University of Georgia Dance Company 2024 Spring Concert

New Dance Theatre

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA DANCE COMPANY 2024 SPRING CONCERT

THURS. APRIL 11, FRI. APRIL 12 at 8 p.m.

SAT. APRIL 13 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.

UNIVERSITY

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

THURSDAY, APRIL 11 & FRIDAY, APRIL 12 at 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 13 at 2 & 8 p.m.

New Dance Theatre

Welcome to the Department of Dance’s annual faculty and guest artist concert, the UGA Dance Company spring concert. This production marks the final show of a busy and successful season in the Department of Dance. In addition to home season performances of the Young Choreographers Series, Ballroom Magic, and Black History Month, dance students have graced the stages of the Hodgson Hall alongside the UGA Opera, Spotlight on the Arts President’s Reception at the Georgia Museum of Art, and the American College Dance Association festival at Brenau University. Several students and faculty traveled abroad over spring break, teaching dance at Moi Girls School in Eldoret, Kenya. On the heels of graduation, many more students will travel on two faculty-led “study away” programs in Ghana and New York City. As a faculty, we are immensely proud of the hard work, talent, and professionalism exhibited by the dancers and we are pleased to share that with you tonight.

The spring concert includes a diverse array of dance genres that are representative of the coursework we offer within the AB degree in dance. Dance majors and minors have the opportunity to train in techniques including aerial, ballet, ballroom, contemporary modern, hip hop, jazz, pointe, tap, and West African. The Department of Dance is also excited to feature choreographer Jillian Mitchell, Artistic Director of Atlanta-based Kit Modus, as our 2023-24 guest artist. Students worked with Mitchell last semester in ballet technique and this semester in contemporary rehearsal, gaining valuable experience and connections to the professional dance world in Atlanta and beyond.

This year’s concert is bittersweet as we celebrate Associate Professor Joan Buttram’s thirty-three years of service to the Department of Dance and her retirement swan song restaging Marius Petipa’s pas de trois from Act I of Paquita. Buttram is the founding Artistic Director of the UGA Ballet Ensemble (1994), which has served as a springboard for countless UGA Dance alums, many of whom are joining us in the audience tonight.

In addition to the hard work and dedication of our choreographers, cast, and crew, tonight’s program would not be possible without the support of Carina McGeehin, Technical Director; Betty Prickett, Business Manager; and Dr. Skip Taylor, Department Head. Our sincere thanks to the Franklin College of the Arts and the Friends of Dance whose continued support for dance in higher education is invaluable to the success of our program. Finally, as a form of artistic expression, the show would not be complete without your support from the audience. Thank you so much for attending, and enjoy the show!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Stich

Director, UGADC Spring Concert

Gigi Anderson

Bethany Barner

Elizabeth Clark

Lorelai Crook

Kira Davis

Kayleigh Everhart

Sofia Ferrucci

Haleigh Green

Marlee Greenspan

Katie Hanna

Kendyl Hayes

Emery Martin

Ana Mattingly

Shania McConnell

Vivian Munce

Erin 0’Keefe

Sky Poole

Haley Roberson

Abby Schulze

Avery Scott

Lindsey Sewell

Nika Shlomi

Katie Slacanin

Elizabeth Steele

Katherine Stockton

Laura Towner

Madelyn Wolfe

Fourth year

First year

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First year

Fourth year

Fourth year

Third year

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Dance and Psychology (Neuroscience) double major

Dance and Advertising double major

Dance major, Exercise and Sport Science minor

Dance major, Music minor

Marine Biology major, Dance minor

Ocean Science major, Dance and Ecology minors

Dance and Psychology double major

Dance and French double major

Genetics major, Dance minor

Dance and Exercise and Sport Science double major

Dance and Health Promotion double major

Dance major

Dance major, History minor

Computer Science major, Dance minor

Dance and Human Development & Family Science double major

Dance and English double major

Dance major, Social Work minor

Dance and Journalism double major

Dance major, Double Dawg

(MFA in Nonprofit Management & Leadership)

Dance and English double major

Certificate in British and Irish Studies

Dance and Dietetics double major

Biology and Psychology double major, Dance minor

Psychology major, Dance minor

Dance major

Dance and Human Development and Family Science double major

Dance and Exercise and Sport Science double major

Dance major, General Business minor

PROGRAM

Dusk

Choreographed by Elizabeth Stich

Music: “transcendental guppy,” music concept by Skip Taylor and Louis Romanos performed by Rude Squid featuring Skip Taylor

