The FAC students visit Annie Fox’s dorm room and ask her questions about being a dance major at FSU and what college life is really like. Blake Ulmer, an FAC graduate (2011) and current FSU dance major, helped set up the dorm visit and talked with the FAC dancers, as well. Annie, who comes from Philadelphia, is a freshman majoring in dance.

Following the tour of the Dance Department, Larry Gerber, Professor of Voice and Coordinator of the Voice Program in the College of Music, gave a tour of the Music building and facilities along with graduate student Heather Stuyverson. Larry Gerber was the first voice teacher at the Fine Arts Center and was Karen Parks’ first voice teacher. Karen Parks is the current voice instructor at the Fine Arts Center.

The PM dancers traveled to Tallahassee, Florida to visit the Florida State University's Dance Department and to attend two evening concerts. Joyce Fausone, the Dance Department’s Coordinator of Special Events and Community Relations, arranged a tour of the Dance Department and scheduled the dancers to observe a contemporary class taught by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and the centre of a ballet class with Rick McCullough. Patty Phillips, the co-chair of the department spoke to the dancers about the curriculum and Joyce Fausone about special programs, such as the FSU in NYC, Dance in Paris and the Summer Program in Valencia, Spain. For more information about the FSU Dance Department visit www.dance.fsu.edu. Dirk Holleman, FAC Theatre Tech teacher, chaperone and driver, was instrumental on the field trip managing the bus and navigating Tallahassee and the FSU campus. Dirk is an FSU (and FAC) alum.

The group photos are in front of the Westcott Building at the main entrance into the campus. Pictured are: Dirk Holleman, Maren Trofatter, Lauren Pittman, Rhiannon Laymon, Beth (Elizabeth) Byouk, Jacki (Jacqueline) Calle, Kara Nightingale, Hannah Winton, Samantha Patterson, Nikki Morath, Coryn Owens, Jan Woodward, Charlotte Brown, Tiffany Bunch (theatre student).

New members Jacqueline Calle, Mireille Fehler, Mattison Williams and Hannah Winton were inducted into the FAC chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA). Current members have their photo taken in the dance studio.

Pictured in the back row: Mireille Fehler, Jacqueline Calle, Charlotte Brown, Coryn Owens, Lauren Pittman, Samantha Patterson, Hannah Winton, Maren Trofatter. Front row: Mattison Williams, Rhiannon Laymon, Lael King.

Wanda Ebright from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, NC taught a modern dance master class to both classes on October 25th. Ms. Ebright is the chair of a new interdisciplinary department that includes the Visual and Performing Arts. She spent some time speaking with the dancers about the new program and about the university at the end of the classes.

Rebecca Lee, a FAC Dance Alumna, was a guest artist at the Fine Arts Center October 17-21. She set a new piece of choreography on the AM dancers during her week residency. Rebecca received her M.F.A. in Dance from Florida State University and currently teaches ballet to the A.R.M.E.S. dancers (the after school dance program for elementary and middle school students held at the Fine Arts Center). This is her second choreography residency at the Fine Arts Center.

Marcy Jo Yonkey-Clayton taught a master class in dance improvisation focusing on the use of weight to the PM dancers on October 20th. Following the class Ms. Yonkey-Clayton spoke about the Dance Program at Columbia College, where she is a Visiting Professor of Dance in Columbia, SC. She received her M.F.A. in Dance from Texas Women’s University and her B.A. in Dance and Philosophy from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. She also is a member of The Power Company, the professional modern dance company based at Columbia College. Lauren Miller, a graduate in Dance from the Fine Arts Center, is currently a junior in the Dance Program at Columbia College and assisted Ms. Yonkey-Clayton.

Brian McGinnis returned to the FAC for a two-week choreography residency from September 12-23 when he set a piece of choreography on the AM dancers titled Tranceaccordian and the PM dancers titled Mi Corazon Esta en Fuego. Mi Corazon Esta Fuego uses cubes as props for the dancers to sit on, but never really stand on. Both classes showed the pieces to the FAC students and faculty on Mr. McGinnis’ last day. Both dances will be performed in the final Fine Arts Center Dance Concert on April 27th. Brian McGinnis is in rehearsal with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company for their next performance in New York City in November.

Fine Arts Center Dancers share classes with Tanglewood Middle School students
The Fine Arts Center Dancers took a field trip to Tanglewood Middle School and shared classes with 7th and 8th grade students, which Jan Woodward, the Fine Arts Center dance instructor taught. The Tanglewood Middle School students take dance from Jeanne Castor, who graduated from the Fine Arts Center when she was in high school.

Brian McGinnis was guest artist-in-residence at the Fine Arts Center for two weeks setting two pieces of choreography on the student dancers. Mr. McGinnis graduated from The Juilliard School with a B.F.A. in dance, and has danced with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Elisa Monte Dance, David Parsons Dance Company, and currently with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company based in New York City.

While he was in residence, the film students collaborated on a documentary film that will be shown on the Arts Schools Network website, sponsored by Santa Fe University of Art and Design. The Fine Arts Center film crew pictured in the photo are Stephen Simmons, Sofia Yankelevitch and Weston Catron along with Brian McGinnis and Fine Arts Center Director, Dr. Roy Fluhrer.