The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will travel to Atlanta next week to showcase a collection of familiar and unreleased pieces to both new and returning audiences.

The company will put on four public performances at the Fox Theatre in downtown from Jan. 25-27 as part of its 2024 national tour celebrating the 65th anniversary of its founding.

Each show will feature an assortment of individual productions brought to life by internationally acclaimed choreographers, including the return of a modern company classic originally choreographed by the late founder himself.

Artistic director emerita of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Judith Jamison, said that the company’s performers and choreographers have prepared a show that combines traditional elements of Ailey’s signature performance style with fresh, updated concepts capable of shifting the company into future programming.

She also said that creating art like Amy Hall Garner’s piece “CENTURY,” which honors the life of the Ailey artist in residence’s 100-year-old grandfather, is critical in that it acknowledges the contributions of previous generations and helps keep cultural traditions in performance alive.

“We extend ourselves through our ancestors,” Jamison said. “We are who we are because of them.”

Among the week’s performances, a contemporary piece by Kyle Abraham called “Are You in Your Feelings?” will explore love, relationships and Black culture on stage while featuring music from influential artists like Kendrick Lamar and Lauryn Hill.

Another piece, choreographed by Ronald K. Brown, will pay tribute to Judith Jamison’s impact and illustrious career, named after her 1993 autobiography, “Dancing Spirit.”

Jamison, who danced with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for 15 years before becoming the company’s artistic director in 1989, said the ensemble has expanded since her debut in 1965 but has nonetheless remained focused on the company’s mission to hold the Ailey name in high regard, as well as the art of dance in general.

“(The company’s) grown, but we are still connected,” Jamison said. “That’s the important thing that differentiates this company from other companies. It’s a big family.”

Jamison also said that Ailey’s cast of artists always strives to leave a lasting impression on its audiences around the world and that those who attend a show should be mindful of the intimacy and importance of live theatre as they watch the performances.

“Have some fun, have a good time, go on a journey, enjoy what you see, absorb what you see,” Jamison said. “We’re there to entertain, we’re there to enlighten, and to make you feel uplifted when you leave the theater.”

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will perform each evening at 7:30 p.m. and perform an additional Saturday afternoon show beginning at 2 p.m.

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Costs of food, energy, and other related necessities around Atlanta saw modest decreases over the final few months of 2023, prompting consumers to start 2024 with comparably lower prices, particularly for clothing, dairy products, and gasoline.

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Atlanta metropolitan statistical area ended last year with consumer prices about 3.6 percent higher compared to prices from the year before, but seven-tenths of a percentage point lower than those seen four months prior.

Prices on a national scale, however, have increased steadily month-to-month all throughout 2023, only staying the same from September to October.

2023 marked the first year since 2019 where prices for goods in the metro area declined continuously from August to December, dropping six tenths of a percentage point during the first two months and another tenth of a percentage point by the end of the year.

Labor percentages in Atlanta adjusted by similar means last year, rising long-term while falling marginally over the past few months.

Unemployment rates increased slightly in the city over a 12-month time span, rising from 2.7% in November 2022 to 3.1% last November. Local unemployment reached its 2023 peak in August, reaching 3.7% before dropping to 3.4% in September.

Contrarily, national unemployment rates increased by just a tenth of a percentage point over the course of the same 12 months, from 3.4% to 3.5%. Unemployment for the civilian population aged 16 and older reached 3.7% nationwide in December, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

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The City of Sandy Springs hosted a free interactive learning experience at City Springs on Monday afternoon honoring civil rights icon and Atlanta native Martin Luther King, Jr. on what would have been his 95th birthday.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Art and Film Celebration brought together parents, grandparents, and children of all ages to participate in a variety of King-themed arts and crafts and to view a private screening of the 1999 Emmy-nominated classic, “Our Friend, Martin.”

Sandy Springs mayor Rusty Paul said that the city has put on MLK-themed events for the community every year since 2005, making it the longest-running continuous celebration that Sandy Springs has hosted.