Musicians: Skip Taylor, banjo; Jeremy Raj, electric guitar

Josh Allen, bass; Louis Romanos, percussion

Featured Dancers: Vivian Munce (Thurs, Sat PM); Madelyn Wolfe (Fri, Sat Matinee)

Paquita Pas de Trois (1846)

Restaged by Joan Buttram after Pierre Lacotte, Marius Petipa, Joseph Mazilier

Music: Ludwig Minkus

Costumer: Evan K. Ayotte

Featured Dancers: Dillon Brumet with Nika Shlomi & Madelyn Wolfe (Thurs, Sat PM)

Avery Scott & Vivian Munce (Fri, Sat Matinee)

The Thief of Joy

Choreographed by Rebecca Gose, and in collaboration with the dancers

Music: Illuminine, Julia Kent; Text by the dancers with excerpt by Mary Oliver

Featured Dancers: Kira Davis, Kayleigh Everhart, Marlee Greenspan, Erin O’Keefe, Ana Mattingly, Sky Poole, Haley Roberson, Abby Schulze, Elizabeth Steele, Katherine Stockton, Laura Towner

in long between

Choreographed by Barbi Powers, Rebekah Chappell

Music: Richard Hall

Featured Dancers: Barbi Powers, Rebekah Chappell

Choreographed by Lisa Fusillo

Music: W. A. Mozart, excerpts from recorded performance by Dr. Hyorim Lee, piano

Featured Dancers: Bethany Barner, Haleigh Green, Vivian Munce, Erin O’Keefe

Avery Scott, Madelyn Wolfe

Program note: This piece celebrates the life and artistry of Dr. Hyorim Lee, a brilliant and beautiful artist and teacher, and an inspiring ballet pianist for the UGA Department of Dance.

Rumba Celebration

Choreographed by Natalie Cox

Music: “Amor de mis Amores” by Omara Portuondo

Featured Dancers: Emily Clark, Emily Leibl, Casia Siegel, Jackson Vassy

Out of respect for the performers, please silence all electronic devices throughout the performance. Thank you for your cooperation.

PROGRAM

Ease Down

Choreographed by Jillian Mitchell

Music: “66023C” by BrokinPaper, “ATI One (Death)” by Davidson Jaconello, “Ending Night” by Quinze, “Shading” by Senking, “Using Machines” by Sleepsleep

Costumer: Jillian Mitchell

Featured Dancers: Lorelai Crook, Kayleigh Everhart, Erin O’Keefe, Emery Martin, Vivian Munce

Abby Schulze, Avery Scott, Lindsey Sewell, Nika Shlomi, Madelyn Wolfe

INTERMISSION

m F i I s T

Choreographed by Elizabeth Stich, and in collaboration with the dancers

Music: “Dance Yrself Clean” by LCD Soundsystem

Featured Dancers: Gigi Anderson, Elizabeth Clark, Katie Hanna, Sky Poole, Haley Roberson

Avery Scott, Elizabeth Steele

Just Dance!

Choreographed by Nena Gilreath

Music: “Dance, Dance, Dance” by Chic

Featured Dancers: Haleigh Green, Erin O’Keefe, Vivian Munce

Program note: Inspired by the love of pointe and social dancing.

Clinch (Revisited)

Choreographed by Jason Aryeh

Music: Composer, Philip Anderson

Featured Dancers: Madelyn Wolfe & Kayleigh Everhart (Thurs, Sat PM)

Elizabeth Steele & Lorelai Crook (Fri, Sat Matinee)

Program note: Inspired by human relationship - “Conflicted Love”

Premiered at the North Carolina Dance Festival, November 2012.

Free Me

Choreographed by Jason Aryeh

Music: “Oh Freedom!” by The Golden Gospel Singers

Featured Dancers: Shania McConnell

Wedlogs of the Gods

Choreographed by Jason Aryeh

Music: “Drum Art” by Cape Town

Costumer: Emmanual Siam

Featured Dancers: Bethany Barner, Lorelai Crook, Kayleigh Everhart

Sofia Ferrucci, Haleigh Green, Katie Hanna, Kendyl Hayes, Emery Martin, Lindsey Sewell, Katherine Stockton

Elizabeth Steele, Madelyn Wolfe

You. Yes, You.

