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Review: ALA Dance debuts with powerful program exploring grief and loss
by Gillian Anne Renault, ArtsATL
Grief. Anger. Athleticism. And lots of body contact. The inaugural, contemporary dance concert by ALA Dance at the B-Complex on Friday was steeped in all four. Artistic director Atarius Armstrong spoke at the outset, dedicating the evening to his father, who recently died. The numbness of grief was palpable in Armstrong’s new Mr. Princess, which opened the program. Grief and anger were both evident in his powerful duet 1221. Completing the program were Armstrong’s new Wave . . . or What I Would’ve Liked to Tell You, Dominique Kinsey’s Come Back and the percussive Exhale, created by Sarah Stokes and the dancers.
Review: Ambitious but uneven, Fall for Fall Dance Festival had some movement gems
Though billed as a work-in-progress, Atarius Armstrong’s nest nevertheless glowed with theatrical polish. According to Armstrong, the piece began as a reflection on the ongoing water crisis in his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. Beautifully and simply costumed in loose fitting, off-white shirts and pants or shorts sparsely adorned with bright silk flowers, the four dancers — Audrey Crabtree, Emily Davis, Jenn Klammer and Pritz — worked through lyrical movement sequences with a heavy 50-foot rope. Images of submersion and emergence recalled scenes of drowning, birth and baptism.
Review: Choreographers shine on stage and film in Dance Canvas showcase
by Gillian Anne Renault, ArtsATL
Atarius Armstrong’s Cabbage in the Concrete featured a series of beautiful leaps that emanated from low lunges and a long, languid front extension by one dancer that shifted the energy. A highlight was an innovative, linear tableau of intertwined bodies. The work evolved from a feeling of isolation in a crowd to three dancers, each cradling another in his or her arms. Notable for both technique and presence were Audrey Crabtree and Dominique Kinsey.
ALA Dance to explore home, heart, healing in full evening program at Emory
by Robin Wharton, ArtsATL
On February 4 and 5, ALA Dance will present Magnolia, a show in which two choreographers explore the complexities of home — as a place, a concept and a perpetual creative project. It is fitting subject matter for the company, which founder and Artistic Director Atarius Armstrong started in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic lockdown.
Since then, ALA Dance has led an itinerant existence, performing on film, in outdoor festivals and at The B Complex gallery, offering yet another example of how emerging artists and companies often live and even thrive outside the proscenium theater.
ALA Dance makes debut into Atlanta arts scene
by Ashley Gibson, Into The Proscenium
How do we respond to overwhelming chaos and grief? How do we learn to adjust and move forward when there is no guarantee that the future is brighter? In his latest artistic endeavor, Atarius Armstrong tackled the cyclical nature of grief in his own way.
Throughout the past year, Armstrong has grappled with the loss of his father and wrestled with racial inequality further heightened by the murder of George Floyd. He channeled the chaos he felt into the formation of Atlanta’s newest movement company, ALA Dance. With a performance at the Fall for Fall Dance Festival already under its wing, ALA Dance premiered its own debut show, titled Prefixed RE:, with three performances July 16-18.
