Dance Makers 2023

Artistic Director Maxine Steinman

Sound Designer Kimberly O’Loughlin

Production Stage Manager Brie Guillen

Duration: One hour and 10 minutes, no intermission.

In consideration of both audiences and performers, please turn off all electronic devices. The taking of photographs or videos and the use of recording equipment are not permitted. No food or drink is permitted in the theater.

Program

All pieces are premieres. Costumes are designed by the choreographers except where noted.

Cellular Playground

Choreographer Cate Cameron

Music Vinny Robles, Original Score

Lighting Designer Ryan Randazzo

Dancers Katelyn “Vicky” Batista, Mia Crider, Vanessa Martinez, Juliana Martins, Isabella Merola, Anne Mohan, Freya Palley, Mo Spiecker

Simulacrum Shakti

Choreographer/Dancer Selah Piett

Music Dev Hynes, “By Ourselves”; Ashlee Haze, “For Colored Girls” (spoken word); Charles Mingus, “Myself When I Am Real”

Lighting Designer Sydney Cheplic

But for Now, It’s Nameless

Choreographer Amina Kolenc

Music Caroline Shaw and Attacca Quartet, The Evergreen: I. Moss, IV. Root

Lighting Designer Ryan Randazzo

Dancers Amara Kennedy, Chloe McArthur

Curated Chaos

Choreographer McKenzie Brewer

Music Raime, “The Last Foundry”

Lighting Designer Sydney Cheplic

Dancers Faith Bender, Steven Camacho, Marisa D’amico, Allie McDonnell, Maddie McKnight, Alyssa Miller, Caroline Murray, Chloe Sinoway, Vanessa Traina

Abnegation/Dissipation

Choreographers/Dancers Shaena Kate, Gabby Meza

Music Hrysoula Stefanaki, “Apo Mesa Penthamenos”; Alfred Schnittke and Tale Quartet, String Quartet No. 2, I. Moderato

Lighting Designer Sydney Cheplic

A license to use the music was granted by Protasis Music/Publishing Greece.

An Impaired Accord

Choreographer Brooke Moody

Music Michael Wall, “3 147”

Lighting Designer Ryan Randazzo

Dancers Maddie McKnight, Brooke Moody, Coco Petrin

Unwitnessed

Choreographer Emma Greenspan

Music CoH and Cosey Fanni Tutti, “Mad” (edited by Riley Greenspan)

Lighting Designer Ryan Randazzo

Dancers Laila Garrett, Juliana Martins, Lily Millard, Isabella Verma

The Vacant Chest

Choreographer/Dancer Meghan Brislin

Music Meghan Brislin, original poem “Ode to an Unbeaten Heart”; The Vernon Spring, “On the 21st of May”; Lara Somogyi, “acceptances”

Lighting Designer Sydney Cheplic

La Espera

Choreographer Alexis Emmanuel Cruz-Castro

Music 1. Man Watching the Stars, “Fields”; 2. Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, “Why so Serious?”; 3. Chavela Vargas, “Rayando El Sol”; 4. Johnny Conga, Conga Solo 2 Drums

Lighting Designer Sydney Cheplic

Dancers Faith Bender, Cate Cameron, Mia Crider, Anne Mohan, Freya Palley, Olivia Wojtowicz

Wilted Greens

Choreographer Jack Puluka

Music Jimi Hendrix, “May This Be Love”; Jim Croce, “Time in a Bottle”

Lighting Designer Sydney Cheplic

Dancers Kierstyn Edore, Jack Puluka

Sweet Mistakes

Choreographer Miguel Miranda

Music Pink Martini, “Bolero”

Costume Designer Andrew Linden

Lighting Designer Ryan Randazzo

Dancers Angeleah Agosto, Nicole Arakaki, Danielle Gutt, Riley Rienert, Isa Segall, Jordon Woolridge

Full program with all artists biographies to be found at

Biographies

Maxine Steinman (Artistic Director) is associate professor/program coordinator of the BFA Dance Division at Montclair State University (MSU). She has presented her choreography at Joyce Soho, 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Festival, Westfest Dance Festival, American Dance Guild Festival, DUMBO, Battery Dance Festival, Making Moves Festival, Outlet Dance Festival, Liberty Hall Dance Festival, and others and was an artist-in residence at The Church in Mount Vision, NY. She has traveled to Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Lebanon, and Cyprus to teach, choreograph, and perform her work. Jack Anderson and Jennifer Dunning of the New York Times have called her choreography “ingenious” and a “jewel,” and twice she was awarded grants from the O’Donnell-Green Foundation for Music and Dance. Steinman has created works for MSU, Hofstra University, Fordham Ailey BFA Program, Marymount Manhattan College, the Ailey School, Institut del Teatre, Centro Andaluz de Danza, and University of Colima, among others. Steinman holds a BFA (Adelphi University), an MA (Teachers College Columbia University), and an MFA (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts).

