It is our pleasure to welcome you to the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute’s final performance of the 2024–25 season.
This has been an exceptional year of dance education and live performances—most recently the TapWorks performance in Zipper Hall that not only showcased the incredible skills and creativity of both students and faculty, but included jazz and hip hop this year for the first time. It was so exciting to see so many students performing in multiple genres in the same evening.
The Dance Academy is concluding a year full of new experiences and creative projects, leaving two quintessential Balanchine ballets for them to display the technique and style they have mastered through their studies in today’s performance. This year, dancers from Ballet VI have the opportunity to dance in these pieces as well, giving many of them a first experience with the choreography and unique style of George Balanchine.
The Modern program is performing WalkAbout, a dance work for all levels of Modern I–V, with original composition by Sebastien Marcovici. And Modern V will have another chance at the endless possibilities of Bella Lewitzky's Game Plan, staged by Walter Kennedy.
TZDI’s dance students, from those taking the stage for the first time to senior dancers taking their last bow with us, are performing dance pieces choreographed by our talented faculty and chairs.
We hope our students feel inspired and leave feeling exhilarated after performing on such a big stage with a supportive audience.
We want to honor all of our extraordinary faculty and accompanists. These gifted individuals generously share their artistic expertise and pedagogical knowledge with our dancers, bringing beauty and inspiration into the studios every day. Endless thanks goes to our administrative team which is assembled by equally artistic individuals that not only make everything happen, but contribute in a plethora of other ways as well. Our sense of community will shine today and we take this moment to thank you for supporting these young dance artists and selecting the Colburn School for your family’s dance education. We wish you all a lovely summer and look forward to seeing you in one of our dance camps and in the fall as we return for the beginning of an exciting new year.
—The TZDI Team
Spring Dance Festival
Ballet, Modern, and Dance Academy
Janie Taylor, Artistic Director May 24, 2025
Luckman Theatre, 2 pm
Welcome
Janie Taylor, Artistic Director, Trudl Zipper Dance Institute
Staged by Romy Karz and Janie Taylor with oversight by Zippora Karz
Assisted by Katherine Cowgill
Lou Davidson, Bridget Duffy, Evangeline Factoran, Hana Hyers, Mckenzie Lewis, Madeleine Li, Greta Lippmann, Lauren Marx, Jubilee McAlister, Gia Medrano, Anna Mendolo, Elliana Sabahi, Ramsey Sarkisian, Avery Schumacher, Elsie Tucker, Sylvie Watts
The performance of Scherzo à la Russe, a Balanchine® Ballet, is presented by arrangement with The George Balanchine Trust and has been produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style® and Balanchine Technique® Service standards established and provided by the Trust.
WalkAbout
Dancers
Modern I:
concept by tamsin carlson
choreography by juliana bulgarelli, tamsin carlson, and yuka fukuda music by sebastien marcovici
set design by andrew miller
June Brown, Concetta Cabada Hagan, Holland Lake, Saoirse Margolies, Matille Mayers, Celine Rajski, Hildy Ray, Stella Stone, Brooklyn Wall
Modern II: Ruby Burgess, Frida Carrillo, Nora Chard, Violet Cho, Miriam Fine, Mary Frances Goldstein, Mizia Morgenthau, Stella Rosenstock-Chapman, Eden Saul, Louisa Stogdill
Modern III: Lillian Black-Yow, Leiah Delgado, Tenny Smallwood Artibee, Kaelyn Tsai, Sovanni Xido, Rudd Lozada, Jaden Solis
Modern IV: Joy De Cordova-Charara, London Knight, Yamila Kun, Minnow Kuntz, Zoe Lozada, Seri Monro, Margot Thoma, Mason Cocker
Modern V: Mila Dahm, Amia Eshed, Gianna Hernandez, Corinne Hursh, Ashley Kim, Lali Lepsveridze, Mackenzie Lingle, Monsserrat Macias, Fiala Pejic, Ivory Pierce, Josephine Sawyer
Clara Schumann Piano Trio Excerpts
Dancers
choreography by kelly ann sloan music by clara schumann (1819–1896)
Ballet VI: Augusta Casucci, Rhianna Cohen, Aminah Edmonds-Clark, Elyria Eshed, Evangeline Factoran, Aya Hildreth, Agnes Aju Huskey, Hana Hyers, Izzy Jensen Coutts, Emerson Leonard, Madeleine Li, Greta Lippmann, Lauren Marx, Gia Medrano, Anna Mendolo, Ava Sokol, Caleb Coffee, Bear Larsen-Gill
An Offering of Offenbach
Dancers
choreography by robyn gardenhire (beginning pointe barre) and kelly ann sloan (ballet levels i–iv) music by jacques offenbach (1819–1880)
Beginning Pointe Barre: Ella Choi, Ellie Chung, Celestia De Castro, Zoe Lozada, Sienna Rose, Catherine Yang
The performance of Episodes, a Balanchine® Ballet, is presented by arrangement with The George Balanchine Trust and has been produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style® and Balanchine Technique® Service standards established and provided by the Trust.
