Dance

TYLER GILSTRAP CHOREOGRAPHY RESIDENCY

2016-10-23T17:58:00.002-05:00

Tyler Gilstrap conducted a one-week choreography residency setting a new work of choreography on the AM Dancers and restaging "Turbulent Wake." Both pieces will be performed in the Fine Arts Center Dance Concert May 4 and 5, 2017.

http://www.tylergilstrap.com/

"Turbulent Wake"

Cailey Campbell and Jack Beaule

Tyler Gilstrap currently lives in New York City and was a founding member of Battleworks Dance Company (2001-2010), under the direction of Robert Battle. She earned her BFA in Dance from Southern Methodist University.

Tyler Gilstrap with PM Dancers giving notes

Tyler Gilstrap with Leila Carroll

Tyler Gilstrap with AM Dancers

Tyler Gilstrap working individually with the dancers giving suggestions and corrections.

Rehearsal setting new piece of choreography with AM Dancers

Tyler Gilstrap with 8 AM Dancers following master class

David Ingram Teaches Ballet Master Class

2016-10-23T17:38:00.002-05:00

David Ingram, Assistant Professor of Dance at East Carolina University

Dancers Ellen Kilby and Rachel Mack with David Ingram

The afternoon dancers had a ballet master class with David Ingram. He received his

BFA in Dance from Butler University and performed with the North Carolina Dance Theatre and the Louisville Ballet in Kentucky.

Callie Thackston with David Ingram

Selah Boughner (right) and Peyton Lemen (left)

Meg Brooker: Master Class in Duncan Technique

2016-10-23T17:22:00.000-05:00

Meg Brooker, Guest Artist teaching master class

Artist Biography:
www.megbrookerdance.com

"Meg Brooker is a Tennessee-based Isadora Duncan dance artist and Assistant Professor of Dance at Middle Tennessee State University. As a Duncan dancer, Meg has performed in national and international venues including The National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Museum, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the Art Monastery (Italy), Erata Museum of Contemporary Art (St. Petersburg), American Center of Moscow, PROJEKT Fabrika (Crimea), among others. Meg is founder and and steering committee member of the Isadora Duncan International Symposium and a former member of Lori Belilove and Company, Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation, New York."

Meg Brooker with Leila Carroll

"Meg Brooker is a dance maker and performer with a history of interdisciplinary collaborations. Equally informed by structure and improvisation, Meg draws on a range of techniques from her dance and theatre trainings to create new work that balances early modern dance movement principles with contemporary perspectives of the body in motion."

Cornucopia performance

Ms. Brooker also performed with Elizabeth Wright (FAC Dance Faculty) and the 8 AM Dancers in Cornucopia on Saturday, October 22nd.

Fine Arts Center Dancers Present Saturday Days of Dance

2016-10-23T17:02:00.002-05:00

The Fine Arts Center Dancers taught a variety of dance classes to the dancers in the

community who have an interest in dance from grades four through adult. There were five Saturday events with classes in ballet, musical theatre, jazz, character, improvisation, contemporary/modern and more.

Ashley and Nicole Pavia demonstrating movement in repertory class

Cailey Campbell

Selah Boughner teaching improvisation class during Saturday Days of Dance

Lora Corley teaching ballet class

Rachel Mack teaching character dance

Callie Thackston

Melina Phillips

Sydney Parker-FAC Dance Alumna

2016-09-26T05:47:00.004-05:00

Sydney Parker performing in Out of Sight
Choreography by Ilana Goldman

Sydney Parker (FAC Dance 2015) performed in the Boston Contemporary Dance Festival in August in Out of Sight, choreographed by Ilana Goldman, Assistant Professor of Dance at Florida State University.

She also attended the Movement Invention Project for three weeks this past summer in NYC where she studied improvisation, ballet-along with Image Tech (a standing preparation for ballet class created by Alexandra Wells that combines Alexander Technique and Irene Dowd's work), contemporary technique and Gaga. The main emphasis was placed on improvisation as a vehicle for movement research. She worked with choreographers and dance artists: Sidra Bell, Alexander Wells, Elia Mrak, Troy Ogilvie, Shamel Pitts and Shannon Gillen.

Sydney is currently a sophomore at Florida State University where she is a double major in Dance and Arts Management.

