FEATURED SENIOR CHOREOGRAPHERS
ANNA SHELTON
MCKENNA BIZAL
MORGAN BLANTON
TARA BURGAT
ALSO FEATURING
MODERN/CONTEMPORARY III
UNITY HIP HOP
DECEMBER 7 & 8, 2024
KU Theatre & Dance Land Acknowledgment
Translation from Menominee to English
The KU Department of Theatre & Dance acknowledges that our performances take place on the ancestral homelands of several Tribal Nations, including the Kansa/ Kaw, the Osage. Specifically, the University of Kansas occupies land forcefully ceded in an 1825 treaty with the Kansa/Kaw Nation and a later treaty removing the Delaware/Lenape people.
This traditional territory was not a single property with border lines but rather maintained by Tribal peoples as traditional stewards, and we recognize an enduring relationship exists tying Tribal peoples to the land. Elements of the land remain embedded into their Tribal identities, culture, and language. The Department emphatically recognizes and supports the sovereignty of the four federally recognized Tribal Nations present in Kansas today: the Potawatomi, Kickapoo, Sac and Fox, and Iowa.
As we gather in this community space, we ask that you all take a moment to give thanks for this day as we celebrate and honor the contribution of this production by the KU Department of Theatre & Dance. We ask that you feel the good energy, passion, and commitment of the students and help us to honor their gifts they will share today. We wish for you to be rejuvenated and take this good energy and find a way to share a little with your community and others. The world needs laughter, music, dance, and the arts–the language of universal love. The land is home to us all. In the name of humanity, we ask for a final moment of reflection as we recognize and honor the past, and most importantly the arts and culture of the original people of this land.
The Department looks forward to future partnerships and collaborations that honor this land acknowledgment. Enjoy the production and safe travels to all.
Invest in our Future
Fall Senior Dance Showcase
Sherbon Blackbox Theatre, Robinson Center
Livestreamed
Dec. 7, 7 pm
Dec. 8, 2 pm
It is free to view the livestream at dance.ku.edu. Senior Showcase is performed with a limited, in-person audience.
Give to the Dance Development Fund
Producing dance both in-person and online with no ticket fees allows us share our art with a larger and more far-flung audience than ever before. Thank you for joining us. In lieu of payment of ticket fees, supporters may contribute to the Dance Development Fund, through KU Endowment.
https://rockcha.lk/dancedev
Showcase Production Credits
Faculty Producer. Maya Tillman-Rayton
Faculty Choreographer Mentor. Michelle Heffner Hayes
Faculty Design Mentor. Ann Sitzman
Faculty Stage Management Mentor. Jenna Link
Stage Manager. John Stecher, Jr.
Assistant Stage Manager. Katherine Leverenz
Lighting Designer. August Rowse
Sound Op. Emma Torchia
Crew. Brandon Cornwall, River Ott
Video/Streaming Technician. Cliff Hoitt-Lange, Jennifer Walker
Graphic Design. Chris Millspaugh
Photographer. Luke Jordan
Énouement
choreographer. Anna Shelton
music. Husks and Shells and Island, IS by Volcano Choir dancers. Cullen Krishna, Sophia Harrison, Madi Seelye, Joslyn Vetock, Dylan Pope, Abigail Lorenz, Alexandria Demps, Sofia Dunkleberger, Kaylee Lempke, Morgan Blanton
Énouement. The bittersweetness of having arrived in the future, seeing how things turn out, but not being able to tell your past self. Department
The Anatomy of a Goodbye
choreographer. McKenna Bizal
music. Faith/Space performed by Benefleur and composed by John Hudson, Nostalgia No. 5 in F# Minor” composed and performed by Nicholas Schemmel, Love Through Time composed and performed by Henry Monahan
dancers. Mia Godinez, Cullen Krishna, Lucie Lane, Abigail Lorenz, Dylan Pope
The Anatomy of a Goodbye is a look into the process of releasing what no longer serves you and acknowledging the pain that may come with it. This encompasses the journey of learning that instead of trying to breathe life into something that is long gone, sometimes it is best to move forward. There is an emotional weight that comes with a goodbye, but also a sense of relief. The nuanced dichotomy of this journey can create a sense of conflict and confusion, but more importantly, a sense of healing. This piece is about the wins, losses, yeses, nos, rejections, roadblocks, and frustrations. It is a piece of my heart left on the stage that I will always love..
Choices? [Digital Excerpt from Off-Site Performance]
choreographer. Tara Leigh Burgat performers. ShonMichael Anderson, Katelyn Arnold, Tanner Ashenfelter, Allison FitzSimmons, Cooper Holmes, Essy Siegel
Choices? is a newly devised work that examines the topics of curation, time and place, the attention economy, and autonomy. Colliding exponentially are the compounding, fleeting, embodied experiences of a layering of choices that create the landscape of our daily lives. The performance was presented on December 1st in the Spencer Museum of Art gallery space. A special thank you to the Museum for their support of this work.
