DANCE REPERTORY THEATRE PRESENTS
NOVEMBER 6-11, 2018 | B. IDEN PAYNE THEATRE
ARTISTIC DIRECTORS Charles O. Anderson | Dorothy O’Shea Overbey | Gesel Mason
NOVEMBER 6–10 AT 7:30 P.M. NOVEMBER 10–11 AT 2:00 P.M.
B. IDEN PAYNE THEATRE F. LOREN WINSHIP BUILDING
THEATREDANCE.UTEXAS.EDU
DANCE
CHOREOGRAPHER
shoulders Simon says _______ Invention in Three Parts Proving Ground Student Bodies Delta X The History of 6 Points
Jeremy Arnold and Millie Heckler Andie Duong and Abby Loper Dorothy O’Shea Overbey Gregory Dolbashian Gesel Mason Addison Norman Sidra Bell
Stage Manager: Yessmeen Moharram Technical Director: David Tolin
Dance DECODED There will be a post-performance discussion with members of the Fall For Dance team immediately following the performances on November 7 and November 9 in the B. Iden Payne Theatre.
COVER PHOTO: LAWRENCE PEART
There will be one 10-minute intermission. Videography and photography is strictly prohibited.
NOTE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTORS While the works that comprise this year’s Fall For Dance are wide-ranging their thematic inspirations and aesthetic approaches, there is a unifying thread: introductions. This fall, under the artistic direction of Charles O. Anderson, Dorothy O’Shea Overbey and Gesel Mason, Dance Repertory Theatre (DRT) introduces the Austin dance community to our program’s newest faculty member, Gesel Mason. It introduces us to the first cohort of the re-imagined M.F.A. in Dance—Jeremy Arnold and Millie Heckler. Faculty member Dorothy O’Shea Overbey introduces us to new film technologies for dance in collaboration with members of the Department of Radio–Television–Film (Moody College of Communications). It introduces us to the emerging choreographic voices of seniors B.F.A. in Dance majors Andie Duong and Abby Loper and third-year B.F.A. in Dance major Addison Norman. It introduces us to the newest members of DRT. It introduces us to the current New York City dance scene through the works of new guest artist Gregory Dolbashian and returning guest artist Sidra Bell. Most importantly, it introduces us to the values that inform the dance program at The University of Texas at Austin: diversity, leadership, community and social justice. As a dance program, our focus is always on embodiment, exploring dance as an embodied way of being in the world.
The Department of Theatre and Dance is a world-class educational environment that serves as the ultimate creative incubator for the next generation of artists, thinkers and leaders in theatre and performance.
SHOULDERS Choreography: Jeremy Arnold and Millie Heckler Music: On & On by Jamal Cantero and Erykah Badu, performed by Erykah Badu Costume Designer: Ariana Sonsino Lighting Designer: Kendra S. Wiley Projection, Sound and Interactive Media Designer: Alex J. Gendal Cast: Jeremy Arnold and Millie Heckler From the Choreographers: shoulders is a sonic and kinesthetic exploration of the profound influence that African-American vernacular dance has had on us. It is a journey at the intersections of appreciation, celebration and appropriation of those forms, and the journey we are both on as the first cohort of the re-imagined M.F.A. in Dance. Whose shoulders are you standing on?
SIMON SAYS ______ Choreography: Andie Duong and Abby Loper Music: My Girl by Ronald White and William Smokey Robinson, performed by The Temptations Costume Designer: Austin Alvarez Lighting Designer: Kendra S. Wiley Production Assistant: Ashleigh Friday Cast:Raquel Baron, Ivana Castaneda, Haley Fuller, Kaitlyn Jones, Mackenzie Lawrence, Tori Loper, Morgan Mikes, Avery Moore, Becky Nam, Jesus Quezada, Mario Alberto Ramirez, Kayla White, Claire Wood From the Choreographers: People are composed of many layers that interact uniquely with the world and no person should be confined to one way of existing. We are individualistic in all aspects of our identity, yet we feel a need to fit into society. We consciously, and subconsciously, make decisions to live within the mold of what we are taught is right. Each action and choice we make aligns with or disrupts conformity. To navigate life, one must find the balance of self within the conventions of our culture.
INVENTION IN THREE PARTS Choreography: Dorothy O’Shea Overbey in collaboration with the dancers Music: Neon Heaven by Nathan Felix Costume Designer: Desireé Humphries Lighting Designer: Kendra S. Wiley Filmmaker: Deepak Chetty Production Assistants: Kayla Eisenberg, Sarah Jack and Ginnifer Joe Rehearsal Assistant: Victoria Antoinette Murillo Cast: Katherine Cornell, David Cruz, Greyland Goff, Atticus Griffin, Ginnifer Joe, Avery Moore, Victoria Antoinette Murillo, Becky Nam, Kyla Patton From the Choreographer: A collaborative effort with Deepak Chetty and the Department of Radio–Television–Film at The University of Texas at Austin, this dance/film work will be shown in three parts. The choreography was filmed in RTF’s Motion Capture Studio and animated by students and faculty to create two distinct films, like variations on the theme. The live dance is presented first, followed by the films created from the dancers’ movements. This work was created with the generous support of the UT3D program. Exposition - Katherine Cornell, David Cruz, Greyland Goff, Atticus Griffin, Ginnifer Joe, Avery Moore, Victoria Antoinette Murillo, Becky Nam, Kyla Patton Development 1 - Students of Radio–Television–Film Development 2 - Deepak Chetty and Dorothy O’Shea Overbey
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PROVING GROUND Choreography: Gregory Dolbashian in collaboration with the dancers Music: “Falling Water” by Gregory Dolbashian Costume Designer: Hsiao-Wei Chen Lighting Designer: : Kendra S. Wiley Production Assistant: Myrah Porter Rehearsal Assistant: Mackenzie Lawrence Cast: Ivana Castaneda, Greyland Goff, Atticus Griffin, Christian Leal, Abby Loper, Tori Loper, Madelyn Manlove, Avery Moore, Becky Nam, Addison Norman, Khorii Tinson, Kayla White From the Choreographer: One’s enrichment and strength can grow exponentially when one allows for the vulnerability of connection. Every being that we encounter throughout our lives contributes to the overall make-up of who we are, if we are listening to it. The thread of our life is woven within what we open ourselves to. It is so important to meet the world with hope and availability in order to tangibly and emotionally connect to it. To embrace that fear, and take that risk, brings us closest to our light.