McKenzie Brewer is a junior at MSU pursuing her BFA in Dance. Before attending MSU, Brewer studied at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, FL, under the guidance of April Henehan and Ellie Potts Barrett. She has performed works by Jesse Obremski, Fredrick Earl Mosley, Jennifer Archibald, Daniel Padierna, Christian von Howard, Paul Taylor, and Maxine Steinman. She choreographed many pieces throughout high school and was recognized with the Award of Excellence for Choreography PTSA Reflections in 2019. This is her second time choreographing for Dance Makers.

Meghan Brislin (Bucks County, PA) is currently pursuing her BFA in Dance Performance from MSU. Brislin has had the privilege of performing in works by Urban Bush Women, Stefanie Batten Bland, Michelle Manzanales, Maxine Steinman, and Jessica DiMauro Marks. In addition to concert performing, Brislin has partaken in theme park entertainment where she has been a brand ambassador for Sesame Place for the past five years.

Cate Cameron is a dance artist from Durham, NC, currently pursuing her BFA in Dance at MSU with a minor in Musical Theatre. She has studied many different styles of dance and likes to bring all of those influences into her choreography. A lover of experimental movement, she works from a place of curiosity, exploration, and play. Her current work is informed by her love of science and the natural world. A junior, this is her first time showing work in Dance Makers.

Alexis Emmanuel Cruz-Castro is a junior BFA Dance major at MSU. He was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where he got most of his training. Cruz-Castro attended summer dance programs at Alvin Ailey and Ballet Hispanico and most recently, he participated at the Moulin Belle Artistic Residency in France. This is his first work as a choreographer in Dance Makers.

Emma Greenspan (she/her) is a sophomore pursuing her BFA in Dance from MSU. She has performed in works by Michelle Manzanales, Jessica DiMauro Marks, Maxine Steinman, Amy Marshall, Michael Foley, Laurie De Vito, Cameron McKinney, and Daniel Padierna. She received her training from Steffi Nossen School of Dance and has participated in workshops and intensives with EMIA, Urban Bush Women, and Carolyn Dorfman Dance.

Shaena Kate (Greensboro, NC) is a current senior at MSU, earning her BFA in Dance. Kate has performed in works by Stefanie Batten Bland, Urban Bush Women, Pamela Pietro, Emmanuel Phoun, Jessica DiMauro Marks, and Leigh Ann Gann. She finds great joy in creating dance, having presented work through organizations such as Arts by the People. Her collaborative work has taken her throughout the US and abroad, most recently with the University of Dundee, Scotland. Currently, she works on the production team for Punchdrunk’s ongoing NYC production, Sleep No More.

Amina Kolenc (she/her) is graduating this spring with a BFA in Dance from MSU. She has performed in works by Brice Mousset, Urban Bush Women, Stefanie Batten Bland, Michelle Manzanales, and Christian von Howard. In addition, she has participated in the Bates Dance Festival and workshops with the Limón Dance Company. Previously, her choreographic work was featured in MSU’s Creative Collaborations showcase, in partnership with Arts by the People.

Gabby Meza, a New Jersey native, is currently pursuing her BFA in Dance at MSU. She spent her summers studying many different styles, including Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Gaga, Kova, and Flamenco with Ballet Hispanico, Doug Varone, and Fredrick Earl Mosley in New York and Spain. Through her cultural background and Zumba certification, she is experienced in Latin and Afro styles such as Cumbia, Soca, Reggaeton, Salsa, etc. Meza has performed works by Michelle

Manzanales, Miguel Miranda, Stefanie Batten Bland, Jessica DiMauro Marks, and Maxine Steinman.

