Collage Dance in Concert, Swarthmore March 2023

COLLAGE DANCE IN CONCERT

Presented by the William J. Cooper Foundation in collaboration with the Dance Program in the Department of Music and Dance.

The use of cell phones, cameras, and recording devices without permission is strictly prohibited because it is dangerous to the performers and distracting to other audience members. Devices will be confiscated if seen being used during this evening’s performance. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

COLLAGE DANCE COLLECTIVE COMPANY ARTISTS

Luisa Cardoso, Santiago Castañeda, Rickey Flagg II, Sebastian Garcia, Maya Hawkins, Lauren Huynh, Kendall Lockhart, Nia Lyons, Fábio Mariano, Miyesha McGriff, Summer McNeill, Leonard Perez, Lauren Philson, Caio Rodrigo dos Santos, João Silva and Nya Ham*

*Apprentice

STAFF

Executive Director: Marcellus Harper

Artistic Director: Kevin Thomas

Rehearsal Director: Lenore Pavlakos-Morales

Ballet Master: Yosek Prieto

Ballet Mistress: Lisa Ballo

Production Manager & Lighting Director: Wilburn Bonnell

Stage Manager: Robert McIntyre

Lighting Supervisor: Joey Guthman

Costume Shop Manager: Andrea “Abeo” Brown

Director of Marketing & Communications: Shalishah Franklin

Video Director: David Roseberry

Financial Controller: Justin Johnson

Facilities Manager: Andy Santucci

Events & Rentals Manager: Sherkeitha Mitchell

Operations Manager: Elena Maverick

Community Engagement Manager: Karen Niceley

School Administrator: Mitty Williams

Front Desk Coordinator: Dorian Rhea

Front Desk Associates: McKenzie Carruthers, Imajin Lias, Briana Robinson, Michaela “Grace” Small, Natavion Westbrook

TOUR REPRESENTATION

Edward Schoelwer of Red Shell Mgmt redshellmgmt.org

COLLAGE DANCE COLLECTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dr. Roy Bors-Koefoed, Marcellus Harper, Darren Isom, Jim Jenkins, Sherita Lee, Michael Lofton, Beverly Robertson, Dr. Jessica Ruffin, Jonathan Scharff, Derwin Sisnett, Cameron Smith, Kevin Thomas, Emily Waters

MAJOR FUNDING FOR COLLAGE DANCE COLLECTIVE IS PROVIDED BY:

James R. & Anita Horne Jenkins Family Foundation, South Arts, Ford Foundation, Alice L. Walton Foundation, Tennessee Arts Commission, International Association of Blacks in Dance, Hyde Family Foundation, ArtsMemphis, Shubert Foundation

TONIGHT’S PROGRAM

RISE

CHOREOGRAPHY: Kevin Thomas

MUSIC: Jonathan Kirkscey and Kirk Smith; Text: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

LIGHTING DESIGN: Wilburn Bonnell

SCENIC DESIGN: Ann Beyersdorfer, Scenery painted by Infinite Scenic, LLC

COSTUME DESIGN: Gabriela Moros Diaz

DANCERS:

Caio Rodrigo dos Santos, Maya Hawkins (3/31) Rickey Flagg II, Lauren Huynh (4/1)

Luisa Cardoso, Santiago Castañeda, Sebastian Garcia, Rickey Flagg (3/31), Nya

Ham*, Maya Hawkins (4/1), Lauren Huynh, Nia Lyons, Fábio Mariano, Summer

McNeill, Leonard Perez, Lauren Huynh (3/31), Caio Rodrigo dos Santos (4/1)

COMMUNITY DANCERS:

Alivia Affrunti (4/1), Michelline Bender, Ajah Butler, Mikal Fields, Layla Harris-Fisher, Sebastian McCreary, Anastasia Noble, Alexia Pendergrass, Madison

Richardson, Laila Tolbert, Kylie Tuck, Naiya Vines, Victoria White, Zharia White, Kellyn Williams

SWARTHMORE COLLEGE DANCERS:

Avery Baumel (4/1), Simone Gingerich-Boberg (3/31), Emma Gabriel (4/1), India

Gray (3/31), Emily McClung (4/1), Alexis Metoyer (3/31), Angel Su (3/31), Jenna

Takach, Ellie Tsapatsaris (4/1), Sarah Zanger, Elizabeth Ting (3/31)

* * * PAUSE * * *

GEMS

CHOREOGRAPHY: Amy Hall Garner

MUSIC: Jacques Ammon, Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin, Ahn Trio

LIGHTING DESIGN: DeAnna Howard

COSTUME DESIGN: Denisha Locke

DANCERS: Santiago Castañeda, Sebastian Garcia, Nia Lyons, Maya Hawkins

Jacqueline Acunto (3/31), Avery Baumel (4/1), Katie Carlson (3/31), Caroline Eagly Cummings (4/1), Emma Gabriel (4/1), India Gray (3/31), Nya Ham (4/1), Alexis Metoyer (3/31), Elpiniki (Ellie) Tsapatsaris (4/1), Simone Gingerich-Boberg (3/31), Angel Su (3/31), Sarah Zanger

