Andrew Kuharsky created a new ballet on dancers in the morning class early in October set to music by Ludwig van Beethoven. Mr. Kuharsky is a graduate of Canada’s National Ballet School and was an apprentice with the Joffrey Ballet in New York, a principal dancer with The Atlanta Ballet, and a soloist with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in Montreal. He has performed across Canada, the U.S., and in France, Italy, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia.

FAC Dance Alumni teach classes at Greenville Dance Festival!

Fine Arts Center graduates taught classes as guest artists/teachers at the Greenville Dance Festival on October 6th. The event for dancers in the Upstate was held at the Fine Arts Center and Wade Hampton High School. Peter Base, is a graduate of the Fine Arts Center who currently dances as a professional dancer with CBT-Carolina Ballet Theatre (his third season) and danced with the Brevard Ballet, taught a ballet class for boys. Mr. Base trained with the Greenville Ballet and the Fine Arts Center.

Rebecca Lee, is a graduate of the Fine Arts Center who is currently the Director of Dance in the ARMES Dance Program, the after school dance program held at the Fine Arts Center, received her M.F.A. from Florida State University. She has been a company member with Dance Repertory Theatre in Tallahassee, FL, the Power Company in Columbia, SC, a guest artist with Wildwood Ballet, and is currently dancing with the Greenville Ballet.

April Schaeffer is a graduate of the Fine Arts Center and was a member of the Southeast Theatre Dance Company. April has been a teacher for the South Carolina Children’s Theatre since 2006. Since 1998, she has been a principal dancer for the Greenville Little Theatre and has has performed with Centre Stage and the Warehouse Theatre. Her choreography credits include Greenville Little Theatre’s Carousel, Warehouse Theatre’s Screwtape, Cabaret and Rocky Horror Picture Show, Spartanburg Little Theatre’s Peter Pan, Sue Cleveland Player’s The Wizard of Oz, Greer Children’s Theatre’s Scrooge and Honk, South Carolina Children’s Theatre Mulan and Billy, Goat, Gruff. She will also be choreographing the upcoming production of Chicago for the Spartanburg Little Theatre.

Greenville Dance Festival Hosted by FAC

The Fine Arts Center hosted the Greenville Dance Festival, an event that the dance teachers in Greenville County Schools organize for our dance students as well as for dancers in the Upstate. This was our 6th such dance festival, which has proven to be an exciting event for the dancers in the Upstate. There were four sessions of classes with 6 classes in each session being offered. There was also an informal performance at 4:00 in the theatre at Wade Hampton High School, which featured African Dance, Classical Indian Dance and three modern dance companies: The Wanda Project from Charlotte, Annex Dance Company from Charleston and Sapphire Moon Dance Company from Columbia. Guest teachers who taught at the Greenville Dance Festival: Joan Wadopina (Shen Wei Dance Arts), Peter Base from Carolina Ballet Theatre, Janice Batson from Greenville Yoga, Anna Jordan Bax (BFA from NYU), Sivakami Bhavnandnan taught Classical Indian Dance, Brian Carr taught Scottish Dance, Wanda Ebright from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, Melanie Elrod taught hip-hop, Valerie Ifill from Winthrop and Johnson C. Smith University, Toshiko Joerger taught Traditional Japanese Dance, Kristin Kieseler from College of Charleston, Rebecca Lee (MFA from FSU), Krishna Owens taught African Dance, April Schaeffer from Greenville Jazz all of whom are respected dancers and teachers.

Joan Wadopian is Guest Artist at FAC

Joan Wadopian was guest artist at the Fine Arts Center teaching master classes on October 4th and 5th. She was also the special guest artist with the Greenville Dance Festival October 6th. Ms. Wadopian is a graduate from SUNY-Purchase Dance Conservatory and dancer with world renowned Shen Wei Dance Arts for six years. She also performed with Kevin Wynn Collection and as a guest artist with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Pictured is Joan Wadopian and the morning dancers.