DIRECTOR’S NOTE
The Luminous Spring Dance Concert proudly showcases the dynamic works of faculty, guest artists, and undergraduate students. We celebrate their curiosity, value their unique perspectives, and appreciate their collaborations across various disciplines. Each artist has transformed their initial, spontaneous movements into carefully crafted performances. We extend our gratitude to the production team, whose expertise in lighting, costumes, sound, and stage management enables the choreographers to share their stories and voices on stage. We also thank you, our audience, for supporting Dance at Georgia College & State University by attending live performance events!
The Georgia College Dance Program is distinguished by its commitment to community engagement for the past 30 years. Committed to sharing dance on the GC campus and beyond, our artists have had quite a productive performance year. The dance honorary Chi Tau Epsilon produced its 12th annual “Bountiful,” and curated its first Give Back Season to provide opportunities for students to teach dance in local studios, develop charitable outreach in schools, present creative research in the field, and generate
performances of original works for public audiences. “The Nutcracker” on our campus celebrated its 28th year in December with over 150 dancers!
Undergraduate dance students Helen Garcia Carreras, Lily Cox, Bailey Geiger, Kaylee Gresham, Jenna Hemenway, Katie Howell, Bella McComis, Anne O’Neill, Elayna Pittman, and Jody Hensley all performed in works at the prestigious American College Dance Association (ACDA) Southeast Conference held at College of Charleston in March. Helen Garcia Carreras’ work Anteroom was chosen as a finalist in the ACDA Gala Concert. Undergraduate dance instructors Lily Cox, Kaylee Gresham, and Bella McComis designed and implemented classes for over 100 high school students from various schools throughout the state in our High School Dance Day, Intersect. This year we welcomed guest artist Jillian Mitchell from Kit Modus in the Fall once again and guest artist Emilie Tobias this Spring. We still look forward to presenting “Wonderland” with the GC Community Dance program on Sunday, May 18, at 2 pm in Russell Auditorium. Don’t miss it!
— Natalie King, GCSU Senior Dance Lecturer and Interim Director of Dance
— Juliana Freude, Dance Lecturer
FACULTY ARTISTS
Natalie King, Interim Director of Dance, attended Sweet Briar College where she earned a Bachelor of Art in Dance, Elementary Education Certification K-6 and Dance Education Certification K-12. She received a full assistantship for a Master of Fine Arts degree in dance at Arizona State University. King also taught as the director of dance for seven years in a high school, while directing and performing for the professional dance company, Flux, located in Phoenix, Arizona. Currently, at Georgia College, she teaches dance technique and theory courses. Her scholarly focus utilizes collaborative action research to stimulate interdisciplinary pedagogy between arts, film, and literacy driven communities. She anticipates her PhD in Moving Images - Film from Georgia State University in 2027. King’s work in this concert, Precipice, explores the experience of looking over the edge of something, highlighting the urgency and desire to arrive at that moment, alongside the instinct to retreat when faced with an uncertain boundary.
Juliana Freude, Lecturer in Dance, was a professional classical ballet and modern dancer for seventeen years working with companies such as Nashville Ballet, Connecticut Ballet, Charleston Ballet Theatre and many others. Following her retirement in 2020, Miss Freude obtained a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Practice; Dance, Design and Production from Saint Mary’s College of California. She spent four years as an Assistant Lecturer in Dance at the University of Wyoming, where her creative research focused on the phenomenological and somatic movement approach in dance to facilitate psychological healing in soldiers suffering from PTSD, moral injury and loss of moral identity. Currently, this is her first year as Dance Lecturer at Georgia College teaching the physical practice of dance techniques within the Dance minor and Community Dance program. Freude’s work Disturbed Flow, created in close collaboration with the dancers, reimagines traditional gender roles in ballet partnering by blending classical and contemporary movements. The piece challenges conventional notions of strength and support, cultivating a more inclusive and fluid dynamic that offers a fresh perspective on collaboration and equality in dance.
GUEST ARTIST
Emilie Tobias is a professional ballroom dance teacher, choreographer, performer, competitor and business owner. She began her ballroom dancing career as an amateur in New England. With partner Shawn Smith, they eventually became the New England Latin Dance Champions. In addition to performing with the Augusta Symphony, she toured in the United States, Argentina and Brazil as a professional Argentine Tango Dancer with Washington-based QuinTango. As a professional ballroom dancer, she and partner Val Ganiev are United States professional finalists in the American 9 Dance Division and have competed and performed throughout the United States. With an early career in higher education coupled with a performing arts background in theatre and dance, Emilie brought her vision for academic excellence into the creation of The Ballroom Dance Center in 1998. With a huge, floating, “leg-friendly,” hardwood dance
floor, featuring a large and small ballroom, it is the premier dance facility in the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA). The Ballroom Dance Center is also the longest operating partner dance studio in the CSRA with a full staff of accomplished and professionally certified instructors. Today Emilie uses her unique background and skill set to present ballroom shows that transcend a routine ballroom dance recital.