Sydney Parker-Movement Invention Project
NYC

FAC Dancers Attend Summer Intensives

2016-09-25T18:32:00.001-05:00

Selah Boughner at Carnegie Mellon University

Selah Boughner attended the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh this summer in their musical theatre program. The six week program included classes in ballet, jazz, performance, audition, acting, voice, drama literature and improvisation. She gained a stronger focus and connection to her art from through the concentrated study in their program.

Rachel Mack

Bolshoi Summer Intensive

NYC

Rachel Mack, a junior, attended the Bolshoi Ballet Academy's Summer Intensive in New York City this summer for six weeks. She trained in the Vaganova method with teachers from the Bolshoi Academy in Russia.

Ellen Kilby attended the Nashville Ballet's two week summer intensive which included ballet, pointe, variations, pas de deux, modern, jazz and conditioning.

Jack Beaule, Cailey Campbell and Hallie Walters attended the Commercial Summer Intensive at UNCSA in Winston-Salem, NC for two weeks. Classes were in a variety of styles from contemporary and jazz to ballroom and included mock auditions.

Jack Beaule at UNCSA

Sofia Justo participated in the Art of Classical Ballet's one-week intensive in Pompano Beach, Florida. She studied with Cuban trained Magaly Suarez and Alexis Saramite, who performed with the Paris Opera Ballet.

JACQUELINE CALLE Performing with Metropolitan Opera

2016-08-28T11:57:00.002-05:00

Jacqueline Calle FAC Dance Alumna 2013

Jacqueline Calle has signed a contract to perform with The Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center as a dancer in Guillaume Tell.

Jacqueline (Jacki) graduated in Dance in 2013 and is currently a senior at SUNY/Purchase in New York where she will still be taking classes as well as performing in NYC this semester. She received the Sheffield Wood Scholarship her senior year at the Fine Arts Center.

The new production will be performed October 18-November 12.

https://www.metopera.org/Season/2016-17-Season/guillaume-tell-rossini-tickets/

Elizabeth Wright performs in NYC

2016-08-28T11:22:00.001-05:00

Elizabeth Wright, Dance Faculty

performed in the Battery Dance Festival in August in NYC

The Isadora Duncan Dance Company performs
Andante, Hymn to Apollo at the Battery Dance Festival
Photo: Jason Chuang

Elizabeth Wright as soloist in Andante, Hymn to Apollo at the
Battery Dance Festival
August, 2016
Photo: Jason Chuang

NHSDA gets off to a great start!

2016-08-28T11:14:00.002-05:00

The FAC NHSDA Officers organized a breakfast before school starts

Dancers can meet each other and have an overview for the year

FAC Dancers 2016-2017

NHSDA Officers
Callie Thackston, Peyton Lemen, Selah Boughner, Ellen Kilby and Nicole Pavia

Brian McGinnis Choreography at Artisphere

2016-08-28T11:08:00.000-05:00

"The Things We Carry" Choreographed by

Brian McGinnis

Performed at Artisphere in May, 2016

FAC Student Choreography Artisphere in May, 2016

2016-08-28T10:55:00.001-05:00

"Endless" choreographed by Peyton Lemen

"Agnosia" Choreographed by Olivia Hopkins

Dancer and Choreographer Jack Beaule

Choreography by Olivia Hopkins, Dancers Peyton Lemen and Nicole Pavia

Choreography by Ellen Kilby

Choreography by Nicole Pavia

Choreography by Jack Beaule

Induction for National Honor Society for Dance Arts

2016-08-28T10:32:00.002-05:00

NHSDA Officers-Induction Ceremony April, 2016

Members of FAC Chapter of the NHSDA, April 2016

Induction Ceremony in the Lobby of the Fine Arts Center

Dance and Architecture Visit Greenville County Museum of Art

2016-08-28T10:26:00.003-05:00

Dancers in the Greenville County Museum of Art

Dancers and Architecture Students in GCMA

Discussions among students and faculty/administrators

FINE ARTS CENTER DANCE CONCERT

2016-06-01T13:29:00.002-05:00

"Turbulent Wake" choreographed by Tyler Gilstrap
Photo: Shay Felknor

DANCE CONCERT

APRIL 2016

"Wake-Up Call" choreographed by Brian McGinnis
Photo: Shay Felknor

The Fine Arts Center Dancers performed two evening concerts in April that included choreography by Guest Artists Brian McGinnis, Tyler Gilstrap, Nathan Makolandra and Katarzyna Skarpetowska. Elizabeth Wright, FAC Dance Faculty, also premiered her work "Walk" on the program.

