(Media release from Show Savvy Productions):
The internationally acclaimed Ballet Magnificat! returns to the Rome City Auditorium on Friday, March 8th with Rome native Isaac Brackett among its company of dancers. The troupe of dancers will present a compelling story set in the Cold War Era Communist Soviet Union. The Rome visit is bookended by performances in Chattanooga and Nashville, following three shows in Florida. Ballet Magnificat! will be performing this ballet throughout Japan at the end of March.
Rome arts patrons will recognize Isaac Brackett as a veteran of multiple stages in the Rome theatre community. In fact, Isaac’s first performance, at the age of 4, was on the very same Rome City Auditorium stage in a Shorter College production under the direction of Sam Baltzer. Since then, Isaac appeared in productions by Rome Little Theatre, The Rome Shakespeare Festival, R.O.M.E, The Dance Centre, Baird Ballet and Shorter University. He has choreographed musicals in both Rome and Cedartown. As a teenager, he taught hip hop, tap and musical theatre classes at The Dance Centre and Baird Ballet. Isaac was selected to attend the annual Governors Honors in dance between his junior and senior high school years. When Covid shut down the summer program on the Berry Campus, he was able to instead attend a Ballet Magnificat! Summer Dance Intensive in Jackson, Mississippi for a full four weeks.
Pandemic circumstances lead Isaac to apply to the Ballet Magnificat! trainee program instead of attending a university theatre program. Since then, Isaac has traveled and performed with the ballet on stages all over the country. Last year, Isaac was featured in the Ballet Magnificat! production of The Prodigal. That ballet toured to Africa before a U.S. tour that included a performance here in Rome last March.
On Friday, March 8th, Ballet Magnificat! will perform two different ballets separated by a short intermission. The first ballet is entitled Even in the Why, a piece birthed during the Covid pandemic – a time of uncertainty and turmoil. The piece emphasizes that while God has not promised a trouble-free life, the rewards He has promised are even better.
The second feature, The Scarlet Cord, is a ballet by Jiri Sebastian Voborsky who was born and grew up in Communist Czechoslovakia under the iron fist of Soviet domination. His journey as a student participating in The Velvet Revolution and finding faith in Christ through the witness and testimony of a mentor dance instructor is extraordinary. During a short visit to the U.S. as a young dancer, Jiri found himself in Jackson, Mississippi. That short visit slowly turned into a long career as a performer, a choreographer, and an artistic director for Ballet Magnificat! Now after many years have passed, Jiri’s daughter, Maya Voborsky, will be an integral part of the Rome performance of The Scarlet Cord.
Jiri choreographed this ballet after he was inspired by the Scarlet Cord in the story of Rahab in the Bible. When Rahab’s city and home were about to be destroyed, she hung a scarlet cord as a bold sign of faith from the window of her home. This scarlet cord became a symbol of protection over her home. This mirrors how faith in the blood of Jesus provides protection and salvation to anyone who believes in Him.
The Scarlet Cord paints a gripping tale set during the chilling era of the Cold War, a time when an authoritarian regime sought to clamp down on the very essence of thought and freedom. This narrative ballet brings to life the saga of two courageous missionaries who stand firm in their faith amidst the harshness of the communist Soviet Union. The central figure, Rahab, confronts the agony of abandonment and finds her world upended by the betrayal of a Soviet commander she loved. After her sister attends a covert church service, Rahab’s path intersects with the missionaries who extend the lifeline of hope found in Jesus Christ, sparking a revolution of the heart against the cold backdrop of political subjugation.
The one night only performance on Friday, March 8th will begin at 7:30 pm. This will be the only Georgia performance of this ballet this year. Advance tickets are available at North Broad Animal Clinic, The Dance Centre, and Baird Ballet. Discounted rates for seniors, students, and larger groups are available at ShowSavvyProductions.com or by searching The Scarlet Cord on EventBrite.com. Tickets at the door will be $25.
