The Atlanta Ballet, founded 75 years ago by Dorothy Alexander, has become the oldest continuously run ballet company in the country. Now under the direction of John McFall the Ballet strives to find a balance between classical ballet and contemporary formats. Through the Atlanta Ballet's Center for Dance Education, the ballet has developed numerous programs for both amateur and professional dancers.

The ballet school also features lessons for both children and adults. Recently the Atlanta Ballet and the Indigo Girls teamed up for a second time to bring a unique combination of Rock n' Roll sound to fluid dance in Shed Your Skin. For their 75th season the ballet will again perform their most popular program the Nutcracker and will bring back an old favorite in October, Dracula. To learn more about the Atlanta Ballet and their upcoming season go to their website.

Educators: Atlanta Ballet

Margo Sappington
(Choreographer, Shed Your Skin)

Texas born Margo Sappington joined the Joffrey Ballet, at the invitation of Robert Joffery, where she danced an extensive repertoire of works. Transitioning from the ballet world, Margo danced on Broadway in Bob Fosse's Sweet Charity, and assisted and appeared in the award-winning Broadway musical, Promises, Promises, choreographed by Michael Bennett. In 1969 she choreographed the off-Broadway musical Oh! Calcutta! In 1971 she choreographed her first ballet Weewis, for the Joffrey Ballet which was a section of the company's highly acclaimed evening-length work, Billboards, danced to a score by rock musician Prince. Her works have been danced by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Carolina Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet, the Houston Ballet, the Harkness Ballet, the Milwaukee Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, the Pennsylvania Ballet, Aterballetto (Italy), Ballet du Capitole (France, Ballet du Nord (France, Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas, Netherlands Dans Theater, and Ballet Jazz de Montreal. Since 1986, Ms. Sappington has formed a close artistic association with Hubbard Street Dance in Chicago where she has created Cobras in the Moonlight, Step out of Love, And Now This, Forging Ground, and One Summer Night. Margo has also choreographed several Broadway musicals including Doonesbury and revivals of Where's Charley? with Raul Julia, and Pal Joey. She recently choreographed a Latin version of Andrew Lloyd-Webber's Song and Dance for the Coconut Grove Playhouse. Margo has also choreographed for opera productions including Aida, Samson and Delilah, and La Gioconda for the San Francisco Opera.