is through a PT program or becoming a personal trainer!

Sisters Compete at YAGP in NYC

Please join us in celebrating two very talented young ladies, sisters Kai and Nik Shlomi! These two marvelous dancers competed this spring in the Youth Grand Prix in New York City.

Here's more about the awesome experience in their own words:

Tell me about the dance routine.
The dance routine was about two mimes who had contrasting personalities and constantly bickered with each other until finally they resolved their problems.

Why do you feel it was so special? What story does it tell?
This piece was inspired by Marcel Marceau and his famous mime characters. As sisters, we were really able to connect with each other and put our history together into the piece. Additionally, we are Jewish and Marceau used miming to stay alive during the Holocaust, a very devastating period, so our religious connection reasoned with our dedication of this dance to him.

How did you feel when you found out you were bound for NY?
When our amazing coach, mentor, and teacher, Ms. Stacey Slichter, told us the exciting news, we both started screaming with joy and had tears of happiness. It was so unexpected and the thought of going to New York for the YAGP finals was one of the most amazing feelings ever.

Tell me about NY.
While in NY we not only spent lots of time dancing, but we also had a great time getting to meet talented dancers from all over the world. Sharing our experiences with them made our time in the big apple even more special. The food in New York was delicious and spending our evenings in Times Square was so surreal.

What was your favorite part of performing at YAGP?
Our favorite part of performing at YAGP was having the opportunity to lighten the moods of the audience members and get a good laugh out of them. It was also a very rewarding experience to dance at both the Peter Jay Sharp Symphony Orchestra Theatre and the David H. Koch Theatre at the Lincoln Center. Not only this, but shortly after our performance, we took the subway from the theatre to Times Square and performed for pedestrians in the big city.

What was your favorite part of being in NYC? Had you been before?
Our favorite part of being in NYC was being around people with the same interests as us in a such a magical city. The billboards, the food, and the amazing respect for the art of dance in NYC made our experience much more special. Getting to spend time with our Mom and Ms. Stacey in the city was so enjoyable. We have been to NYC in years past, but this was our first time in the city for a dance related event.

How did you place?
Although we did not place in the top 12 out of hundreds of ensembles, our scores reflected an excellent performance and the judges mentioned that they truly enjoyed the piece. Being a duet and making it to the YAGP NYC 2018 Finals is already such an amazing achievement. Seeing what the audience had to say later on was an even more rewarding accomplishment and we will cherish it forever. If we went back and did it again, we would not change a thing!

What is your next big goal?
Our next goal is to continue our dance training and charm the hearts of many more future audiences!

Spotlight on the NADT Guild

We recently had the honor of recognizing the NADT Guild for all of its steadfast work which enhances everything we do. We owe all the Guild members a debt of gratitude for their tireless and impassioned work.

Guild President Ronni Shlomi and husband Zvika

(L) Ashley Wilmouth and (R) Susan Fisher Guild Co-Presidents

The NADT Parent Guild is the collective parent body of North Atlanta Dance Theatre. Its mission is to promote parental participation in the life of NADT. The PG is led by a president and two co-presidents. Ronnie Shlomi serves as president, Ashley Wilmouth and Susan Fisher serve as co-presidents. The Parent Guild provides a strong voice for the parent community and works in partnership with the NADA/NADT administration. Leadership works together to embrace the mission, vision and goals of NADT.

Each officer has children who are company dancers. And in addition to supporting their own dancers, they perform myriad important duties behind the scenes that benefit everyone.

From overseeing all aspects of the PG's various committees to planning and scheduling activities for the season these ladies are relentless in their efforts.

One of the most important items the Guild is tasked with is fundraising. Money raised enables activities to enhance the social spirit of company members and families through welcome parties, themed t-shirts, holiday festivities, cast and end of year parties.

The PG also welcomes new family members, answering any questions and guiding them along the way.  Through regular meetings, the guild provides a forum for dialogue, addressing parents needs and concerns. Parents also use these meetings to suggest ideas and keep abreast of upcoming events and activities.

Like any organization, we would not be such a success without the support of parent volunteers. We extend our most heartfelt appreciation to the Parent Guild officers and the many parent volunteers who make it all look so easy. Thank you for putting your Passion in Motion!

Happy Mother's Day, Miss Kitty!

As we prepare to honor mothers and all who mother, let us not forget the woman who embodies this quote by C.S. Lewis each and every day, Miss Kitty Garrison.

Always professional and impeccably dressed, she graciously manages all the many moving parts necessary for the success of NADA/NADT. In addition to greeting parents and dancers, she takes care of all administrative duties. She also creates schedules, organizes recital shows and orchestrates costume purchases and distribution to various classes. She also reserves theater spaces, backdrops and hires dancers for NADT. Whew! Those are just a few of the many, many hats she wears so dazzlingly well!

But perhaps her most important role is that of a mother figure to all of our wonderful young dancers. You will hear her tell parents and dancers alike she is their second mother! She will be stern when necessary and always encouraging; just like any mother!

Being a mom isn't always easy. "The most challenging thing I believe is to have to explain to a parent why they're dancer is not ready for the accelerated program or not ready to go on to point-and suggest what they can do to make it happen and do it in a way that they are in agreement and not disappointed or upset," Kitty explains. But as any mom will tell you, the rewards outweigh the difficult moments. Kitty adds, "The most rewarding thing for me is seeing a student show improvement in their technique and see how proud they are of that achievement."

