Away From the Mirror
about the show
In our annual student dance concert, Carthage’s emerging artists are provided the platform to develop their unique sense of self and style through dance. All pieces are student choreographed, and revolve around the themes that speak to individual members of the Carthage dance program. Showtimes are Friday, April 4 and Saturday, April 5 at 7:30 PM in the Wartburg Auditorium.
director’s note
Thank you for attending the Department of Theatre’s 2025 student dance concert, Away From The Mirror. This production has become an important component to the dance minor program by providing a platform for our emerging dance artists to develop their inspirations into dances, share in the development of their own production, and engage in community discourse about their work. The primary mission is to cultivate space for dance learning and dance sharing. The dances you will see this evening have culminated from a series of three feedback showings during which all works were presented as drafts at different stages of development. Each Feedback Showing provided the choreographers opportunities to receive feedback from me and student responders. We are thrilled and grateful to present these works for tonight’s production. Following the Friday evening performance, we will host a post-show discussion. We hope you can join us. Please enjoy the show!
–Stacy Pottinger, Artistic Director
talkback
For more insights into Away From The Mirror works, please join the Artistic Director and choreographers in a Talk-Back immediately following the Friday, April 4th performance. The Talk-Back will take place in the Wartburg Auditorium. We look forward to addressing viewer’s questions and hearing thoughts about the program.
Carnival
Choreography, Liz Duffy
Music, Carnival by Livingston
Tiffany Borger, Meghan Felgenhauer, Avery Jones, Ellie Neybert, Alyssa Sargis
Understudy: Susana Alexander
Social Conflagration
Choreography, Liam Karth
Music, The Grotto by Audiomachine, We Know What You Whisper by Ludwig Gӧransson, Iron by Woodkid, Submit by Mikael Karlsson
Music Editing, Liam Karth
Aiden Benewich, Hannah Donegan, Madeline Hughes, Abbey Keen, Kyra Lewis
Understudy: Liz Duffy
Fire and Water
Choreography, Abbey Keen
Music, The Fire by Chris Stapleton
Libby Donovan, Avery Jones, Maggie Kolar, Maddie Richardson
Understudies: Liz Duffy, Abbey Keen
Disconnect
Choreography, Katherine O’Donnell
Music, You’d never know by BLU EYES, My body hates me by BLU EYES, and My Body Is a Cage by Arcade Fire.
Music Editing, Katherine O’Donnell
Emma Clark, Ava McClure
Understudy: Leah May
Tidal Motion
Choreography, Liam Karth
Music, Prologue by Evgeny Grinko, Dream Cove by Fairy Lullaby, The Way of Water by Simon Franglen, Finding Dory, Lost at Sea, and Open Ocean by Thomas Newman Music Editing, Liam Karth
Libby Donovan, Ellie Neybert, Gaby Morales, Alyssa Sargis
Understudy, Susana Alexander
Herd Choreography, Ellie Neybert
Music, Stampede by Mikael Karlsson
Madelyn Hughs, Maggie Kolar, Kyra Lewis, Ava McClure, Kyliah Vruwink Understudy, Ava Schwartz
I Can Say Choreography, Stephanie Majer
Music, I Can Say by Olivia Millerschin
Stephanie Majer Understudy, Susana Alexander
Friend Like Me
Choreography, Paige Downey
Music, Friend Like Me by Ne-Yo
Susana Alexander, Tiffany Borger, Paige Downey, Kyra Lewis, Melissa Schmidt, Ava Schwartz, Kyliah Vruwink
Coming Back Choreography, Ellie Neybert
Music, Coming Back by Jungle
Hannah Donegan, Avery Jones, Abbey Keen, Mara Lysne, Allie Plebanski, Katie Wilde Understudy, Libby Donovan
His Haunting Choreography, Liz Duffy
Music, Hot Seat by John Powell and Waves of Light (Thunderstorm) by Spheres Music Editing, Liz Duffy
Aidan Benewich, Mikala Kelfstad, Sarah Loster, Leah May, Jessica Skonesey, Kyliah Vruwink Understudy, Melissa Schmidt
Artistic Director ................................................................................... Stacy Pottinger
Responders ................................ Liz Duffy, Paige Downey, Liam Karth, Abbey Keen
Stephanie Majer, Ellie Neybert, Stacy Pottinger, Katie O’Donnell
Costume Design ..................................................................................... Kim Instenes
Technical Director and Light Design ............................... Zackary “SLiM” Simonini
Stage Manager................................................................................... Amber Sherman