INTERMISSION
STUDENT BODIES Choreography: Gesel Mason in collaboration with the dancers Assistant Choreographer: Kate Speer Guest Rehearsal Assistant: Bonnie Cox Music: 002 Archiefkwestie by Peter Van Hoesen and Yves De Mey, performed by Sendai Costume Designer: Laura Gonzalez Lighting Designer: Kendra S. Wiley Sound Designer: Jack Stamps Projection Designer: Logan Smith Scenic Design: Gesel Mason Production Assistant: Bridget Caston Rehearsal Assistants: Kelsey Bacic and Kaitlyn Jones Cast: Kelsey Bacic, Andie Duong, Georgina Garza, Sarah Jack, Mykaela Johnson, Kaitlyn Jones, Mackenzie Lawrence, Christian Leal, Abby Loper, Tori Loper, Antonia Neal, Addison Norman, Myrah Porter, Mario Alberto Ramirez, Khorii Tinson From the Choreographer: “We are not afraid of you, we will not be silenced by anything you have to say. We are here, our voices are loud, and we’re not stopping until change happens.” —Tanzil Philip, a sophomore from Stoneman Douglas High School
DELTA X Choreography: Addison Norman Music: Gwely Mernans by Richard D. James, performed by Alarm Will Sound and Aphex Twin Costume Designer: Alex McCoy Lighting Designer: Kendra S. Wiley Production Assistant: Madelyn Manlove Cast: Kelsey Bacic, Georgina Garza, Greyland Goff, Atticus Griffin, Ginnifer Joe, Mykaela Johnson, Myrah Porter, Taylor Schmuelgen, Brooke Shore From the Choreographer: “The world is full of people who left the place where they were born just to stay alive, and then to die in a place where they never expected to live. The world is sown with human beings who did not make it here, wherever that may be, though they might be on their way.” —Aleksandar Hemon, The Displaced
THE HISTORY OF 6 POINTS Choreography: Sidra Bell in collaboration with the dancers Costume Designer: Lindsey Thurston Lighting Designer: Kendra S. Wiley Projection Designer: Logan Smith Production Assistant: Dayna Palmer Rehearsal Assistant: Ginnifer Joe Cast: David Cruz, Haley Fuller, Atticus Griffin, Isaac Iskra, Ginnifer Joe, Avery Moore, Becky Nam, Dayna Palmer, Jesus Quezada, Carolina Sirias, Emily Tolson From the Choreographer: In The History of 6 Points, Bell and the cast work through temporal and emotional zones to describe the space between bodies and ideas. The anatomy of the work is a lattice of visual and physical tissues that allows the performers to network between various states of being.
CREATIVE Austin Alvarez (Costume Designer – Simon says ______) is a second-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in costume design. His design and assistant design credits last season included The Not Knowing, Eurydice and UTNT (UT New Theatre). Charles O. Anderson (Co-Artistic Director) is the head of the dance program at The University of Texas at Austin. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Anderson earned his B.A. in Choreography and Performance with a minor in African Studies from Cornell University and an M.F.A. in Dance from Temple University where he specialized in African Diasporic dance. Professionally, Anderson is the artistic director of the critically-acclaimed Charles O. Anderson Projects (formerly dance theatre X), which he founded in 2003. He has performed in the companies of Ronald K. Brown, Sean Curran, Mark Dendy and Miguel Gutierrez, among others. His work has been presented nationally and internationally and has earned recognition from numerous organizations such as the Pew Fellowship for the Arts, one of “25 to Watch” by Dance Magazine and one of “12 Rising Stars in the Academy” by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine. Jeremy Arnold (Co-Choreographer and Dancer – shoulders) received his B.A. cum laude from Muhlenberg College in 2012. He is a graduate of the tap program at Jacob’s Pillow Dance under the direction of Michelle Dorrance. Arnold is a former member of the nationally touring Shelley Oliver Tap Dancers and Chloe Arnold’s Apt 33. He was a principal dancer with Tapestry Dance Company from 2014 to 2017. He has taught at the Department of Theatre and Dance as an adjunct professor of tap dance since 2015. Arnold has served on the faculty of the Soul 2 Sole Festival, True Sound Rhythm Festival, Revive Dance Convention, Dance Olympus/ Dance America, Dance Masters of America and the Cecchetti Council of America. Third Coast Rhythm Project, Tap Ties and McLennan Community College have all commissioned his work. He is currently pursuing an M.F.A. in Dance at
The University of Texas at Austin. His work and research center around African-American and Jewish intersections on the concert dance stage. Sidra Bell (Choreographer – The History of 6 Points) is rapidly gaining an international profile for work that reveals aspects of the human condition through a distinctly female lens. Her company Sidra Bell Dance New York (SBDNY) has performed extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Canada and South America. It was named “#1 in Contemporary Dance in 2014” by the Pittsburgh Examiner, as one of ArtsATL’s “Notable Dance Performances of 2012” and in the “Top 10 for Best in Dance in 2010” by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Her work combines design, media, and fashion creating a singular vision in contemporary dance. Bell is a sought-after educator and has won several awards. She has received many commissions from institutions internationally and has produced over 100 new works. Her work has been seen throughout the United States and in Sweden, Denmark, France, Austria, Bulgaria, Turkey, Germany, Slovenia, China, Canada, Aruba, Korea, Brazil and Greece. She was the choreographer on the critically acclaimed and internationally showcased film feature movie TEST. SBDNY was awarded a 2015 National Dance Project Award from New England Foundation for the Arts and was one of 25 inaugural companies to receive the Dance Advancement Fund Award from Dance/NYC in 2017. Bridget Caston (Production Assistant – Student Bodies) is a first-year B.F.A. in Dance major and second-year B.B.A. in Marketing major at The University of Texas at Austin. She began her training at local studios in her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas at the age of five. At 10 years old, she planted her roots at Dian Clough West Dance Studio studying under Dian West, Julie Ballew and Joy Atkins. Caston also spent extensive time in summer training under former New York City Ballet principal dancer Jillana in Taos, New Mexico, as well as the American Ballet Theatre summer intensive program. Her recent credits include S.E.E.D. (Dance Action) and Ears, Eyes + Feet.
