Anticipation: 8 things we’re excited about in dance in 2025

‘Making Kin’ with Lauri Stallings

Stallings is a deep thinker and artist/activist who draws from many wells. For instance, the book Staying With the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene by feminist theorist Donna Haraway suggests we need to “stay with the trouble of living and dying together on a damaged Earth.” Serious but important stuff. Stallings’ new full-length Making Kin will include a pre-event at the Goat Farm Arts Center in February before opening March 6 in the skeletal ruins of St. Mark Church on the Westside. Expect wildflowers, processions with local residents, movement and music by vocalist Monique Osorio and Grammy-winning saxophonist Kebbi Williams. A must see.

Atlanta Ballet’s ‘The Rite of Spring’

Stravinsky’s music doesn’t shock anymore, but it did in 1913 when his Rite of Spring, choreographed by ballet superstar Nijinsky, premiered in Paris. Countless dance makers have interpreted the knotty score since then. The latest is Claudia Schreier, Atlanta Ballet’s choreographer in residence whose contract with the company we hope will be extended beyond 2026. Run don’t walk to the premiere of this new Rite of Spring February 7 through February 14 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center. In March, look for the full-length Coppélia, the antithesis to Rite in content, tone, music — well, everything.

Catching Mangoes

We love it when new dance companies flower in Atlanta. One promising newcomer is Jacque Pritz’s Catching Mangoes Dance, which will be part of Constructing Dance at Actor’s Express this month. Pritz is Filipino American, and her mission with this contemporary ensemble is to uplift “hyphenated American, immigrant and multicultural experiences through movement, storytelling and cultural exchange.” Given the state of American politics right now, she couldn’t have chosen a more appropriate time.

staibdance’s ‘between dog and wolf’

We are looking forward to Staib’s newest work, which will premiere sometime in October. His previous works, Fence and Ararat, were both stunningly good. He describes between dog and wolf as “a theatrical foray toward the blurred territory of truth finding . . . when two polarized truths can and do exist at the same time.” He asks: Is truth a matter of perception, history or desire? We ask: Did the election of a new president inspire him by any chance?

Dancing with the art

The High Museum of Art invites local dance companies to rehearse in the lobby of the Anne Cox Chambers wing, with its floor to ceiling windows. It’s called Dance Lab and it’s a win-win. Dancers use the space for free, and museum visitors can watch on their way to the exhibits. (If you don’t want to buy a ticket to the museum, you can look through the windows for free!) Dance Canvas, Full Radius Dance, Giwayen Mata, Atlanta Contemporary Dance Company and Bautanzt Dance will be there this spring.

Fly on a Wall lands in Buckhead

Fly on a Wall has been Fly on the Move recently. This group of dancer-choreographers, known for creating smart, dynamic contemporary works, left its residence at East Point’s Windmill Arts Center in November 2023, stopped for a while at Core Dance’s studios in Decatur and now is in a new studio and performance space near the Lindbergh MARTA station. We’re excited about seeing what they create there — they are among Atlanta’s most creative moving artists.   

Emerging choreographers

Since 2008, Angela Harris’ Dance Canvas has mentored young choreographers, giving them the tools they need to succeed. And many do. Each year, a select group presents their work. This year, they will perform at the Rialto Center for the Arts downtown on March 21 and March 22.

BTS at Kit Modus

Jillian Mitchell, founder and director of contemporary dance group Kit Modus, has been a maverick for a long time, managing the company almost single handedly. She finally bit the bullet and incorporated Kit Modus as a nonprofit, which probably means a board of directors and a more conventional setup. That’s good, because we want Mitchell to stick around.

She has connections with a slew of interesting choreographers. For instance, Princess Grace award-winning choreographer Mark Caserta is returning to create a piece for the company this year, and we understand Yoshito Sakuraba will be back to create a new work as well. We love that Mitchell keeps growing and developing and can’t wait to see what she does this year.

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ArtsATL writer Robin Wharton and Senior Editor Gillian Anne Renault contributed to this section.