Atlanta Ballet departs Tuesday morning for Beijing, where it will appear in an inaugural dance festival organized by the National Ballet of China. The two-week journey, the company’s first international appearance since 1999, is a major undertaking that required months of planning.
Here’s how the numbers add up:
19
Company dancers on tour, accompanied by seven Atlanta Ballet staff members
15
Hour flight across 11 time zones from Atlanta to Beijing
7,225
Miles from Atlanta to Beijing
11
Days of performances at three venues, including the National Museum of China (site of seven performances)
10,000
Projected attendance
45
Weight, in pounds, of the light board the company is taking; plus it’s bringing a backdrop
80
Pieces of luggage
4
Wardrobe cases for 70 pairs of pointe shoes, 35 costumes, plus wigs, hats, head pieces, safety pins, tights, needles, earrings, ribbon, buttons and thread
11
Other international companies participating in what’s being billed as Beijing’s “International Ballet Season”
1
Number of American companies invited to participate
4
Choreographers whose work Atlanta Ballet will dance (George Balanchine, Helen Pickett, Stanton Welch, Christopher Wheeldon)
$1 million
Amount the 84-year-old company hopes to raise to create a touring fund for future national and international tours
» More on the China tour: www.atlantaballet.com
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