Here are a few other things you might no know about our Miss Kitty:

Inspiration:  My grandmother. She was always a strong person but always a lady and always there for me throughout my life

Favorite quote "Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value." Albert Einstein

Favorite Film: Somewhere in Time 

Favorite Flower: Tulip, Lily and Rose

Here's to you on Mother's Day, Miss Kitty. Thank you for all you do!

Seniors in the Spotlight

It is with great pride and a tinge of sadness that we say goodbye to the seniors who will be graduating and leaving us in just a few short weeks. Regardless of whether they continue dance or not we are confident studying this craft has given them the poise, confidence, discipline and grace that will embolden them to soar to the highest heights in this big, beautiful world. Keep a song in your heart and a rhythm in your toes and always...put Passion in Motion!

We'd like to take a moment to spotlight them here; their accomplishment and their future goals. Good luck in all of your endeavors.

Dancer: Audrey Davern

Graduating From: Northview HS
Career: Started dance at NADA at age three. She then quit to get her black belt, then joined again at age 11.

Favorite Memory: feeling deliriously exhausted on Saturdays after 8 hours of dance!
What she'll miss most: the comfort of the studio, instructors and wonderful friends at NADA/NADT as it was her second home.
Waiting in the wings: UGA class of 2022, studying business

Dancer: Shirin Kuppusamy

Graduating From:  Northview High School

Career:  Indian dance since age 4. She started ballet with NADA 7 years ago, and started Contemporary last year.

Favorite Memory: She loves recital time, and her favorite memory is preparing for recital with all her friends every year.

What she'll miss most: She will miss seeing her teachers, their corrections and encouragement. Also, she will miss seeing her friends every week.

Waiting in the wings: She is going to Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Massachusetts where she will be majoring in Engineering with a focus on Biomedical Engineering.

Dancer: Maryann Han

Graduating From: Georgia Connections Academy

Career: Started dancing at NADA at the age of three. When she was five she took a break from dance and returned when she was 11. She joined contemporary company two years ago and has been in ballet company this final year. 

Favorite memory: The Nutcracker. She had so much fun making memories with her friends and had an amazing time performing her roles.

What she'll miss most: Being able to dance with the new friends she has made in company.

Waiting in the wings: Either Georgia State to study Business or the Art Institute of Atlanta for Fashion Design

Dancer: Suzanne Enos

Graduating From: Johns Creek High School

Career: Started taking ballet at NADA at the age of three and has been there for 15 years!

Favorite memory: When Mr. G made everyone step aside to let the corps de ballet bow again after the last show of Swan Lake.

What she'll miss most: Performing with her best friends and the sense of family she felt with NADT.

Waiting in the wings: She will be attending the University of Georgia majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Dance. She plans to do do medical research through UGA Honors Program Center for Undergraduate Research

Dancer: Lexi Fisher
Graduating From: Johns Creek High School
Career: Dancing since age three
Favorite memory: Entering the stage on a platform as Lead Arabian, performing the role of Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, performing as Swanhilda with Nick in her first Grand Pas de Deux the summer before her junior year, and taking her final bow as a NADT company member at the end of Swan Lake knowing that they had successfully performed the ballet of all ballets
What she'll miss the most:  Performing in company productions and the thrill of standing in the wings waiting to go on stage, merde before every show, spring show tech rehearsals, partnering classes, cast parties, and all the close friends she has danced with for years
Waiting in the wings: Lexi is taking a Mediterranean cruise this summer with stops in Italy, Spain and France.  Will also be taking morning classes at NADA this summer.  In the fall, she will be attending Northwestern University in Evanston, IL where she will be pursuing a Communications major and Dance minor.

More to come...stay tuned!

One to Watch, Daniel Gray

When asked last fall what Daniel Gray hoped for by training for competition this year, he said he wanted to be a better dancer. His mother, Suzy explains, “Thanks to Mr. G, Tatiana, Stacey, and the entire NADA family, he has found his place in the joy of dance.”

Suzy says they are grateful for all that NADA has done to teach Daniel classical technique and give him an environment where he can thrive and do what brings him such happiness these last two years.

Because of the wonderful opportunities he has been given and the incredible teachers that have invested in him, Daniel was able to compete in the pre-competitive division at YAGP in January with the Giselle Peasant Pas male variation where he placed in the top 12.

Daniel was also given the opportunity to compete at UBC in March with that same variation and received UBC Platinum, placing 3rd overall in the pre-competitive division. In addition, he was part of the First Steps ensemble where they received UBC Platinum, placing 1st overall in the pre-competitive ensemble division. At UBC, Daniel was awarded a full scholarship to the Sarasota Ballet Summer Intensive program.

In April, Kate Parker, the bestselling and award winning photographic author of Strong Is the New Pretty, shot Daniel at NADA for her new project Boy Strong. In Kate’s words, “I worry about our boys. The definition of what is acceptable for them is so narrow. It is time to expand that. Time for change.” You can see Daniel’s picture as well as her portfolio on her website. She is wrapping up this project in early summer and will release it through Workman Publishing.

Suzy, “all we feel is gratitude for NADA and all they have given Daniel!”