Peyton Lemen attends Boston Ballet Summer Program

Peyton Lemen

Peyton Lemen attended the Boston Ballet's Summer Dance Program for five weeks where she took two ballet technique classes and one pointe class daily along with classes in modern, partnering, character and Pilates. Her classes were taught by

members of the Boston Ballet and their faculty. She also enjoyed traveling to Saratoga Springs, New York to see the New York City Ballet perform. 

FAC Dancer attends Lar Lubovitch Summer Dance Intensive

Kiersten Rist with Lar Lubovitch
Lar Lubovitch Summer Dance Intensive

Kiersten Rist attended the Lar Lubovitch Summer Intensive at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York in June. Kate Skarpetowska, who was our guest artist in January, taught repertory and classes.

Kiersten Rist (center) with Kate Skarpetowska (right)

Rachel Spitzmiller Receives National Dance Award

Rachel Spitzmiller-NDEO National Award Recipient

Rachel Spitzmiller, Fine Arts Center Dancer, has earned the 2015 National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) Artistic Merit, Leadership, and Academic Achievement Award from the NDEO. The awardees were selected by the National Honor Society for Dance Arts adjudication committee.

Junior and senior high school students who have been inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts are eligible for this award, one of the highest dance honors program in the nation. Nominees are evaluated based on nine criteria, including artistic merit, leadership, and academic achievement. Rachel also submitted a video of her performing her own work of choreography.

Photo credit: Brooke Schneider, FAC Visual Art Student

National Honor Society for Dance Arts Induction

Members of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts

Jack Beaule, Rachel Bierly, Olivia Hopkins, Lauren Hurley, Ellen Kilby, Peyton Lemen, Samuel Painter, Sydney Parker, Ashley Pavia, Nicole Pavia, Lucy Quattlebaum, Kiersten Rist, Rachel Spitzmiller, Callie Thackston and Leah Wade

Rachel Spitzmiller was the National Winner in the 2015 NDEO Artistic Merit, Leadership, and Academic Achievement Award, the highest national award given to high school dancers by the National Dance Education Organization!

Sydney Parker was one of two National Finalists in the 2014 NDEO Artistic Merit, Leadership, and Academic Achievement Award, the highest national award given to high school dancers by the National Dance Education Organization! 

Rick McCullough Ballet Guest Artist

Rick McCullough, Associate Professor of Dance at Florida State University, taught two ballet master classes for the PM Dancers in March. Rick McCullough danced in the original North Carolina Dance Theater, the Harkness Ballet of New York, and for nine years with Netherlands Dance Theater. He was Ballet Master for Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and has choreographed works for North Carolina Dance Theater, Washington Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet Pacifica, Boston Ballet, and School of American Ballet. Recipient of five NEA choreographer’s fellowships, he also directs the North Carolina School of the Arts summer dance concert series on Roanoke Island.

Rick McCullough and Dr. Roy Fluhrer

Guest Artist Rick McCullough and FAC Dancers

Katarzyna (Kate) Skarpetowska Dance Guest Artist

Katarzyna (Kate) Skarpetowska

Kate ( Katarzyna)Skarpetowska spent seven days as artist-in-residence at the Fine Arts Center setting an excerpt of her work Love is for the Poets on the afternoon dancers and teaching master classes to the morning dancers. She graduated in Dance from the Julliard School before joining the Parsons Dance Company. She has also performed with Battleworks Dance Company founded by Robert Battle and with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company since 2007 and has continued to work as a repetiteur and assistant to Lar Lubovitch.

Her piece Love is for the Poets was commissioned by Marymount Manhattan and she has choreographed for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater II, Richmond Ballet, Parsons Dance, Lar Lubovitch, Buglisi Dance Theater, Hubbard Street 2 and Houston Metropolitan Dance Company among others.

Rehearsal for Love is For the Poets (excerpt)

Kate Skarpetowska rehearsing FAC Dancers

In 2009 Kate co-designed and co-directed with Brian McGinnis Romeo and Juliet-a death marked love  commissioned by the Peace Center in Greenville, SC. Brian McGinnis set two works of choreography on the FAC Dancers in October, 2014.

