Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts
UConn Fall 2021 Dance Showcase featuring UConn Dance Company & University Ballet Company
Tuesday, December 7th, 2021 7:00 pm
UCONN DANCE COMPANY
EXECUTIVE BOARD PRESIDENT: Olivia Theroux, Senior VICE PRESIDENT: Rachel Guire, Senior SECRETARY: Aliza Kennelly, Junior TREASURER: Claire Sullivan, Junior PUBLIC RELATIONS CHAIR: Isabella Perry, Senior SHOWCASE MANAGER: Ashley Johanson, Sophomore EXTERNAL AFFAIRS CHAIR: Annika Haerle, Senior
“Pon De Replay” Music: Pon De Replay - Rihanna Choreographed by: Makayla Iarrapino Performed by: Maggie Chafouleas, Isabella Perry, Kylee Raiano, Ashley Johanson, Caroline Wilkins, Caroline Badot, Lucy Carlos, Olivine Harvey, Kim Kabulis, Melissa Joslin, Abby Hurd, Lauren Melocowsky, Makayla Iarropino “Twice” Music: Twice - Little Dragon Choreographed by: Annika Haerle Performed by: Isabella Perry, Ashley Johanson, Annika Haerle, Rachel Carbone, Olivia Parker, Jillian Maranda, Alexis Kreuscher, Olivine Harvey, Natalie Cooper, Amber Olgac, Trevor Mazzei
“Pretty Please” Music: Pretty Please - Dua Lipa Choreographed by: Maggie Chafouleas Performed by: Erica Hindle, Maria Menoutis, Haley Jackson, Maggie Chafouleas, Alexis Kreuscher, Micayla Barrows, Kim Kabulis, Emma Stone, Amber Olgac, Abby Hurd, Caroline Badot, Olivia Parker Guest Performance: Husky Bhangra “K.” Music: K. - Cigarettes After Sex Choreographed by: Olivia Theroux Performed by: Rachel Guire, Makayla Iarrapino, Olivia Theroux, Madeline Peling, Olivine Harvey, Kim Kabulis, Abby Hurd, Lucy Carlos, Trevor Mazzei, Erica Hindle “Finesse” Music: Finesse- Bruno Mars Choreographed by: Jamie Mandano Performed by: Annika Haerle, Claire Sullivan, Aliza Kennelly, Jamie Mandano, Haley Jackson, Sara Donnelly, Kylee Raiano, Caroline Wilkins, Trevor Mazzei, Kim Kabulis, Emma Stone, Melissa Joslin, Olivia Parker, Erica Hindle, Lauren Melocowsky Spring 2020 Recognition Video “Haunted” Music: Haunted - Beyoncé Choreographed by: Rachel Guire Performed by: Amber Olgac, Rachel Guire, Claire Sullivan, Aliza Kennelly, Makayla Iarrapino, Isabella Perry, Jamie Mandano, Madeline Peling, Kylee Raiano, Caroline Wilkins, Micayla Barrows, Julia Cirrone, Lauren Melocowsky, Olivia Theroux, Caroline Badot, Haley Jackson, Ashley Johanson “The Mask” Music: The Mask - Matt Maeson Choreographed By: Maria Menoutis Performed by: Annika Haerle, Maria Menoutis, Haley Jackson, Sara Donnelly, Jillian Maranda, Trevor Mazzei, Natalie Cooper, Olivia Parker, Amber Olgac “Falling” Music: Falling – Harry Styles Choreographed by: Claire Sullivan Performed by: Olivia Theroux, Rachel Guire, Claire Sullivan, Aliza
Kennelly, Jamie Mandano, Rachel Carbone, Kylee Raiano, Alexis Kreuscher, Makayla Iarrapino, Sammi Esposito, Lucy Carlos, Emma Stone
“Paradise” Music: Paradise - Coldplay Choreographed by: Erica Hindle Performed by: Annika Haerle, Erica Hindle, Melissa Joslin, Rachel Carbone, Madeline Peling, Sara Donnelly, Olivine Harvey, Caroline Badot, Sammi Esposito “Fire On Fire” Music: Fire on Fire - Sam Smith Choreographed by: Isabella Perry Performed by: Annika Haerle, Melissa Joslin, Rachel Guire, Aliza Kennelly, Makayla Iarrapino, Olivia Theroux, Isabella Perry, Jamie Mandano, Sara Donnelly, Micayla Barrows, Lauren Melocowsky, Abby Hurd, Lucy Carlos, Caroline Wilkins, Natalie Cooper, Emma Stone, Julia Cirrone UDC Fall 2021 Video Finale Music: Came Here For Love –Sigala, Ella Eyre Choreographed by: Aliza Kennelly Performed by: The Cast of UDC
Thank you to Gwyneth Carrell and Event Services, UCSPAN and the Jorgensen Staff, our stage managers, our Guest Performance by Husky Bhangra, our advisor Rodney Rock, and our friends and family for their endless support.