Choreographed by Jillian Mitchell

Music: “Earth” by The Acid, “The Beast” by Jóhann Jóhannsson, “Broken Theme” by Chrome Canyon, “Selected Faces” by Gesaffelstein, With audio from Aze Avora’s film “Capitol of Conformity”

Costumer: Jillian Mitchell

Featured dancers:   Kit Modus artists: Mary-Evelyn Kirkland, Meg Gourley, Maile Griffeth

Black & Gold

Choreographed by Lindsay Giedl

Emma Morris, Hoke Payne

Music: “Black & Gold” cover by Brenna Whitaker

Featured dancers:   Gigi Anderson, Bethany Barner, Elizabeth Clark, Lorelai Crook, Kayleigh Everhart, Haleigh Green, Marlee Greenspan, Katie Hanna, Kendyl Hayes, Ana Mattingly, Vivian Munce, Sky Poole, Haley Roberson, Abby Schulze, Lindsey Sewell, Katie Slacanin, Katherine Stockton, Madelyn Wolfe

GUEST ARTISTS BIOGRAPHIES PROGRAM

Please join us after the Saturday evening performance for a reception in the Mark Wheeler Studio.

Josh Allen, graduate of the University of Miami Frost School of Music and Manhattan School of Music, has performed around the world in various musical styles and settings. Josh arrived in Athens in 2020 to attend UGA’s School of Law, and since then has performed regularly within the vibrant local music scene. A native of Georgia, he currently resides with his wife and three dogs in Flowery Branch where he can be found sitting, napping, and doing the New York Times crossword.

Evan K. Ayotte, a Canadian-based costume designer, is excited to return to UGA and complete his designs for Paquita, which were interrupted by the COVID pandemic in 2020. Mr. Ayotte has worked closely with Associate Professor Joan Buttram and the UGA Ballet Ensemble, providing the company’s costume design, construction, and set design since 1994. His credits include the full-length story ballets Giselle and La Bayadere and, the period pieces Les Sylphides, Le Grand Pas De Quatre, and numerous repertoires works by regional and national choreographers. Evan has recently pursued independent dance projects and commissions for Canadian dance competitions and has created performance gowns for concert and opera artists. Previously, as the Dance Costumer for the internationally acclaimed Opera Atelia, Mr. Ayotte costumed their productions of Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni. As renowned actress Shirley MacLaine’s costumer of choice, Evan created her costumes for the TV miniseries Anne of Green Gables: New Beginnings and the Mary Kay Story. His academic appointments include Professor of Costume Studies at York University, the International Academy of Design, and Assistant Resident Designer at the Graduate Center for the Study of Drama, University of Toronto. He received his Diploma of Fine Arts as a Fabric Sculptor in Textiles from Canada’s Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology. He has twice received the Best Visual Presentation Award by Theatre Ontario. He has innumerable credits as a costume designer for internationally known feature films and television series. Mr. Ayotte has provided innovative costume design, construction, and direction to the National Ballet of Canada, Ballet British Columbia, Theatre Ballet of Canada, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Marin Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and Ballethnic Dance Company.

GUEST ARTISTS BIOGRAPHIES

Dillon Brumet is pursuing his professional dance career as a company member with The Georgia Ballet located in Marietta, Georgia, where he received his recent training from Daet Rodriguez and Margit Peguero of The Georgia Ballet School. Originally from South Florida, Dillon had the privilege of training in the specialized Cuban Ballet Technique with the renowned Ms. Magda Aunon at The School of Classical Ballet and Ms. Magaly Suarez at The Art of Classical Ballet. Additionally, Dillon pursued training with Taras Domitro and Adiarys Almeida at the Hollywood Ballet Academy. Dillon has performed principal roles in Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Swan Lake, Coppelia, Cinderella, Giselle, and other classical and contemporary ballets. As a competitor in the prestigious 2023 Youth American Grand Prix competition in Atlanta, GA, Dillon won 3rd place with his partner Mayuri Pradhan in the Coppelia pas de deux and placed amongst the Top 12 artists in the Senior Ages Classical Dance. While maintaining a strong focus on the development of his dance technique, artistry, and performance, Dillon has also furthered his expertise by gaining certification in Pilates (beginner and intermediate level mat) and the Progressive Ballet Technique, Mary Walton-Mahon’s revolutionary program, which develops the acquisition of dance skills through greater use of muscle memory. Dillon enjoys sharing his expertise, talent, and love of dance with others as a guest artist with many regional ballet companies and schools.