“It’s always been oriented toward the kids,” Paul said. “We want them to learn, and we figured that having a more tactile learning experience… would be the best way for kids to learn, because if you want to defeat hate, you have to start early.”

The mayor also said that it’s important to continue organizing community events that bring to light one of the darkest time periods of America’s history, even as critical figures of the era begin to pass away.

“It’s very important that we learn from our history — the good and the bad,” Paul said.

Each of Monday’s activities centered around specific elements of King’s legacy and mission: dream, justice, love, liberty, equality, and freedom. Kids designed keepsake bookmarks featuring quotes from King, completed MLK-themed word searches based on details of the civil rights leader’s life, and went home with a certificate of completion after finishing all six objectives.

Latoya Morgan brought her daughter, Serenity, to Monday’s event to help her grasp the significance of King’s actions and the sacrifices made in the hope of a better future.

“I’ve always loved Dr. King — since I was 11 years old,” Morgan said. “So, I want to make sure she understands the legacy of the impact that his life had on the next generation to continue the work.”

Morgan said she brings Serenity to MLK-related events often, as a way to teach her about her ancestry and as a result of Morgan’s passion for civil rights.

“She needs to understand the elders that came before her and that the privileges that she now is afforded, like the life that she lives, didn’t come easy. It was with a price,” Morgan said. “There were people who laid their lives down for us to be able to have these freedoms.”

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Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Hilton executives and shareholders and leaders from the Georgia World Congress Center Authority came together to celebrate the grand opening of the Signia by Hilton Atlanta hotel in downtown on Thursday afternoon, the largest ground-up hotel development the city has seen in four decades.

Lauded for its close proximity to signature Atlanta landmarks like State Farm Arena, Centennial Olympic Park and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the 976-room, 40-story hotel features eight food and beverage establishments, over 100,000 square feet of event space and the largest hotel ballroom in the entire state, while standing as the tallest building on the city’s westside.

“Today, our championship campus is a beacon of inspiration, showcasing what can be achieved when visionary leadership, dedicated teams and supportive communities come together,” said Brian Daniel, chair of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s Board of Governors. “We didn’t just build something. We’ve shaped the future of hosting events and economic development on the west side of Atlanta.”

Construction of the Signia began in May of 2021, after the GWCCA officially selected Hilton as the hotel’s operator in 2020. Although, the project’s earliest stages trace back to over a decade ago, under the governance of Kemp’s predecessor, Nathan Deal, who was also present for Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting.

Gov. Kemp, in his remarks, thanked the former governor for his approval and backing of the hotel since its inception, stating that the current condition of Georgia’s economy and the state’s national status are direct results of his leadership.

“(Deal) certainly laid the groundwork for this unprecedented position that we’re in today,” Kemp said. “This project was first conceived during his time in office, and he supported it knowing this facility would be an essential part of attracting visitors and businesses to our state.”

The ceremony’s speakers reiterated that Georgia is defined by both its capacity for tourism and its ability to attract economic opportunity on a national scale. Daniel said that Georgia has been recognized as the best state in America to do business for 10 consecutive years and that the tourism industry stands as the state’s second-largest economy.

Atlanta specifically stands as Hilton’s largest international market. Kemp said the city is home to 136 Hilton hotels belonging to 13 brands and that an additional 40 hotels in the area are currently in development. Chris Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton, also identified Atlanta as the company’s “most important market”, with the Signia serving as the first newly-built hotel of its kind in the world.

“We (operate in) 130 countries around the world, but very few (properties), if any, are as important as this and have the kind of impact that this has,” Nassetta said. “This is one of the best properties we have in the world amongst any of our 22 brands.”

Nassetta also said that the hotel brings approximately 800 permanent jobs to Atlanta, many of which are already filled by employees entirely new to the hospitality industry.

“It really is wonderful to be here to celebrate,” Nassetta said. “I think (the Signia’s completion) is a milestone for Atlanta and a milestone for the state of Georgia.”

