Those who sometimes feel creatively stuck may take comfort knowing that inside a mural-splashed Westside building, an angelic figure is leading someone out of a state of mental imprisonment and into a state of joy and creative flow.
So it appeared during a recent visit to the Westside Cultural Arts Center when five former Atlanta Ballet dancers rehearsed "Exstasis" for the much-anticipated debut of Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre.
Under the direction of choreographer Tara Lee, dancers Rachel Van Buskirk and John Welker circled one another, tracing interlocking curves along the floor in an intricate and detailed series of movements. At one point, Welker supported Van Buskirk at the waist as she brushed one leg, then the other behind her, lightly tapping them together at the top of the lift, like a ballet cabriole in slow motion. She hovered, suspended like a cloud. Lee advised Van Buskirk to ripple her arms with just the right amount of resistance — a “jellyfish moment” — to create an otherworldly effect.
“Exstasis,” which Lee said means “to stand outside oneself,” is the name of Terminus’ first work, a modern ballet inspired by ecstatic moments and the human desire to be superhuman.
The idea of stepping outside of one’s comfort zone is apt for the company’s premiere, considering the leap the artists have taken to strike out on their own.
The five dancers spent most of their careers with the Atlanta Ballet working with former artistic director John McFall, who incorporated contemporary dance styles into the repertory, which liberated the dancers conception of what they could do. After McFall stepped down last year, Welker applied for the position but Gennadi Nedvigin, then principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet, was hired. The board gave Nedvigin a mandate to incorporate more classicism into the repertoire and build up the company's technical level.
Technique is important, said Welker, but “when you have that freedom to find out who you are as an artist, a whole new world comes to light” that “sets a different scope and scale for what you want to try and achieve.”
Last season, Welker, Lee, Van Buskirk, Christian Clark and Heath Gill decided to leave Atlanta Ballet to form Terminus with a mission to expand the boundaries of ballet through contemporary movement and non-traditional approaches.
While American ballet tends to emphasize youth and athleticism, Welker and the rest of the Terminus five envisioned a company that would showcase more mature dancers as artists capable of creating nuanced and poignant moments on stage.
Welker shouldered the responsibility of building the organization into a full-fledged company with dancers on a 52-week contract. He secured nonprofit status and partnerships with the Westside Cultural Arts Center and The Serenbe Institute for Art, Culture and the Environment. Over the summer, Welker and the dancers built out a studio in the Westside space, a project that involved installing a sprung Marley dance floor. But Welker’s greatest concern remains raising money. So far the company has raised enough to cover the fall season’s $170,000 budget.
Lee carries the largest creative responsibility as choreographer for the company’s October debut.
At first, she considered the concept of a manifesto or declaration, but it didn’t align with the ideas that were developing in the studio. Then she turned to a subject she’d explored in her character work — concepts of freedom versus imprisonment, and how either status can merely be a state of mind. She also became fascinated by the idea that humans occupy a place between animals and gods, and they have a side of themselves that is superhuman.
Music by artists ranging from Ray Charles to J. S. Bach to the Pixies sets the tone for “Exastasis.” At one point, the dancers portray prisoners and Van Buskirk is the angel or muse that enlightens them about the reality they can create versus the reality in which they think they dwell. Ultimately, the characters each step outside themselves and discover their superhuman sides.
Rehearsing five to six days a week often leaves Lee mentally fatigued from the intensity of the process. But she says there are moments when the dancers’ shared histories and the dynamic of responding to one another create a wellspring of fresh ideas.
"It transcends where you're from, what religion you are, what you believe, and what color you are. We all, as human beings, want to, and can experience that."
The company will present its second production, "Lore," choreographed by Heath Gill, Nov. 17-19 at Serenbe.
EVENT PREVIEW
Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre. "Exstasis," 8 p.m. Oct. 12-14, 5 p.m. Oct. 15. $25. Westside Cultural Arts Center, 760 10th St. NW, Atlanta. "Lore," 7 p.m. Nov 17-19. $25. Serenbe at Deer Hollow. 8455 Atlanta Newnan Road., Palmetto. 470-733-8274, terminus-serenbe.com.
