Behind the story: Rise City Dance Presents Flying Home!
Over the course of a 2-day production retreat filled with lots of creative brainstorming, dewy morning walks, a variety of snacks, and plenty of coffee, a brand new tale was born.
Our creative team drove to a secluded cabin in North Georgia to step away from the city and take time to dream up new ideas for the upcoming season at Rise City Dance! A big “to-do” for the team was to reimagine Holiday Spectacular and create something exciting, refreshed, and brand new for the first act!
Enter, Flying Home, a new tale we feel encapsulates all of the joy, love, and cheer of the holiday season. Inspired by the buzz of New York City during the most wonderful time of year — from the bustling city streets filled with excited shoppers, carolers, dear friends and family, to the whimsy of Central park with frosted trees and graceful ice skaters, to the energy and excitement of Music Hall, there’s nothing quite like the big apple during this season.
But what’s a holiday classic without a compelling narrative?! During our brainstorming session we plopped ourselves right smack dab in the middle of New York City and asked “who does the story follow?” and “what’s the occasion?”. Through these questions and more, we dreamed up Ava and Hal — two dear friends who reconnect during Hal’s layover in the big city. Nothing says “holiday season” quite like sweet friends meeting again and having an adventure under the sparkling city lights!
As for music, we felt that nothing was quite as enchanting, immersive and warm as the work of Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra! They have a way of transporting you, surrounding you with light, and making you think of all your very favorite things. This is what we wanted to run through the work and inspire our dancers while bringing joy to our audience!
Join us on November 19th for the Holiday Spectacular at Georgia Tech’s Ferst Center for the Arts! Between our new story, Flying Home, and the holiday classic, The Nutcracker, it’ll be a show you and your family won’t want to miss! Purchase tickets HERE!
Thoughts from some of Flying Home’s creators:
"The concept of Flying Home to New York City is so special to me because I lived out my dance dreams there in my twenties! New York City is the heartbeat of the dance community, and there is so much inspiration in all the iconic places. I was fortunate to spend 9 seasons performing as a Radio City Rockette, and it was wonderful to pass on the precision technique to the Company 5 dancers for the "New York, New York" number. I'm ready to go back and visit the city now after working on this special project!" — Margaret McPherson
“After several years of mixed repertory for the first part of our Holiday Spectacular, I was dreaming of a way that we could connect all of the wonderful programs of Rise City Dance to create a new holiday classic that is all our own. From the avant-garde movements of our contemporary division, Unbound, to the vibrant musical theatre and jazz programs, we yearned for a new kind of narrative dance, one that will celebrate what makes RCD so special. "Flying Home" is that dream realized, melding styles and capturing the holiday magic. Crafted with our dancers' versatility in mind and fueled by our teachers' creativity, we're thrilled to premier this fresh, enchanting production as it hits the stage at the Ferst Center!” — Rebecca Crawford Harman
“For me, the holiday season becomes more meaningful each year. Remembering time-honored traditions and creating new ones with the people you love is the most precious of gifts. Flying Home is just that: a gift we feel so grateful to share with you. May this new story be one your family enjoys for many years to come.” — Elizabeth Greene