VININGS - When the Atlanta Ballet's "Cinderella," now playing at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, ends Sunday, so will orchestra conductor Dan Allcott's career with the company.

Allcott, the Atlanta Ballet's music director and principal conductor, will conclude a 10-year run with the company when he steps down on Feb. 14 to lead a new orchestra in Tennessee. He has been credited with reviving the ballet's orchestra during his tenure.

"I wanted to develop a sound, and a way of playing within the orchestra that defined us as being able to do something special," Allcott, 43, said.

"The orchestra knows that there is a very special and buoyant sound that is part of playing ballet. Our obvious job is to provide the music in a way that makes the dancers perform their best. Less obviously, we are also doing service to the composer's wishes."

A new music director and conductor has not been chosen, according to the Atlanta Ballet. Ari Pelto will be the guest conductor for the company production of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" in March.

"Cinderella" opened on Feb. 4 for a two-week run. The Atlanta Ballet Orchestra is performing at each show. Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev composed the ballet's music, which is known for its difficulty.

"We want to bring all of the beauty of "Cinderella," the craziness of the step-sisters and the wonder and magic of the ball," Allcott said of his musical direction.

Conducting in general is no easy task. It takes special skill to coordinate music and dancers. However, Allcott's talent was witnessed early by the Atlanta Ballet staff, which hired the young maestro straight out of doctoral studies at Indiana University in 2000.

"I was conducting the orchestra at Indiana University for ballet performances choreographed by Violette Verdy, who is one of the most famous ballerinas in the world," Allcott recounted.

"I laughed after our first rehearsal when she said - in her beautiful French accent - 'I'm gonna make a ballet conductor out of you!' She introduced me to Sharon Story, dean of the Atlanta Ballet Center for Dance Education, who then talked to John McFall about me."

McFall, the Atlanta Ballet's artistic director, said Allcott has led daring, non-traditional collaborations with such partners as the Indigo Girls and the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Choir. He has also helped hire 15 new members of the 48-member orchestra over the past decade.

Allcott has been conducting since he was 16. He studied cello and credits his father, an engineer, with instilling in him a fascination with figuring out how things come together to work. Conducting, Allcott said, is a lot like engineering.

Since 2003, Allcott has lived in Tennessee with his wife and two children. He has also taught in the music department at Tennessee Tech University during that period. In addition, Allcott is president-elect of the Tennessee chapter of the American String Teachers Association.

Beginning this fall, he will be the new music director and conductor of the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra and Oak Ridge Chorus in Tennessee. Allcott said he chose the Oak Ridge job in order to have more time to explore other opportunities. Conducting the Asheville Lyric Opera this fall is among them.

"The decision to make this my last year came before the Oak Ridge opportunity came up," he said.

"On a sentimental level it is very hard to leave the orchestra, which I have always enjoyed conducting immensely, and the dancers, many of whom I know so well and can anticipate their movement."

The Atlanta Ballet's "Cinderella" is now playing at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. For tickets and performance dates, call Ticketmaster at 800-982-2787 or visit AtlantaBallet.com for more options.