BLUFF CITY BLUES

CHOREOGRAPHY: Amy Hall Garner

MUSIC: Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Bobby “Blue” Bland and Koko Taylor

LIGHTING DESIGN: Wilburn Bonnell

COSTUME DESIGN: Rebecca Turk

DANCERS: Luisa Cardoso, Santiago Castañeda, Rickey Flagg II, Sebastian Garcia, Maya Hawkins, Lauren Huynh, Nia Lyons, Fábio Mariano, Leonard Perez, and Caio Rodrigo dos Santos

ABOUT COLLAGE DANCE

Collage Dance Collective works to inspire the growth and diversity of ballet by showcasing a repertoire of relevant choreography and world-class dancers representative of our community. The professional company has presented twelve full-length seasons in Memphis, plus national and international touring.

Collage Dance Collective presents a diverse range of classical and contemporary choreography. In addition to Artistic Director, Kevin Thomas, the company’s repertory includes works by George Balanchine, Nacho Duato, Nicolo Fonte, Dwight Rhoden, Kevin Iega Jeff, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Sir Frederick Ashton, Ulysses Dove, Francisco Aviña, Joshua Manculich and Amy Hall Garner.

In December 2020, Collage opened a 22,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility to expand its programming, training and impact. The work of Collage Dance Collective has been featured in media outlets including Huffington Post, Allure, Yahoo!, The Commercial Appeal, Vibe, Afropunk and Pointe Magazine.

MARCELLUS HARPER (FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR) has an expansive background in project management and event production. He has worked as a Program Analyst for the Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA). He was among the first seven employees of the TSA Taskforce mandated by Congress to create and develop the agency and federalize our nation’s transportation security infrastructures. Prior to his work with the TSA, Mr. Harper worked as a Project Coordinator for Marriott International’s corporate marketing department, where he was directly responsible for the development and implementation of several industry events for the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League. Mr. Harper has worked for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Harvard University coordinating special projects to assist research and treatment work for HIV/AIDs patients in Africa. Mr. Harper was a Meyerhoff Scholar at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) where he studied biology and theatre and was a double national medalist in the NAACP’s ACT-SO Program in biology and oratory. Marcellus is the 2011 recipient of the Memphis Urban League Young Professionals’ Change Artist Award in recognition of his achievements towards “positive community influence and unwavering commitment to the arts”. Marcellus holds a Bachelor’s degree in non-profit administration and performing arts and serves on the boards of Tennessee Association of Dance and the Historic Broad Avenue Arts Alliance.

KEVIN THOMAS (FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR) began his dance training with Ecole Superieure de Danse du Quebec in Montreal, Canada, and has danced with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Cleveland/San Jose Ballet and the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) in New York City. He joined DTH in 1995 and was promoted to principal dancer in 1999. With DTH, Mr. Thomas’ credits include leading roles in The Prodigal Son, Dialogues, The Four Temperaments, Othello, Adrian (Angel on Earth), A Song for Dead Warriors, Troy Games, Equuis and Dougla. He has performed leading roles in numerous ballets including, The Nutcracker, Tarantella, Agon, Who Cares, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Don Quixote, Consort Lessons, and Aureole. Mr. Thomas has made guest appearances with the Royal Ballet in London, Complexions Contemporary Ballet in New York and Fleming Flindt and Peter Schaufuss in Denmark. He has also appeared on Broadway in The Phantom of the Opera. Mr. Thomas has choreographed for Nashville Ballet, Opera Memphis, Hattiloo Repertory Theatre, New Ballet Ensemble, Orpheum Theatre, Flint Institute of Music, University of Utah, University of Memphis, and Collage Dance Collective. Mr. Thomas is a National Visiting Fellow at the School of American Ballet.

WILBURN BONNELL (LIGHTING DESIGNER) is a NYC-based lighting designer for all modes of live performance, and is delighted to be continuing his collaboration with Collage Dance Collective as its resident lighting designer. Recent work for Collage: Firebird; Bluff City Blues; Trilogy; In the Mirror of her Mind. New York & Regional Design: Italian American Reconciliation (Royal Family); Luft Gangster (Sheen Center); Candlelight, Half Moon Bay, Comes a Faery, In Fields Where They Lay (New Ohio); Orpheus in the Berkshires (Williamstown); Mr. Irresistible, Project: Lohan (La MaMa); Satchmo at the Waldorf (The Wallis), Deathtrap, White Christmas (Engeman). Broadway Associate Design: A Beautiful Noise; Head Over Heels; Fully Committed; The Anarchist; Jekyll & Hyde. Lighting Supervisor of the Williamstown Theatre Festival, 2010-2017. Proud member of Local USA-829, IATSE & alumnus of Vassar College. bonnelldesign.com

ANN BEYERSDORFER (SCENIC DESIGNER) is a NYC-based set and production designer. TV Design: Saturday Night Live (art director of the Film Unit, NBC), Matt Rogers: Have You Heard of Christmas (production designer, Showtime), Vir Das: Landing (production designer, Netflix). Broadway Associate Design: Company, Ink, Jitney, The Children, and Anastasia (touring and international productions).

