COLUMN: Reflecting on the legacy of Jean Evans Weaver, a Macon arts legend

This week’s offering was to reflect on First Friday and some of what’s current in Macon’s art and entertainment world – and it will – but sadly making note of the death of one of Macon’s arts legends greats takes precedence: Jean Evans Weaver died Nov. 2 at 95.

Most simply put, Weaver was a fifth-generation Maconite, a dance teacher, owner of Dance Arts Studios, the visionary force behind the Nutcracker of Middle Georgia and, most of all, an inspiration and guide to thousands of young Middle Georgia dancers.

Remarkably, she died on what’s celebrated as World Ballet Day.

Those who worked with Weaver and knew her well talk of her dedication to young people and desire to give them the opportunity to shine, always inspiring them to do their best.

Macon businessman, developer and arts activist Tony Long knew Weaver from their early days together at Macon Little Theatre where she was choreographer and he worked backstage.

From there, Weaver convinced Long to handle backstage operations for her vision of the Nutcracker.

“That was in 1985 that she began our Nutcracker which has grown by leaps and bounds ever since,” Long said. “And let me tell you, Jean was a force to be dealt with and the most fun person you could ever work with. She made everyone involved, from backstage to onstage, want to do their best whatever job they did. She was certainly a perfectionist but that was because she wanted everything to be its best and everyone to shine. She didn’t push too hard but everyone wanted to please Miss Jean. She inspired that.”

Weaver retired from her school and the Nutcracker in 2016 and Alice Sheridan took over as the ballet’s artistic director. Sheridan taught for Weaver and worked with her at the Nutcracker for 30-plus years.

“As a teacher, her students adored her,” Sheridan said. “There’s just so much love pouring out for her from her students here and on social media and endless talk about the effect she had on their lives – very positive, life-changing effects. It’s amazing to realize the impact she had. She loved the art form and was very knowledgeable of it. She loved sharing that knowledge and her passion for dance. She loved giving people the opportunity to do something really special on stage.”

As a sampling of former student sentiment toward Weaver, her work and generosity, former student Melissa Thanos posted on the Jean Weaver Facebook page, “Ms. Weaver played such a huge part in my childhood. She was an amazing role model and truly cared about me and all of her dancers. Words cannot describe how much she meant to me…”

Snows Chapel has charge of arrangements and her full obituary can be seen and comments made via www.snowsmacon.com.

As recorded in her obituary, Weaver also founded the Middle Georgia Youth Ballet in 1966 with four other ballet teachers. It offered additional training for area dancers and education in local schools on classical ballet thus increasing appreciation for it.

In 2000, she was presented the Macon Arts Alliance Cultural Award for her significant contributions to the arts and cultural life of Macon and Bibb County and in 2010 given the Rosalyn Elkan Lifetime Achievement Award.

Those with a wide picture of the arts in Macon and the surrounding area acknowledge Weaver’s impact went beyond dance as her work gathered huge audiences, incorporated thousands of participants and generally moved the love and enjoyment of the arts forward.

In just the past year, the Nutcracker of Middle Georgia gained its own home with studio, office and storage space at 117 Orange St. The center also provides extended and advanced ballet study opportunities and is appropriately named the Jean Evans Weaver Center for Dance. Funds are still being raised for the center and it and the Nutcracker of Middle Georgia can be contacted at www.midganutcracker.com.

There’s much more to be said about Weaver, happily, most of it will be said in quiet conversations and recollections among those she served and loved through the years and who loved and gave their best for her in return.

November First Friday

Among November’s First Friday activities today is an exhibit opening called “One Day I’ll Get to Go Back in Time” with a reception at 6 p.m. at StARTup Studios, 1055 Riverside Dr.

Reagin is a 2022 fine arts graduate of Mercer University now living and working in North Carolina. In her artist’s statement for the exhibit, Reagin said work in the show is a continuation of her “Spilled Self-Portraits” series where she takes sheets from secondhand stores and stains them in different ways with tie-dye patterns and cyanotype chemicals to produce her desired effect. Each large-format piece contains both complex designs and artfully applied personal photos and statements from her diary which offer snapshots of her life.

However, in May, Reagin told me the photo and writings are somewhat obscured in the process.

“I’m after a certain vulnerability with each piece,” she said. “I’m letting viewers in on my life but only as far as they’re willing to look. Almost every person asks me what the words say – but it’s a secret. People want to know how I did it and are surprised by how much detail is in each piece up-close.”

Reagin said her style developed through experimentation, which is a large part of what she loves about the process of creating art. “I love to jump into a new medium and see where it takes me,” she said.

Families can look forward to First Friday’s Family Fun Zone tonight sponsored by Middle Georgia Regional Library and NewTown Macon from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Third Street Park. There will be lawn games for the whole family, books to check out and arts and crafts from the Boys and Girls Club of Central Georgia. There’s also free admission to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame courtesy of the Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital.

Search Facebook Events for November First Friday (Downtown Macon) to get more on the 100-plus galleries, shops, restaurants, nightlife venues and other spots that keep people coming back to downtown month after month.

Finally, coinciding with this First Friday is tonight’s finale presentation of “The Fiddler on the Roof” at the Grand Opera House, 651 Mulberry St. The show marks the return of national touring companies performing at the Grand following an 18-month, COVID-19-induced pause. If you missed Thursday’s performance or can’t get tickets tonight, set your sights on the season’s remaining shows coming in months ahead. For more on the series, contact the Grand at 478-301-5470 or www.thegrandmacon.com.

Contact Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com.