METRO ATLANTA CEO — Executive Director of Georgia's Path2College 529 Plan Mitch Seabaugh talks about the top five things to know about Georgia's Path2College 529 Plan and the importance of investing in your child's future education.

After more than 20 years dancing in Atlanta, the formidable artist will perform as a member of Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre for the last time Sept. 14-22, before stepping out to a new life in Houston.

ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION | ArtsATL.com — When dancer Rachel Van Buskirk performed in Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre’s “Out of the Box” program in September 2023, she was visibly pregnant with her first child and gave a beautiful performance in the world premiere of Darian Kane’s “Adoption of Faith.” This year, “Out of the Box: Series II” will mark another life-changing event as she leaves the company she cofounded with four other former Atlanta Ballet dancers and relocates to Houston, where her husband is starting a tenure-track job at the University of Houston.

The move means leaving behind the city and community where, over the last 20 years, she has grown from a talented young ballerina into a formidable artist at the top of her game. Van Buskirk still vividly recalls the first time she saw Terminus Artistic Director John Welker, another original “Terminator” and co-founder, dance. She was a 15-year-old student in the Atlanta Ballet school, and he was in the company. “When I saw John in class, my jaw was on the floor. It was just incredible the crazy things he could do.”

She also remembers watching Terminus co-founder Tara Lee perform the lead role in Atlanta Ballet’s production of “Madame Butterfly.” “I stood in the wings with tears streaming down my face,” Van Buskirk said. “It was the most beautiful, soulful thing I’d ever seen.”

When she joined Atlanta Ballet and took on more challenging roles, she went from admiring her future Terminus colleagues from afar to counting Lee, John and Christine Welker, Heath Gill and Christian Clark among her most trusted artistic collaborators and friends.

At Terminus, they continued to hone this partnership in countless ways in multiple ballets. “Rachel is a singular force of artistry and passion,” Clark said recently. “Our longtime partnership on stage has been a major highlight of my career, and I will miss dancing with her dearly.” [MORE]

SAPORTA REPORT — Star Forest, a multi-platform project spanning musical albums, music videos, animated content, podcasts, and a mobile video game, will premiere at DragonCon and is set to roll out over the coming months.

In an era where children are increasingly disconnected from nature and overwhelmed by technology, Star Forest offers a bridge between digital engagement and real-world wonder. It’s designed to combat “nature deficit disorder” by inspiring kids to explore, create and connect with the world around them. 

At its heart is a virtual band of lovable misfits whose music transcends entertainment, becoming a gateway to imagination and self-discovery targeted for children aged 5 to 9, but may appeal to a range of music lovers.

“Star Forest isn’t just an album, a show, or a game — it’s an entire universe designed to captivate, educate, and inspire,” said Genevieve LeDoux, Star Forest creator and co-founder. “We noticed a significant gap in content for children who have outgrown preschool programming but aren’t ready for teen-oriented material. Star Forest fills this void with rich, multi-layered content that grows with the child.”

WORLD SCREEN / KIDSTV.com — Star Forest, a multiplatform project spanning musical albums, music videos, animated content, podcasts and a mobile video game, is set to roll out over the coming months.

From Emmy Award-winning producer Genevieve LeDoux and targeted to 5- to 9-year-olds, the Star Forest universe aims to bridge digital engagement and real-world wonder. September will see the new podcast and album debut, while the mobile video game is slated to drop later in 2024.

The full Star Forest project will also officially launch at Dragon Con, which is taking place from August 29 to September 2.

The virtual band includes Fawn Velvette (vocalist/keytar), performed by Lynzee Fraye; Twig Leifort (vocalist/guitar), performed by Pete Mitchell; Sluuth Marbles (bass/vocalist/rhymes), performed by Christopher “Caz” Downing; and Rocktapus “Rocky” Blueblood VII (drums/tambourine), performed by Jake Griffitts. Podcast host Phineas Fawk is performed by Garrett Braun.

“Star Forest isn’t just an album, a show, or a game—it’s an entire universe designed to captivate, educate and inspire,” said LeDoux, Star Forest creator and co-founder. “We noticed a significant gap in content for children who have outgrown preschool programming but aren’t ready for teen-oriented material. Star Forest fills this void with rich, multi-layered content that grows with the child.”