Department of Theatre & Dance
Dependency
choreographer. Morgan Blanton
music. The Rocket Builder (Lo Pan!) composed by Jóhann Jóhannsson
dancers. Abby Boyd, Alexandria Demps, Sofia Dunkelberger, Sophia Harrison, Olivia Johnson, Cullen Krishna, Sarah Perez, Madi Seelye, Anna Shelton, Nikolette Treadwell, Joslyn Vetock, Elizabeth Wellman
Dependency is a somatic exploration of the physical act of dependence on one another. The focus is less on a narrative and more on tactility. Using the action of being felt and response to touch served as a catalyst for this creation. The dancers portray a bodily encapsulation of necessity and reliance. There is a constant question being posed: What can hold, and what can be held?
Presenting Senior Capstone Choreographers
Alphabetically listed
McKenna Bizal
McKenna is a senior, graduating in May with a double major in Dance/Psychology, and a minor in Sociology. She plans on getting her certification in Child Life Specialty after graduation. She would like to thank her Mom and Dad, Cami, Emma, and all her friends and family. This piece would not be possible without the generosity of Owen Unrein and his musical contributions. She would also like to thank the teachers who got her here; notably: Molly and Dillon Malinski, Michele Hamlett-Weith, Tristian Griffin, Michelle Heffner Hayes, and Shannon Stewart. Thank you for everything.
Morgan Blanton
Morgan’s training began in Newton, KS, where she studied primarily in Horton technique. Her experience at KU has made her fall in love with all things modern technique. She currently teaches all styles of dance in the surrounding area. She is also a member of a choreography company that allows her to travel and share her creative efforts with dance teams. Eventually, she wants to make the transition to work and develop pieces within a concert dance setting.
Presenting Senior Capstone Choreographers
Tara Leigh Burgat
Tara is in her final year of study in the Department of Theatre & Dance. Her roots are in the Kansas City metro, and her life experiences span the globe. Her background in dance and theatre began in her growing years, and her pursuit has yet to stop. She studied dance, theatre, design, and leadership at the University of Kansas, a unique blend that melds her creative side with organization, focus, and respectful collaboration. She works regionally in Kansas City in musical theatre and dance education. She is also completing her certification for Intimacy Choreography for Live Performance. Her passion is creating movement-centered work and cultivating uplifting working spaces for performers. Let us see where the journey continues!
Anna Shelton
Anna is a Dance BFA major and Theatre minor from Hesston, KS. She has performed in University Dance Company every semester, as well as in several Jayhawk Performance Labs and Senior Showcases. She is also President of University Dance Company and Co- Director of Jayhawk Tap Company. She has also taken part in several University Theatre shows such as Cabaret and Ordinary Days and will be a part of Pippin next semester.
NOTE about livestream: While promoted as part of the Showcase, the KU Karisma/UNITY performances and the Modern/Contemporary III performances will not be available to view via livestream. Only the four senior capstone works will be livestreamed.
KU DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE & DANCE
Henry Bial Chair
Maya Tillman-Rayton Director of Dance
Markus Potter Artistic Director
Jenna Link Production Manager
Jim Dick Managing Director
FACULTY
Erin Barnett • Jane Barnette • Ashley Brittingham • Claire Buss
Dennis Christilles • Rana Esfandiary • Justin Harbaugh
Michelle Heffner Hayes • Alex Haynes • Laura Kirk • Mechele Leon
Michelle Miller • Logan Pachciarz • Marisa Plasencia • Rebecca Rovit
Ann Sitzman • Shannon Stewart • Kelly Vogel •Tom Zhang
PROFESSIONAL STAFF
Technical Director Alex Weston • Scene Shop Manager Dave Wanner
Costume Shop Manager Gail Trottier • Marketing Communications
Coordinator Lisa Coble-Krings • Administrative Associates Lowen
Millspaugh & Jack Rischer • Accounting Specialist Christina Fowles
HR Specialist Hannah Casto • Academic Advisor Christian Boudreaux
STUDENT PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS
Lead House Manager Madeleine Morris
House Managers & Event Staff Clara Childs • Aiden Howell
Jachelle Jones • Gus Ketchell
Administrative & Box Office Assistants Clara Childs • Paige Hinca
Aiden Howell • Connor L. Maloney • Madeleine Morris
Anna Shelton • Kinzie Wilmes
Marketing Assistant Maren Meneley
Costume Assistants Joey Albano • Elliot Bowman • Zoe English
Reese Gilmore • Lacey Marr
Lighting/Projections Assistants Sean Ingram • Katie Missel
Kennedy Tolar
Scenic Assistants Abbie Needham • John Stecher, Jr. • Sam White
Sound Assistants Cole Dickey • Cliff Hoitt-Lange • Hana Rose North
Emma Torchia
