For the many that are excitedly anticipating big, Atlanta Ballet’s collaboration with Antwan "Big Boi" Patton of OutKast, good fortune has just increased tenfold! A list of talented voices has recently committed to participating in the groundbreaking project premiering April 10-13, 2008 at the Fabulous Fox Theatre.
Best known to many as the silky voice on several of Big Boi’s popular hits, including "The Way You Move," Sleepy Brown has garnered a following all his own. He boasts his own Top 40 single, "I Can’t Wait," featuring OutKast, from his debut album Mr. Brown. He is also one third of the influential Atlanta hip-hop production group Organized Noize, which was intrinsically involved in cultivating the music of groups such as OutKast and Goodie Mob. Sleepy Brown is set to appear in several tracks for big, including "I Can’t Wait" and Big Boi’s "Church."
Also lending their talents to big are Scar, Big Rube, C-Bone, Rock D, Janelle Monáe, and Joi Gilliam, as well as members of the musical group Konkrete. They are slated to appear with Big Boi on tracks such as "Morris Brown" from Idlewild, "Liberation" from Aquemini, and "Kryptonite" from Got Purp? Volume II. The music director for the project is DJ Swiff.
Choreographer Lauri Stallings has eagerly embraced the opportunity to bring together artists into one project, and throw away the idea of a specific genre. In Stallings’ words, "big is the place, event, and experience where we leave our inhibitions at the door, and move forward. big is an example of possibilities…a place for the senses to open, and be lifted, setting a new height for creativity and awareness towards ourselves and the people sitting right next to us."
The first of its kind performed on the stage of the Fabulous Fox Theatre, big fuses the visual experience of Atlanta’s professional ballet company and hip-hop music, performed live by Atlanta’s own Grammy Award-winning visionary. In addition to Big Boi and other participating artists’ defining songs, music will include new, never heard Big Boi material interwoven with classic masterpieces such as Verdi’s La Traviata.
Media sponsors include WVEE V-103.3 FM, Atlanta’s number one radio station, and Atlanta Peach Magazine, the city’s preeminent luxury publication. After hearing of John McFall’s desire to bring hip-hop to the stage, Peach editor-in-chief Elizabeth Schulte Roth introduced McFall and Atlanta Ballet to Big Boi and Purple Ribbon Entertainment.
Founded in 1929, Atlanta Ballet is the longest continuously-operating ballet company in the United States. Atlanta Ballet’s eclectic repertoire spans ballet history, highlighted by beloved classics and inventive originals.
Among Atlanta Ballet’s proud and unique 75-year history are its three Artistic Directors, Miss Dorothy Alexander, whose vision brought dance to the South; Robert Barnett, who turned Atlanta Ballet into a professional company; and currently, John McFall. Under McFall’s leadership Atlanta Ballet continues its commitment to share and educate audiences on the empowering joy of dance.
Atlanta Ballet opened the Centre for Dance Education in 1996 and is dedicated to nurturing young dancers while providing an outlet for adults to express their creativity. With diverse class offerings and student population, the Centre serves over 150,000 people in metro Atlanta each year. Atlanta Ballet’s roots remain firmly grounded in the Atlanta community and continue to play a vital role in the city’s cultural growth and revitalization.
Contact:
Jeff Al-Mashat – Atlanta Ballet
404-873-5811 ext. 203
jal-mashat@atlantaballet.com