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Interest rates for mortgages, which reached their highest point in more than two decades this past October, have experienced a downward trend for the past several weeks, a promising sign for aspiring homebuyers looking to purchase early this year.

Despite mortgage rates and prices for homes last month lingering above values measured at the end of 2022, analysts expect the decline will motivate more buyers to enter the housing market in 2024.

According to the government-sponsored mortgage financing company Freddie Mac, the rate to acquire a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage in the country averaged at 6.61% on Thursday, December 28, a 0.06 percent decrease from the previous week and a decrease of just over half a percentage point compared to four weeks prior.

The year ended with the 30-year mortgage rate nearly two tenths of a percentage point higher than the rate calculated at the end of 2022. However, the rate adjusted by its smallest margin in six weeks, with the weekly average not having seen a change of 0.06% since the week of Nov. 9 to Nov. 16.

“The rapid descent of mortgage rates over the last two months stabilized a bit this week, but rates continue to trend down,” said chief economist at Freddie Mac Sam Khater about the Dec. 28 averages. “Heading into the new year, the economy remains on firm ground with solid growth, a tight labor market, decelerating inflation and a nascent rebound in the housing market.”

Prospective buyers appear to have responded to the fall in mortgage rates positively.

A December report from real estate company Redfin states that the number of submitted mortgage applications has increased 19% since the beginning of November, when the total had reached its lowest point in roughly 30 years. The report also suggests that interest rates are likely to remain below 7% as the new year progresses.

“The last week of economic news and data makes it more likely than not that mortgage rates have peaked,” said economic research lead at Redfin, Chen Zhao, about the report. “Buyers will return from the holidays with more homes to choose from, and they should still see rates in the mid-6% range.”

Still, mortgage rates could rise again this year. Although unlikely, Zhao said the Federal Reserve may choose to reverse the direction of interest rates as a cautionary measure at some point in 2024, depending on the state of inflation in the country.

The 30-year rate increased slightly to 6.62% this week, per Freddie Mac, bringing a halt to consistent downward progress in the first week of the new year.

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The Atlanta BeltLine will accept applications for its small business accelerator program, BeltLine Business Ventures, until the end of this week, as the organization prepares to launch the second cohort of its first year of operation later this month.

Up to 25 small businesses will be selected to join the program’s winter/spring 2024 cohort, where those chosen will be educated on a variety of business-related topics over the course of the next three months and receive resources needed to establish a physical presence along the 22-mile stretch of the BeltLine.

Debuting in late 2023, BeltLine Business Ventures is an initiative housed within the BeltLine Business Solutions Office that gives local small business owners entrepreneurial training through networking opportunities, virtual and in-person educational sessions and personalized one-on-one counseling with seasoned entrepreneurs and consultants.

All small business owners interested are encouraged to apply, but those with a minimum of 2 years of operating experience, aspirations of locating to the BeltLine and gross yearly earnings of at least $250,000 are considered ideal.

Participation is free and priority is assigned to woman- and minority-owned businesses located in BeltLine equity target subareas 1, 2, 9 and 10, which include Mechanicsville, Pittsburgh, Grove Park and many other neighborhoods in southwest Atlanta.

Training sessions for the winter/spring cohort will run from Feb. 6 until May 14. The BeltLine will host its final cohort for the year starting this summer.

Click here to apply for the winter/spring cohort and visit the BeltLine Business Solutions Office website for more information about the program.

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Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was named the busiest airport in the world for the second consecutive year, with the number of passengers transported over the course of 2023 closely approaching pre-pandemic numbers measured four years prior.

In a report released by international flight data provider OAG earlier this month, Hartsfield-Jackson once again placed first on the company’s list of the world’s ten busiest global airports, making this the airport’s third time topping the company’s annual end-of-year ranking over the past five years.

According to the report, the Atlanta airport managed enough flights in 2023 to accommodate more than 61 million passengers, a metric that increased by about 12% since the year before.

