FAC Dance & Theatre students travel to Charleston to see Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet

FAC Dance & Theatre students travel to Charleston to see Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet FAC Dancers and Theatre students took a field trip to Spoleto USA to see Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet perform in Charleston on Friday, June 1st.

Pointe magazine says that Cedar Lake is “Arguably the edgiest, coolest ballet company in the country.”

Jacqueline Calle one of two Finalists in the 2012 NDEO Artistic Merit, Leadership, and Academic Achievement Award

Jacqueline Calle is one of two Finalists in the 2012 NDEO Artistic Merit, Leadership, and Academic Achievement Award listed Jacqueline Calle as one of the two Finalists. The results included two Winners, two Finalists and seven Honorable Mentions. The information is posted on an NDEO/NHSDA webpage with links to the videos of the students’ choreography. Last year, Samantha Patterson was also a Finalist with previous FAC Dance students Amanda Porter and Lauren Miller also placing nationally as well. This awards program is for Junior and Senior high school aged students who have been inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts. Applicants are evaluated based on three categories each representing 300 points out of a 900 point grading rubric. Candidates for the award must excel in all three categories:  Artistic Merit: The candidate must demonstrate technical and artistic excellence in dance as evidenced by performing original choreography and a choreography essay.  Leadership: The candidate must demonstrate outstanding leadership in and outside the field of dance at the school, community, state, and/or national level as evidenced by a strong resume, recommendation letter and leadership essay.  Academic Achievement: The Nominee must demonstrate academic excellence with a high cumulative grade point average and two essays detailing future plans and the impact of dance.

Photo credit: Paul Mehaffey

Photos of In Memoriam choreographed by Andrew Kuharsky

In Memoriam, choreographed by guest artist Andrew Kuharsky was performed in the Fine Arts Center Dance Concert on April 27th.

Dancers perform in Generation to Generation

On May 4th FAC dancers presented 4 dances, choreographed by 4 student choreographers, which were not in the main Dance Concert on April 27th. The Generation to Generation performance is student created/generated work by FAC students in all of the arts disciplines. The four dance works performed were: Sprezzatura--choreographed by Jacqueline Calle and danced by Elizabeth Byouk, Mireille Fehler, Lael King; The Quiet Piece--choreographed and danced by Kayla Sameski; Idolizing Individuals—choreographed by Lauren Pittman and danced by Elizabeth Byouk, Jacqueline Calle, Mireille Fehler, Samantha Patterson, Hannah Winton; and Remnants—choreographed by Samantha Patterson and danced by Elizabeth Byouk, Mireille Fehler, Lael King, Coryn Owens, Lauren Pittman, Kayla Sameski, Kaitlyn Schultz, and Hannah Winton. The photos are of rehearsals in the black box theatre for the Generation to Generation performance.

NHSDA Final Induction Ceremony on May 16th

The final Induction Ceremony for NHSDA (National Honor Society for Dance Arts )was held on May 16th for new members: Caitlin Drummond, Kara Nightingale, Kayla Sameski and Georgia Seay. Students must earn 30 points to be eligible for membership and then may qualify for the next level by earning 10 more points up to the fifth level. Jacqueline Calle received fourth level, Mattison Williams second level, Briana Hunter first level and Kaitlyn Schultz first level. Pictured: 2nd row: Lauren Pittman (Treasurer), Rhiannon Laymon (Secretary), Caitlin Drummond, Georgia Seay, Kayla Sameski and Kara Nightingale. Front row: Coryn Owens (Vice-President), Jacqueline Calle and Mattison Williams.

New members inducted into the FAC Chapter of the NHSDA

Dancers Briana Hunter, Kendall Roberson, Kaitlyn Schultz and Carley Tomlinson were inducted into the Fine Arts Center chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts on April 27th.

Rehearsals on stage for FAC Dance Concert on April 27th

Photos are of rehearsals with dress rehearsal tonight-April 26th, and our Fine Arts Center Concert on Friday, April 27th in the Wade Hampton High School theatre. Curtain is at 7:00 pm. Choreography will be performed by guest choreographers who have set works or restaged dances on the FAC dancers. The theatre tech crew, under the direction of Dirk Holleman, have transformed the stage into a space for dance bringing the portable floor, lighting and sound equipment from the Fine Arts Center.

The Fine Arts Center Dance Concert will be performed April 27th at 7:00 pm in the theatre at Wade Hampton High School, the building adjacent to the Fine Arts Center. The repertory will include choreography by Brian McGinnis (Julliard graduate and professional dancer with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company based in NYC), Gerri Houlihan (Professor of Dance at Florida State University and Co-Dean of the American Dance Festival at Duke University), Joan Wadopian (professional dancer with Shen Wei Dance Arts based in NYC), Andrew Kuharsky (Director of the Greenville Ballet) and Rebecca Lee (MFA from Florida State University and alumna from the Fine Arts Center).

Sara Procopio was a guest artist at the Fine Arts Center from March 5-8. Her biography is below:
Sara Procopio is a Brooklyn based dance artist, teacher and arts administrator. She is a founding and current member of Shen Wei Dance Arts, as well as the company's Artistic Associate.
Sara began her dance training at the Center of Ballet & Dance Arts in Syracuse, NY, and studied extensively at the American Dance Festival, and at Hollins University where she earned both her undergraduate and master's degrees.
Since moving to New York in 2001, Sara has performed with Shen Wei Dance Arts at some of the most renowned festivals and venues in the world. In addition to repeated engagements at the American Dance Festival, Lincoln Center Festival, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Venice Biennale, Spoleto Festival and Jacob's Pillow, she has appeared with Shen Wei Dance Arts at the Dorothy Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in the Los Angeles Music Center; Zellerbach Hall/CalPerformances, Berkeley, CA; Sadler's Wells and the Barbican in London; the Israel Festival/Jerusalem; the Het Muziektheater/Amsterdam; the Sydney Festival; the Esplanade/Singapore; Movimentos Festival/Germany; Montpellier Festival/France; Melbourne International Arts Festival/Australia; the Hong Kong New Vision Festival; Palacio de Bellas Artes/Mexico City; and most recently on television in China via the Hunan Broadcasting System.
Sara teaches classes and workshops regularly throughout the U.S. and abroad as an independent teaching artist, and also for Shen Wei Dance Arts. Recent U.S. teaching engagements include Hollins University, Peridance Capezio Center, American Dance Festival, Marymount Manhattan College, The University of the Arts, P.S. 5, Park Avenue Armory, Dance New Amsterdam, and in Italy at the Paolo Grassi School of Milan.

Sara Procopio was visiting dance artist teaching master classes at the Fine Arts Center for four days in March. Ms. Procopio is currently a visiting artist at University of the Arts in Philadelphia and will be teaching at the internationally renowned American Dance Festival this coming summer in Durham, NC, which is held at Duke University.