High School Graduates
Ballet VI
Agnes Aju Huskey
Hana Hyers
Modern V
Gianna Hernandez
Ashley Kim
Lali Lepsveridze
Mackenzie Lingle
Dance Academy
Mackenzie Carroll
Jubilee McAlister
Evelyn Mills
Elliana Sabahi
Avery Schumacher
Jonah Tillery
Spring Dance Festival
Ballet, Modern, and Dance Academy
Janie Taylor, Artistic Director May 24, 2025
Luckman Theatre, 5 pm
Welcome
Janie Taylor, Artistic Director, Trudl Zipper Dance Institute
Staged by Romy Karz and Janie Taylor with oversight by Zippora Karz Assisted by Katherine Cowgill
Augusta Casucci, Evangeline Factoran, Hana Hyers, Izzy Jensen Coutts, Vienna Lee, Madeleine Li, Greta Lippmann, Lauren Marx, Jubilee McAlister, Gia Medrano, Anna Mendolo, Elliana Sabahi, Ramsey Sarkisian, Naya Sevilla, Elsie Tucker, Sylvie Watts
The performance of Scherzo à la Russe, a Balanchine® Ballet, is presented by arrangement with The George Balanchine Trust and has been produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style® and Balanchine Technique® Service standards established and provided by the Trust.
WalkAbout
Dancers
Modern I:
concept by tamsin carlson
choreography by juliana bulgarelli, tamsin carlson, and yuka fukuda music by sebastien marcovici set design by andrew miller
June Brown, Concetta Cabada Hagan, Holland Lake, Saoirse Margolies, Matille Mayers, Celine Rajski, Hildy Ray, Stella Stone, Brooklyn Wall
Modern II: Ruby Burgess, Frida Carrillo, Nora Chard, Violet Cho, Miriam Fine, Mary Frances
Goldstein, Mizia Morgenthau, Stella Rosenstock-Chapman, Eden Saul, Louisa Stogdill
Modern III: Lillian Black-Yow, Leiah Delgado, Tenny Smallwood Artibee, Kaelyn Tsai, Sovanni Xido, Rudd Lozada, Jaden Solis
Modern IV: Joy De Cordova-Charara, London Knight, Yamila Kun, Minnow Kuntz, Zoe Lozada, Seri Monro, Margot Thoma, Mason Cocker
Modern V: Mila Dahm, Amia Eshed, Gianna Hernandez, Corinne Hursh, Ashley Kim, Lali Lepsveridze, Mackenzie Lingle, Monsserrat Macias, Fiala Pejic, Ivory Pierce, Josephine Sawyer
Clara Schumann Piano Trio Excerpts
Dancers
choreography by kelly ann sloan music by clara schumann (1819–1896)
Ballet VI: Augusta Casucci, Rhianna Cohen, Aminah Edmonds-Clark, Elyria Eshed, Evangeline Factoran, Aya Hildreth, Agnes Aju Huskey, Hana Hyers, Izzy Jensen Coutts, Emerson Leonard, Madeleine Li, Greta Lippmann, Lauren Marx, Gia Medrano, Anna Mendolo, Ava Sokol, Caleb Coffee, Bear Larsen-Gill
An Offering of Offenbach
choreography by robyn gardenhire (beginning pointe barre) and kelly ann sloan (ballet levels i–iv) music by jacques offenbach (1819–1880)
Dancers
Beginning Pointe Barre: Ella Choi, Ellie Chung, Celestia De Castro, Zoe Lozada, Sienna Rose, Catherine Yang
The performance of Episodes, a Balanchine® Ballet, is presented by arrangement with The George Balanchine Trust and has been produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style® and Balanchine Technique® Service standards established and provided by the Trust.