Meanwhile, Hartsfield-Jackson was shy of its 2019 flight capacity performance by just 3%, suggesting that the airport has almost witnessed a complete recovery from the loss of travel incited by the pandemic in 2020.

John Grant, chief analyst at OAG, said in a statement discussing the report’s findings that resolving widespread supply chain issues is necessary to restore airline and airport activity all over the country to pre-pandemic levels.

“Domestic travel in the U.S. remains competitive,” Grant said. “Navigating ongoing supply chain challenges successfully will be key for airlines and airports in the U.S. looking to attract more passengers and get capacity levels back to where they were in 2019.”

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport was the only other airport in America to make OAG’s top five, dropping two spots from the ranking in 2022 to land in fifth place this year. Denver International, Los Angeles International and Chicago O’Hare International round out the list’s top ten, ranking sixth, eighth and ninth, respectively.

Atlanta also made three appearances on OAG’s list of the busiest domestic routes in America this year, with the city’s connection to Orlando falling less than 100,000 total airline seats short of the list’s highest-ranking route, Hololulu, Hawaii, to Kahului Airport, the primary airport on Maui, Hawaii’s second-largest island. Routes from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and New York’s LaGuardia Airport placed seventh and ninth in the ranking.

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Atlanta-based restaurant Little Rey has announced plans to open its second location in the city next spring, bringing its cuisine inspired by the flavors of Northern Mexico to north Buckhead.

The contemporary Mexican eatery will occupy a 5,500-square-foot rental space inside the Northcreek Office Park development on Northside Parkway in early 2024, which is situated near Nancy Creek and I-75.

Chef Ford Fry opened Little Rey’s primary location in the Piedmont Heights neighborhood of east Atlanta in 2019. The restaurateur, who currently resides in Atlanta, owns 13 eateries across the metro area and a total of 23 restaurants based all over the country, including local culinary hotspots King + Duke, St. Cecilia and Superica.

According to a release from the public relations agency representing Rocket Farm Restaurants, the company behind the collection of restaurants owned by Fry, Little Rey Buckhead will feature many of the menu items available at the Piedmont Heights location, including street-style tacos, shareable starters and the restaurant’s staple dishes inspired by the traditional Mexican favorite, “pollo al carbon”. Various flavors of margaritas, aguas frescas, authentic Mexican beer and locally sourced ales will also appear on the menu.

Plans to expand the restaurant into Johns Creek, Houston, Texas and Raleigh, North Carolina, are also slated for 2024.

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Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport expects to service millions of travelers over the next two weeks as the 2023-24 holiday season approaches an end.

In a press release dated Dec. 13, the world’s busiest airport estimates more than 3.3 million passengers will fly into or out of Atlanta between Dec. 22 and Jan. 2, making the final weeks of the year the most hectic Hartsfield-Jackson has seen since the Thanksgiving travel period almost four weeks ago.

The Friday before Christmas, Dec. 22, is anticipated to be Hartsfield-Jackson’s busiest day of the 12-day stretch, with an estimated 327,624 travelers forecasted to pass through the facility.

Hartsfield-Jackson has witnessed an uptick in travel in the weeks leading up to the Christmas and New Year holidays, seeing close to 100,000 passengers departing or arriving every day, according to the airport’s official X account, formerly known as Twitter.

In preparation for the surge in activity, the airport has wrapped up its Main Security Checkpoint construction project almost four months ahead of schedule, a $66 million endeavor that opens additional security lanes in the area for optimal service.

Still, airport staff recommends those flying out of Atlanta these next two weeks arrive at least two and a half hours before your departure time if boarding a domestic flight and three hours if flying internationally to account for potential parking and security delays.

Passengers driving to the airport are encouraged to check for parking lot status updates before leaving home and to prepare for traffic upon arrival. Hartsfield-Jackson is still short of roughly 3,000 parking spaces due to the South Economy lot being shuttered last October to break ground on a new parking deck.

