George Staib is an Atlanta contemporary choreographer best known for his two full-length works, “Fence” (2019) and “Ararat” (2023). Both draw from his background as an Iranian-born Armenian who, when he was 10, emigrated to the United States with his family. In 2021, his company curated and produced the first Atlanta Multicultural Dance Festival and, in 2023, he and his company, staibdance, collaborated with the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra on the baroque opera “Dido and Aeneas.” Staib is professor of practice in the Emory University department of dance and every year leads a summer dance intensive in Sorrento, Italy.
As part of an effort to help readers get to know members of Atlanta’s arts community better, we asked Staib to share 11 things on his mind. Here, in no particular order, are his 11 good things.
1. Dance videos from the Millennium Dance Complex in Los Angeles — an energetic foray into finessed musicality, lightning-fast detail and mesmerizing power that transcends the digital platform. (Kyle Hanagami’s choreography is superlative.) I crave being able to move like these folks. #goalsformynextlife.
2. My dog’s tongue. Abby always sleeps with a half inch of her tongue sticking out of her mouth. More adorable still is when she doesn’t realize it’s sticking out after she wakes. Nothing melts my heart more than to have her look at me, tongue out and doe-eyed.
3. Seeing the Bay of Naples with Mount Vesuvius in the distance each July, as if it was the first time. When adventurous dancers gather for the staibdance intensive in Italy, I fall in love with the extraordinary scenery again and again through the eyes of ecstatic first-timers.
4. A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols as presented annually by the Emory University choirs. I savor this concert with its deeply evocative choral music and emotional conclusion featuring a sublime version of “Silent Night.” I brace for and shudder under the inevitable wave of tears. This song was my mother’s favorite and marked our favorite time of year.
5. Rumi’s Kitchen. It’s as if my grandmother herself is making the ghormeh sabzi. The moment I walk into any location of this Persian restaurant, I am transported back to Tehran — back to a gentler time.
6. George Michael’s “Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1″ is my answer to the “If you could (take) one album to a deserted Island …” question. Michael’s voice and his haunting melodies deliver brilliance and deep soul to an album that is part confession, part emancipation.
7. Easter candy. It’s so pretty to look at with all the pastel colors and oh so delicious! I am proud to say I am one of about 14 people who love Cadbury Creme Eggs. Advice to good candy lovers: Use Peeps only as decoration.
8. The Fotografiska Museum in Stockholm. Fotografiska is a haven for contemporary photography, exalting exceptional artists through thoughtful, relevant and daring curation. Plus, it’s Stockholm!
9. Marc Chagall’s paintings. Whether it’s “The Bride and the Red Donkey,” “The Birthday” or “Eden” or any of his works, really, there is a whispered command to search the canvas for hidden gems which seem to disappear the moment you locate them. Added bonus: Sitting under the Chagall ceiling at the Palais Garnier in Paris is an intoxicating overload of beauty.
10. Jiri Kylian’s “Petite Mort.” A contemporary ballet that is about as damn near close to perfection as any work could be. Timeless and luscious with a soupçon of musical cheekiness, this work subtly folds context into phenomenal technical precision.
11. Beach clubs: The Mediterranean, a sun bed, a spritz and yachts anchored in the near distance deliver a (temporary) fantasy world of leisure and indulgence. Add a playlist of chill house music and staggering natural beauty — my happy place is created. For an afternoon I escape. #myfakerichlife.
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
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