Additional Associate Design: Samson et Dalila (The Metropolitan Opera), PHISH New Year’s Eve Concert ‘17/’18 (Madison Square Garden). Select Regional/O!

-Broadway Design: Camelot (The Muny), Carmen (Rose Hall at Lincoln Center), Yoga Play (Syracuse Stage and Geva Theatre), Afterglow (NYC/Los Angeles), We Are the Tigers (NYC), Knead (The Alliance Theatre). Ann is an adjunct theatre design+production professor at Fordham University, is a Live Design/LDI 30 Under 30 recipient (2018), and a member of Local USA-829, IATSE. annbeyersdorfer. com @annbeyersdorfer

DEANNA HOWARD (LIGHTING DESIGNER) is an early-career freelance lighting designer for live performance from Philadelphia. She got her B.F.A. in theatre design and technology from Penn State in May of 2020. Since then she has been an assistant at regional theatres such as Arena Stage and Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and had her NYC design debut in April of last year with New Camerata Opera’s “The Infinite Energy Of Ada Lovelace”. Outside of theatre she has worked in other forms of live performance such as dance, music concerts and opera. DeAnna is so excited to be back in the dance world, where she initially found her love for lighting. deannahowarddesign.com @ddoesthings_

COMPANY DANCERS

Caio Rodrigo Dos Santos Fábio Mariano

Lauren Huynh

Lauren Philson

Leonard Perez Luisa Cardoso

Santiago Castañeda

Miyesha McGriff

Sebastian Garcia Rickey Flagg II Summer McNeill

Maya Hawkins

Nia Lyons Nya Ham

João Pedro Silva Kendall Lockhart

SANTIAGO CASTAÑEDA (Medellin, Colombia)

began his ballet studies at the age of 8 at Andrea Wolff Ballet. After completing high school, Mr. Castañeda moved to Miami and continued his training at the Miami City Ballet School on scholarship. As a student at MCB, Santiago had the opportunity to perform several Balanchine ballets and classical ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia and Ballabile. Mr. Casteñada has had the pleasure of originating roles in works choreographed by Gerald Ebitz Durante Verzola, Ariel Rose and Pam Tanowiz. In 2014, Santiago participated in the Youth America Grand Prix finals where he won two scholarships to the Harid Conservatory and Houston Ballet School. In 2018, Santiago joined Miami City Ballet as an apprentice. As an apprentice, Santiago has performed George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Jewels “Diamonds”, Midsummer Night’s Dream and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue. He also performed works by Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp and Justin Peck. This is Santiago’s third season with Collage Dance Collective.

LUISA CARDOSO (Salvador, Brazil) began her training at Ebateca Escola de Ballet, directed by Juliana De-Vecchi. In 2014 she moved to Miami, FL after receiving a scholarship to attend the Miami City Ballet School pre-professional program, directed by Darleen Callaghan. While a student with the Miami City Ballet School, she had the opportunity to perform works by George Balanchine such as Western Symphony, Stars and Stripes, and Theme and Variations. Ms. Cardoso has also worked with choreographers Maribel Modromo, Olivier Pardina, Maria Torija, Geta Constantinescu, Ebtiz and Lourdes Lopez. In 2016 she graduated from Miami City Ballet School and moved to Memphis, TN to join Collage Dance Collective. This is Luisa’s seventh season with the company.

RICKEY FLAGG II (Windsor, Connecticut) attended the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts and was also part of the Hartt School Community Division under the direction of Miguel Campaneria. Rickey continued his training with Mr. Campaneria in Cary, NC dancing roles in Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Spring Waters pas de deux and excerpts from Raymonda. Mr. Flagg has choreographed solos for the Youth American Grand Prix and World Ballet Competition, several of which placed in the contemporary category. In 2012, Rickey was awarded a full scholarship to attend Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Professional Training Program under the direction of Virginia Johnson. Upon completion of the training program at DTH, Rickey was offered a contract with Charlotte Ballet II. This is Rickey’s eighth season with Collage Dance Collective.