The Atlanta-based Kit Modus was founded in 2017 by Jillian Mitchell. Their work has been selected for presentation at the Women in Dance Leadership Conference, ImmerseATL’s alum showcase, and the Dumbo Dance Festival. Commissions include Jacksonville University, Georgia College and State University, Cartersville Ballet, The University of North Carolina School of the Arts Pluck Project, the University of Georgia Department of Dance, Georgia State’s music department, and Creative Mornings Atlanta. The company invites internationally notable creators to work with the company through its residency program. Guest artists include Noelle Kayser of Northwest Dance Project and Paramar dance, Springboard Danse Montreal’s Emerge choreographic award winner Mark Caserta, former Hubbard Street dancer Autumn Eckman, Rubén Julliard of Opéra National du Rhin, Christian Denice, a former dancer with Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal, Alexander Espinoza of Otra Danza, Marco Palomino of Carlos Acosta’s Acostadanza, and the multi-award winning Yoshito Sakuraba. The company has received accolades for its work from DIY Dancer Magazine and ArtsATL and has twice been recognized as a highlight in their year-in-reviews. Over seven years, the company has researched and developed Modus, a distinctive training technique that redefines ballet with a fresh approach. The technique has been included in academic research and represented at notable festivals such as The Alabama Dance Festival and Dance Gallery Festival. In addition to their consistent open classes, the company offers intensives where local dancers can train in their methodology and learn Kit Modus repertoire. They also facilitate community workshops with renowned teachers, including Benjamin Wardell of the Cambrians and Kira Blazek for Countertechnique. Current partners include the ARTucker, Decatur School of Ballet, The University of Georgia Department of Dance, The Covington Regional Ballet, and the Arts Association of Newton County.

Jeremy Raj is a multi-instrumentalist who specializes in jazz and world music. He began his musical journey studying violin and piano as a child, and then focused on jazz guitar in high school under the mentorship of jazz saxophonist Dr. Monty Cole. After receiving a minor in jazz studies from Mercer University, he relocated to Athens, GA and helped to form numerous improvisation-based groups including the Free Monk Trio, Whitehall Jazz Collective, Unstarched, Hot Club of Athens, and Rude Squid. During his career, Jeremy’s seeking ear has also led him to study the oud and sitar, instruments common to Arabic and Indian music, and he has infused the sounds and musical theory of those styles into other performance groups such as the Chamber Chanchers, Gypsy at Heart, and the Athens Middle East Orchestra.

GUEST ARTISTS BIOGRAPHIES

Louis Romanos is a creative and versatile percussionist, composer, and educator who has performed and recorded with many renowned musicians. He also creates original music scores for various film, game, and dance projects. He leads his own groups which showcase his innovative and expressive style. His many albums can be streamed from all major streaming platforms. Louis has been the much beloved resident musician in the UGA Department of Dance since 2010.

Dr. Skip Taylor is the Department Head of Dance and Associate Professor of Music at the University of Georgia. He earned his Masters and Ph.D in Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and holds a Bachelors degree in Music Education from Winthrop University in Rock Hill South Carolina. Prior to his appointment at UGA, he taught middle school and high school orchestra in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools and Forsyth County Schools in North Carolina. He was the conductor and director of the Winston-Salem Youth Symphony from 1997-2001 and was the founding Director and conductor of the Greensboro Symphony Junior Strings from 2000-2001. At the University of Georgia he teaches undergraduate and graduate music education classes and administrates the Summer Educational Advancement for Teachers (SEAT) Program for graduate students. He also serves as director of the UGA Summer Music Camps, UGA String Project, and the 21st Century Grant Program for Strings and Band Education in the Boys and Girls Clubs in Athens Clarke County.

