Pierceton Mazell, a professional dancer with the Chattanooga Ballet, walked away from the troupe’s rehearsal space Wednesday for a swig of water after a choreography run-through. He was breathing laboriously and drenched in sweat.
“There is nothing like ballet at all,” Mazell said in an interview. “The flexibility, the strength and in a lot of ways, covering up the strength and covering up the exertion that we’re putting into it, because at the end of the day, we don’t want the audience to feel tired watching us.”
Since 1974, Chattanoogans have not tired in their support of the city’s only professional ballet company. The troupe’s eight professional dancers are currently in rehearsals for their upcoming fall show, “ART / Bridges.”
(READ MORE: Walnut Street Bridge to reopen Oct. 3)
Performances are planned for Oct. 8-10 at the UTC Fine Arts Theater. It’s a mixed bill featuring three distinct works, including a “uniquely Chattanoogan” ode to the Walnut Street Bridge’s grand reopening composed by the company’s CEO and artistic director, Brian McSween.