“The band is virtual, and the music is real! Star Forest is The Gorillaz for kids and the story of a band trying to make it,” said Tammy Hurt, head of music strategy and industry relations for Star Forest. “It is a world that mirrors the challenges and triumphs of real life, offering a metaphorical landscape where the band members learn invaluable lessons about friendship, resilience and the pursuit of their dreams. Through their shared experiences, the band members discover the true power of music to connect hearts, inspire change and create a sense of belonging.”

“We’re not just creating content, we’re crafting experiences that allow children to tune out the noise and tune into their own incredible potential,” LeDoux continued. “In Star Forest, kids don’t just listen to music—they become part of it, entering a world where imagination flows freely, and creativity knows no bounds. Our goal is to create content that not only entertains but also enriches but inspires a new generation of thinkers, dreamers and doers who understand the power of imagination and the importance of our connection to nature.” [MORE]

ARTSATL.COM | ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION — Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre’s fall 2024 season includes four world premieres and a bittersweet farewell to one of the company’s co-founders, Rachel Van Buskirk. Two programs will be presented in two multi-weekend runs — one at TULA Art Center, the company’s Buckhead location, and one at the Pavilion at Serenbe.

Terminus Artistic Director John Welker said the programming is all about “new dancers, new voices.”

Terminus’ new recruits include Amalie Chase, who was a company protégé during the 2023-24 season; Alex Gonzaga, who has appeared several times as a guest artist; and Lenai Wilkerson, who made her way to Atlanta from Washington, D.C., by way of Ballet Hispánico and Cincinnati Ballet. Georgia Dalton and Elizabeth Labovitz, who were themselves new faces just last year, are returning.

Van Buskirk will perform on the ”Out of the Box II” program at Terminus’ intimate, immersive white-box space at TULA, taking her final bows with the company on September 22. After her departure, Christian Clark will be the only one of the five co-founders still performing with the company. [MORE]

SAPORTA REPORT — Celebrating 20 years of serving its community, South Fulton Arts (SFA) recently announced the kickoff of its $10 ‘Power of 10’ crowdfunding campaign to help support its “Pay What You Want” ticket structure and ongoing arts programming. SFA is also opening its annual applications for the 2025 CREATE Partner Program.  

Each year, SFA’s strategic partnerships increase access to high-quality, free arts programming for South Fulton County and Metro Atlanta residents and communities. Through these successful, annual partnerships — including artists, teaching artists, schools, and nonprofits — SFA collaborates, connects, and provides seed funding to bring artist-inspired projects to life. These initiatives include free live theater and music performances, festivals, art exhibits, workshops, and more, which all take place at participating partner venues throughout South Fulton County.  

“Our CREATE partners are at the heart of what we do. Their extraordinary, and often unsung, talent is what fuels our mission of ‘connecting and engaging communities through the arts,” South Fulton Arts Executive Director Jennifer Bauer-Lyons said. “Each year at this time we open applications for the next generation of creatives to engage and thrive through our unique partnership program. In tandem, we are inviting the community to give with a simple, single $10 donation for a lifetime of arts and entertainment in return.”

ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE — The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) and Georgia’s Path2College 529 Plan launched its “We Care, Child Care Sweepstakes.” It will award funds at both ends of a child’s educational journey. The contest gives $1,529 in college scholarships to one winner each from north, south and southeast Georgia as well as metro Atlanta. The winners will also receive $1,529 to go to their child’s early learning center.

For the past 10 years, the two organizations have collaborated on a chance for Georgia families to win money for education.

“DECAL begins laying the academic foundation for a child’s educational career, and Georgia’s Path2College529 Plan lays a financial foundation on which that child’s future educational dreams can be built,” Amy Jacobs, Commissioner for DECAL, said in a statement about the partnership.

The Path2College 529 Plan is the state’s official college savings plan. Earnings are 100% free from federal and state income taxes when used for qualified education expenses such as tuition.

The sweepstakes is open to Georgia families with children who are 13 and younger who attend a DECAL-licensed child care program. The partnership has awarded more than $75,000 to 34 future college-bound students and has helped inform families about saving for college through Georgia’s Path2College 529 Plan. Entries may be submitted through the end of the month.

ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION — For Joshua Chari and his two sisters, music was an integral part of their family life in Ohio.“By the time we were 3 or 4, we were all playing instruments,” he said. “We grew up going to concerts, playing, performing and taking lessons. It was a part of the way we lived.”In 2002, the Roswell resident and his siblings launched Music by Tritone, a music school with the goal of exposing students across the Northside to a lifestyle infused with sound.“We were all doing music independently, giving lessons and performing in the Atlanta area,” he said.