Assistant Stage Managers ......................................................................... Anna Riess
Light Board Operator ............................................................................ Kiley Kennedy
Sound Operator.................................................................................. Daniel Michalec
Run Crew ............................................................. Matthew Corgiat and Lydia Sabath
Costume Crew Head ............................................................................... Olivia Litton
Costume Crew ......................................................................................... Olivia Pierre
biographies
Stacy Pottinger (Artistic Director) holds a B.F.A. in dance performance from Southern Methodist University, an M.A. in dance education from the State University of New York College at Brockport, and an M.F.A. in dance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Ms. Pottinger joined the faculty at Carthage College, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as Director of the Dance Minor and Assistant Adjunct Professor of Theatre in 2009. She has instructed a number of the Dance Minor courses at Carthage College including Applied Dance Technique courses in Ballet, Jazz, and Modern as well as Dance Theory and Practices, Dance Theory and Composition, Dance Choreography and Repertory and Dance History. She has mentored student choreography at Carthage for the past fifteen years, led numerous trips to the American College Dance Festival conferences, and has served on multiple response panels, including that of Danceworks, Inc. Art to Art Series in Milwaukee, Faculty Feedback Panels for the American College Dance Festival North-Central Regional Conference Informal Concerts (2017 and 2014), and for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 2015 spring dance concert. In addition to her titles as Director of the Dance Minor, Professor, and Artistic Director for Department of Theatre dance productions, Ms. Pottinger is Faculty Advisor for Carthage’s NDEO Student Chapter and National Honor Society for the Dance Arts (NHSDA) and serves as President of the Wisconsin Dance Council Board of Directors.
Kim Instenes (Assistant Professor of Theatre/Costume Designer) Kim holds an MFA in Costume Design and Technology from Ohio University, and a BA in Theatre from UW-Whitewater. Her faculty credits include UW Parkside, UW Whitewater, UW Milwaukee and Lawrence University. In addition to teaching at these schools she has designed costumes and makeup for a number of productions including IMAGINARY INVALID, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, TROJAN WAR, SWEENEY TODD and TRANSLATIONS. Kim continues to work as a freelance costume and make-up designer in the Milwaukee/Chicago area. Professional design credits include First Stage Milwaukee, Milwaukee Shakespeare, the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Renaissance Theatreworks, Third Avenue PlayWorks, Forward Theater, Utah Shakespearean Festival and the Racine Theatre Guild. Kim is excited to be a part of the Theatre Department here at Carthage as it strengthens and strives to create theatre artists of the highest quality. She enjoys the thrill of watching a student understand what a costume does for their character and watch that character come to life as a result. She would also like to thank her family, husband Doug, and children, Lauren and Sarah, and Dalen and Haley, for their continued support of her creative endeavors.
Zackary “SLiM” Simonini (Light Design) is thrilled to be working with the Carthage team yet again. He is a General Theatre and Political Science graduate from the class of 2012. He servers as the Technical Director for the Theatre Department and Lighting Designer for our dance shows. Slim love’s working with students and brining their performances to the stage. When not Tech Directing he enjoys acting and has been in a few independent films including Continental Split, Weekend Deadaway, and Planetquake!. You can also seem him on Season 3 of the gameshow The Floor on Hulu. He would like to thank his family, friends, Tommy, Marty, and his lovely superstar wife Allison Simonini. All of these wonderful people are owed a thank you for encouraging Slim to continue to pursue a life in the arts.
