For one weekend this fall, a glass slipper, a beloved fairytale and a little bit of magic will help welcome Atlanta Ballet back to one of the city’s most iconic stages.
Atlanta Ballet will return to the Fox Theatre when Atlanta Ballet 2 (AB2), joined by dancers from the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education, presents three performances of “Cinderella“ Oct. 16-17. The one-hour production is part of Atlanta Ballet’s family ballet series and is designed to introduce younger audiences to ballet through storytelling, colorful costumes, imaginative sets and familiar characters.
Before “Cinderella” reaches the Fox, however, some of its performers are bringing a different kind of fairytale experience to children and families in Atlanta.
On Monday, Sept. 28 at noon, members of AB2 presented an enchanted “Fairytale & Friends” performance for patients and families at Seacrest Studios inside Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Arthur M. Blank Hospital. Patients who attended in person had the opportunity to interact and dance with the performers, while children unable to leave their rooms watched the performance through the hospital’s closed-circuit televisions.
The Sept. 28 event featured dancers who are part of the upcoming “Cinderella” production, offering patients and families an early glimpse of the performers before they take the Fox Theatre stage. AB2 represents the highest level of training within Atlanta Ballet’s Centre for Dance Education and serves as a pathway for dancers working toward joining the Atlanta Ballet Company.
The Fox performances will also mark a homecoming for Atlanta Ballet. The company has not performed at the historic theater since 2019.
“Having the opportunity to perform at The Fox is very meaningful for our Atlanta Ballet 2 dancers,” Atlanta Ballet Artistic Director Gennadi Nedvigin said. “The theatre with its whimsical decor is deeply rooted in Atlanta’s cultural history and returning there with “Cinderella” allows us to share a timeless story with new generations in the magical environment.”
“Cinderella” tells a familiar story of kindness, perseverance and the search for true love. Choreographed by Bruce Wells, the production combines classical choreography with narration to make the story accessible to audiences of all ages. Wells, a former soloist with New York City Ballet, has previously choreographed AB2 productions including Beauty and the Beast, Swan Princess and Snow White.
The Fox Theatre itself adds another layer to the occasion. The 4,665-seat historic venue welcomes more than 500,000 visitors annually for concerts, ballets, comedy, movies and other events.
The return to the Fox will be limited to the three “Cinderella” performances. Atlanta Ballet’s primary performance home will remain the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, where its productions, including the annual production of “The Nutcracker,” will continue following the October engagement.
Founded in 1929, Atlanta Ballet has spent 96 seasons sharing dance with audiences and contributing to Atlanta’s cultural life. Its Centre for Dance Education, which opened in 1996, continues that work by nurturing young dancers and providing opportunities for people to experience dance.
From an intimate performance for children and families on Sept. 28 to the grand stage of the Fox Theatre in October, “Cinderella” will travel through Atlanta in more ways than one, carrying its story of kindness and perseverance from the hospital halls to a fairytale homecoming under the lights of the Fox.
