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.

The dancers held a car wash on September 10th to raise funds for the annual dues for NHSDA (National Honor Society for Dance Arts) year. Dancers receive recognition on their college application and are eligible for nomination, by the Chapter Sponsor, to receive the NDEO Artistic Merit, Leadership, and Academic Achievement Award. We have had 3 dancers place at the national level for this award! NHSDA is the dancer’s honor society and a good way for dancers to receive recognition for their hard work in dance. We want to thank Mr. Bill Tyler and Chick-Fil-A in Greer for hosting the event.

Photography Instructor, Rod Fincannon, took photos of the dancers creating with their bodies numerals 0-9 to be used as the numbers for the month of January in the calendar that another faculty member, Jim Campbell, is designing. The calendar will also include photos from other departments from the Fine Arts Center and will be for sale later in the year.

Dancers are: Jacqueline Calle, Lael King, Coryn Owens, Maren Trofatter, Mattison Williams

Jacqueline Calle (Dance) attended the Lar Lubovitch Dance Workshop at Skidmore College for pre-professional and professional dancers in Saratoga Springs, New York this summer. The workshop was led by Lar Lubovitch and his ten-member dance company, which includes Brian McGinnis and Kate Skarpetowska who have been dance guest artists at the Fine Arts Center.

In repertory she learned Smoke Rings, which was a solo originally choreographed for Mikhail Baryshnikov, an excerpt from Legends of Ten, which is Lar Lubovitch’s newest work on the company, Cryptoglyph with music by Meredith Monk and two older works Marimba and Pardon My Affection and the duet Concerto 622.

Jacqueline saw the Lubovitch company perform Legend Of Ten, North Star and Coltrane's Favorite Things among others in lecture demonstrations. The Lar Lubovitch Dance Company also performed a full dance concert at SPAC (Saratoga Performing Arts Center). She also had the opportunity to see the New York City Ballet perform Balanchine's Apollo as well as Justin Peck's world premier of The Enormous Room at SPAC as well.

Photos: Jacqueline Calle, Brian McGinnis and Lar Lubovitch; Class during the Lubovitch Summer Intensive.

Mireille Fehler (Dance) attended the five-week Atlanta Ballet Summer Intensive this summer. The program was led by John McFall (artistic director) and Sharon Story (Centre's Dean). Mireille was also accepted into the American Ballet Theater’s (ABT) Summer Intensive in Alabama, but chose to attend the Atlanta Ballet program.

Photo of Mireille Fehler in partnering class during Atlanta Ballet's Summer Intensive

The FAC dancers Caroline Hafer, Kara Nichols, Anna Noble, Samantha Patterson, Kaitlyn Schultz and Hannah Winton and theatre tech student Andrew Mulkey took a field trip to Spoleto to see the Corella Ballet at the end of May. Jan Woodward and Dirk Holleman organized the trip, which also included a brief visit to the beach.

Samantha Patterson, a junior in Dance III, was a state winner in SC for the prestigious National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) Artistic Merit, Leadership, and Academic Achievement Award and earned high enough marks to be considered at the national level.

Samantha placed as a Finalist at the national level, which means that she is one of the top five in the nation to receive the award, one of the highest dance honors program in the US. Her solo, titled “Crutch” is on their website. For more information and to view her solo go to: www.ndeo.org

Gerri Houlihan, Professor of Dance at Florida State University and Interim Dean at the American Dance Festival, restaged her dance “Mercy” on the dancers in October. The dance was performed throughout the year and closed the concert on May 6th. The uplifting and fun dance is choreographed to music by Roy Orbison.

Joan Wadopian (dancer with Shen Wei Dance Arts) choreographed “Spatial 9” to music composed and performed by Free Planet Radio. The choreographic work was a collaboration between the choreographer and the dancers. The music was a little more challenging using counts in 4, 9 and 12. A grant from the Metropolitan Arts Council helped pay for the two-week residency to set the new work. We were fortunate that she was able to join us in the audience and on the stage for the May 6th concert.

Gerri Houlihan restaged her dance Mercy. Hebrides was choreographed for the dancers last year by Brian McGinnis and was performed again, but this time on a proscenium stage. Rebecca Lee choreographed Poppets and was invited onto the stage for bows.

Student pieces of choreography

FAC Dancers performed works by Rebecca Lee and Brian McGinnis in the FAC Dance Concert.