Paige Downey (Choreographer) Paige Downey is a Junior Stage Management and Directing double major with a minor in Dance. She is very excited to be choreographing for AFM! This is her 10th production at Carthage College. Her Main Stage credits at Carthage included dancing in IN THE MOMENT DANCE SHOW Fall 2022, Co Stage Manager for FML: HOW CARSON MCCULLERS SAVED MY LIFE Spring 2023, Costume Crew for LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL Spring 2023, Stage Manager for THE GENDERLESS PLAY EXPERIMENT Fall 2023, Costume Crew for IN/VISIBLE DANCE SHOW Fall 2023, Dancer AWAY FROM THE MIRROR spring 2024, Assistant Director LIFE CYCLE OF A STAR Fall 2024, Dancer TO THE GROWTH EDGE Fall 2024. Studio credits include Stage Manager for WHEREVER YOU’VE BEEN Spring 2024. Paige is also the recipient of the KCACTF Emerging Stage Manager Award
biographies cont. for her work on The Genderless Play Experiment. She would like to give a special thank you to the lovely dancers that she worked with on this project: “Thank you guys for all your support and patience. I couldn’t have done it without you!” Insta:@Paigemary07
Liz Duffy (Choreographer) is a junior majoring in accounting and minoring in dance. She is also the president of Carthage’s National Dance Education Organization chapter. Liz is from Fairbury, Illinois, and started dancing at The Dancenter in Pontiac, Illinois, when she was five years old. There, she studied several dance styles, mainly focusing on jazz, hip-hop, and lyrical. In high school, she participated in her school’s theater program and helped choreograph and teach choreography for the spring musicals. While at Carthage, Liz has continued her dance education and has led several dance classes for NDEO. This is the sixth dance show she has been in at Carthage and her second show as a choreographer. Liz would like to thank her family, friends, and the Carthage Dance faculty for support and encouragement in her dancing career.
Liam Karth (Choreographer) is a sophomore Vocal Music Education major with minors in Dance and Music Theatre. Liam performed in the past three dance concerts and is excited to participate in another concert featuring his choreography. Liam is from Geneva, Illinois, and has been studying dance for the past 17 years in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary, and musical theatre at multiple studios. During and prior to his time at Carthage, Liam has been a student choreographer, dance captain, and performer for countless productions and studios. At Carthage, Liam served as a Dance Captain and Swing for XANADU the Musical, and will be performing in HEAD OVER HEELS later this month. Liam currently serves as the NHSDA Officer for Carthage’s chapter of NDEO, and is a member of the Dance Team. Liam would like to thank his casts for helping bring his visions to reality, and his friends, family, and the Carthage Dance Faculty for their continuous support. @liam.karth
Abbey Keen (Choreographer) is a junior Biology major with double minors in Chemistry and Dance, and concentration in Pre-Medicine. This is her fifth dance show at Carthage College and first dance show as a choreographer. She grew up in Mount Vernon, IA gathering extensive dance training since she was six years old. Her training was focused in several styles of ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, contemporary, hip-hop and west african. She uses her joy of dance and years of training to teach several styles of dance since she was a freshman in high school. At Carthage she is involved in NDEO, Biology Honors Society, Chemistry Honors society, both Biology and Chemistry club and Pre-Health club. Abbey would like to thank her friends and family for the countless support throughout the many years of dance and to the Carthage Dance Faculty for all the opportunities they have provided her.
Stephanie Majer (Choreographer) is a senior Social Work major with minors in Dance and Criminal Justice. This is her fifth dance show at Carthage College and her first dance show as a choreographer. She grew up in Huntley, IL receiving her training at a ballet school. Her training was focused in ballet, pointe, contemporary, and jazz. At Carthage, she is a member of NDEO, Student Social Work Association, and Zeta Tau Sigma. She would like to thank her familyspecifically her mom- for always supporting her through the highs and lows of dance. She would also like to thank the Carthage Dance Faculty for their support and passion for the Dance Minor program, which has shaped her into a better dancer and person through her time at Carthage.