EMERGING CHOREOGRAPHIC ARTISTS
Lily Cox is a junior majoring in Biology and French. She has been dancing for 15 years and has continued her role as a teacher in the GCSU Community Dance Program throughout her time at GCSU. Currently, she serves as the president of Chi Tau Epsilon. This semester, Lily aims to depict the pathway of blood from the heart to the lungs, back to the heart, and throughout the body in her work.
Helen Garcia-Carreras graduated with a theatre major with a minor in dance at GCSU in Fall 2025. She has been teaching and choreographing for 8 years with a variety of organizations including the GCSU Community Dance Program, The Arts Barn, Birdhouse Theatre, and Putnam County Schools. Helen loves using vernacular movement and cultural/social dance forms to explore untold narratives and build community between individuals.
Kaylee Gresham is a senior majoring in Exercise Science with a minor in Dance. With 20 years of dance experience and 5 years of choreography, she has participated in both the annual Bountiful Fall Dance Concert and the Luminous Spring Dance Concert since her freshman year. Kaylee has received the dance minor scholarship for two consecutive years in recognition of her dedication to the program. Additionally, she has taught at Georgia College’s high school dance day, Intersect, for three years. Currently, she is the captain of the Sassycats dance team at GC. This spring, Kaylee’s piece aims to introduce various ballroom and Latin techniques, expanding the range of dance forms within concert dance.
Isabella McComis is a junior majoring in Mass Communications with a focus on film, along with a minor in Dance and English. She has 11 years of experience in dance and choreography and has developed a deep love for storytelling on stage and screen. Isabella actively participates in the dance minor and community dance programs while also teaching for the GCSU Community Dance Program. Her film, “Reclaim,” showcases the introspective experience of a training dancer, emphasizing the return to simply loving their craft and letting go of the pursuit of perfection.
Anne O’Neill is a sophomore majoring in History with double minors in Dance and Information Studies. With 12 years of dance experience and 6 years of choreographic experience, Anne is heavily involved in the dance programs at Georgia College. She both dances and teaches in the GCSU Community Dance Program and is an active member of Chi Tau Epsilon, where she was recently elected Vice President for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Renée Woodruff, o-choreographed a piece that explores how dance can be both a source of freedom and a reason for physical and mental setbacks. Woodruff is a senior majoring in Marketing and is a dedicated dancer, currently serving as the vice president of Chi Tau Epsilon. With 7 years of dance experience and 5 years of choreography, she presents her piece “Held Under Cries” this semester. This work powerfully explores the struggle to be heard, weaving themes of frustration, suffocation, and resilience through movement. Renée has a passion for modern dance and often draws inspiration from nature and emotion, using dynamic choreography to tell compelling stories..
2024-25 GCSU
COMMUNITY DANCE PROGRAM
Scholarship recipients:
Addison Davis | Rebecca Gillett | Lea Gonzalez | Cadence Polack
Kaylee Smith | Morgan Smith | Sarah Wright | Emma Zoetewey
2024-25 GCSU DANCE MINOR
Scholarship recipients:
Kaylee Gresham | Anne O’Neill
WE PROUDLY ACKN OWLEDGE OUR
Graduating Seniors:
Sofia Arias | Community Dance
Rebekah Aubry | Community Dance
Addison Davis | Community Dance
Helen Garcia-Carreras | Dance Minor
Kaylee Gresham | Dance Minor
Madison McDade | Community Dance
Kaylee Smith | Community Dance
Abbey Saunders | Dance Minor
Renée Woodruff | Dance Minor
PROGRAM
There will be a brief pause between each piece. No Intermission.