SEBASTIAN GARCIA (Bronx, New York) began his formal dance training at the Harlem School of the Arts in New York under the direction of Aubrey Lynch. He then attended the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School under the direction of Cynthia Harvey, where he became a recipient of the En Avant Award from 20172018. This gave him opportunities to perform such works as Sleeping Beauty and work with esteemed choreographers including Alexei Ratmansky and Jessica Lang. After graduating from high school, Sebastian studied at The Rock School for Dance Education on full scholarship under directors Bo and Stephanie Spassoff. There Sebastian performed lead roles in the school’s Nutcracker as both the Snow Prince and Arabian Prince. Sebastian’s career has included performances at the famed Apollo Theater, The Lyric Opera of Chicago, Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. This is Sebastian’s second season with Collage Dance Collective.

MAYA HAWKINS (Memphis, Tennessee) began dancing at the age of three at the Ballet Memphis School. At 15, Maya joined the Collage Dance Corps where she had the opportunity to perform works by Sidra Bell and Kevin Iega Jeff. Following her high school graduation, she studied at the School of Pennsylvania Ballet under the direction of Arantxa Ochoa, and in 2015 she joined The Washington Ballet as a trainee where she performed in Septime Webre’s Carmen, The Nutcracker, Coppelia, and George Balanchine’s Serenade. Maya was a trainee at Cincinnati Ballet from 2016-17 dancing in Kirk Peterson’s Coppelia, Victoria Morgan’s The Nutcracker, and excerpts from Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. She then danced with Charlottesville Ballet in Virginia for 3 seasons, where she performed various roles in the Nutcracker and in works by Keith Lee. Maya has attended summer intensives on scholarship at Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Orlando Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Carolina Ballet and Alonzo King Lines Ballet. This is Maya’s second season at Collage Dance Collective as a company artist.

LAUREN HUYNH (Plano, Texas) began her training at the Hathaway Academy of Ballet. She was later awarded the Nordan Fine Arts Scholarship at Texas Christian University (TCU), where she graduated with a BFA in Ballet and Modern Dance, as well as a minor in General Business. During her time at TCU, she was selected to travel to Rwanda to continue TCU’s long-term relationship with Godelieve Mukasarasi and the SEVOTA Institute, was awarded the TCU Mission Statement Scholarship, and received the Senior Legacy award honoring her antiracist work

and activism. She has performed choreography by George Balanchine, August

Bournonville, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Francesca Harper, Jennifer Archibald, Gabrielle Lamb, LeeWei Chao, Adam Barruch, among others. Lauren has attended summer programs at BalletX, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and Joffrey Ballet as well as Alonzo King LINES Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem on full scholarships. During the spring of 2021, Lauren joined Bruce Wood Dance as an Apprentice. This is Lauren’s second season with Collage Dance Collective.

KENDALL LOCKHART (Houston, Texas) started her training with the pre-professional dance company, Ballet Forte, at Fort Bend Academy of Dance. She later attended Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts BFA program where she additionally studied communications and advertising. During her four years at SMU, Kendall trained under the directors of Complexions Contemporary Ballet and performed new works choreographed by both Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson. She also performed the works of choreographers Bridget Moore, Danny Buraczeski and Adam Hougland. In the 2019-2020 year, Kendall joined Ballet Dallas under the direction of Carter Alexander. This is Kendall’s third season with Collage Dance Collective.

NIA LYONS (Chicago, Illinois) trained with The Dance Theatre of Harlem, Chicago

Multi-Cultural Dance Center, and Chicago High School for the Arts. Nia’s diverse training includes classical ballet, modern, African, Latin, jazz, and hip hop and has taken her around the world to numerous countries, including Barcelona, St. Thomas, and South Korea. This is Nia’s third season with Collage Dance and comes to us from the Dance Theatre of Harlem School in New York. She looks forward to inspiring and mentoring young dancers while continuing to break barriers herself.

FÁBIO MARIANO (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) started dancing when he was 14 years old. He trained at Maria Olenewa Dance School and performed in big productions of ballet and opera at Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro such as The Nutcracker, The Rite of Spring, Aida and Marguerite & Armand. Taught by renowned Brazilian and Russian teachers from Kirov Ballet, he graduated in 2014. In Brazil he performed classical and contemporary works by different choreographers with Caetano Cia. De Dança, directed by Thiago Caetano and Companhia Jovem de Ballet do Rio de Janeiro, directed by Dalal Achcar and Marisa Estrella. Fábio joined Corpo de Baile Campos dos Goytacazes in 2014, where he performed classical

and contemporary works. He also choreographed a contemporary ballet for the company. In 2016, he moved to the USA to join Atlantic City Ballet (NJ) and performed soloist and leading roles in full length productions of The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Dracula and Carmen. Aside from dancing, Mr. Mariano has been a ballet teacher for more than 10 years. In 2020, he co-founded the online platform Blacks in Ballet alongside Ingrid Silva and Ruan Galdino to highlight ballet dancers of color. Fábio Mariano has been an artist with Collage Dance since 2017 and is in his sixth season.