CREATIVE Hsiao-Wei Chen (Costume Designer – Proving Ground) is an M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate with a focus in costume design at The University of Texas at Austin. After receiving her B.A. in Theatre and Drama from National Taiwan University (NTU), she worked as a designer and assistant designer in theatre, dance and film in Taiwan for three years. Her design credits include Chi, the method of breathing, Mu Mu, Nightmare, A Midsummer Night: Theatre is a Party! and Woyzeck. Deepak Chetty (Filmmaker – Invention in Three Parts) is an award-winning filmmaker, visual artist and educator based out of Austin, Texas. He teaches in the Radio–Television–Film Department at The University of Texas at Austin where his classes in immersive media and motion capture are taken by upper division undergrads and graduate students. He is a partner in Digital Quilt, an emergent media imaging and consulting company, and directs commercial work through Revelator, a full service creative production studio. Gregory Dolbashian (Choreographer – Proving Ground) made his professional stage debut at the age of eight with the Glimmerglass Opera Company. Soon after, he was cast in the Philip Glass/Robert Wilson world tour of Einstein on the Beach. He received his dance training at the Alvin Ailey School on a fellowship scholarship and then graduated cum laude from SUNY Purchase dance conservatory. He has gone on to dance and choreograph with a variety of artists, performing with Patrick Corbin, Nelly van Bommel, and Sylvain Emard. Dolbashian is a recipient of The Bessie Schoenberg Residency at The Yard, winner of The Pretty Creatives Competition for Northwest Dance Project, and of The Hubbard Street 2 International Choreographic Competition. He also placed second in Ballet Austin’s New American Talent competition, and has received commissions from Atlanta Ballet, TU Dance in Minnesota, CityDance Ensemble in D.C. He has created school commissions at SUNY Purchase, University of Minnesota, The Hartt School and the Juilliard School. He debuted his own com-
pany, The DASH Ensemble, in December 2009 at JOYCE SoHo. The company has gone on to present works at the Skirball Center, DTW, The Gershwin Hotel, Riverside Theater, Summer Stage, and The JOYCE Theater. The DASH received the audience award at NYC’s DanceNOW challenge at Joe’s Pub. The company also participated in ABT Principal Daniil Simkin’s INTENSIO, collaborating on a work with Gregory Dolbashian for members of ABT set to premiere at Jacob’s Pillow 2015. In addition to his choreography, Dolbashian, alongside Loni Landon, is the co-founder of The Playground, a choreographic initiative that was voted 25 to Watch in 2013 by Dance Magazine. Andie Duong (Co-Choreographer – Simon says ______, Dancer – Student Bodies) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major pursuing a B.A. in Urban Studies at The University of Texas at Austin. She has worked with choreographers Netta Yerushalmy, Adrienne Hurd, Ananya Chatterjea, Erica Gionfriddo and Andrea Beckham, among others. She recently performed with Dance Repertory Theatre in Momentum, Fall For Dance and Transcendence, as well as multiple projects as part of The Cohen New Works Festival (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017). Kayla Eisenberg (Production Assistant – Invention in Three Parts) is a B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. Originally from El Paso, Texas, she has trained in ballet, contemporary and jazz. She has participated in various summer intensives including American Ballet Theatre (Austin) and Ballet Hawaii. Ashleigh Friday (Production Assistant – Simon says ______) is a fourth-year UTeach Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. Friday was a company member at Lake Houston Performing Arts Center for 14 years and is currently a member of the Texas Dance Team. She recently performed in Erica Gionfriddo’s work, In the Ether (Fall For Dance (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017)). Upon graduating in May 2019, she plans to pursue a career as a dance educator in the public school system.
