Atlanta Ballet
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Atlanta Ballet is a professional dance company in Atlanta, Georgia. The oldest professional dance company in America, it was founded in 1929 by Dorothy Alexander as the Dorothy Alexander Concert Group, later became the Atlanta Civic Ballet and, in 1967, the Atlanta Ballet.
Alexander guided her dance company for more than three decades before hand picking her successor, Robert Barnett. Current artistic director John McFall followed Barnett in 1994.
In 2006, the Atlanta Ballet and the musicians union could not come to an agreement when renewing the musicians' contract. At the time, the ballet was $2 million in debt. The musicians wanted a 40% raise in pay which could not be met by the ballet because of this debt. The musicians union would not negotiate on the 40% number and was fired by the ballet. The musicians union filed a case with the National Labor Relations Board against the Atlanta Ballet which they lost, and then appealed that loss, which was also denied by the NLRB. The ballet has performed with recorded music for most productions since the firing.
In its upcoming 2007-2008 season the Atlanta Ballet will be performing Peter Pan, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet and a world premiere with Big Boi from Outkast.
Atlanta Ballet also runs a Centre for Dance Education, with locations in Cobb, Buckhead, and Midtown Atlanta. It educates students aged two through adult in ballet, jazz, modern dance, tap, hip hop, and flamenco. Other disciplines are also offered in the Open Adult program.
