As the upbeat tempo of Dave Brubeck’s ‘jazz-meets-symphony’ piece pulsates through the corridors of our West Midtown studios, it's clear that Atlanta Ballet is preparing to launch the 24|25 Season with gusto! Atlanta Ballet talks to Company Repetiteur Rory Hohenstein, once performer in and now stager of Lar Lubovitch’s Elemental Brubeck, about his personal connection with the dance. We also unearthed some fun facts along the way: performing the role of Red Man, premiering the piece in Paris, and meeting Dave Brubeck.

What does your work involve as a stager?

As a stager, I’m in contact with the choreographer and his team to ensure I have the correct version and details. From there, I learn all the material and make notations detailing the patterns, intentions and musical counts; a meticulous task but a necessary one to help while teaching and to ensure as much authenticity as possible. We then head into casting, where the goal is always to find dancers who exhibit the choreographer’s desired movement quality. To some, this may come naturally; others may have a spark that you know you can help build upon and challenge them to grow in their dancing and artistry. Ultimately, the teaching begins, where I create daily personal goals to ensure I am tracking at a pace necessary to finish and prepare dancers for the stage.

The last time Lar Lubovitch was in Atlanta for Elemental Brubeck, he asked to you to stage and rehearse the role of Red Man. What was it like working with Lar?

I had the privilege to work with Lar as a dancer throughout my career, at one point in his own company. It’s a very different feeling working beside a choreographer, it presents a very different kind of pressure and nerves. I was so excited for that opportunity and enjoyed the new set of responsibilities it brought.

Having once performed Red Man for San Francisco Ballet, how did it feel to be staging the work on Atlanta Ballet dancers?

It has been a lot of fun, as I find this piece of work to be very rewarding and enjoyable. Now our Company has the opportunity to dance this, I am excited for our dancers to have their own experience within the piece and to explore new movement. I hope they find all the joy and happiness it can bring.

Can you tell us more about Red Man and what you enjoyed most about performing the role?

Red Man is a total performer: confident, lyrical, flirtatious and fun! A good mix of Gene Kelly and Elvis. Red Man has four solos, weaving his way through the entire piece, each solo having a different energy and movement quality. He doesn’t react with the other dancers until the end, where he leads the charge in the energetic finale. Lar’s movement has always felt very natural to me, particularly this dance, as I grew up doing a lot of jazz. So Red Man felt very much something I could claim. And while I have always loved dancing the role and it evokes one of my favorite stage memories, it holds an extra special place for me as I was promoted to Soloist directly after one of my shows. It has always felt like a good luck charm.

What excites you about staging Elemental Brubeck in its entirety, and especially, seeing it return to Atlanta Ballet?

I’m happy to be able to immerse myself into the full piece and not just the role I’m familiar with, and to get everyone involved. It feels really special to be passing on the knowledge I’ve learned from Lar and stories from Elemental Brubeck’s past to Atlanta Ballet dancers. I’m excited for them to take on this journey of movement, learn from it and have an absolute blast performing it on stage!

Set to Brubeck’s ‘jazz-meets-symphony’ piece, Elemental Brubeck brings a different dance style with swaying hips and playful twists. We’d love to know more about the musicality and dance steps, and how you will coach the dancers with the energy needed for this upbeat tempo.

I’ve often found that Lar’s movement really does reflect a visual representation of music, almost as though you can see the music. The variety of movement and athleticism in this piece makes it unique and fun; it’s a wonderful blend of fluidity and funk. What can be challenging about dancing Elemental Brubeck, however, is figuring out the pacing you need for stamina. You must know when to be lyrical, when to have lots of breath in your movement, and when to punch it, get grounded and get jazzy.

What special moments or nuances should we be looking for when watching this performance? And do you have a favorite?

When dancing, I always personally enjoyed the connection to my fellow artists while on stage. It’s something that can never be replicated. And that is very important to Lar in his work. I like to say to the dancers that if they are really in the moment, having a good time, looking at each other and connecting, then the audience will share in that experience and enjoyment.

What do you think audiences will enjoy most about Elemental Brubeck?

It’s a very vibrant piece. I hope they feel joyful watching the energy of the dancers. It’s light, fun, and groovy.

Finally, you have some personal memories of performing in Elemental Brubeck. Can you share some of the fun moments with us?

We premiered Elemental Brubeck at an open-air festival in Paris. It felt really magical dancing to jazz music in the warm summer air, almost like “an American in Paris.” I also had the chance to meet Dave Brubeck after one of our performances in San Francisco, which was really special. He loved the piece and even invited us to his Quartet show afterwards!

Your can see Lar Lubovitch’s Elemental Brubeck as part of the Fall Into Rhythm season opener, from September 13-15 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

News Tile Image: Rory Hohenstein as Red Man in Elemental Brubeck at San Francisco Ballet. Photo by Erik Tomasson, courtesy of San Francisco Ballet.