Miguel Miranda (Lima, Perú) was invited as an apprentice with the Ballet San Marcos Dance Company in Lima, Perú, after which he came to New York to study at Ballet Hispanico and then at MSU to pursue a degree in Dance. A graduating senior, he has danced the works of Maxine Steinman, Ohad Naharin, Stefanie Batten Bland, Gregory Dolbashian, Joshua Manculich, Fredrick Earl Mosley, Yusha-Marie Sorzano, and Dolly Sfeir. His choreography has been in Dance Makers, Koresh Dance Company choreographic showcase, the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) Animation Festival, and the American College Dance Association Conference.

Brooke Moody (she/her), a Richmond, VA, native, began her dance training at Richmond Dance Center and Henrico High School Center for the Arts. She is currently a sophomore at MSU pursuing a BFA in Dance. She has performed in works by Christian von Howard, Kathleen Kelley, Cameron McKinney, and Jessica DiMauro Marks. She participated in Bates Dance Festival in summer 2022, where she studied under Shura Baryshnikov, Kimani Fowlin, and many other artists.

Selah Piett (she/her) is a junior BFA Dance major at MSU. She previously started her training in Newark, NJ, at Newark School of the Arts High School as a Dance major as well as a scholarship student at the Ailey school. She has performed in works by Kathleen Kelley, Bradley Shelver, Maxine Steinman, Christian von Howard, and Yusha-Marie Sorzano. Her affinity for the arts and the community has strengthened her commitment to help other young aspiring artists in the future.

Jack Puluka (he/she) is a Central Jersey native with a deep adoration for showcasing personal stories. Graduating from MSU with his BFA in Dance and minor in Filmmaking, she has worked with artists such as Garret Coleman, Jessica DiMauro Marks, Christian von Howard, Stefanie Batten Bland, Paul Taylor Company, Darrah Carr, Seán Curran, Urban Bush Women, and Dolly Sfeir. Puluka strives to continue exploring the art of amplifying storytelling through movement and multimedia for all audiences.

Sydney Cheplic (Lighting Designer) is a junior at MSU getting her first opportunity to showcase her designs. She is from Weehawken, NJ, and is studying lighting and sound in the Design, Technology, and Management major. She has worked on other shows over the course of her career, here such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Fall Dance 2022, The Names We Gave Him, and many more. She is very thankful for this opportunity to work with all of the wonderful choreographers and their casts as well as the mentors who have been there to guide her along the way. She hopes to paint a picture to accentuate the beautiful choreography and dancing you’ll see tonight, and she hopes that you enjoy the show!

Ryan Randazzo (Lighting Designer) is a junior at MSU and is getting his first taste of designing in Memorial Auditorium. He grew up in upstate New York and is a New York–based lighting designer. He has worked behind the scenes on other shows at MSU, most notably, A Chorus Line, Top Girls, Into the Woods, Black Snow, and Elephant’s Graveyard. Randazzo is really excited to be working on Dance Makers and alongside his co-lighting designer, Sydney Cheplic.

Kimberly O’Loughlin (Sound Designer) is a Queer Transfeminine New York City–based sound designer and composer. Select MSU credits include Pippin and Elephant’s Graveyard. Selected Off-Broadway/NYC credits include Two by Synge (Irish Rep), While You Were Partying (SoHo Rep), Leaving Eden and Overture (NYMF ’19), Drama League Director Fest 2022 (A.R.T./NY), Ogygia (The Tank), and What’s Your Wish (NYMF ’18). Selected regional credits include I Am My Own Wife (Long Wharf), The October Storm (Hudson Stage), Till (ATG), Into the Woods, and Lucky Stiff (The Barnstormers Theatre). IG:kimomakessounds

Brie Guillen (Production Stage Manager) is a junior in the BFA Design, Technology, and Management program, with a concentration in stage management. Recent stage managerial credits at MSU include Elephant’s Graveyard, Pippin, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Dean Gurskis for his generous support of Dance Division programming.

Thank you to Gerald Appelstein for his generous scholarship support for Dance majors.

Thank you to Randy Mugleston, and Elizabeth McPherson for their support and leadership, and to student mentors Maxine Steinman, Stefanie Batten Bland, Jessica DiMauro Marks, Karen Gayle, Christian von Howard, and Kathleen Kelley.

Thank you to the staff and crew for Dance Makers 2023 and to Christian von Howard for creating the digital flier.