LEONARD PEREZ (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) trained in Spanish dance with the Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater and in ballet and modern dance at the Ruth Page School of Dance. He has studied on scholarship at Northeastern Illinois University and has been awarded full scholarships to summer intensive programs at Dance Theater of Harlem, The Ailey School, River North Dance Chicago, Thodos Dance Chicago, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and The Ruth Page School of Dance. He danced with Milwaukee Ballet II during the 2015–2016 season and has performed works by Ron de Jesus, Michael Pink, Septime Webre, Randy Duncan, Ruth Page, Lee Wei Chao, Ilya Kozadayev, Brian MacDonald, Victor Alexander and Spanish dance duo Angel Rojas and Carlos Rodriguez. Leonard has performed in the Chicago Dancing Festival, Jacob’s Pillow International Inside/Out Dance Festival, Dance for Life Chicago, and St. Louis’ Spring To Dance Festival. He has also danced professionally with Dayton Ballet where he performed works by Gina Patterson and Jiri Kylian and Indianapolis Ballet where he performed works by Joshua Bergasse and George Balanchine. This is Leonard’s fourth season with Collage Dance Collective.

MIYESHA MCGRIFF (Kansas City, Missouri) trained at the Kansas City Ballet School where she was a company apprentice for the 2006-2007 season. She then attended and graduated from the University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance, May of 2011. After graduating, she danced at Dallas Black Dance Theatre II for the 2011-2012 season in Dallas, Texas. She then went to dance with Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company for the next four seasons. In the summer of 2014, She relocated to New York to pursue her dance career. Since she has moved to the Big Apple, she has danced with a few project-based companies and continues to grow in her artistry. In 2017, Miyesha joined Collage Dance Collective of Memphis, TN as a company member and is in her sixth season.

SUMMER MCNEILL (Atlanta, Georgia) began her training at Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre under the direction of Kathryn Macbeth. In 2016, she continued her training under Sharon Story at Atlanta Ballet’s Centre for Dance Education. She performed in Atlanta Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker and Snow White. As a graduate of Cobb County’s Center of Excellence in the Performing Arts Magnet Program at Pebblebrook High School, she received several awards and accolades, such as Most Outstanding Female and Most Promising Dancer. In 2018, Summer was awarded a scholarship to attend The Ailey School in New York City. Summer performances include “Memoria,” January Explosion, Global Harmony, and The 92nd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. In 2020, Summer worked on several projects around metro Atlanta with Dance Canvas and later on the next year danced as a protegé with Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre. This is Summer’s first season with Collage Dance Collective.

LAUREN PHILSON (Houston, Texas) began studying ballet, tap, jazz, and musical theater at the age 3. At age 12, she was accepted to the Houston Ballet Academy on scholarship. A year later she was invited to train in the Professional Division full-time. As a student, she performed in Ben Stevenson’s and Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker. After her family relocated to Colorado, she finished her training at Colorado Ballet Academy on scholarship and performed as Myrtha in the academy’s spring production of Giselle. She also performed in Colorado Ballet’s The Nutcracker and Septime Webre’s The Wizard of Oz. Miss Philson attended summer programs at American Ballet Theatre (NYC), School of American Ballet, Boston Ballet SDP, Colorado Ballet Academy, and Houston Ballet Academy. This is Lauren’s third season with Collage.

CAIO RODRIGO DOS SANTOS (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) began his ballet training at Projeto Social da Prefeitura Municipal de Piraí. He has also trained at the Escola Estadual de Danças Maria Olenewa, belonging to Theatro Municipal of Rio de Janeiro and the Centro de Movimentos Deborah Colker. In 2014 he was awarded a full scholarship to train at the Miami City Ballet School, where he had the opportunity to work with choreographers Olivier Pardina, Maria Torija, Geta Constantinescu and Gerard Ebitz. Mr. Rodrigo has danced professionally with Projeto Ballet Gacemss and Rumo Cia de Danca in Brazil and with Atlantic City Ballet in New Jersey. With Atlantic City Ballet he performed soloist and leading roles in such ballets as Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Midsummer Night’s Dream and Raymonda. This is Mr. Rodrigo’s fifth season with Collage Dance.

JOÃO PEDRO SILVA (Bahia, Brazil) began his formal dance training when he was 12 years old at the Ballare Studio of Dance. At the age of 15 he relocated to Rio de Janeiro to continue his ballet training at Dance School Alice Arja and after one year got an apprenticeship with the Cia of Ballet from Rio de Janeiro where he performed many principal and soloist roles in ballets including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Carnival of the Animals. He has competed in national and international dance competitions including the American Dance Competition where he was awarded scholarships for the Colorado Ballet Academy, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, Sarasota Ballet School and Orlando Ballet School. At 17, he moved to the United States to study at the Miami City Ballet School and after a few months he got to do his first performance with the company in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This is Mr. Silva’s second season with Collage Dance Collective.