“Disturbed Flow”
Section I: Suspended Motion
Section II: Through the Pulse
Choreographer: Juliana Freude in collaboration with the dancers
Performers: Brooklyn Bailey, Destiny Cavener, Lily Cox, Kaylee Gresham, Allison Hall, Jenna Hemenway, Bella McComis, Anne O’Neill, Elayna
Pittman, Charlotte Thebert
Music: Bus Stop by Michael Wall and Tiny Computer by Michael Wall
Costume Designer: Cathleen O’Neal
Lighting Designer: Lauren Avery Jones
“Reclaim”
Directors: Bella McComis and Erin Finnegan
Writers: Bella McComis and Erin Finnegan
Cinematographer: Bella McComis
Editor: Bella McComis
Dancer: Anne O’Neill
“Held Under Cries”
Choreographer: Renée Woodruff
Performers: Destiny Cavener, Jenna Hemenway, Elin Smith, Renée Woodruff
Music: Last Night I Heard Everything in Slow Motion by Oliver Tank, Therapy Session (Official Instrumental) by NF; Edited by Renée Woodruff
Costume Designer: Renée Woodruff
Lighting Designers: Gabrielle Sowell and Josey Maddox
Please note this dance contains themes and content that could be distressing for some audience members, including depictions of trauma, anxiety, and interpersonal conflict. We encourage you to take care of yourselves during the performance. If you need a moment, please feel free to step out. Thank you for your understanding.
“It’s
All About the Shoes”
Choreographer: Emilie Tobias
Performers: Kaylee Gresham, Ethan Rogers, Bailey Gieger, Charlotte
Thebert, Grace Lovell, Ellison Whetzel, Brooklyn Bailey, Elayna Pittman, Andrea Barnett, Ava Miller
Music: These Boots Are Made For Walking by Nina Martinique, In These Shoes by Helena Jessie, Blue Suede Shoes by Carl Perkins, and Oye Cómo Va by Tito Puente
Costume Designer: Cathleen O’Neal
Lighting Designer: Patrick Schoen
“Beyond Silence ”
Choreographers: Anne O’Neill and Renée Woodruff
Performers: Anne O’Neill and Renée Woodruff
Music: Households by Sleeping At Last; Sound performed by Lily Cox, Addison Davis, Kaylee Gresham, Katie Howell, and Alina Pishock. Edited by Renée Woodruff
Costume Designer: Anne O’Neill and Renée Woodruff
Digital Scenography: Renée Woodruff
Lighting Designers: Elizabeth Brosman and Ethan Rogers
“Precipice”
Choreographer: Natalie King
Performers: Kadence Amerson, Ava Bowers, Tess Davidson, Bailey Geiger, Allison Hall, Sara Hamfeldt, Natalie Heddleson, Madeleine Jarret-lazzari, Katherine Lish, Grace Lovell, Kayla Moss, Mary Smith, Mackenzie
Newcomb-Thompson, Vee Todd
Music: Looping Concerto for Violin, Electronics and Orchestra: III. Graceful Circles by Alicia Enstrom
Costume Designer: Cathleen O’Neal and Natalie King
Lighting Designer: Jaiden Connel and Sophia Wilson
“Cardiac Circulation”
Choreographer: Lily Cox
Performers: Andrea Barnett, Jenna Hemenway, Emma Laprade, Kanchan
Laul, Anne O’Neill, Ellison Whetzel
Music: Souvenir d’Italie Stradivsrius Dimmi un po’ sinatra All by Lelio Luttazzi and Heartbeat imitation by Kieran Laprade
Costume Designer: Lily Cox
Lighting Designer: Hannah Zdancewicz
“The Anteroom”
Choreographer: Helen Garcia-Carreras
Performers: Bailey Geiger, Kaylee Gresham, Jody Hensley, Katie Howell, Elin Smith
Music: Proud Riff composed by Richard Oberacker and Taylor Robert, Django’s Tiger composed by Django Reinhardt
Costume Designer: Cathleen O’Neal and Helen Garcia-Carreras
Lighting Designer: Bentley Savelle
“Excerpt from The Sleeping Beauty, Act III Female Bluebird Variation II”
Original Choreographer: Marius Petipa
Restage by: Juliana Freude
Performers: Katherine Lish
Music: The Sleeping Beauty, Op 66, Aurora’s Wedding: Act III No. 12, Bluebird Pas De deux composed by Peter llyitch Tschaikovsky in a version by Anna-Marie Holmes. Edited and conducted by Kevin Galié, The Evergreen Symphony Orchestra
Costume Designer: Juliana Freude
Lighting Designer: Kenda Williams
“A Taste of Ballroom”
Choreographer: Kaylee Gresham
Performers: Megan Baggs, Destiny Cavener, Lily Cox, Bailey Geiger, Kaylee Gresham, Allison Hall, Sara Hamfeldt, Grace Lovell, Bella McComis, Elayna Pittman, Abbey Saunders, Charlotte Thebert
Music: Sing, Sing, Sing by the BBC Big Band Orchestra, Once Upon a Dream by Invadable Harmony, Spanish Flame by Maxine Rodriguez, Sway Dance With Me by Watazu, Would You by Dj Maksy, Bailar by Deorro; Edited by Kaylee Gresham
Costume Designer: Kaylee Gresham
Lighting Designers: Ruth Rodriguez and Gabriel Purdum
Finale
CHI TAU EPSILON
Chi Tau Epsilon, Georgia College & State University's dance honor society, promotes dance and scholarship. The organization was established at GCSU in February 2013 and is the fifth chapter in the nation.