High School Graduates
Ballet VI
Agnes Aju Huskey
Hana Hyers
Modern V
Gianna Hernandez
Ashley Kim
Lali Lepsveridze
Mackenzie Lingle
Dance Academy
Mackenzie Carroll
Jubilee McAlister
Evelyn Mills
Elliana Sabahi
Avery Schumacher
Jonah Tillery
Trudl Zipper Dance Institute
Janie Taylor
Artistic Director
Gavin Kelley
Administrative Director
Jessica Martin King
Studio Administrator
department chairs
Tamsin Carlson, Modern
Denise Scheerer, Tap
Kelly Ann Sloan, Ballet
Dance Faculty
James Ady
Angelica Bell
Seth Belliston
Bertha Blankenship
Joshua Brown
Julianna Bulgarelli
Leslie Carothers
Katherine Cowgill
Deborah Devine
Ernest Felton Baker III
Yuka Fukuda
Robyn Gardenhire
Carmina Glicklich
Chard Gonzalez
Charlie Hodges
Jill Nunes Jensen
Zippora Karz
Sebastien Marcovici
Jessica Martin King
Chloe Oronoz
Romy Karz Rapoport
Jean Michelle Sayeg
Amy Schadt
Denise Scheerer
Kelly Ann Sloan
Nayomi Van Brunt
Accompanists
Clifford Casapao
Saiko Fujii
Leigh Anne Gilespie
Jeremy Gilien
Laura Halladay
Leon Logvinsky
Yoko Mizuno
TJ Troy
Visiting Artists
Jeremy Coachman
Courtney Conovan
Michelle Dorrance
Jacquelin Harris
Babatunji Johnson
Jill Johnson
Walter Kennedy
Nilas Martins
Dallas McMurray
Steven Morse
David Prottas
Sarah Swenson
Catherine Turocy
production crew
Sound Mixer
Luckman Theatre
Stage Manager David Mencos
Live Streaming Mixer Luckman Theatre
Wardrobe Tamsin Carlson
Performance Manager Yuka Fukuda
Lighting Luckman Theatre
Thank You
Today’s performance is made possible by contributions from members like you. Generous support is provided by donors to the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute and Music Academy.
Special appreciation goes to the Colburn Society members whose annual support of dance makes programs like this at the Colburn School possible, as well as the extraordinary scholarship support of Merle Mullin, Ann Moore, David Kobrin, and Michael S. Turner.
Dance Scholarships
Millepied Scholarships, named for former NYC Ballet Principal Dancer, Benjamin Millepied, who was instrumental in the formation of the Dance Academy, support tuition and dormitory and related expenses for young male dancers each year. This scholarship program enables Colburn to offer a separate boys’ training program, which is vital to impart the different technique and skill requirements for male dancers as well as providing a comprehensive and balanced training environment for Colburn’s female dancers. In addition, need-based scholarships are available to young women in the Dance Academy and to qualifying children in the afterschool Youth Dance programs.
The Beverly, Donald, and David Kobrin Scholarship Fund supports young male dancers of color, who are traditionally underrepresented in classical dance. In addition to tuition, the Fund helps cover room and board, wardrobe, special classes, and other academic and performance opportunities. This scholarship helps exemplify the School’s commitment to access to excellence to all who wish to pursue their dreams here.
The Margaret K. Turner Scholarship supports young dancers in their aspiration to pursue professional careers in ballet. This scholarship is awarded in the fall of each academic year in honor of the late Margaret K. Turner and her passion for dance and youth education.
If you would like to learn more about supporting the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute, contact philanthropy@colburnschool.edu
Summer Classes
Begin your journey at Colburn with our summer classes
Summer Saturdays
Youth Dance Classes
Pre-Ballet
Ballet Prep I and II
Beginning Ballet
Creative Dance I and II
Modern I and II
Tap I and II
Beginning/Intermediate Tap
Beginning/Intermediate Jazz Dance
Youth and Intermediate Hip Hop
Adult Dance Classes
Beginning/Intermediate/Advanced Ballet
Intermediate Modern Dance
Beginning/Intermediate Tap
Jazz Dance
Hip Hop
Youth Music and Drama Classes
Creative Dramatics
Drama
Early Childhood
Group Guitar (all levels)
Jazz Workshops
Music Theory Intensives
Private Lessons
Adult Music Classes
Flute Choir
Group Guitar
Jazz Workshops
Music Theory Intensives
Private Lessons
discover more at colburnschool.edu/summer classes run in june and july for all ages !
colburnschool.edu
Herbert Zipper, Champion of Community Music
Dr. Herbert Zipper, for whom the Colburn School’s Zipper Hall is named, was a pioneer of the community music movement in the United States. Remembered as a dedicated activist, Dr. Zipper was known for his work in music education and his deep commitment to students. He believed a performing arts education should be available to everyone, a philosophy on which Colburn’s mission of “access to excellence” was built.
Born in Vienna in 1904, Zipper was accepted into the Viennese Academy of Music where he studied with Richard Strauss and Maurice Ravel. Later in life, after his release from the Dachau concentration camp, he accepted a conducting position with the Manila Symphony Orchestra where he reunited with his future wife, Trudl Dubsky. The two later migrated to the U.S. where Zipper expanded his efforts in music education. On August 26, 1980, the groundwork for the Colburn School was secured after Zipper approached Richard D. Colburn with the idea of making the University of Southern California’s preparatory school independent.
One of the very finest halls for chamber music in the U.S., our beloved 430-seat performance hall is named after Herbert Zipper. Colburn proudly welcomes students, faculty, staff, families, and other members of the community to Zipper Hall each year.
read more about Zipper’s life
The image from the Herbert and Trudl Zipper Archive is reproduced with permission from Celia Pool and Gavin Perry.
Dr. Herbert Zipper leads a concert at the 32nd Street Magnet School in Los Angeles.