NYA HAM (Memphis, Tennessee) started dancing at the age of six with the Collage Dance Conservatory. In 2013, Nya was hand-selected by Kevin Thomas, artistic director of Collage Dance for the Collage Youth Ensemble. There she studied under and performed work by esteemed choreographers including Joshua Manculich, Kevin Iega Jeff, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Endalyn Taylor and Kevin Thomas, to name a few. Nya joins Collage Dance Collective as an apprentice for the 2022-23 performance season.

AMY HALL GARNER is a native of Huntsville, Alabama, and a graduate of The Juilliard School. Her work has been commissioned by Ailey II, ABT Studio Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Miami City Ballet, Collage Dance Collective, The Juilliard School, and The Ailey School, to name a few. She has created virtual commissions for BalletX, Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Guggenheim Museum’s Works & Process Digital Series, Boulder Ballet, and a virtual collaboration between Miami City Ballet and Paul Taylor Dance Company. Ms. Garner recently created a new production of The Nutcracker for Baltimore School for the Arts and choreographed a new children’s ballet entitled, Rita Finds Home for The Joffrey Ballet. Currently, she is the resident choreographer at Carolina Ballet. Ms. Garner personally coached Grammy Award winner Beyoncé, providing additional choreography for The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. Theatrical choreography credits include: Dreamgirls (Paramount Theatre), Choir Boy (Yale Repertory Theatre), The Color Purple (Milwaukee Repertory Theater) and Invisible Thread, associate choreographer (Second Stage Theater, NYC). In 2018, she was selected to participate in Alvin Ailey’s New Directions Choreography Lab supported by the Ford Foundation. Garner was one of the first recipients of the Joffrey Ballet’s Choreography of Color Award (now titled Winning Works). She is an adjunct professor at New York University’s New Studio on Broadway at Tisch School of the Arts and a recent Virginia B. Toulmin Fellow at The Center for Ballet and the Arts.

CHANDRA

MOSS-THORNE (Swarthmore Rehearsal Director for RISE and GEMS) began her dance training at the School of Cleveland Ballet under the direction of Daniel Job and Nicole Sowinska. Chandra attended Butler University graduating with a BA with honors in Dance Pedagogy. She was a company member with Dance Theatre of Harlem, Cincinnati Ballet and the Washington Opera Ballet. As a professional ballet dancer Chandra delighted audiences in many leading roles including Beauty in David Nixon’s Beauty and the Beast, the Lead Pas de Deux in Nils Christie’s Sync, Principal in John Butler’s Carmina Burana, Choleric in George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, Fairy Godmother in Victoria Morgan’s Cinderella and Lead Mazurka in Frederic Franklin’s Coppélia.

She is a Lecturer of Dance at Swarthmore College teaching all levels of Ballet, Pointe and Partnering, Dance Lab I, and Pilates as well as restaging classical ballets and creating contemporary ballet choreography. She has been on faculty at Goucher College, Towson University, Bryn Mawr College, Stockton University and Cincinnati Ballet. Chandra works with Theresa Ruth Howard, founder and curator of MoBBallet, as an assistant program manager for the MoBBallet symposiums and the Cultural Competency Equity Coalition. Chandra is a certified Pilates Instructor through Power Pilates. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and three children.

SWARTHMORE COLLEGE DANCERS

JACQUELINE ACUNTO (Wyckoff, NJ) is a fourth-year student at Swarthmore majoring in Economics and minoring in Mathematics and Theater. She received her ballet training at Miss Patti’s School of Dance, attended summer intensives at Gelsey Kirkland Academy, and was trained and examined under the Royal Academy of Dance’s vocational syllabus. She has also performed ten seasons of JulieDance’s The Nutcracker in partnership with the Donetsk Ballet.

AVERY BAUMEL (Wilton, CT) is a first-year student at Haverford planning to double major in Political Science and Dance. She trained in ballet at the New England Academy of Dance and attended summer programs with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, American Ballet Theater, and Irina and Maxim. She has performed ballets such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and danced with Thomas/Ortiz Dance, a contemporary/modern dance company.

KATIE CARLSON (Duluth, MN) is a fourth-year student at Swarthmore majoring in Sociology & Anthropology and minoring in Dance. She received her ballet training from the School of the Minnesota Ballet, where she performed A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Swan Lake, and Coppélia and toured The Nutcracker in the Midwest and Canada with the Minnesota Ballet company.

CAROLINE EAGLY CUMMINGS (Los Angeles, CA) is a fourth-year student at Swarthmore completing a specialized major in Dance. She trained in ballet at the Marat Daukayev School of Ballet for twelve years. She performed with Marat Daukayev Ballet Theatre in ballets such as The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, and Paquita.

