Symphony Hall Stage is Half a Million Cubic Feet of Magic - Thanks gloATL

Unless you go out, there's little chance of serendipity. You increase the odds if you go out to see gloATL.

Terry's Tiny 10-Step Guide to Enjoying gloATL is at the bottom of the blog.


We followed Virginia down these stairs.


She led us to the stupendous, empty stage of Symphony Hall.


It's 6500+ square feet and 81+ feet tall. It seemed bigger than the gallery (where folks sit).

But the evening didn't start there.


gloaTL started the performance in the wildflower meadow, actually a retention pond between One Atlantic Center and 1180 Peachtree. I didn't know it was there. This is where Calatrava's Symphony Hall was going to be.


They stared in the meadow and migrated that-a-way.


That-a-way across the Promenade II garden. Ever seen the Promenade II garden? It's groomed to the "9's" and I was afraid to disturb one blade of grass.


Sometimes they moved, sometimes they stopped. Reminded me of playing "sling the stature" on summer evenings.


Sometimes a pas de deux.


Sometimes a solo.


Sometimes an upside down quintet.


Sometimes prone.


They crossed 15th street. What next?


Virginia led us down the stairs.


Down the stairs to the grand stage. I was overwhelmed.


For a while the performers were in the gallery and the audience on the stage.


Virginia surveyed the action across the 122 foot stage.

I didn't want to take pictures anymore. I just wanted to be there.


Maybe I can come back for a longer look.

gloATL performed "glo and Paper-Cut Collaboration: gestures that soon will disappear phase I: ROMANTIC BODY" in Five parts: Once in Westend, once in Midtown, twice in Roswell, and once in Westside Atlanta | location announced soon Saturday, July 19 at 8:35pm.

I'm blogging the Modtown performance on Friday, July 11, 2014.

Terry's Tiny 10-Step Guide to Enjoying gloATL

1. gloATL dances where folks don't usually dance.
2. It's kind of crazy, it's rehearsed and unrehearsed.
3. You don't know what will happen next.
4. They move about so you'll need to move about.
5. Beginning and endings are rarely obvious or abrupt.
6. The performers may talk to you and you can certainly talk to them.
7. You can't see it all.
8. You don't have to stay still and be quiet.
9. Sometimes you'll want to stay still and be quiet.
10. The longer you stay the more it gets you.

Part 2 - 2013 in N-tychs - People, Dance, Art, Houses, Cats, Turkey

What a year. See Part 1 "The Year in Diptychs, Triptychs, and N-tychs - Atlanta 2013."


Uplit gloATL performed "Liquid Culture Utopia Station III" at the Goat Farm.


Virginia Coleman performs gloATL's "Liquid Culture Utopia Station IV" with the High Museum's "House III" by Roy Lichtenstein.


Shara Hughes' "Don’t Tell Anyone But . . ." tore the roof clean off the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center.


How they made our "Almighty Crepe" with Strawberries and Nutella at Julianna's Coffee &; Crepes in Inman Park Inman Park.


Three by Knox Wilkerson at Mason Murer Fine Art.


3TTMAN for Living Walls.


They took down the Randolph-Lucas House's chimneys before the move.


Five black cats in Reynoldstown during the PUBLIC ATLAS walkabout by ACAC, Fallen Fruit, and Wonderroot. (Special thanks to Lauren and Sarah)


The shore side of St. Augustine's Bridge of Lions is the best place to wait it out.


Captain Day's daughters' houses, three sisters in Lumber City. See more details at Brian Brown's Vanishing South Georgia, he took some pictures too..


Jen Soong (Soma Goods) and Emily Pilloton at "Accelerating the Maker Movement." Emily's film "If You Build It" plays Atlanta on February 14, 2014, the place to be on Valentines Day.


Creative Mornings Atlanta get ready at One Twelve Gallery.


How to unfold the roof after the Randolph-Lucas House moved to Ansley Park.


What we ate for Thanksgiving.


Happy to have another one of these with loved ones. This can't go on forever.