"Love is for the Poets: choreographed by Kate Skarpetowska
Photo: Shay Felknor

"Love is for the Poets"
Kate Skarpetowska
Photo: Shay Felknor

DANCERS ATTEND NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DANCE FESTIVAL

2016-06-01T13:03:00.003-05:00

NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DANCE FESTIVAL

MARCH 2016

POINT PARK UNIVERSITY

Seven Fine Arts Center Dancers attended the National High School Dance Festival in Pittsburgh, PA in March where they took classes by college dance professors and professional dancers, saw the Parsons Dance Company perform, attended performances by high school dancers, and attended auditions. The dancers received 33 call-backs, summer dance intensive acceptances and scholarships.

Dancers at Point Park University

Ellen Kilby and Peyton Lemen -FAC Dancers
speak with Christian von Howard,
Dance Professor at Montclair State University

TYLER GILSTRAP-Guest Artist and Choreographer

2016-06-01T12:44:00.001-05:00

Tyler Gilstrap

Guest Artist

February 2016

Dr. Fluhrer with Guest Artist Tyler Gilstrap and FAC Dancers

Dancers rehearsing "Turbulent Wake" with Tyler Gilstrap

FAC Dancers-AM Class with Tyler Gilstrap

Tyler Gilstrap set two new works of choreography on the Fine Arts Center Dancers, which were performed in the FAC Dance Concert in April and in the Spring Showcases in May.

"Turbulent Wake" Photo: Shay Felknor

Choreographer’s statement: Turbulent Wake is a play on words. Wake Turbulence by definition is turbulence that forms behind an aircraft as it passes through the air. It has often been called the “invisible Enemy” for many pilots because planes can get caught in it and lose control. As an artist, I love to explore the idea of the collective versus the individual and the turbulence it often causes.

"Great Day!" Photo: Shay Felknor
AM Dancers in FAC Dance Concert April 2016

BRIAN McGINNIS-Guest Choreographer

2016-06-01T09:07:00.003-05:00

"Wake-Up Call" performed in the Fine Arts Center Dance Concert

Brian McGinnis Dance Residency

November 2015

Brian McGinnis returned to the FAC to set two new works on the dancers and to restage "Run" that was commissioned by the Fine Arts Center in 2009 and premiered in April 2010.

He choreographed “Wake-Up Call” that identifies with the issue of gun violence as well as “The Things We Carry” that explores the multiplicity of what we hold onto and how it affects our inner landscape.

Brian McGinnis in rehearsal

Sonic Creature-Performance

2016-06-01T08:37:00.000-05:00

The FAC Dancers performed "Sonic Creature" in the FAC Dance Concert in April 2016

Choreography: Nathan Makolandra

Photos: Shay Felknor

"Sonic Creature" choreographed by Nathan Makolandra

FAC Dance Concert-photo: Shay Felknor

Nicole Pavia in "Sonic Creature"

Rachel Bierly in "Sonic Creature:

Nathan Makolandra-Dance Guest Artist

2015-09-15T15:17:00.000-05:00

Nathan Makolandra
Photo credit: Morgan Lugo

Nathan Makolandra was the dance guest artist the first two weeks in September setting a new work, “Sonic Creature” on the afternoon dancers and teaching six master classes in the morning. Nathan began dancing and choreographing in Greenville and received his B.F.A. in Dance from The Juilliard School. He is a founding member of the L. A. Dance Project founded by Benjamin Millepied, who choreographed and starred in the film The Black Swan.

Rehearsal setting "Sonic Creature"

Peyton Lemen attends Boston Ballet Summer Program

2015-08-19T16:54:00.000-05:00

Peyton Lemen

Peyton Lemen attended the Boston Ballet's Summer Dance Program for five weeks where she took two ballet technique classes and one pointe class daily along with classes in modern, partnering, character and Pilates. Her classes were taught by

members of the Boston Ballet and their faculty. She also enjoyed traveling to Saratoga Springs, New York to see the New York City Ballet perform.