CREATIVE Alex J. Gendal (Projection, Sound and Interactive Media Designer – shoulders) is a third-year M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate with a focus in integrated media for live performance. He graduated from the Purchase College Conservatory of Theatre Arts with a B.F.A. in Theatre Design/Technology with a lighting design concentration. His design credits include Gondal; Slumber Party; Ears, Eyes + Feet; The Laramie Project; Into The Woods; Not On This Night; Blood Wedding; Theater Decomposed; Marat/Sade; Anon(ymous) and The Not Knowing. Laura Gonzalez (Costume Designer – Student Bodies) is a B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in costume design (Honors) at The University of Texas at Austin. She has designed for over 25 productions in her time at the university for both stage and film. Recent work includes I am Mackenzie; This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing and The Madres. Millie Heckler (Co-Choreographer and Dancer – shoulders) is an M.F.A. in Dance candidate at The University of Texas at Austin. She has worked extensively with hip-hop dance theatre pioneer Rennie Harris and is interested in the use of vocalization within freestyle dance practices. Desireé Humphries (Costume Designer – Invention in Three Parts) is an Austin-based costume designer with a B.F.A. in Theatre Technology and Design from Texas State University. Her recent credits include W;t at Scottish Rite Theater and The Brothers Size at Hyde Park Theatre. Abby Loper (Co-Choreographer – Simon says ______, Dancer – Proving Ground, Student Bodies) is a senior B.F.A. in Dance major from Austin, Texas. She has worked with the choreographers Jenn Freeman, Rennie Harris, Ananya Chatterjea and Jeremy Arnold, among others. Over the summer, she attended the American Dance Festival where she worked with the artists Nia Love, Ray Schwartz and Sara Procopio. She was last seen in Transcendence (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2018) and Ears, Eyes + Feet.
Gesel Mason (Co-Artistic Director, Choreographer – Student Bodies) joined the Department of Theatre and Dance as an Associate Professor of Dance Fall 2018. She is artistic director for Gesel Mason Performance Projects and was a member of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange and Ralph Lemon/ Cross Performance Projects. Mason’s solo project, No Boundaries: Dancing the Visions of Contemporary Black Choreographers, has featured the work of Kyle Abraham, Robert Battle, Rennie Harris, Dianne McIntyre, Donald McKayle, Bebe Miller, David Rousséve, Reggie Wilson, Andrea E. Woods Valdéz and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. Recently featured on NPR, Mason is turning No Boundaries into a digital archive to illuminate the unique legacies and aesthetics of these choreographers. The project uses dance as an entry point to understanding the artistic, historic, and social forces impacting the selected artists as well as their influence on the wider dance field and the greater American socio-political landscape. Mason’s choreographic work has been commissioned by the American Dance Festival, John F. Kennedy Center, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center and numerous colleges and universities. geselmason.com Alex McCoy (Costume Designer – Delta X) is a B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in costume design. She also has experience in acting and writing. Yessmeen Moharram (Stage Manager) is a second-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in stage management also pursuing a minor in arts management and Administration. She recently worked as the stage manager for Wellesley Girl and as the assistant stage manager for ENRON (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2018). This summer, she made her producing debut with the film Dear Leo. Moharram is also the fine arts representative in Student Government, the social communications co-chair in USITT and the vice president of the Fine Arts Council. Addison Norman (Choreographer – Delta X, Dancer – Proving Ground, Student Bodies) is a B.F.A. in Dance and a B.S. in Exercise Science
CREATIVE major at The University of Texas at Austin. Norman is from the Dallas area where she attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Norman has performed in The Cohan New Works Festival (2017), Fall For Dance (2017) and Transcendence (2018) at Texas Theatre and Dance.
Design and Technology candidate with a focus in integrated media for live performance at The University of Texas at Austin. He has a background in media, sound, projections and television. Prior to moving to Austin, Smith worked on productions at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Colorado State University and The Lincoln Center in Colorado.
Dorothy O’Shea Overbey (Co-Artistic Director, Choreographer/Filmmaker – Invention in Three Parts) is a dancer, choreographer, musician and visual artist now exploring the emerging technologies of virtual and augmented reality. She grew up in Austin, studying classical piano while training and performing corps de ballet roles with Ballet Austin. Overbey received her B.F.A. in Dance and B.A. in Philosophy from Southern Methodist University in 1999, later dancing with Colorado Ballet, David Taylor Dance Theater, Ballet Nouveau Colorado, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Ballet New York, Dances Patrelle and numerous independent choreographers in New York. While in New York, she studied at the Atlantic Theatre School and acted in independent films, commercials and off-off Broadway productions. This is her fifth year on faculty at the Department of Theatre and Dance. In 2017, Overbey founded Red Nightfall Productions, which is now in pre-production for the virtual reality dance film Crone. Red Nightfall Productions is co-producing an immersive dance/ theatre re-imagining of The Nutcracker at the Neill Cochran House Museum in December of 2018.