Kate Skarpetowska and Brian McGinnis in Romeo and Juliet in 2009

Tyler Gilstrap sets two pieces of choreography on FAC Dancers

Tyler Gilstrap with dancers

Tyler Gilstrap set two pieces of choreography on the dancers in October, two weeks after Brian McGinnis was in residence.

Her first piece, “We Declare” has choreographic roots from The Feast Conference held at Pioneer Works for which she was the choreographer. Ms Gilstrap’s, “We Declare” and “Ascent” will be performed in the annual dance concert April 23 and 24 in the Wade Hampton High School Theatre.

Rehearsal during Dance Residency with Tyler Gilstrap

Olivia and Rachel help Tyler Gilstrap in the master class with the ARMES dancers.

Olivia, Tyler and Rachel 

Olivia and Rachel demonstrating in ARMES master class

The Fine Arts Center choreographic project with Tyler Gilstrap was funded in part by a grant from the Metropolitan Arts Council, which receives funding from the City of Greenville, BMW Manufacturing Company, LLC, Michelin North America, Inc., and the South Carolina Arts Commission with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of the Coastal Community Foundation of SC.

Brian McGinnis Guest Artist/Choreographer in October!

Brian McGinnis set two new pieces of choreography on the FAC Dancers in early October as well as teaching master classes as part of the Pre-Greenville Dance Festival. He was also the special guest artist for the biennial Greenville Dance Festival.

The new works by Brian McGinnis, “The Story Behind Your Eyes” and “Blush” will be performed in the annual dance concert April 23 and 24 in the Wade Hampton High School Theatre. 

Peyton and Sam in rehearsal 

PM Dancers in rehearsal

Brian with dancers before informal showing

Brian with dancers

Brian with PM dancers

Master Class and performance of Paul Taylor Dance Company

The FAC Dancers had a master class with George Smallwood, a member of the Paul Taylor Dance Company on September 17^th.  Mr. Smallwood also performed with David Parsons, Lar Lubovitch and was a founding member of Battleworks.

On September 18^th FAC Dance, Theatre and Music students took a field trip to see the Paul Taylor Dance Company perform at the Brooks Performing Arts Center in Clemson.

George Smallwood

FAC Students at Brooks Performing Arts Center for performance by the Paul Taylor Dance Company

George Smallwood talks with students after the performance

George Smallwood teaching Master Class at FAC

Students attend Summer Dance Intensives

     Lauren Hurley attended the American Ballet Theatre’s five week summer program in New York City where she was also able to see ABT perform in the Metropolitan Opera House in Swan Lake, Giselle and Coppélia.

     Kiersten Rist attended the Boston Ballet for five weeks this summer taking classes from members of the Boston Ballet as well as a former dancer with Twyla Tharp. She traveled to Saratoga Springs to see the New York City Ballet perform.

     Sam Painter attended Charlotte Ballet’s (formerly North Carolina Dance Theater) five week summer intensive. He studied the styles of Balanchine and Dwight Rhoden.  Patricia McBride is this year’s recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors.

     Ellen Kilby and Lucy Quattlebaum studied at The Rock School of Education for three weeks in Philadelphia focusing primarily on classical ballet and pointe. 

     Olivia Hopkins attended the summer dance intensive at George Mason University for two weeks studying classical ballet and the modern techniques of José Limón and Paul Taylor.

     Sydney Parker, Lucy Ranson, Rachel Spitzmiller and Leah Wade participated in Dance Sessions in Massachusetts for one week studying contemporary, modern and improvisation. 

Lauren Hurley with Jared Matthews of ABT

Lauren Hurley (number 232) in photo on Facebook

Kiersten Rist in Boston

Sam Painter in front of Charlotte Ballet Studio

Ellen Kilby at The Rock School 

Lucy Quattlebaum at The Rock School