FAC Dancer attends Lar Lubovitch Summer Dance Intensive

2015-08-19T16:24:00.000-05:00

Kiersten Rist with Lar Lubovitch
Lar Lubovitch Summer Dance Intensive

Kiersten Rist attended the Lar Lubovitch Summer Intensive at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York in June. Kate Skarpetowska, who was our guest artist in January, taught repertory and classes.

Kiersten Rist (center) with Kate Skarpetowska (right)

Rachel Spitzmiller Receives National Dance Award

2015-05-26T16:49:00.001-05:00

Rachel Spitzmiller-NDEO National Award Recipient

Rachel Spitzmiller, Fine Arts Center Dancer, has earned the 2015 National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) Artistic Merit, Leadership, and Academic Achievement Award from the NDEO. The awardees were selected by the National Honor Society for Dance Arts adjudication committee.

Junior and senior high school students who have been inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts are eligible for this award, one of the highest dance honors program in the nation. Nominees are evaluated based on nine criteria, including artistic merit, leadership, and academic achievement. Rachel also submitted a video of her performing her own work of choreography.

Photo credit: Brooke Schneider, FAC Visual Art Student

National Honor Society for Dance Arts Induction

2015-05-19T16:50:00.000-05:00

Members of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts

Jack Beaule, Rachel Bierly, Olivia Hopkins, Lauren Hurley, Ellen Kilby, Peyton Lemen, Samuel Painter, Sydney Parker, Ashley Pavia, Nicole Pavia, Lucy Quattlebaum, Kiersten Rist, Rachel Spitzmiller, Callie Thackston and Leah Wade

Rachel Spitzmiller was the National Winner in the 2015 NDEO Artistic Merit, Leadership, and Academic Achievement Award, the highest national award given to high school dancers by the National Dance Education Organization!

Sydney Parker was one of two National Finalists in the 2014 NDEO Artistic Merit, Leadership, and Academic Achievement Award, the highest national award given to high school dancers by the National Dance Education Organization!

Rick McCullough Ballet Guest Artist

2015-05-17T17:46:00.003-05:00

Rick McCullough, Associate Professor of Dance at Florida State University, taught two ballet master classes for the PM Dancers in March. Rick McCullough danced in the original North Carolina Dance Theater, the Harkness Ballet of New York, and for nine years with Netherlands Dance Theater. He was Ballet Master for Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and has choreographed works for North Carolina Dance Theater, Washington Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet Pacifica, Boston Ballet, and School of American Ballet. Recipient of five NEA choreographer’s fellowships, he also directs the North Carolina School of the Arts summer dance concert series on Roanoke Island.

Rick McCullough and Dr. Roy Fluhrer

Guest Artist Rick McCullough and FAC Dancers

Katarzyna (Kate) Skarpetowska Dance Guest Artist

2015-03-17T19:20:00.000-05:00

Katarzyna (Kate) Skarpetowska

Kate ( Katarzyna)Skarpetowska spent seven days as artist-in-residence at the Fine Arts Center setting an excerpt of her work Love is for the Poets on the afternoon dancers and teaching master classes to the morning dancers. She graduated in Dance from the Julliard School before joining the Parsons Dance Company. She has also performed with Battleworks Dance Company founded by Robert Battle and with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company since 2007 and has continued to work as a repetiteur and assistant to Lar Lubovitch.

Her piece Love is for the Poets was commissioned by Marymount Manhattan and she has choreographed for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater II, Richmond Ballet, Parsons Dance, Lar Lubovitch, Buglisi Dance Theater, Hubbard Street 2 and Houston Metropolitan Dance Company among others.

Rehearsal for Love is For the Poets (excerpt)

Kate Skarpetowska rehearsing FAC Dancers

In 2009 Kate co-designed and co-directed with Brian McGinnis Romeo and Juliet-a death marked love commissioned by the Peace Center in Greenville, SC. Brian McGinnis set two works of choreography on the FAC Dancers in October, 2014.

Kate Skarpetowska and Brian McGinnis in Romeo and Juliet in 2009