Ariana Sonsino (Costume Designer – shoulders) is currently a fourth-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in costume design. Recently, she served as a costume designer for Dance Repertory Theatre’s Transcendence (2018) and Fall for Dance (2017). She has designed and assisted on several productions at Texas Theatre and Dance and spent the past summer interning for a well-known costume and fashion designer in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Dayna Palmer (Production Assistant – The History of 6 Points) is a fourth-year B.F.A. in Dance and B.S. Exercise Science double major also pursuing a pre-physical therapy certificate. As a member of Dance Repertory Theatre, she has had the privilege of performing in works by Charles O. Anderson, Jeremy Arnold, Erica Gionfriddo, Ray Eliot Schwartz and Madison Hicks, among others. Her stage credits include Momentum (2017), Fall For Dance (2017), Transcendence (2018) and Ears, Eyes + Feet (2017 and 2018). Logan Smith (Projection Designer – Student Bodies, The History of 6 Points) is an M.F.A. in
Jack Stamps (Sound Designer – Student Bodies) teaches in the Music and Sound emphasis in the Department of Arts and Entertainment Technologies. He teaches courses in entertainment technology, music technology and composition of popular and commercial styles. He received his D.M.A. in Composition with an emphasis in music technology from Butler School of Music at The University of Texas at Austin in 2007. From 2011 to 2013, he was an assistant professor of music composition and technology at Seton Hall University where he designed and implemented a new program in music technology. In addition to work as a traditional composer, he has completed numerous albums, remixes and other productions under the name MC Debris and has composed a substantial number of works for music licensing companies in New York and Los Angeles. He is currently working on an MC Debris album that explores the intersection of Golden Age entertainment biographies and MTV-era pop styles. Lindsey Thurston (Costume Designer – The History of 6 Points) is a M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate with a focus in costume design at The University of Texas at Austin. She has a varied background in costume design and costume technology and has worked as a costume crafts tech-
CREATIVE nician at the Utah Shakespeare Festival and the Utah Festival of Opera and Musical Theater. Thurston recently completed the apprenticeship program at the Phoenix Theatre (Phoenix, Arizona).
in Scenic Technology from The University of Texas at Austin before teaching at Westlake High School for seven years. Tolin joined the staff of the Department of Theatre and Dance in 2017.
David Tolin (Technical Director) was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. He attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he received his B.A. in Theatre with a concentration in design/technology. In 2006, he interned with Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère (Treasure Island) and served as a stagehand for Desert Entertainment for several concerts, productions and events across Las Vegas. He received his M.F.A.
Kendra S. Wiley (Lighting Designer) is an M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate with a focus in lighting design at The University of Texas at Austin. Wiley holds a B.A. in Technical Theatre and a minor in dance from Samford University. Wiley’s professional lighting design credits include The Little Prince (Springer Opera House) and Elements: A Dance Concert (Samford University). kendraswiley.com.
CAST
Kelsey Bacic
Andy Duong
Raquel Baron
Haley Fuller
Sarah Jack
Christian Leal
Myrah Porter
Georgina Garza
Ginnifer Joe
Abby Loper
Victoria Antoinette Murillo
Ivana Castaneda
Greyland Goff
Mykaela Johnson
Tori Loper
Becky Nam
Katherine Cornell
Atticus Griffin
Kaitlyn Jones
Madelyn Manlove
Antonia Neal
David Cruz
Isaac Iskra
Mackenzie Lawrence
Avery Moore
Morgan Mikes
Addison Norman
Kyla Patton
Jesus Quezada
Mario Alberto Ramirez
Taylor Schmuelgen
Brooke Shore
Khorii Tinson
Emily Tolson
Kayla White
Claire Wood
Carolina Sirias
CAST Kelsey Bacic (Dancer – Student Bodies, Delta X; Rehearsal Assistant – Student Bodies) is a secondyear B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She graduated from Plano West Senior High School in Plano, Texas and has been dancing since the age of three. Bacic has participated in S.E.E.D. (Dance Action) and Ears, Eyes + Feet. This is her first performance with Dance Repertory Theatre. Raquel Baron (Simon says ______) began dancing in Dallas, Texas at a young age and attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. As a senior B.F.A. in Dance major with a minor in business, Baron has performed in Ears, Eyes + Feet, S.E.E.D. (Dance Action) and Dance Repertory Theatre’s Momentum, Fall For Dance and Transcendence. She has worked with choreographers Andee Scott, Coutney Mazeika, Charles O. Anderson, Chuck Wilt, Gesel Mason, Madison Hicks and Rennie Harris, among others. After graduating in May 2019, Baron plans to dance professionally and pursue her passion for event planning. Ivana Castaneda (Simon says ______, Proving Ground) is a B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She graduated in 2017 from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. She has attended the Complexions Contemporary Summer Intensive for the past three years and has an extensive background in different dance styles, including African, Latin, contemporary, ballet and flamenco. Katherine Cornell (Invention in Three Parts) is a B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, she has an extensive background in ballet, modern, jazz and contemporary dance. Last year, she performed in Daring Greatly and Heavenly for Dance Repertory Theatre’s Transcendence (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2018). David Cruz (Invention in Three Parts, The History of 6 Points) is a B.F.A. in Dance and B.S.A Biology double major at The University of Texas at Austin.
He began his dance career in 2015, receiving training from Charles O. Anderson, Sara L. Paul and Lyn C. Wiltshire. Since then, Cruz has worked with choreographers Ray Eliot Schwartz, Andee Scott and Sidra Bell, among others. He has recently been seen in various performances, including past productions of Fall For Dance, Dance Repertory Theatre’s Transcendence, The Cohen New Works Festival (2017) and Ear, Eyes + Feet. Haley Fuller (Simon says ______, The History of 6 Points) is a fourth-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She grew up in Frisco, Texas where she trained for 15 years. She recently performed with Dance Repertory Theatre in Transcendence (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2018). Upon graduation in May 2019, Fuller plans to pursue a career as a professional dancer and aspires to become a performer in one of Cirque du Soleil’s internationally-acclaimed productions. Georgina Garza (Student Bodies, Delta X) is a third-year B.A. in Dance and Computer Science major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has performed in Europe with Diverse Space Dance Theatre (DSYDT) under the direction of Toni Bravo, locally with Andrea Torres Dance Company (ATDC) under the direction of Dre Torres and participated in S.E.E.D. (Dance Action). This is her first mainstage performance with Dance Repertory Theatre. Greyland Goff (Invention in Three Parts, Proving Ground, Delta X) is a B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, his previous dance training includes ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, tap and musical theatre. He has trained at the International Summer Dance Intensive at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was previously seen in Ears, Eyes + Feet (2018). Atticus Griffin (Invention in Three Parts, Proving Ground, Delta X, The History of 6 Points) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. His background consists of
CAST ballet, contemporary and modern dance. He recently performed in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Transcendence; Ears, Eyes + Feet, and S.E.E.D. (Dance Action).
choreographers and a prestigious dance faculty. As a memebr of Dance Repertory Theatre, Johnson has recently been seen in the works of Rennie Harris and Madison Hicks.