PRODUCTION TEAM
★ Chair, Department of Theatre and Dance: Eric Griffis
★ GCSU Interim Director of Dance: Natalie King
★ GCSU Dance Lecturer: Juliana Freude
★ Technical Director: Patrick Hamilton
★ Lighting Supervisor: Beate Czogalla
★ Projectionist: Casey Sarrazin
★ Stage Manager: Patrick Schoen
★ Shift Crew/Curtain Pull: Charles Alfaro
★ Assistant Stage Managers: Kiley Fry, Jody Hensley
★ Sound Board Operator: Alexander Rice
★ Costume Shop Supervisor: Cathleen O’Neal
★ Costume Coordinator: Laurence Grau
★ Russell Auditorium Manager: Keith Bergeron
★ Office Manager: Jennifer Gheesling
★ House Manager: Sarah Barnhart
★ Box Office: Amelia Daws
★ Assistant House Managers: Sam Steinman, Lily Harris
★ Curtain Gobo Design: Josey Maddox
★ Program/Posters: GCSU Creative Services
★ Videographer and Photographer: Michael Crews
A SPECIAL THANK YOU
President Cathy Cox • Interim Provost Holley Roberts • Interim Dean Indiren Pillay Chair, Department of Theatre and Dance: Eric Griffis
To donate online, scan the QR code to make a donation to GCSU Theatre and Dance Department.
To donate by mail, please make a donation to: “GCSU Foundation—Theatre and Dance” c/o Georgia College & State University Theatre and Dance Department, CBX 119, Milledgeville, GA 31061
Spotlight your business in our season playbills by contacting Jennifer Gheesling at jennifer.gheesling@gcsu.edu.
SPOTLIGHTS SUPPORTERS
The Department of Theatre would like to extend a special thank you to our friends and supporters who generously gave to our GCSU Theatre Scholarship Fund or GCSU Theatre Foundation fund from Jan. 1, 2020 to the present.
Platinum Level: $5,000 or more
Dr. Karen Berman
Paul G. Accettura
Beth Thompson
Dr. Ken Proctor
Silver Level: $1,000-$2,499
Mr. and Mrs. John A. Pursley III
Green Level: $500-$999
Karen Carney
Bravo!
Blue Level: $100-$499
Mike and Carol McDonald
Darlene Tighe
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Burrell
William Ash
Doug and Kyle Rick
Patrick Gamble
Mr. and Mrs. David Thompson
Ellen Goodrich
Beate Czogalla
Amy Pinney
Becky Thompson in honor of Laura Wright
Charles Schwab
We are proud to again thank our patrons who generously donated since Oct. 1, 2020, to our exclusive dance organization we call Bravo! Bravo! members have the satisfaction of knowing their gift helps provide top-level instruction and support for dance at Georgia College & State University and in our community.
Thank you, thank you, Bravo! patrons.
Sugar Plum Level ($500 and up)
Anne Kane in honor of Rebekah Aubry
Stacey Norris Kessler Foundation in honor of Sarah Wright and Lea Gonzalez
Snow Queen Level ($250 - $499)
Chandler Brothers Ace Hardware in honor of Rebekah Aubry
Douglas and Kyle Rick
Tara Rocker in honor of Isabelle and Eleanor Rocker
Angel Level ($150 - $249)
Becky Thompson in honor of Sarah Wright
John E. and Louise L. Sallstrom in honor of Madison McDade
Soldier Level ($100 - $149)
Karen Berman
Timothy and Nikki Hasty in honor of Clara Ann Smith
Laura Wright in honor of Sarah Wright
Snowflake Level ($50 - $99)
Timothy and Nikki Hasty in honor of CJ Ballew
Michelle Smith in honor of Kaylee and Morgan Smith
Bravo! membership includes:
Sugar Plum Level ($500 and up):
Nutcracker tickets
Snow Queen Level ($250 - $499):
Nutcracker tickets
Angel Level ($150 - $249): 3 Nutcracker tickets
Soldier Level ($100 - $149):
Nutcracker tickets
Snowflake Level ($50 - $99):
ticket
