(Media release from ShowSavvy Productions):
On Sunday February 25th, Isaac Brackett returned to the U.S. after touring Zambia and Uganda as the only male dancer in the 15 member Events Company of Ballet Magnificat! Internationally renowned Ballet Magnificat! has toured multiple companies around the globe and across the United States since its founding in 1986 by Kathy and Keith Thibodeaux.
Isaac Brackett began performing at the age of 3 with Rome Little Theatre and R.O.M.E., including stages at the Forum, Rome City Auditorium, and the Rome Shakespeare Festival, among others. He was last seen on stage here at the River Arts District (RAD) playhouse in a performance of Godspell. He is also a former dance instructor for both The Dance Centre and Baird Ballet. The Dance Centre gave Isaac his first position as an instructor when he was only 14 years old. Isaac started with a boys hip hop class, and soon found himself teaching additional classes including Musical Theatre. At the time, Musical Theatre was his greatest focus. He was a veteran of countless musical theatre performances, and had already choreographed a successful run of Heathers the Musical at the Cedartown Performing Arts Center.
As a high school student, Isaac sought to sharpen his skills at every opportunity to act, sing, or dance. During his junior year of high school, he qualified and was selected as a finalist for the Governor’s Honors Program in dance. He was looking forward to attending this intensive for high school juniors and seniors that is hosted yearly on the Berry College Campus. Then COVID struck. First COVID interrupted a run of Godspell at the RAD playhouse. Isaac was not only part of the cast, but also the choreographer. Then came word that the Governor’s Honors Program (GHP) was cancelled for the year. When Isaac learned that Ballet Magnificat! was expecting to keep the doors of their Summer Dance Intensive open, he resolved to fill the hole in his calendar. He had already auditioned with the Ballet in December, and was accepted for a two week summer intensive. The cancellation of GHP allowed him to attend the summer dance intensive for a full four weeks. Isaac found himself in Jackson, Mississippi performing in a full-length story ballet at the end of July as “Boaz” in Ruth, for the dance intensive’s closing performance.
When Isaac returned to Rome at the end of the summer, he had the opportunity to rejoin the cast and finish the run of Godspell at the RAD playhouse. After a summer long hiatus, the Rome Shakespeare Festival production had to adjust to losing and replacing multiple cast members. COVID was leaning heavily on the theatre world.
Isaac had intended to follow in the steps of other Rome performers, including his older brother, who had gone to college in pursuit of musical theatre degrees. Isaac had many friends in college music theatre programs, but in 2020 they had to take all of their classes, including dance and voice lessons over ZOOM. That was less than ideal! The COVID effect on education and college theatre led Isaac to instead apply to become a ballet trainee for Ballet Magnificat! The company had managed to successfully complete the summer dance intensive program for middle school and high school students with no COVID cases. Furthermore, company members were continuing to train despite the shutdowns that seemed to be happening everywhere else.
Isaac entered the Ballet Magnificat! trainee program in September 2021. He was subsequently promoted in September 2022 to their Events touring company. The Ballet Magnificat! Events company also includes talented young women from seven other states and one dancer from Malaysia. Each company member has dance and non-dance roles tied to travel and site preparation, since they do not travel with a technical crew. The company is touring a full story ballet called Prodigal’s Journey that is based on biblical parables. The group of fifteen dancers, with two additional tour managers for the journey to Africa, arrived in Ndola, Zambia February 10th. There, they taught master classes and performed for students at Grace Academy, Northrise University, two different Lifelong schools, and for children in surrounding communities. Last week they performed in Kampala, Uganda.
Upon the company’s return to the U.S., they will be touring multiple eastern states. Between stops in Florida and Tennessee, the company will perform at the Rome City Auditorium in a single matinee performance at 3 pm March 5th. The company will actually perform two ballets; a shorter praise and worship ballet called Heaven Come Down which is followed, after a short intermission, by the full length Prodigal’s Journey. Advance discounted tickets are available through BalletMagnificat.com and by searching Prodigal’s Journey on eventbrite.com. Tickets at the door will be $25.
The company will also be teaching a master class for Intermediate ballet students (age 9 years and up) and a master class for Advance students (age 13 years and up) at Baird Ballet on Broad Street. The classes are open to students from all studios, as well as to local college students. The classes will run from 3:30 to 5 pm on Saturday March 4th. Anyone interested in the master classes should call Kathy Baird at 706-331-5202. The class fee is $20.
Photo courtesy of Ballet Magnificat!