Isaac Iskra (The History of 6 Points) is a fourthyear UTeach Dance major focusing on the education of autistic children. Through dance, he has been able to work through his own highfunctioning autism and has gone on to perform with Austin-based Chaddick Dance Theatre for Charles O. Anderson at Fusebox Festival (2018) and he has choreographed numerous works for Texas Theatre and Dance including Matawan and The Merchant of Venice (2018).
Kaitlyn Jones (Simon says ______, Student Bodies) is a fourth-year B.F.A. in Dance major from Houston, Texas. She has worked with worldrenowned choreographers Rennie Harris and Ananya Chatterjea, among others. Jones most recently performed in Austin’s Revolve Austin: A Movement Display (2018), where she danced in choreographer Mackenzie Lawrence’s installation Ladylike. Upon graduating in May 2019, she plans to pursue a career in arts management while continuing to be involved in freelance work.
Sarah Jack (Dancer – Student Bodies; Production Assistant – Invention in Three Parts) is a fourthyear B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has worked with choreographers Wayne M. Smith, Gesel Mason and Heidi Latsky, among others. Aside from her work with Dance Repertory Theatre, Jack has performed with Elledanceworks, Muscle Memory Dance Theatre (M2DT) and Collin College Dance Ensemble. Recently, she worked as assistant choreographer for Texas Theatre and Dance’s production of Matawan (2018). Ginnifer Joe (Dancer – Invention in Three Parts, Delta X, The History of 6 Points; Rehearsal Assistant – The History of 6 Points; Production Assistant – Invention in Three Parts) is a fourthyear B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. Prior to her time at the university, she trained in Spring, Texas in the competitive dance circuit. She choreographed Heavenly for Dance Repertory Theatre’s Transcendence (2018) and has been seen on stage in Transcendence (2018), Fall For Dance (2017) and Momentum (2017). Mykaela Johnson (Student Bodies, Delta X) is a second-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. Johnson is a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas, where she worked with several guest
Mackenzie Lawrence (Dancer – Simon says ______, Student Bodies; Rehearsal Assistant – Proving Ground) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major from Austin, Texas. She recently performed in works choreographed by Courtney Mazeika, Andee Scott and Ginnifer Joe in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Transcendence (2018). Additionally, she choreographed and performed in Dance Action’s S.E.E.D., The Cohen New Works Festival (2017) and Ears, Eyes + Feet. Christian Leal (Proving Ground, Student Bodies) is a B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. He has been dancing since middle school in various styles of hip-hop. He was recently seen in Fall For Dance (2017), Transcendence (2018) and with Charles O. Anderson as part of Fusebox Festival (2018). He plans to graduate in Spring 2019 and seek out a career as a teaching artist in different forms of hip-hop. Tori Loper (Simon says ______, Proving Ground, Student Bodies) is a second-year UTeach Dance major also pursuing a minor in business at The University of Texas at Austin. She has performed in Dance Action’s S.E.E.D., Revolve and in other student works. She has trained with the Soul Escape Company in Dallas, Texas for the past two summers and performed in the works of Justin Giles, Will Johnston and Seth Zibalese.
CAST Last January, Loper performed Philosophize Your Figure with Soul Escape in Los Angeles, California. This is her first performance with Dance Repertory Theatre. Madelyn Manlove (Production Assistant – Delta X; Dancer – Proving Ground) is a second-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has been dancing since the age of three in San Antonio, Texas. She has recently been seen in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Transcendence (2018), working with Rennie Harris and Madison Hicks. Morgan Mikes (Simon says ______) is a fourthyear B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She began dancing at a young age in numerous genres of dance. Mikes is from Houston, Texas, where she attended the Houston High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and was a member of the pre-professional contemporary ballet dance company, Vitacca Dance Project. She has been a part of String Circle, The Cohen New Works Festival (2017) and mainstage productions with Texas Theatre and Dance. She has worked with choreographers Abby Zbikowski, Netta Yerushalmy, Ray Eliot Schwartz, Lyn C. Wiltshire and Oluwaseun S. Olayiwola. Avery Moore (Simon says ______, Invention in Three Parts, Proving Ground, The History of 6 Points) is a second-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She graduated from the Houston High School for the Performing and Visual Arts where she worked with many guest choreographers and faculty members. Moore had been seen in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Transcendence (2018) in works by Rennie Harris and Madison Hicks. Victoria Antoinette Murillo (Dancer and Rehearsal Assistant – Invention in Three Parts) is a UTeach Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. In addition to her dance degree, she is pursuing a minor in business foundations from the McCombs School of Business. During her time in Austin, Murillo has performed in works
by Adrienne Hurd, Charles O. Anderson, Lyn C. Wiltshire, Madison Hicks, Oluwaseun S. Olayiwola and Ray Eliot Schwartz. In 2017, she debuted two original pieces, Sí Se Puede (The Cohen New Works Festival) and Symbiotic, a collaborative piece with the Butler School of Music. Becky Nam (Simon says ______, Invention in Three Parts, Proving Ground, The History of 6 Points) is a B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has performed works by Ohad Naharin, Tom Weinberger, Sidra Bell, Rennie Harris and Jenn Freeman, among others. In 2016, she studied abroad at the Centre National de Danse Contemporaine d’Angers under the direction of Robert Swinston in Angers, France. She has most recently performed at the American College Dance Association regional conference and at Fusebox Festival in Charles O. Anderson’s evening-length work, (Re)current Unrest. Antonia Neal (Student Bodies) began dancing at the age of three and graduated from the Las Vegas Academy in 2015. This is her third year as a member of Dance Repertory Theatre. She has performed in Momentum (2017), Fall For Dance (2017) and Transcendence (2018). Neal has also performed work by Charles O. Anderson, Lyn C. Wiltshire, Erica Gionfriddo, Rennie Harris and Adrienne Hurd. This past summer, she observed the work of Rennie Harris at The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Upon graduation, Neal plans to travel and continue to dance. Kyla Patton (Invention in Three Parts) a secondyear B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, she started classical ballet training at age 12 and has since performed in multiple pieces including Swan Lake, Giselle, Coppélia, Cinderella and The Nutcracker. Patton has pre-professionally performed with Northeast Atlanta Ballet and Houston Repertoire Ballet, as well as attended numerous summer intensives across the country. She has recently been seen in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Transcendence (2018).