UNIVERSITY BALLET COMPANY
Synopsis Our story begins on Christmas Eve after the Stahlbaum family has had the most wonderful party. All the guests have said goodbye except Clara’s beloved Godfather Drosselmeyer who has one more special present to give Clara. Drosselmeyer is a renowned toymaker and magician whose gifts always delight. This Christmas, he gifts Clara with a Nutcracker doll which Clara dances with right away. In her excitement, Clara drops the Nutcracker, breaking it, but Drosselmeyer quickly mends the doll. After he does so, Clara puts the Nutcracker safely on the chair to rest and is so tired from the night of festivities that she falls asleep beside it. Drosselmeyer puts a spell on Clara that creates the magical world she will dream of. Clara awakens and finds herself in a frightening battle between life-size Mice and Toy Soldiers. The Mouse Queen tries to hurt Clara, but the Nutcracker doll, who has turned into a real soldier, defends her friend and defeats the Mouse Queen, ending the Battle Scene. Clara’s dream then takes her through a blizzard of dancing Snowflakes led by the Snow Queen and travels into the Land of Sweets. The Angels then introduce her to the Sugarplum Fairy. Clara and the Nutcracker enter the Castle where they meet each Sweet: Hot Chocolate, Marzipan, Tea, Candy Canes and the Flowers led by the Dew Drop Fairy. Finally, everyone gathers to dance together and say goodbye to their new friends, Clara and the Nutcracker.
Featuring Sugarplum Fairy, Angelia Prip
Angelia Prip has been dancing for 17 years and trained for several years at Boston Ballet, Kaatsbaan’s third session, French Academie of Ballet and FineLine Theatre Arts directed by Elizabeth Parkinson and Scott Wise. She has been accepted to programs including ABT, Ballet West, and Joffrey Ballet Chicago. Her choreography has been featured at the Young Choreographers’ Festival at The Palace Theatre in Stamford, the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut’s Annual Businesses Support the Arts Conference, The New Milford Art Walk, and this year as part of the Danbury Music Centre’s Nutcracker Ballet. She teaches dance privately, at Newtown Centre for Classical Ballet, Academy of Dance Arts, Brookfield Park & Rec, Robbyn’s Nest and FineLine Theatre Arts. She is an honors student in UConn’s School of Business. She wants to thank her family for all of their support, all of the dancers for an amazing experience and the audience members for coming to UBC’s first show!
Dew Drop, Karolina Zimny
Karolina Zimny has been a dancer for most of her life. She had trained ballet with FineLine Theatre Arts directed by Elizabeth Parkinson and along with other recognizable teachers who danced with New York City Ballet.
She is a junior studying Environmental Science here at the University of Connecticut. She would like to thank the company for all their hard work throughout the semester and to wish everyone an amazing show, Merde!
Snow Queen, Bianca Spataro
Bianca Spataro has been dancing for seventeen years. She has trained at Dance City and the Arts in various styles, including ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, and contemporary. She is currently a junior and an honors student double majoring in Political Science and Human Rights at the University of Connecticut and is preparing to study abroad at the University of Edinburgh next semester, where she hopes to get involved in one of the various dance groups there. She would like to thank all of the incredible dancers who have worked immensely hard to make this performance a success, as well as Angelia Prip and Karolina Zimny for their dedication in starting and running The University Ballet Company.
Marzipan Queen, Deanna Pietrorazio
Deanna has trained in ballet seriously for thirteen years. She mainly danced with Brass City Ballet during this time, but has also trained with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy and been accepted into programs with the American Ballet Theater, Walnut Ballet, Joffrey School of Ballet, and more. She was also accepted as a trainee with Ballet Hartford, but ultimately decided to study Physiology and Neurobiology at UConn. After taking a few years off of training, she is excited to come back to the ballet world to participate in UBC’s first Nutcracker. This year she will be a senior at UConn and would like to thank everyone at UBC for creating such a welcoming community this semester.