The UGA Ballroom Performance Group (BPG), founded in 1991 by Dr. Mark Wheeler and currently codirected by Natalie Cox and Michael Fulford, is a registered Student Activities organization, which enjoys the support of the Department of Dance. The group performs on campus, in local schools and nursing homes, on tour for charity and alumni events, and around North Georgia. The company’s program consists of choreographed pieces in a variety of styles, including cha-cha, foxtrot, salsa, quick-step, rumba, samba, east coast swing, west coast swing, tango, Viennese waltz, and slow waltz.

CHOREOGRAPHER BIOGRAPHIES

Jason Aryeh, Lecturer of Dance, is a traditional and contemporary trained dancer and historian from the coastal area of Accra- Ghana, born into the Aryeh family of court traditional historians and dancers of the Ga-Ngleshie people. Aryeh has toured the world extensively with traditional and contemporary West African dance groups, and has diverse experience as a performer, teacher, choreographer, and movement research scholar throughout West African and the United States. Aryeh is the Artistic Director and Founder of Africa Alive Dance Company, a project research-oriented movement performance ensemble, resident in Accra. He was the lead Dancer and Choreographer for the Performing Arts Workshop (PAWS), a resident performance dance company affiliated with the University of Ghana. Aryeh was also a featured performance soloist and Choreographer for the Sankofa African Dance and Drum Company affiliated with the State University of New York, College at Brockport. He was the Director, Choreographer and movement research scholar for the resident Theater Company at the Center for National Culture, Sunyani, Brong-Ahafo Region, Ghana.

Jason Aryeh earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Dance and African Studies from the University of Ghana and his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Performance and Choreography Studies from State University of New York, College at Brockport.

CHOREOGRAPHER BIOGRAPHIES

Joan Buttram, an Associate Professor in the Department of Dance serving the University of Georgia for thirty-three years, announces her retirement with this year’s presentation of Marius Petipa’s 1846 pas de trois from Act I of his Paquita. As the Founding Artistic Director of the UGA Ballet Ensemble (1994), Joan’s creative research produced many classical ballets such as La Bayadere, Giselle, La Sylphide, Les Sylphides, Paquita, Le Grand Pas de Quatre, The Nutcracker Suite, and The Firebird. Her original choreography ranges from classical ballet to eclectic works, often blending ballet with contemporary ballet styles, modern dance, national folk/character dances, and a variety of touring educational lecture demonstrations. Her choreographic awards include the International Barcelona Dance Festival 2nd (2007), International Cortpo di Ballo Festival Tour of Southern Italy (2001), UGA Performing Arts Center (2002), National Endowment for the Art’s National College Choreography Initiative for choreographer Stanley Zompakos (2003), UGA Lily Fellows Program (1994), and The Atlanta Project (1993). Having received her MFA in Pedagogy from Texas Christian University and a BFA in ballet performance/pedagogy from Virginia Intermont College, Joan performed as a soloist/principal dancer with Dayton Ballet Company, Ballet Metropolitan, Lexington Ballet Company, Bristol Ballet Company, Ballet Concerto, modern dance-based Contemporary Dance/ Fort Worth, and the New Century Danscene. In 1982, she received the Vera Volkova Award for outstanding ballet performance. As a founding member, board member, officer, and service awardee of the CORPS de Ballet International, the sole academic organization for classical ballet, Ms. Buttram intends to continue providing service to the ballet profession by maintaining positions in a wide range of institutions.

Rebekah Chappell is a teaching artist, performer, and dance maker. Her creative projects are grounded in emergence and transformation, conjuring states of being through movement, writing, and vocalization. She holds an MFA in Dance from The University of Iowa and has taught in studios, community programs, public and private schools, and universities across the country. In higher education, she has held positions at Austin Community College, Texas State University, Suny Brockport, Hollins University, The University of Iowa, and San Jacinto College South. In addition, she is an Alexander Technique Teacher, positioning her work in the field of social somatics. You can learn more about her work at www.rebekahchappell.com

Natalie Cox is a double dawg that received her A.B. and J.D. from the University of Georgia. She is currently an Associate Director for Legal Affairs, co-director of the University of Georgia Ballroom Performance Group, and instructor at the UGA Department of Dance for Ballroom Foundations. Natalie trained at the University of Georgia with Dr. Mark Wheeler and spends her free time traveling and taking teacher workshops and classes at ballroom and salsa camps across the US. When not at the University, you can find Natalie at Dancefx Athens teaching and dancing with CONTACT Dance Company and Revolution Salsa Company.