CAST Myrah Porter (Dancer – Student Bodies, Delta X; Production Assistant – Proving Ground) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major pursuing a minor in health professions minor from Houston, Texas. This is her third production with Dance Repertory Theatre. She has previously been seen in Fall for Dance (2017), Transcendence (2018) and in other productions across the university. She has worked with various choreographers during her time at Texas Theatre and Dance.
Carolina Sirias (The History of 6 Points) is pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance and a B.S. in Applied Movement Science at The University of Texas at Austin. Originally from Houston, Texas, she has performed in Ears, Eyes + Feet as well as Dance Repertory Theatre’s Fall For Dance and Transcendence (2018). Sirias also studied in New York City at the Dance Education Laboratory Summer Institute in July 2018 and has choreographed for S.E.E.D. (Dance Action).
Jesus Quezada (Simon says ______, The History of 6 Points) is a fourth-year B.F.A. in Dance major with training in b-boying, ballet, contemporary and hip hop styles. After graduating in 2019, he plans to spread his love of dance by teaching at the high school level as a dance director.
Khorii Tinson (Proving Ground, Student Bodies) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major from Poulsbo, Washington. She has worked with renowned choreographers Jenn Freeman, Courtney Mazeika and Rennie Harris, among others. She recently performed in Charles O. Anderson’s (Re)current Unrest for Fusebox Festival (2018). Upon graduation in May of 2020, she plans to move to the West Coast and begin freelance work.
Mario Alberto Ramirez (Simon says ______, Student Bodies) is a third-year UTeach Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. He has an extensive dance background from Danza Azteca to contemporary dance. He was recently seen in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Transcendence (2018) and has worked with choreographers Andee Scott, Jenn Freeman, Dorothy O’Shea Overbey and Charles O. Anderson, among others. After graduation, Ramirez plans to attend graduate school to become a dance educator. Taylor Schmuelgen (Delta X) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major also pursuing a B.S. in Exercise Science at The University of Texas at Austin. As a member of Dance Repertory Theatre, she has had the privilege of working with choreographers Andrea Beckham, Courtney Mazeika, Erica Gionfriddo and Ray Eliot Schwartz. In addition, she choreographed for and performed in Dance Action’s S.E.E.D. (2016, 2017) and performed in Ears, Eyes + Feet (2017, 2018). Brooke Shore (Delta X) is a B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. Originally from Long Island, New York, she has trained under Paul Taylor Dance Company principals Heather Berest and Orion for many years in genres including modern and ballet.
Emily Tolson (The History of 6 Points) is a thirdyear B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has worked with choreographers Jenn Freeman, Courtney Mazieka, Justin Giles and Andy Scott. She has recently been seen in Fall For Dance (2017), Transcendence (2018) and The Cohen New Works Festival (2017). Kayla White (Proving Ground, Simon says ______) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has worked with choreographers Charles O. Anderson, Jenn Freeman, Rennie Harris, Courtney Mazeika and Justin Giles, among others. She was most recently seen in Texas Theatre and Dance’s Transcendence (2018) and Fall For Dance (2017). Claire Wood (Simon says ______) is a fourth-year UTeach Dance major also pursuing a minor in business at The University of Texas at Austin. Recently, she performed in Revolve: A Movement Display; Ears, Eyes, + Feet; and Dance Repertory Theatre’s Transcendence (2018). After graduating in 2019, she plans to perform, teach and pursue arts administration.