“But we weren’t happy with the options available for classical lessons. A lot of teaching methods were either boring, tedious or unstructured. We set out to inspire and motivate students while they were learning the fundamentals.” Fast forward to 2024, and the school has flourished with yearround ensembles, musical theater programs, a youth orchestra and camps that cover genres from rock band to orchestra. [MORE]

ATLANTA MAGAZINE — If you’re the type who wonders why the Cosmo ever went out of style, a new Dunwoody bar might satisfy all your 1990s urges. Okay Anny’s, the sequel to Colony Square’s hidden ’70s lounge JoJo’s Beloved, opens Friday at 5 p.m. in the new Politan Road food hall that was very briefly the Hall at Ashford Lane. In addition to Okay Anny’s, the 17,000-square-foot, 220-seat Politan Row at Ashford Lane will feature nine food stalls, a full-service Cuban restaurant, and a central bar.

Parking is free and plentiful, and all of the opening food businesses are female- and/or minority-owned. For opening weekend, Politan Row will donate a portion of the proceeds to Malachi’s Storehouse—a local food pantry—and Giving Kitchen, which provides emergency assistance to food service workers. [MORE]

Dunwoody hall will be home to nine food stalls, full-service Cuban restaurant and two cocktail bars.

ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION — Politan Row at Ashford Lane food hall is set to make its debut in Dunwoody next week.

Located at 4500 Olde Perimeter Way in the Ashford Lane retail development, the 17,000-square-foot food hall will open at 5 p.m. Feb. 2., with a slate of cuisines from around the world.

The project comes from Politan Group, the company behind the Politan Row at Colony Square food hall in Midtown and a forthcoming food hall at Forum Peachtree Corners.

Politan Group CEO Will Donaldson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an interview in August 2023 that the company targeted local vendors who are seeking to expand and grow their brands. Seven of the eateries are women-owned, and 100% of the food businesses are owned by women, people of color, or both.

Like the food hall at Colony Square, the Ashford Lane food hall will have a central bar called Bar Politan as well as a themed cocktail lounge. The latter, called Okay Anny’s, is a sequel to the ‘70s-themed hidden Colony Square bar Jojo’s Beloved Cocktail Lounge and will be overseen by Jojo’s co-creator and Politan’s director of operations Benton Bourgeois. [MORE]

FOX 5 ATLANTA — On Saturday, the Georgia World Congress Center witnessed the takeover of the annual DreamHack Gaming Festival, with rapper T-Pain, who is also the founder of Nappy Boy Gaming, stepping into the gaming spotlight. The event, a celebration of the gaming community, featured T-Pain and his gaming team on the main stage, where they engaged in the "Dungeons and Dragons" tournament. T-Pain's family occupied the front row to support him during the competition.

The Georgia World Congress Center was abuzz with excitement as several e-gaming organizations competed in their respective tournaments, culminating in the crowning of champions. The three-day event, known for its diverse competitions and interactive gaming experiences, successfully concluded with the recognition of winners in various gaming categories.

Post-competition, T-Pain extended his involvement beyond the gaming arena, partnering with Toys for Tots to bring joy to local foster kids and their families. The rapper actively participated in handing out toys, adding a charitable dimension to the event.

CBS 46 WANF — Gaming has come a long way since the days of “Doom” and Super Mario Bros.”

As Guy Blomberg eloquently puts it, gaming used to have a stereotype.

“Your stereotypical, pasty white fat nerds in their parents’ basement,” said Blomberg, the Event Director of DreamHack Festivals in North America.

“It was kinda the geeks and the nerds, honestly,” said Todd Harris, the Chair of the Atlanta Esports Alliance. “We played dungeons & dragons, and we gamed.”

But now, gaming isn’t just cool; it’s an economic driver.

“Now, quietly, gaming is a bigger industry than film and TV,” Harris said.

This is why the DreamHack Festival at the Georgia World Congress Center is expected to pull in 40,000 people over the weekend.

“Atlanta is really the capital in the United States for these large Esports events. Console, PC, VR, handheld mobile gaming, and tabletop gaming, card games, board games, RPGs, miniatures … This is actually the longest North American show we’ve been running,” Blomberg said. [MORE]