Lisa Fusillo began professional ballet training at the Washington School of Ballet and later trained in New York, London, Russia and Denmark. She holds the Professional Teaching Diploma from the Royal Ballet School (London) and certifications from American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum and the New York City Ballet Education Department. She has taught and choreographed in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, England, the Netherlands, Thailand, Taiwan, and for the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS. Dr. Fusillo is Fulbright Scholar (Taiwan), the recipient of four National Endowment for the Arts grants, is a Willson Center Research Fellow, and taught with the UGA at Oxford Program. Dr. Fusillo is also the founder/director of Dance Repertory Project and in May 2024, she will direct a new Domestic Field Study program, Dance in New York City. She was named the UGA Foundation Professor in the Arts, Phi Kappa Phi Artist, and received the TWU Distinguished Alumni Award.

CHOREOGRAPHER BIOGRAPHIES

Lindsay Giedl is a choreographer, teacher, and dancer. She was a founding member of CADE:NCE –Contemporary African Dance Ensemble: New Conscious Explorations under the direction of Tamara Thomas. A graduate of The University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, she can be seen in the indie film “The Last of Robin Hood”, “Honey 4”, as well as Corey Smith’s music video “Honky Tonkin’ in My Blood”. Lindsay currently resides as the Dance Director at The Studio Athens and is an Adjunct Professor of Dance at The University of Georgia. She is a guest teacher for Roswell Dance Theater and Ballet Hispanico’s Professional Studies Program. In addition, she is on faculty with Ignite Dance Competition and Convention and is also a 200 Registered Yoga Teacher. In 2023, she had the honor of working as the Rehearsal Assistant for the UGA x Martha Graham Dance Company Project. Lindsay is in her eighth season with the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City and is currently the Administrative Director/Faculty. You can currently see Lindsay’s work in UGA’s “Carmen” and “Little Shop of Horrors” this April! Representation: Aligned Stars Agency | lindsaygiedl.com | @lindsgiedl

Nena Gilreath is a ballerina, an entrepreneur, and an artistic director; she has spent her career immersed in dance. After graduating with a B.F.A. from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Gilreath danced with the Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, and the Atlanta Ballet. She toured internationally with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Seeing the need for greater racial diversity in ballet, Gilreath and her husband, choreographer Waverly T. Lucas II, co-founded Ballethnic Dance Company and Academy of Dance in 1990 to provide superior instruction and performance opportunities to underrepresented communities. Gilreath and Lucas have become award-winning artists and entrepreneurs for their work with Ballethnic. They traveled to Senegal to study dance and drum, which they include in the Ballethnic training. Ballethnic has grown into a company and school that produces unique dance experiences for its audiences and students by fusing classical ballet, African dance and other artistic influences.

Rebecca Gose (MFA, University of Washington) was a principal performer with Garth Fagan Dance. She has also performed a variety of iconic modern dance repertoire ranging from Ruth St. Denis and Alwin Nikolais to Doug Varone, Bill Evans, Stephen Petronio, and Rob Kitsos. As Associate Professor at UGA, Rebecca teaches courses in contemporary modern, pedagogy, dance science, and directs the P-12 teacher certification program. Rebecca’s scholarly work primarily focuses on issues around wellness in dance education and has been published in journals such as Journal of Dance Education, Frontiers in Psychology, International Journal of Education, and the Arts, Experimental Brain Research, and as part of the 2022 book, Dancing Across the Lifespan.

Jillian Mitchell is a classical ballet and contemporary dancer, choreographer, and community leader. She trained at the Milligan School of Ballet before attending boarding school at the Harid Conservatory and Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, professional division. She spent summers studying at The National Ballet School, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, American Ballet Theatre, BalletMet, and on full scholarship at Complexions Contemporary Ballet. She performed professionally with New Jersey Ballet, Rebecca Davis Dance (now Mindleaps), Roxey Ballet, Georgia Ballet, gloATL, Proia Dance Project, and The Atlanta Opera. She’s performed many classical ballets and the work of George Balanchine, Mark Godden, Ron de Jesus, Ronnie D. Carney, Stuart Loungway, Dwight Rhoden, Jae Man Joo, Sean Nguyen-Hilton, Seyong Kim, Mark Caserta, and more. Jillian was a guest soloist at several galas, including Stars of Ballet and Broadway and Stars of Russian Ballet. Jillian has twenty years of teaching experience at numerous academies. She has guest taught for Georgia College & State University, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts