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CREW ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS KIYANNA ELLIOTT DIAMOND RECTOR ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER AMBER WHATLEY SOUND COORDINATOR JESSICA SELL ASSISTANT TECHNICAL DIRECTOR DARSHAN DESAI SCENIC STUDIO SUPERVISOR J.E. JOHNSON
PROP SHOP ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AND STOCK MANAGER SKYLER TATEN PROPS CONSTRUCTION CREW AVERY ARNOLD SCENERY/PROPS CREW HANNA BAILEY LINDSAY BALL GRACIE DAVIS ISABEL GONZALEZ ALLISON HAMAUEI NATALIA DE MAAR SARAH WALES
SCENIC ART SUPERVISOR KAREN MANESS
COSTUME PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NANETTE ACOSTA
ASSOCIATE SCENIC STUDIO SUPERVISOR JASON HUERTA
COSTUME SHOP ASSOCIATE MANAGER DARCY WEBERG
MASTER CARPENTER HANK SCHWEMMER
DRAPERS SARAH ALDRIDGE POUA YANG
ASSISTANT CHARGE SCENIC ARTIST ASHTON MURPHY GRADUATE PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS ZOE ANDERSEN JENNICA DOMBROWSKI
FIRST HANDS HSIAO-WEI CHEN SAMANTHA COLE STEPHANIE FISHER JOSEPH HARRINGTON AARON KUBACEK VANESSA LOPEZ
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ALY REDLAND
STITCHERS MIA BARRERA LAURA GONZALEZ
PRODUCTION LEADS NATASHA COSME BATISTA DAVID HERNANDEZ JARED HORN TAYLOR JONES CHRISTIAN SCHELLER HENRY WHEATLEY-RUTNER
COSTUME PROJECT MANAGER DESIREÉ HUMPHRIES
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS SULTAN ABBOUSHI DARSHAN DESAI VIVIAN GONZALEZ JULIO MUÑOZ ROHIT SWAMINATHAN CHRISTIANA THOMAS CONSULATE WILSON GUSTAVO ZAMARRIPA PROP SHOP SUPERVISOR REBECCA SWITZER ASSOCIATE PROP SHOP SUPERVISOR CAROLYN ALLINGHAM HARDIN PROP SHOP GRADUATE ASSISTANT ZOE ANDERSEN PROP ARTISANS MADELEINE HAYES DIAMANTE MARTINEZ MORGAN RIDDLE TAYLOR TRAVIS
ADVANCED COSTUME PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES TEACHING ASSISTANT SAMANTHA GASHETTE COSTUME PRODUCTION CREW JAYLA BALL ANDREW JAMES AUDREY LOOMIS MIREYA LUNA AARON MOORE CATHERINE PALACIOS HAILEY ROBERTS MEGAN TODD
COSTUME CRAFTS ARTISAN TANYA OLALDE COSTUME CRAFTS ASSISTANTS ALEXANDER GREER ANNIE ULRICH COSTUME SHOP OFFICE ASSISTANTS ALFY LINDSEY JESSE ROSE COSTUME STOCK SUPERVISOR DESIREE HUMPHRIES COSTUME STOCK ASSISTANTS AUSTIN ALVAREZ CECELIA IBARRA 324P LIGHTING FACULTY SUPERVISOR ANN G. WRIGHTSON TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS SUPERVISING ELECTRICIAN SEB BOONE TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS LIGHTING SUPERVISOR JEFF ELLINGER SENIOR LIGHTING TECHNICIANS AARON CURRY QI JIAJING WILLIAM RIOS AUSTIN SHIRLEY KENDRA WILEY AMBER WHATLEY TEXAS THEATRE AND DANCE LIGHTING CREW JUAN CORK SARA CHANEY ALYSSA FINGER JONATHAN KIM MICHAEL MCCASLIN MEAGAN MCCRARY KHALI SYKES NOAH TUCKER TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS LIGHTING CREW JAKE BRINKS BEN GALVAN ALEX JEREB ADRIANA LARA BRISA SHAW GEORGE VELASQUEZ
WARDROBE SUPERVISOR ROXANNE ROHMANN
LIGHT BOARD OPERATOR MATTHEW JAMES
WARDROBE CREW CHIEFS JENIFER MARGOS LINDSEY THURSTON
AUDIO SUPERVISOR MIKE MALAK
WARDROBE CREW KIALOND BRONSON-SMITH CELLISE BROWN KENNEDY CANNON EMILY SESLER EMMA STEELMAN JULEEANE VILLARREAL OLIVER VINCENT
ASSOCIATE AUDIO SUPERVISOR KENNY KUYKENDALL AUDIO PRODUCTION STUDENT CREW MIKELA KELAREK MALYSSA QUILES JESSICA SELL JAKE STEIN
TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS AUDIO CREW WYATT LASTER MILA LUNA MIKELA KELAREK MALYSSA QUILES JESSICA SELL AUDIO BOARD OPERATOR STACIE AGNEW MEDIA SUPERVISOR EARNEST MAZIQUE MEDIA GRADUATE ASSISTANTS ALEX GENDAL KAIWEN FA LOGAN SMITH MINGXIANG YA MEDIA SHOP CREW ALEX ARMBRUSTER KIALOND BRONSON-SMITH ERIK MARTINEZ RACHAEL NSEK AARON PITMAN MILLY RANGEL MCKENNA RICHARDS MEDIA BOARD OPERATOR KENDALL ZWANG STAGE MANAGEMENT ADVISOR RUSTY CLOYES COSTUME DESIGN ADVISOR SUSAN MICKEY COSTUME TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR JAMES GLAVAN LIGHTING DESIGN ADVISOR ANN G. WRIGHTSON INTEGRATED MEDIA DESIGN ADVISOR SVEN ORTEL SOUND ENGINEER ADVISORS CAROLINA PEREZ BEN TRUPPIN-BROWN ACADEMIC PRODUCTION MANAGER JEFF GRAPKO PHOTOGRAPHER LAWRENCE PEART GRAPHIC DESIGNER JEFF GRAY