See Part 1 "The Year in Diptychs, Triptychs, and N-tychs - Atlanta 2013."

gloATL Re-opened the Rhodes Theater for a Little While

Atlanta seemed so full of theaters then.

"The (gloATL) tour concluded Friday and Saturday in the organizations’ home city of Atlanta, where the artists repeated similar activities, centering on photographic murals and a performative installation at the historic Rhodes Theater."  - ArtsATL by Andrew Alexander

I grew up with two theaters. In Atlanta I could see everything, movies I never heard of. There were six theaters in Midtown close to Georgia Tech.


You can still see movies at the Fox once in a while. The Rhodes is the only other one standing. It's still standing but hollowed out, in the shadow of an I-75 entrance ramp.

I saw the Atlanta premier of Woodstock at the Rhodes. I saw Cries and Whispers there too. I preferred Woodstock.


In 1975 I saw Bergman's Magic Flute at the Rhodes. I thought that would be the last time.


"It was a beloved Atlanta landmark single-screen cinema, the flagship of the Storey chain, before closing in 1985." - ArtsATL by Andrew Alexander


The gloATL folks performed in the Rhodes November 8-10, 2013.



You can't tell it was a theater. It looks 1-story yet seems colossal, clever design by Ivey and Crook.


Everything "theater" is gone.


The screen was down there. Was there a stage? I don't remember.


The lobby was on the other side of that wall. There wasn't a balcony,


The arches are still there.


The cornice is still there.


gloATL performed inside.


Music, dance by gloATL, projections by Living Walls, photographic murals by Dustin Chambers.


I'm a gloATL fan and I like this sort of thing. I'm fidgety and at glo performances I don't have to stay put.


The dancers danced everywhere, the music sounded great everywhere.


The babies enjoyed it.


I couldn't take it all in.


This was probably my last look and last listen at the Rhodes, but who knows?


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Demolishing the Hulse, Dancing the Rhodes, Moving the Randolph-Lucas - What a Week

I doubt Atlanta has many weeks like this. I am moved. Were you here too?

These deserve research, deep thought, analysis, and opinion. But I'm not blogger enough right now.

Hulse Residence:

Jim Winner tipped me about the demolition the Hulse House in Ansley Park. Designed by Anthony Ames (1984?).


I told Joe Dreher who'd studied this house while pursuing his architecture degree. We kind-of covered it. Joe has some wrenching but fascinating videos of the demo.

Rhodes Theater:

 

gloATL and Living Walls opened the Rhodes Theater for the weekend. It was "The Traveling Show Town Six." I'm standing where the screen was, looking towards where the the lobby was. Designed by Ivey and Crook (1937).


I dropped in on Thursday night to see a rehearsal (above) with Rhodes Hall glowing from across the street. I caught the wonderful Friday night performance too: music, projections, and dance in this gutted but still impressive space.

Randolph-Lucas House:


 
The Randolph-Lucas house moved this week. On Thursday, they took the second floor off. Designed by P. Thornton Mayre (Completed 1924).


It's journey to Peachtree Circle started with an impromptu street and house party about 1 a.m. Saturday morning.

What a week. Were you there too?

Dancers and skaters at the park, crazy and fun.

Skateboarders and dancers shared the Historic Old 4th Ward Skatepark last weekend. I was there for rehearsal and two performances but I'm at a loss to explain it. The ArtsATL.com review might help.

I'd call gloAT a dance troup that dances off stage. They say "gloATLis a collaborative platform of exceptional contemporary physical experience...Part choreography and part interactive art installation..." and I think that's right.


This is the event. The park remained open for skaters throughout the rehearsals and performances.


That was a very good thing.


Hundreds of folks showed up.


Did  you know about the brand new skatepark on the Beltline?


The fans didn't always know what was going on.


They probably still don't know.


Dancers wore '60's outfits and wigs.


They danced solos and septets. They danced everywhere. They danced in front of, in, and behind the audience. They danced to music, to words, and to crowd noise. I chased them about but if you stayed in one place, they eventually came to you.


They danced on concrete and grass.


Skaters watched dance and kept skating.


Dance fans watched skaters and dancers.


And it was just crazy.


Just crazy.


Crazy fun.