CHOREOGRAPHER BIOGRAPHIES

(Pluck Project), the University of Georgia Department of Dance, the Dance Gallery Festival, the University of South Carolina, the Alabama Dance Festival, Staibdance, ImmerseATL, and Fly on a Wall. In 2017, Jillian founded the celebrated Atlanta-based ensemble Kit Modus and developed their distinctive training technique Modus and a choreographic residency program. In addition to creating numerous works for her company, her choreography was presented at Georgia College, Georgia State University, The University of Georgia, The Women in Dance Leadership Conference, the Dumbo Dance Festival, and Jacksonville University. Jillian currently serves as the Executive and Artistic Director of Kit Modus and Creative Director & Resident Choreographer of Covington Regional Ballet, where she’s established a partnership with Emory Oxford Dance.

Barbara “Barbi” Powers grew up in Milwaukee, WI where she began dancing at the Milwaukee Ballet School. She holds a high school diploma from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, a B.F.A. from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and an M.F.A. from the University of Washington. Ms. Powers has danced with the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular as a Rockette, Li-Chiao Ping Dance, The Catey Ott Dance Collective, and Skybetter and Associates. She has performed works by Bill T. Jones, Crystal Pite, Alwin Nikolais, Susan Marshall, Laura Dean, Kate Ware, Lucinda Childs and Zvi Gotheiner. She is currently on faculty at the University of Georgia where she teaches ballet, contemporary-modern, jazz, dance appreciation, yoga, and practicing wellness. As co-founder and co-director of the Art of Wellness living learning community at UGA, she works to bring wellness instruction and activities to students across campus. Her work in wellness has been presented at IADMS, the National Dance Education Organization, and the Healthy Dancer Canada Conference. Barbara is a certified vinyasa yoga, restorative yoga, Pilates mat, and meditation instructor, and has taught celebrities, individuals, and groups across the country, as well as workshops abroad. www.barbipowers.com

Elizabeth Stich is an Assistant Professor specializing in contemporary and aerial dance. A versatile performer, Elizabeth is equally at home on the concert dance stage and in less conventional settings— soaring over water in Sea World’s Cirque de la Mer, dodging BMX riders in All Wheel Sports Extreme, and suspended from Corona Arch at sunrise. Her choreography has been featured in Tuacahn Amphitheatre’s Broadway season, Santa Barbara Floor to Air Festival, Red Rock Dance Festival, American College Dance Association gala, as well as numerous college dance programs across the western region. Her research on aerial dance has been published in the Journal of Dance Education, Theatre, Dance, and Performance Training, and Performance Research (forthcoming) and presented at the National Dance Education Organization, Dance Science and Somatic Educators, and Motus Humanus conferences. Prior to joining UGA Dance, she served for five years as an Assistant Professor at Utah Tech University where she created and directed the department’s aerial dance program. Elizabeth holds an MFA from the University of Utah, a certificate in Laban Movement Analysis/Bartenieff Fundamentals from Integrated Movement Studies and is a graduate of the New England Center for Circus Arts. www.movingaerial.com

ARTISTIC STAFF

Director

Lighting Designer / Stage Manager

Poster / Program Design

Videographer & Livestream Feed

Photographer

Jason Aryeh

Joan Buttram

Lisa Fusillo

Rebecca Gose

Barbara Powers

Elizabeth Stich

Skip Taylor

Elizabeth Stich

Carina McGeehin

Shaun Baer

Ron Braxley

Jason Thrasher

Technical Production Manager Business Manager DEPARTMENT OF DANCE FACULTY AND STAFF FACULTY PART-TIME FACULTY STAFF

Lecturer Associate Professor Professor Associate Professor

Lecturer Assistant Professor

Associate Professor and Head

Phone: 706-542-4415 Website: dance.uga.edu

Grace Bagwell Adams, Caroline Clark, Natalie Cox, Michael Fulford, Lindsay Giedl, Nena Gilreath, Jillian Mitchell, Melissa Roberts, Catherine Turocy, Lisa Williamson

Shaun Baer

Carina McGeehin

Betty Prickett

Director of Public Relations