"I feel that the company is on the threshold of something very special,"
says Iris Hensley, artistic director for the Georgia Ballet. As one of
those rare people who is a native of Marietta and Cobb County, Mrs. Hensley
remembers growing up here when there wasn't a lot of arts activity. Dance
was such an important a part of her life, she was determined that her town
would have a ballet company someday.
        A graduate of the University of Georgia, Mrs. Hensley received her dance
training in Atlanta, New York, Washington D.C. and Canada, and a noted and
varied background as a dancer, teacher and choreographer. She has also
served on the dance panel for the Georgia Council for the Arts and has been
a guest instructor for the Governor's Honors Program for many years. She
initiated the Arts in the Schools Program which today educates thousands of
Cobb County students by introducing them to the beauty and excitement of
dance, music, and theater. Hundreds of dancers have been under her
tutelage, and many have gone to professional performing careers or have become
teachers in other areas of the country.
        Her passion motivated her to found the Georgia Ballet in 1962. What
started as a small group of students grew into the Marietta School of
Ballet and eventually into the Cobb/Marietta Ballet. The name was changed
to The Georgia Ballet in 1980 for a bigger, more global image. Since then,
the company has successfully worked to produce top-notch dancers. "I have a
wonderful faculty that works with me. As Cobb is such a diverse county now,
and people are moving in from everywhere, it's not surprising the school
has an assorted citizenry," Mrs. Hensley explains.
Among some of the school's most valuable assets is a Russian teacher who's
been there for six years, and Gina Hyatt-Mazon and Janusz Mazon, Ballet
Mistress and Ballet Master to the company, respectively.  Both were
"Principal" dancers with Hamburg Ballet.
Altogether, there are 20 women and five men in the professional company,
and 15 in the pre-pro company. "I used to teach a lot more with some of the
younger dancers but I teach mostly with the company now," says the school's
founder.
        Headquarters for the school is on Atlanta Street in Marietta, a move that
took place last June 1. "I want to say wonderful things about Dr. Sid
Williams over at Life University because he donated space for the company.
This is perhaps the greatest thing that has ever happened to us. Dr.
Williams has been a real friend and contributor of time and talent," Mrs.
Hensley says.
        The new location is across from the Art Museum just off Marietta Square
and Glover Park. Dr. Williams uses the bottom floor as an archive center
for the college. The entire top floor, all 10,000 square feet, has been
redesigned [?] into attractive dance studios. Once settled in, there will
be a choreographers' experimental night held in the studio.  "Presently
there are over 250 students in the school from the entire metro area during
the academic year, from pre-school to professional. In the summer, more
pupils come from elsewhere, but during the ballet season, it's pretty much
local because potential students are in school," Mrs. Hensley explains.
        Mrs. Hensley hopes to carry this happy momentum through the rest of the
Georgia ballet season. "Serenade," the group's first ballet by the famed
Russian-American director/choreographer George Balanchine, presented last
April, will be repeated in March (see following schedule). With a cast of
approximately 25 professionals, the dancers hope their creation turns out
to be one of their best. The troupe is also preparing for a big production
of "Where the Wild Things Are."
        The Georgia Ballet hopes to target some local elementary school students
to see the show. "We do so much here with things like educational outreach
and helping the young people find something of lasting value. I feel we
have good community support; Cobb County has so much talent and wealth that
the residents here can really make a difference," Mrs. Hensley says. (Her
own influence with young people is seen in her three grown children: a
daughter who is an actress, a son who is a writer, and a son named who
recently received rave reviews for his performances in the London
production of "Oklahoma!")
        However, this type of educational venture requires funding. Mrs. Hensley
notes that while the Georgia Ballet never expected Cobb County to fully
fund the ballet, it still came as a shock four years ago when the county
cut its funding. The company was receiving about $30,000 a year from the
Cobb County Arts Commission. Without these funds the arts groups were
thrown into a tailspin.  "Even though it is a minute part of your budget,
it's something you count on to be there. It has been a catch-up situation
since then," Mrs. Hensley explains. The upcoming budget is estimated to be
about $450,000. Mrs. Hensley tries to view the budget as a pie with the
slices dividing into ticket sales, governmental grants, corporate grants
and patrons.
 "We did 26 'Nutcrackers' in 1997 at the Cobb County Civic Center. If we
could do half of that in a bigger theater where you can seat more people,
then you can cut your expenses," she says.
        Some of the Georgia Ballet's biggest private sponsors are people like Paul
Newman and Joanne Woodward. The ballet recently received a $10,000 grant
from them. Joanne is from Cobb County originally and she and Mrs. Hensley
have known each other through the years.
        "Anyone, not only the rich and famous, can help the Georgia Ballet.