Ellie Neybert (Choreographer) is a senior Music Theatre and Self-Design Theatre Production: Choreography Emphasis double major. This is her sixth dance show at Carthage, and third show presenting choreography. She is currently Assistant Choreographer for HAIRSPRAY with Lakeside Players at the Rhode Theater and HEAD OVER HEELS later this month. Ellie would like to thank everyone for their support in this endeavor, as well as throughout her dance career. She is very excited to continue pursuing choreography and dance post-graduation this May. @ellie.neybert
Katherine O’Donnell (Choreographer) is a junior psychology major with minors in dance and business. This is her sixth dance show at Carthage College. She is from Wayne IL. She has grown up training in ballet pre professionally. She has performed in ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Coppelia and several other classical ballets. Katherine is a member of Carthage’s chapter of the National Dance Education Organization, Zeta Tau Sigma sorority and Psi Chi Psychology honors society. Katherine would like to thank Stacy Pottinger for support and guidance. She would also like to thank her parents, brother, grandmother and friends for the love and encouragement they gave her.
Amber Sherman (Stage Manager) is a sophomore Marketing major with a double minor in Musical Theatre and Economics. She is from Wauconda, Illinois. This is her second time being a part of crew in a dance show at Carthage College. She was also just a part of the spring verbatim play TERMINAL EXHALE this semester. Outside of the fine arts department, Amber is a member of the Chi Omega sorority, Treble Choir, Velocity, and she works as a student ambassador and a writing fellow. Amber would like to thank her friends and family for always pushing her to achieve her best. She hopes you enjoy the incredible show!
Department of Theatre Faculty and Staff
Jenny Bauer ................................................................................ Instructor of Theatre
Breannin Beelow........................................................................ Instructor of Theatre
Maureen Chavez-Kruger ..............................Adjunct Assistant Professor of Theatre
Dave Gonzalez ...................................... Fight Choreographer, Instructor of Theatre
Kim Instenes ............................. Costume Designer, Associate Professor of Theatre
Herschel Kruger.......................................... Department Chair, Professor of Theatre
Martin McClendon ..................................................................... Professor of Theatre
Dr. Neil Scharnick Honors Director, Associate Professor of Theatre
Zackary “SLiM” Simonini ........................ Technical Director, Instructor of Theatre
Grace Weir ....................................... Costume Shop Assistant, Instructor of Theatre
Dance Faculty & Staff
Rich Ashworth ............................................................... Adjunct Instructor of Dance
Rebecca Crystal ............................................................. Adjunct Instructor Of Dance
Gina Laurenzie ............................................................... Adjunct Instructor of Dance
Stacy Pottinger .....................................................................Director of Dance Minor, Assistant Adjunct Professor of Dance
Hilliary Vaccarello .......................................................... Adjunct Instructor of Dance
Music Theatre Faculty & Staff
Dr. Corinne Ness.............................................
Dean, Arts and Humanities Division, Director of Graduate Music Theatre Studies, Professor of Music
Melissa Kelly Cardamone ............................................................... Staff Accompanist
Yu-Mei Chang ................................................................................. Staff Accompanist
Matthew Hougland Music Department Chair, Director of Undergraduate Music Theatre Studies, Assistant Professor of Music
Music Departmental - Brown Bag Concert Series
Thursdays, April 3-May 8 • 11:30 a.m.
H. F. Johnson Recital Hall
Performing Arts Series: Roomful of Teeth
Tuesday, April 8 • 7:30 p.m.
First United Methodist Church-Kenosha
Student Recital: Shuangying Wu
Thursday, April 10 • 7:30 p.m.
Campbell Student Union
Student Recital: Nicholas Dekker
Saturday, April 12 • 4:00 p.m.
H. F. Johnson Recital Hall
Student Recital: Olivia Pierre
Tuesday, April 15 • 7:30 p.m.
H. F. Johnson Recital Hall
The Arts at Carthage acknowledges that the land on which our building stands is part of the traditional Potawatomi, Sioux, Peoria, Kickapoo, and Miami peoples past, present, and future. These homelands reside along the southwest shores of Michigami, North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes. We honor with gratitude the land itself, and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations. Many Indigenous peoples thrive in this place—alive and strong, and this calls us to commit to continuing to learn how to be better stewards of the land we inhabit as well.