Nationwide, AAA predicts that more than 115 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home between Dec. 23 and Jan. 1, either by plane, car or other methods of transportation. This represents a 2.2% increase in travelers compared to last year’s predictions and ranks as the second-highest estimate of holiday travelers recorded in the forecast’s 23-year history.

Atlanta also places among the top-10 domestic holiday travel destinations in the country in AAA’s study, joining Miami, Chicago, New York, and Las Vegas.

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ORLANDO, Fla. — Disney Experiences, formerly Disney Parks, hosted nearly 100 Black small business owners from the Atlanta-based Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida early this week, organizing an experience designed to equip emerging business leaders with the skills needed to generate a positive economic impact within their communities.

Attendants were lodged inside Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts for the duration of the trip, spending a majority of their afternoons and evenings alongside RICE leadership, stakeholders and members of Disney’s supply chain accelerator planning team. Each pupil “graduated” from the program on Wednesday, receiving a certificate of completion and a round of congratulations from Mickey Mouse himself.

As the lead financial sponsor of RICE’s Supply Chain Accelerator Program, Disney presented a slew of educational sessions and workshops for the team, one of which was developed and hosted by the company’s exterior training arm, Disney Institute, giving Black business owners first-hand experience in adopting the mindset needed to operate successful ventures.

Leaders from Disney Institute introduced a service-oriented approach to entrepreneurship through its teachings, emphasizing that great service is necessary to properly run a business, regardless of size or revenue. Cast members at Disney brought this notion of exemplary service to life through their kind and courteous treatment of RICE entrepreneurs and stakeholders over the course of the trip.

Disney Institute also invited the group to tour exclusive parts of Magic Kingdom Park on Tuesday afternoon, where attendees identified real-life examples of the managerial concepts taught during the institute’s training session.

Additionally, RICE-backed business owners heard from local Black vendors contracted with Disney on Wednesday, listening in on a panel about expanding business practices, working with big retailers and embracing authenticity when developing a brand—another popular takeaway from the seminar.

“That’s the power of storytelling,” said Lisa Williams, founder of multi-cultural doll company

World of EPI, about authenticity during the discussion. “Because we get to see who we are…”

While many of this year’s participating entrepreneurs returned from last year’s event, some business owners joined RICE leadership in Florida for the first time this week. 

Chantel Powell, stakeholder at RICE and founder and CEO of natural kids deodorant brand Play Pits, said that RICE’s trip to Orlando marked her first visit to Disney World since she was about 10 years old, giving her a chance to observe the parks from a new and refreshing perspective as both an adult and an entrepreneur.

“I remember nothing (about my last time at Disney),” Powell said. “So, to see it with these experienced, entrepreneurial eyes—oh, my God, it’s incredible. It’s truly magical.”

Powell also said that she’s previously worked jobs in customer service before switching gears to start her own business, so Disney’s lessons on providing excellent service to clients and consumers particularly resonated with her.

“I was an executive assistant. I worked as a wardrobe stylist and assistant costumer in film and TV,” Powell said. “So, I’m used to being of service to people…”

A select few attendees even visited the parks at Walt Disney World for the very first time. 

Chisom Eke, founder and CEO of skin-sensitive skincare company Overlooked Beauty, said she had preconceived notions before traveling to Disney World, but her first experience navigating Magic Kingdom and EPCOT completely exceeded her expectations.

“I thought it was going to be like your typical amusement park,” Eke said. “But (after) coming here and after going through some of the info sessions we went through earlier (today), I’m like, ‘This place is absolutely amazing.’”

Intentionality was a central theme from Tuesday’s session with Disney Institute, with instructors from the institute stating that business owners should lead both intentionally and professionally in order to sustain financial success and encourage loyalty from their consumers.

Eke said that the intentionality behind Disney World’s operations was evident throughout Tuesday’s tour and that she plans to incorporate many of the lessons she’s learned on this trip into running her own small business.

“I think it made the experience so much better, because I know that… (Disney) did everything with care and with the customer in mind,” Eke said. “That helps me with even my business.”

The Russell Center and Disney plan to partner to host the event again next year.

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