EMMA GABRIEL (Mattapoisett, MA) is a second-year student at Swarthmore majoring in history and minoring in Educational Studies. She trained at New Bedford Ballet for 14 years, where she performed ballets such as Paquita, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and contemporary works.

SIMONE GINGERICH-BOBERG (Saint Paul, MN) is a first-year student at Swarthmore planning to major in Environmental Studies, and minor in French and Dance. She trained at Minnesota Dance Theatre, where she performed numerous roles in Loyce Houlton’s Nutcracker Fantasy, and in other works by Loyce Houlton, Lise Houlton, Dwight Rhoden and others. Simone has also attended summer intensives at Orlando Ballet School, and Alonzo King LINES Ballet.

INDIA GRAY (Chicago, IL) is a second-year student at Swarthmore double majoring in Educational Studies and Linguistics. She received her ballet training from Ruth Page School of Dance and Joffrey Academy of Dance. She has performed with the Joffrey Ballet and the Chicago Civic Ballet and has spent time training and performing in Havana with the National Ballet School of Cuba.

ALEXIS METOYER (South Bend, IN) is a fourth-year student at Swarthmore double majoring in Biology and Dance. She trained at the Regional School of Ballet in Corvallis, OR and then later at Southold Dance Theater. She has performed in ballets such as Don Quixote, La Sylphide, The Nutcracker, and La Fille Mal Gardee, in which she danced the lead role. Alexis has also participated in the Oregon Ballet Theater summer program and competed in YAGP.

EMILY MCCLUNG (Lexington, VA) is a first-year student at Swarthmore intending to double major in Dance and Environmental Studies. She trained in ballet at Shenandoah Academy of Dance as well as modern dance at Halestone Dance Studio. She has attended summer programs with Cincinnati Ballet and Nashville Ballet and has performed in ballets such as The Nutcracker and Alice in Wonderland.

ANGEL SU (Dallas, TX) is a third-year student at Swarthmore majoring in Honors Psychology and minoring in Honors Russian. She trained at Chamberlain School of Ballet and the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, where she performed ballets such as Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. She has participated in the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) Russian Language & Culture Bolshoi Way summer program.

JENNA TAKACH (San Antonio, TX) is a third-year student at Swarthmore majoring in Psychology and double minoring in Dance and Music. She trained at San Antonio Dance Academy, where she was awarded the Demitria Linares Memorial Ballet Scholarship. For the past two summers, she has performed as a lead vocalist and dancer (jazz, folklórico, flamenco, Latin ballroom) in Fiesta Noche del Río.

ELIZABETH TING (Honolulu, HI) is a first-year student at Swarthmore planning to double major in Chemistry and Computer Science. She received her ballet training from Queen Emma Ballet and attended programs at The Ailey School and The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. She has performed in ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, and Don Quixote.

ELPINIKI (ELLIE) TSAPATSARIS (Ridgewood, NJ) is a third-year student at Swarthmore honors majoring in Film and Media Studies and double minoring in Dance and honors Economics. She is Advanced II certified through the Royal Academy of Dance in London, England and has attended summer programs at Gelsey Kirkland Academy and Miss Patti’s School of Dance. She has also performed multiple seasons of The Nutcracker with the JulieDance company.

SARAH ZANGER (Boston, MA) is a second-year student at Swarthmore double majoring in Educational Studies and Cognitive Science. She trained at Boston Ballet School and attended summer programs at Joffrey Academy, Washington Ballet, and American Ballet Theater. She has performed in Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty, as well as premieres of Carnival of the Animals and Thumbelina.

RISE COMMUNITY DANCERS

ALIVIA AFFRUNTI is an eighth grader from Philadelphia, PA. She trains at the String Theory School.

MICHELLINE BENDER is a high school senior from Pottstown, PA. She trains at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet.

AJAH BUTLER is a seventh grader from Philadelphia, PA. She trains at the Chocolate Ballerina Company

MIKAL FIELDS is a high school senior from Philadelphia, PA. He trains at the Chocolate Ballerina Company.

LAYLA HARRIS-FISHER is a seventh grader from Philadelphia, PA. She trains at the Chocolate Ballerina Company.

SEBASTIAN MCCREARY is an eighth grader from Philadelphia, PA. He trains at the String Theory School.

ANASTASIA NOBLE is an eighth grader from Philadelphia, PA. She trains at the Chocolate Ballerina Company.

ALEXIA PENDERGRASS is a fifth grader from Wynnewood, PA. She trains at Dance for Life.

MADISON RICHARDSON is an eighth grader from Wilmington, DE. She trains at the Wilmington Ballet Academy.

LAILA TOLBERT is a fifth grader from Montgomeryville, PA. She trains at the Chocolate Ballerina Company.

KYLIE TUCK is a fifth grader from Aston, PA. She trains at the Premiere Dance Academy.

NAIYA VINES is a fifth grader from Philadelphia, PA. She trains at L’levate Dance Studio.

