“Lockstep” choreographed by Andrea Knowlton on the 2025 MADFest. (Picture by Christina Massad)
In 1993, Douglas Scott created the Trendy Atlanta Dance Fest (MADFest), desiring to showcase the variety and excellence of Atlanta’s dance scene. Throughout this 12 months’s occasion the foyer of the Emory Performing Arts Studio was bursting with pleasure. Friends mingled and picked up their tickets earlier than the doorways opened, after which they filed in and spilled into their seats.
About 20 minutes later the stage lights dimmed, the gang received quiet, and Director Douglas Scott stepped onto the stage to share a bit concerning the competition and program. This was my first time attending MADFest, and I used to be trying ahead to a brand new expertise.
Full Radius Dance carried out first, their dance Frost was choreographed by Scott. Watching them was like seeing our bodies in dialog with each other, all telling totally different components of the identical story.Using chairs and clapping to create extra sounds was compelling, and I discovered it each stunning and highly effective to witness a dancer utilizing a wheelchair within the efficiency. Full Radius Dance is a singular dance firm in that it options dancers each with and with out disabilities, creating inclusive and compelling performances that resonate with all who see them.
The second piece, carried out by NecRomantic, was one in every of my favorites of the night. Choreographed by Isa Newport, the duet started beneath a big, tan piece of cloth, instantly evoking the haunting stillness of Michelangelo’s Pietà. At first, the music was monotone as one dancer cradled the opposite, their actions subtly seen beneath the fabric.
Because the music progressively started constructing the dancers emerged in flesh-colored clothes. They revealed, of their dance, a robust exploration of connection, need and embodiment. Via synchronized actions, punctuated by moments of closeness and kissing, the dancers created a way of intimacy that felt each tender and uncooked; like watching a personal second unfold onstage.
I discovered the choreography to be mesmerizing with how in sync the dancers had been with each other. Because the piece reached its conclusion one dancer’s physique went limp, suggesting demise or the tip of one thing deeply felt. The material returned, gently overlaying the fallen determine, bringing the narrative full circle. It was gorgeous.
A two-part efficiency titled Ritual and Prayer was choreographed and carried out by Haley Raye Schmitt of the Georgia Ballet, who was charming and commanded the stage with ease. The piece showcased robust classical approach – pointed toes, clear traces, and stylish lifts – blended with fast-paced, up to date motion. The efficiency was technically spectacular and visually hanging, particularly given its brief length.
Later, dancers performing Lockstep emerged in matching jumpsuits of various colours. The choreography that employed ropes to evoke concepts of being tethered – to issues, folks, duties, and even our telephones. Their efficiency, to me, spoke to a common need for connection whereas additionally needing durations of solitude as nicely. That stability might be laborious to strike in a world that’s continuously linked. The choreography for this efficiency was created by Kennesaw State College Affiliate Professor Andrea Knowlton and paired with a few of my favourite songs by Labi Siffre and lots of archival voice recordings, which added to the general expertise of the dance.
Jodie Jernigan additionally placed on an important efficiency in On Guilt & Clementines, which included an essay that she had ready and paired with choir music. It was charming to see how Jernigan was capable of act and bear in mind each phrase whereas not lacking a beat with the dance strikes. I used to be very impressed by this one lady present, and to know that Jernigan choreographed and organized the efficiency on her personal.
The present concluded with Hope Horizon, choreographed by Gregory Catellier and Kristin O’Neal. This piece featured many dancers who had been at occasions in sync and at different occasions performing individually. Often dancers stared out into the viewers – or past – as in the event that they had been trying to find hope on the horizon
In my analysis, I realized that MADFest is likely one of the solely professionally juried dance festivals within the Southeast. Since 1993, Full Radius Dance has offered over 90 corporations and unbiased choreographers on the MAD stage, and has welcomed roughly 1,200 dancers and paid greater than $60,000 in honoraria to MAD members. The competition builds group for native artists and corporations, providing joint lessons and group occasions, and cultivates new audiences by way of a competition format.
Attending MADFest for the primary time felt like greater than merely observing a dance efficiency – it was an introduction to the depth, creativity, and inclusivity that defines Atlanta’s dance group. I used to be completely impressed. From the emotional resonance of every efficiency to the considerate curation of the night’s programming, I left feeling impressed, moved, and deeply grateful for the chance to see these performances in individual.
MADFest is greater than a showcase; it’s a celebration of inventive voices and human connection. This may occasionally have been my first 12 months, however it actually gained’t be my final. I already can’t wait to return subsequent 12 months. And subsequent time I’ll be bringing mates alongside to expertise the magic, too.
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Jhazzmyn Joiner (aka Jhazzy) is a author, poet, and artistic spirit with a comfortable spot for storytelling that uplifts group voices. She’s the Editor-in-Chief of Three Panels Press and leads communications at L’Arche Atlanta. With a background in gerontology, media, and making which means out of on a regular basis moments, her work lives on the intersection of artwork, fairness, and expression. A singer, traveler, and lover of daring concepts, she’s typically deep in a playlist, scribbling a poem, or wandering an artwork present, dreaming up her subsequent huge venture.