Anytime someone wants to work with us we will take them!" says Mrs. Hensley
enthusiastically. The Board of Trustees, made up of approximately 20
members, oversees the financial stability of the company and also a
development committee. If this appears to be too
intimidating a task, volunteers might try the Ballet Guild. The trustees
consist mostly of local business people, while members of the guild are
parents of the students or simply come from the local community. "These
groups are generally considered our guardian angels. Without their help we
couldn't achieve all of the goals that we aspire to each season," says
Mrs.Hensley.
        The Georgia Ballet's most successful production financially to date was
"The Nutcracker." (While Nutcracker is the lifeblood of all ballet
companies, productions which break new grounds and achieve artistic goals
often don't break even.) According to Mrs.Hensley, this is the show
everyone wanted to see. The company's dramatic production of "Carmen"
played to a full house. And 1997's "Swan Lake" was masterfully performed
along with such contemporary works as a Gershwin Concerto and a comic
ballet of "5 Guys Named Moe."
        The company's versatile dancers not only perform classical ballet but also
excel in contemporary dance. They seem to be able to do just about
anything, as does Mrs.Hensley. "As the artistic director you have to do
everything, even wash windows," she says smiling.
        This charming Mariettan is determined to do whatever it takes to keep the
Georgia Ballet she loves on its forward choreography into another
successful season.
About the Author
        Born in Kenya, Africa, of British parents, Elise Vachon traces her
ancestry to the famous explorer, Dr. David Livingstone. This, along with
her father's career with the United Nations, led the way for a life of
travel experiences. After roaming the globe, Elise picked Marietta to call
home for the last 10 years. As a freelance writer and photographer, her
work appears in various magazines and newspapers across the country.
For Your Information
The Georgia Ballet, 31 Atlanta Street, 2nd Floor Marietta, Georgia
30060. (770) 425-0258; Fax (770) 499-2144 e-mail:
GaBalletCo@aol.com georgiaballet.simplenet.com.
Visit their Web site: www.georgiaballet.simplenet.com.
1999 Schedule of Upcoming Events
Family Performance Series
· Premiere of "Carnival of the Animals" and the Georgia Ballet
premiere of "Makanu," a Russian character ballet, Feb. 5 at 8 p.m.,
Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., Feb. 7 at 3 p.m.. Joe Mack Wilson
Theater, Southern Polytechnic University, 1100 S. Marietta Pkwy,
Marietta, GA  30060.
· "Where the Wild Things Are"/ "Serenade"--March 12 at 8 p.m., March
13 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., March 14 at 3 p.m.. Pace Academy Fine Arts
Center, 966 W. Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta, 30327.
· "Nutcracker"-- December 10-19, 1999
Jenny Anderson Theater, Cobb County Civic Center,
548 S. Marietta Pkwy, Marietta
Tickets $19-$21 adults; $16-$18 students/senior citizens
Fridays at 8 pm; Saturdays at 3 pm and 8 pm; Sundays at 3 pm
The Georgia Ballet's traditional interpretation of the holiday classic has
charmed audiences for two dozen years.  Come see what the second-oldest
professional ballet company in Georgia has to offer.
Possible Photo Cutlines
Enclosed are 4 color prints, 2 black and white prints and 1 printed photo.
1 -- Carolyn Crumpton as the Dark Angel, Bernard Foister as the Man, and
Michele Ziemann-DeVos as the Waltz Girl in the Elgy movement of George
Balanchine's "Serenade." Photo by Robert Crowe.
2 -- The Georgia Ballet offers classes in Ballet, Pointe, Character,
Pre-jazz, Jazz, Tap and--as shown here--Modern, at its studios on Whitlock
Avenue. It is one of the few totally non-profit dance training schools in
the Southeast. Photo courtesy of the Georgia
Ballet.
3 -- Michele Ziemann-DeVos is the principal dancer in the Georgia Ballet's
performance of "Swan Lake." Photo courtesy of the Georgia Ballet.
4 -- Judith Fugate of the Balanchine Foundation teaches the role of the
Dark Angel in "Serenade." Photo by Barry Shapiro.
5 -- A retired principal dancer with New York City Ballet and a
representative of the George Balanchine Trust, Ms. Fugate sets George
Balanchine's choreography on
companies performing his works. Photo courtesy of the Georgia Ballet.
6 -- The new headquarters for the Georgia Ballet is located across from the
Art Museum just off Marietta Square. The entire top floor, all 10,000
square feet, has been redesigned into attractive dance studios. Photo
courtesy of the Georgia Ballet.
7 -- Iris Hensley, Artistic Director for the Georgia Ballet, has trained
hundreds of dancers using her varied background as dancer, teacher and
choreographer. Mrs. Hensley received the first Lillian Bennett Sullivan
Award, Cobb's highest recognition in the arts. Photo courtesy of the
Georgia Ballet.

Elise Vachon