Clara, Lela Romeo
Lela Romeo has been dancing for 16 years in various places around the country. She has danced with Ballet NJ for most of her early life in New Jersey, and spent 5 years in Chicago dancing with companies such as ABT, Joffrey School of Ballet and A&A Ballet. She has also been accepted to programs with Boston Ballet, SAB, and has spent summers and various performances with ABT, The Pennsylvania Ballet (now the Philadelphia Ballet) and Joffrey. She ultimately decided to pursue her engineering career at UConn, and is now a freshman Mechanical Engineering major. She looks forward to being on stage once again with a new company, and would love to thank everyone at UBC for the opportunity to perform with them all, and congratulate them on their first performance!
Nutcracker, Tess McGuinness
Tess McGuinness first started dancing as a part of her figure skating training. She has been a competitive figure skater for 14 years and started
taking ballet lessons with one of her coaches about 5 years ago. She is a freshman here at the University of Connecticut. She is excited for her first ballet performance and would like to thank all the dancers at UBC for creating such a welcoming environment.
Leadership PRESIDENT: Angelia Prip VICE PRESIDENT: Karolina Zimny SECRETARY: Bianca Spataro MEMBERSHIP CHAIR: Liliana Johnson Choreography
Angelia Prip: Castle 2, Flowers staging, Tea, Marzipan staging, Chocolate, Castle 1, Sugarplum Fairy staging, Angels, Snow staging, Battle Scene, Post Party Karolina Zimny: Castle 2, Castle 2 Prologue, Flowers staging, Marzipan staging, Castle 1, Sugarplum Fairy Staging, Angels, Post Party Bianca Spataro: Castle 2, Snow staging, Snow Queen solo Liliana Johnson: Candy Canes, Battle Scene staging Julia Crane: Chocolate Entrance Deanna Pietrorazio, Samantha Muia, Lela Romeo: Flowers Soloists Lela Romeo: Clara solos, Post Party State Opera Dresden: Snow Long Beach Ballet: Flowers Atlanta Professional Dance Academy, Artistic Dance Center: Marzipan
Thank You To
Chrys Prip and the Prip Family Rod Rock and Jorgensen Staff Julia Crane Lisa Denton, Arthur Frederic and the Danbury Music Centre Nutcracker Mary-Lee Conte and La Luna Dancewear Dr. Michele Femc-Bagwell
Cast in Order of Appearance POST PARTY
Drosselmeyer: Waldo Klein Clara: Lela Romeo
BATTLE SCENE
Mice: Keteleyne Daly, Jack Kornas, Aina Nambena
Mouse Queen: Madeline Mason Clara: Lela Romeo Nutcracker: Tess McGuinness Soldiers: Camila Porras, Justine Strom
SNOW SCENE
Snow Queen: Bianca Spataro Snow Soloists (en pointe): Rachel Arreguin, Meghan Jezik Snow Corps 1 (en pointe): Morgan Curley, Olivia Dybinsk, Alyssa Frechette, Lydia Ngu Snow Corps 2 (on flat): Claire Grant, Katie O’Brien, Sarah Oltman
LAND OF SWEETS
Angels (en pointe): Alyssa Frechette, Jaclyn Kurys, Tatiana Prip, Lela Romeo: Sugarplum Fairy: Angelia Prip
CASTLE 1
Sugarplum Fairy, Angels, Snow Queen, Coffee, Marzipan, Tea, Candy Canes, Chocolate, Dew Drop Fairy, Flowers, Clara, Nutcracker Chocolate (on flat): Meghan Jezik, Grace Brangwynne, Claire Grant Marzipan Queen: Deanna Pietrorazio Marzipan Princesses (en pointe): Lydia Ngu, Jennifer Tortorici Tea (en pointe): Olivia Dybinski with Allison Appel and Samantha Muia Candy Canes (en pointe): Rachel Arreguin, Morgan Curley
FLOWERS
Dew Drop Fairy: Karolina Zimny Flower Soloists: Samantha Muia, Deanna Pietrorazio Flower Corps 1 (en pointe): Marissa Longo, Jillian Roden, Grace Brangwynne, Allison Appel, Jennifer Tortorici Flower Corps 2 (on flat): Yana Tartakovskiy, Katarina Yacuk, Alisha Nagarsheth, Katja Kwaku
CASTLE 2: PROLOGUE
Flowers Corps, Dew Drop, Sugarplum Fairy, Clara, Snow Queen, Snow Corps
CASTLE 2: FINALE
All dancers: Sugarplum Fairy, Snow Corps, Snow Queen, Flower Corps, Dew Drop, Marzipan, Tea, Angels, Nutcracker, Mouse Queen, Soldiers, Mice, Chocolate, Candycanes