September 15, 2021
CONTACT: Jeni Miller
mrsjenimiller@gmail.com
847.401.0479
MARIETTA – For the past six decades, a local dance company housed on the Marietta Square has brought a myriad of shows to audiences in the greater Atlanta area. Now, in its 65th Season, the Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre (GMDT) is proud to announce its Sapphire Season lineup complete with new choreography and timeless classics.
Under the direction of Artistic Director Ashleigh Whitworth and Associate Artistic Director Gray Stoner, the dancers of GMDT will hit the stage in-person and via live stream with its inaugural student-led production, Dancing in the Rain. Just after Thanksgiving, the full company for the first time since March 2020 will return to the Jennie T. Anderson Theater in Cobb County kicking off the holiday season with everyone’s favorite The Nutcracker. Finally, in the spring of 2022, the dancers will bring back to the stage Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.
The 2021-2022 GMDT company is comprised of 108 students ranging in age from seven years-old to graduating high school seniors who train at Georgia Dance Conservatory (GDC) on the Marietta Square.
About the productions:
Dancing in the Rain, In-person at the West Cobb Church and livestreamed, Saturday, September 18, 2021, 7 p.m., tickets and live stream services start at $20, available through ww.georgiametrodance.org.
GMDTs sophomores, juniors and seniors are organizing, directing, producing, choreographing, marketing, managing wardrobe, as well as dancing in this original production. The title gains inspiration from the quote: “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain.” The Fall Showcase looks to explore this theme through the lenses of five different choreographers. Each piece will be unique in its tone, style, and interpretation of the theme. The pieces will not focus solely on the storm we have faced in the past few months, but also the storms that we face in our lifetime and how we have not and will not let them deter us from reaching our full potential. We do not wait for the bad things to go away; we fight through them.
Fall Showcase Production Team
Director: Avery Aschwege (Director – Senior, Harrison High School), Lauren Houchins (Asst. Director/Production Manager – Junior, Lassiter High School)
Choreography: Sarah Bongiovanni (Senior, Pope High School), Isabelle Brown (Senior, Milton High School), Megan Bunkley (Senior, CCCEPA at Pebblebrook High School), and Kathryn Tillis (Junior, Marietta High School)
Stage Manager: Reese Galat (Stage Manager/Production Manager – Junior, Cornerstone Prep), Maggi Ongtingco (Asst. Stage Manager – Sophomore, Campbell High School)
Stage Crew: Helen Braswell (Sophomore, Walton High School) and Jacob Bongiovanni (Sophomore, Pope High School)
Marketing Team: Paradise Hill (Sophomore, Marietta High School), Gabriella Morris (Sophomore, Marietta High School), Mary Peyton Tanner (Sophomore, Johnson Ferry Christian Academy)
Wardrobe: Kaitlyn Puckett (Junior, Hillgrove High School)
The Nutcracker:
Get ready for visions of sugar plums, waltzing flowers and dancing snowflakes. In its 65th season of dance, GMDT is proud to present its annual production of the captivating classic, The Nutcracker. The show will once again feature the brilliant sets, costumes, and special effects that spark awe and wonder alongside Tchaïkovsky’s timeless music. GMDT’s The Nutcracker also welcomes back professional dancers D Patton White as Godfather Drosselmeyer and Raul Peinado as Sugar Plum Cavalier. Rehearsals begin in September for the cast that will perform in six shows the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Swan Lake:
In 2021, GMDT was scheduled to perform Swan Lake in its full glory on the stage at the Jennie T. Anderson Theater. Due to COVID-19 and shuttered venues, the production was scaled back to a showcase that was successfully livestreamed to audiences around the world. In spring 2022, GMDT will be back on stage, performing stunning classical choreography staged by Marina Levasheva set to Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable score.
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About Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre
Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre (GMDT) is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, student-based dance company housed in the studios of Georgia Dance Conservatory on the Marietta Square. Founded in 1956, the company was formerly known as Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre. GMDT continues to educate, cultivate, and inspire young dancers to become the next generation of artists and leaders through rigorous dance training and performance opportunities in a challenging and professional environment.
Season 65 Board of Directors: Michelle Tillis, President / Melanie Kagan, Vice President / Arlene Ryan, Secretary / Brett McClung, Treasurer / Ashleigh Whitworth, Artistic Director / Alyssa Blanchard / Brittany Gray / Caroline Tezza / Huitt Rabel / Jeni Miller / Ken Johnson / Robert Parker