Ballethnic Dance Company
In college, when asked about his favorite styles of dance, Waverly T. Lucas II says he always responded, “ballet and ethnic dance.” For Lucas, putting the two dance terms together as “ballethnic” began a lifelong dream of fusing the distinct dance styles, a dream he and wife Nena Gilreath realized in 1990, when they co-founded Atlanta-based Ballethnic Dance Company.
Former dancers with Dance Theatre of Harlem and Atlanta Ballet, Lucas and Gilreath formed Ballethnic to fill a perceived void in Atlanta’s African-American dance scene. Now in its 15th season, the company of nine (with an annual operating budget of $600,000) has garnered a reputation as one of Atlanta’s finest arts organizations.
“We find the funk in ballet,” says Lucas. “We are not restricted by any form of dance, and our dancers aren’t intimidated by varying dance styles. They embrace them and make them their own.”
The company’s niche is the fusion of ballet and West African dance but is not limited to it, according to veteran company member Jose Rivera.
Although the company’s artistic vision and mission are closely tied with the African-American community, the company is not defined as a black ballet company, but as a contemporary one with a unique slant. “We like hip hoppin’ to the pointe,” says Lucas. “We do things that step out from the so-called boundaries of a ballet company.”
Armed with a passion for their work and a self-described workaholic attitude, Lucas and Gilreath have achieved a level of success and survival that has outdistanced and outlasted their contemporaries over the years in Atlanta.
“We’re hustlers,” says Gilreath. That outlook accounts for the company owning its building, touring and experiencing steady growth throughout its history.
“We wear a lot of hats,” says Rivera. “Dancer, teacher, janitor.” In a company of Ballethnic’s size, Gilreath says they expect more from their dancers than just dancing. “We have work year-round for our dancers, whether teaching in our school and outreach programs, or representing the company at city council meetings,” she says.
Because of the added expectations on company members, the directors have at times also had problems filling the ranks. “It’s hard to find dancers that can work in the number of styles we do and wear as many hats offstage as we do,” says Rivera.
Even so, the company has had little trouble gaining recognition. In only its sixth season, Ballethnic was selected for the Cultural Olympiad at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and the company has created two story ballets, Lucas’s Urban Nutcracker and The Leopard Tale that delight Atlanta-area audiences annually.
With its fusion of diverse dance styles, committed artists and sound fiscal thinking, Ballethnic is redefining the traditional idea of a ballet company—one where passion, vision and great dance can excel in a small package.
Steve Sucato is a dancer turned writer/critic based in Erie, PA. He writes regularly for several newspapers.