ZHARIA WHITE is a seventh grader from Philadelphia, PA. She trains at the Chocolate Ballerina Company.

VICTORIA WHITE is a sixth grader from Ardmore, PA. She trains at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet.

KELLYN WILLIAMS is a high school freshman from Wilmington, DE. She trains at the Wilmington Ballet Academy.

ABOUT SWARTHMORE DANCE

Swarthmore’s Dance Program brings together a talented group of students to perform a global repertoire of dance styles and simultaneously engage in critical thinking and writing. Our students are often double majors or special majors in fields such as Anthropology, Classics, Art History, English, Education, as well as Biology, Psychology, Math, and Computer Science. We welcome all students to join our dance community regardless of whether they are majors or minors in the program or have prior formal training in dance. The Dance Program also fulfills a vital mission of the College, both as a department in which students may fulfill their Physical Education requirement and as a space that fosters student creativity and wellbeing.

The Dance Program aims to enable students to develop competency in one or more movement genres, to engage critically with dance, whether through performance attendance, ethnographic fieldwork, and/or archival research, and to develop an individual voice as writers, researchers, and/or choreographers. Regardless of our students’ aims to continue in the dance field, we strive to provide a breadth and depth of experiences in a diverse range of movement forms and areas of inquiry. Our graduates are engaged in diverse pursuits, both within and beyond the dance community: from academia, arts administration, and arts practice, to medicine and law.

SWARTHMORE COLLEGE DANCE PROGRAM

PALLABI CHAKRAVORTY, Stephen Lang Professor of Performing Arts

OLIVIA SABEE, Associate Professor of Dance and Chair

JOSEPH SMALL, Assistant Professor of Dance

KYLE CLARK, Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance

BETHANY FORMICA BENDER, Lecturer, Dance

CHANDRA MOSS-THORNE, Lecturer, Dance

ELLEN GERDES, Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance

PRITIKA AGARWAL, Associate in Dance Performance

AQEEL BHATTI, Associate in Dance Performance

JENNIFER CHIPMAN BLOOM, Associate in Dance Performance

SHIVA DAS, Associate in Dance Performance

LADEVA DAVIS, Associate in Dance Performance

WESLEY RAST, Associate in Dance Performance

DARRELL WILLIAMS, Associate in Dance Performance

LINGYUAN ZHAO, Associate in Dance Performance

SUSAN GROSSI, Administrative Coordinator

LIYA CHANG ‘24, Editorial Assistant

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR COLLAGE AT SWARTHMORE

GABRIELLE NASH ‘26, RISE Teaching Assistant and Office Assistant

MAX WINIG ‘24, RISE Teaching Assistant

DEB SLOMAN, Catering

LANG PERFORMING ARTS CENTER CREW

JAMES MURPHY, Director of the Lang Performing Arts Center

THOMAS SNYDER, Manager of Operations

BRADY GONSALVES, Production Stage Manager

SCOTT BURGESS, Sound/Media Engineer

DOMINIC CHACON, Lighting Supervisor

LEVONNE LINDSAY, Costume Shop Manager

JEFF BAGG, Video Streaming

MICHAEL HAMLET, HOPE LASH, ANASTASIA VERTJANOVA, SOPHIE SMYCZEK, JULIA

FRANCO, Electricians

JUNA SAITO ‘25, JING JING GOPINATH ‘26, MAYA LEVINE ‘26, Student Electricians

MILES FLEISHER ‘26, Student Audio Assistant

GWYNETH BEVANS ‘25, ELL ROSE 24’, Student Wardrobe Assistants

SPECIAL THANKS

Ali Danilak

Cathy Dunn

Susan Grossi

Swarthmore College Communications Office

Performance Ready Physical Therapy

Chocolate Ballerina Company

L’levate Dance Studio

Dance for Life

Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet

Philadelphia Performing Arts: A String Theory Charter School

Premiere Dance Academy

Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance

UPCOMING DANCE PERFORMANCES

Spring Dance Concert Friday, April 28 at 4:30pm and Saturday, April 29 at 7pm

Lang Performing Arts Center, Pearson-Hall Theatre

Dance Lab & Repertory Showing Monday, May 1 at 5pm

Lang Performing Arts Center, Troy Dance Lab

Swarthmore College encourages persons with disabilities to participate in programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodations or have questions about the access provided, please contact the event sponsor or Susan Smythe, ADA Program Manager at 610/690-2063 in advance of your participation or visit.

Evacuation Notice: In the event of an emergency, please exit the theater through the nearest lighted exit and then leave the building via the closest marked exit, including, if necessary, alarmed emergency exit doors.

If you have a disability and might require assistance with evacuations, please make yourself known to an usher or other staff member, and let them know what help you need.

In the event of an evacuation, if you see someone who might need assistance leaving the area, please either offer help yourself or alert a staff member to that person’s location.