Friday, September 20, 2013

FAC Dancer’s Summer 2013 DANCE INTENSIVES & EXPERIENCES



Dancers took advantage of many diverse opportunities to train this summer.  

Junior, Lauren Hurley attended the prestigious ABT (American Ballet Theater) Summer Intensive in New York City for 5 weeks.  She stayed an extra week to see two performances: ABT’s Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty at the Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center.

Lauren Hurley and her mother at Lincoln Center

Kaitlyn Schultz, a senior, attended the Florida State University’s School of Dance Summer Dance Intensive for two weeks and studied with Tim Glenn, who was our guest choreographer last year.  Mr. Glenn will be a guest artist teaching two days of master classes this October.


Kaitlyn Schultz and Tim Glenn at FSU
Carley Tomlinson, a senior, attended the USC-Summer Dance Conservatory in Columbia, SC July 7-July 26.

Kathy Gale, a senior, attended Oklahoma City University’s summer musical theatre program for ten days and Sydney Parker, a junior, attended the NYC Joffrey Jazz and Contemporary Summer Intensive for one week.

Freshmen dancers attended summer dance intensives

Peyton Lemen, a freshman, attended the Houston Ballet's Summer Intensive program for 6 weeks studying with Lauren Anderson, Barbara Bears, Claudio Munoz among others.  She danced six days a week focusing on ballet technique, learning classical variations and repertory, and taking supplementary classes such as modern, jazz, character dance, and musical theater.

Peyton Lemen
Kiersten Rist, a freshman, attended the 5 week advanced ballet intensive at the Atlanta Ballet Summer Intensive in Atlanta, which had daily classes in ballet, pointe and modern technique as well as musical theatre and hip hop.

Kiersten Rist at Atlanta Ballet Summer Intensive
Freshmen dancers Lucy Quattlebaum and Ellen Kilby, attended the ABT (American Ballet Theater) Summer Intensive in Winston-Salem at UNCSA (University of North Carolina School of the Arts) for four weeks.

Johanna Butow and Lucy Quattlebaum
Samuel Painter, a freshman, participated in Carolina Ballet Theatre’s Summerworks for 3 weeks in Greenville.

Samuel Painter at CBT Summerworks

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Fine Arts Center Dance Ensemble Graduating Seniors 2013

Elizabeth Byouk was accepted into Coastal Carolina University, Winthrop University, and the College of Charleston.  Elizabeth performed in musical theatre productions in Greenville and Spartanburg performing in such roles as Penny in Hairspray and Hunyak in Chicago.  She recently choreographed the musical A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Farce at Greer Children’s Theatre. She attended the FAC for three years and plans on pursuing musical theatre in college.   She is currently attending Winthrop University.


Jacqueline Calle was accepted into Florida State University and the State University of New York (SUNY at Purchase).  She was also accepted into North Carolina Dance Theater's 5- week summer intensive with a scholarship and was offered a position as a Trainee with the North Carolina Dance Theater for the upcoming 2013-2014 year. Jacqueline attended the FAC for four years and was the Vice President of the FAC Chapter of the NHSDA.  During her junior year she was selected an NDEO (National Dance Education Organization) National Finalist (one of the top five in the nation) and a Junior Marshall for the FAC graduating class of 2012. She was also an American Dance Festival (ADF) Scholarship Recipient for 2012, a 6-week summer program at Duke University. While at ADF she was offered a professional company position with the Charlottesville Ballet in Virginia. She also danced with Carolina Ballet Theatre (CBT) and performed in many of their productions.

Jacqueline received the Sheffield Wood Scholarship, which is the highest honor presented to a Fine Arts Center graduating senior.  She is currently attending the State University of New York at Purchase in their Dance Conservatory program.




Rhiannon Laymon was accepted into the dance programs at California Institute for the Arts, University of the Arts, Florida State University, and the University of South Carolina.  Rhiannon attended the FAC for four years and was the President of NHSDA. She attended the summer dance intensive at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia last summer.  Rhiannon models professionally and has signed with Monarch Talent Agency in Charlotte, NC for acting and modeling and has appeared in advertisements for Hammrick’s and Universal and Premier Yarn.  She also danced with Dancer’s Corner after school and was very active in student government at Eastside High School.
She is currently attending the University of the Arts in Philadelphia as a dance major.

photo by Ashley Amber

Nikki Morath was accepted into the college dance programs at Florida State University and Point Park University and last summer attended the one-week Joffrey Ballet School’s Jazz and Contemporary summer intensive in New York City.  She completed two years at the FAC, actively performing with the Fine Arts Center Dance Ensemble. Nikki also placed as regional winner in the PTA Reflections contest in Choreography.  She danced with Dancer’s Corner after school and was active in the Beta Club and National Honor Society at Riverside High School.
She is currently attending Point Park University as a Dance Major.

photo by Ashley Amber



Kara Nightingale completed her fourth year at the FAC and was accepted into the dance programs at Point Park University and University of South Carolina.  She was a member of the Fine Arts Center Chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts and also the National Honor Society at Wade Hampton High School, her home high school. She danced after school with Dancer’s Corner and has choreographed for local dance studios.  She is currently attending the College of Charleston.


Mattison Williams completed three years at the Fine Arts Center and was Valedictorian at Greer Middle College High School.  She was accepted into the Nursing Program at Clemson University, where she is currently studying.  Mattison volunteered extensively with the ARMES Dance Program and for the past two years she designed the lighting and ran the ARMES Dance Concerts.  She hopes to be involved in theatre productions at Clemson University using some of her training in dance/choreography and the theatre technical skills she learned studying with Dirk Holleman.  She was a member of the Fine Arts Center Chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts and also the National Honor Society and Beta Club at her home high school.

Hannah Winton was accepted into the dance programs at Florida State University, Point Park University, and University of Georgia.  She was Valedictorian at Greenville Technical Charter High School.  Last summer she attended the Joffrey Ballet School’s Jazz and Contemporary two-week summer intensive in Miami.  She was Treasurer of the Fine Arts Center Chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts and was also a member of the National Honor Society and Beta Club at her home high school.  Hannah completed four years at the FAC and she also studied dance at Dancer’s Corner.


She is currently attending USC in Columbia and planning a career in chemical engineering.