Fall Dance Concert 2016 Program Details

The Department of Performing Arts and Humanities
of the School of Liberal Arts at CCBC

presents

Fall 2016 Dance Concert

CCBC Dance Company Artistic Director
Melinda Blomquist

Associate Director
Kristi Schaffner

CCBC Dance Coordinator
Tommy Parlon

Technical Director
Sound/Lighting Designer
G. Maurice “Moe” Conn

Seamstress
Dani Gebski

Choreographers:
Melinda Blomquist | Alice Howes | Tommy Parlon
Kristi Schaffner | Danielle Stenn

November 17 at 11:10 am
November 18, 19 at 8pm

Director’s Note

This Fall concert is comprised of six works with very different viewpoints. All of the choreographers selected their themes or concepts and developed movement that expresses that concept for them. The student dancers in the CCBC Dance Company have been rehearsing since September to prepare for this performance. Each work presents them with specific challenges in regard to movement vocabulary, emotional connection to the movement, their fellow dancers, and you, our audience. These dancers have grown as artists in many ways through the rehearsal process as they have worked with a diverse and talented group of choreographers.

Many of the works in this performance utilize ideas and concepts from Modern dance, which comes from a tradition of pushing boundaries and exploring different ways of expressing an idea. Modern dance asks you to think about your experience and contemplate the possibilities that are presented. Using movement as a means of expression, the work creates a moving landscape of ideas, emotions, and possibilities. Just as each work is unique, how you as an audience member experience each work will be unique to you. As you watch the performance and are affected by the movement, lighting, costumes, and music, you will discover how their interaction feeds your understanding of what the work might be about.

I would like to personally thank all of the dancers, choreographers, faculty, and staff who have helped to put this concert together. Their dedication and enthusiasm for dance is a blessing to work with and be a part of.

Enjoy the Performance!

Melinda Blomquist

PROGRAM

The Grass is Greener on the Other Side
2016
Choreographer: Danielle Stenn
Music: “All We Do” by Oh Wonder
Costume Design: Danielle Stenn
Dancers: Kelsey Lewis, DeAundre Drisdom, Rachel Pavolsky
Understudy: Charles Sacco

decayed dream
2016
Choreographer: Tommy Parlon
Music: “Fratres” by Arvo Pärt Performed by Third Coast Symphony
Costume Design: Tommy Parlon
Dancers: Ajia Adams, DeAundre Drisdom, Kelsey Lewis, Asia Mitchell, Rachel Pavlosky, Troy Rice, Charles Sacco, Anita Samek, Rachel Weddington

Dancing Ophelia: Dance Works Unveil the Women of Shakespeare
Choreographer: Alice Howes
Costume Design: Alice Howes
Spinning Straw
Music: Ensemble Galilei
Dancers: Kelsey Lewis, Asia Mitchell, Rachel Pavlosky

Desdemona
Inspired by Othello
Text: William Shakespeare
Music: Evelyn Glennie
Dancer: Kelsey Lewis

Something Borrowed: Kate and Petruchio’s wedding
Inspired by The Taming of the Shrew
Music: Philip Glass
Dancers: Ajia Adams and Troy Rice

Incantation
Inspired by the Weird Sisters of Macbeth
Music: Iva Bittova
Dancers: Ajia Adams, Kelsey Lewis, Asia Mitchell

Intermission – 10 minutes

RE(de)FINED
2016
Choreographer: Kristi Schaffner
Music: Recorded by Seeburg Music Library Inc. circa 1950’s and 1960’s
Text: Coronet Instructional Films
Sound Design: Kristi Schaffner
Sound Editing: Craig Blomquist
Costume Design: Kristi Schaffner
Dancers: Ajia Adams, DeAundre Drisdom, Kelsey Lewis, Asia Mitchell, Troy Rice
Understudy: Rachel Pavlosky

The Waltzing Dead
2016
Choreographer: Asia Mitchell
Music: Hello Zeppelin by Charlie Clouser
Dancers: Kelsey Lewis, Asia Mitchell
This work is in partial fulfillment of the AFA Degree in Dance

of things unknown, but longed for still
2016
Choreographer: Melinda Blomquist with movement contributions from the dancers
Music: “Poem for Carlita” by Mark O’Connor; “Benjamin” by Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Mark O’Connor, and James Taylor; and “Indecision” by Edgar Meyer
Costume Design: Melinda Blomquist
Dancers: Ajia Adams, DeAundre Drisdom, Asia Mitchell, Rachel Pavlosky,
Troy Rice (Thursday/Saturday), Anita Samek (Friday)

The Dancers

AJIA ADAMS

is returning to the Dance Company this semester. She is a business major and plans to transfer to a four year college to human resource management and dance performance. Ajia graduated from Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts where she was a part of the dance company and all honors dance ensemble. Ajia was also a part of the York College Dance Team 2014. In her free time she teaches dance at the Greater Loch Raven Recreation Council.

DEAUNDRE DRISDOM

KELSEY LEWIS

ASIA MITCHELL

is a graduate of Baltimore School for the Arts where she was under the training of Norma Pera, Debra Robinson, Anton Wilson, Linda-Denise Fisher, and Sandy Lacy. She has had the opportunity to perform Balanchine’s Serenade staged by Deborah Wingert, Martha Graham’s Appalachian Spring staged by Miki Orihara, Baltimore’s very own Tapping Santas and The Nutcracker choreographed by Barry Hughson performed at The Modell Lyric. Asia is a AFA Dance major for Performing Arts, and plans on transferring to a four year University after the Spring of 2017, she has been a member of CCBC,s Dance Company since the Fall of 2015

RACHEL PAVLOSKY

TROY RICE

CHARLES SACCO

began his training with Kingsville Recreation Council Dance under Kathy Satmary, Christine Shoobridge, and Linda Krach. He attended Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts where he trained under Claire Sweet and Laura Brown and graduated in 2016. During his time at Patapsco, Charles traveled to England for a week with the Baltimore Dance Ensemble as part of an exchange with Windsor High School Sixth Form. Charles also had the pleasure of participating in master works with Adrienne Clancy, Torens Johnson, and Vincent Thomas. Charles spent three years at Upper Falls Dance Academy where he trained with Alyson Jacques, Judith Daniel, Jonathan Brown, Tara Kearney, and Julie Foley. This is Charles’s first year with the CCBC Dance Company.

ANITA SAMEK

has been dancing for 14 years for various programs, such as Perry Hall Dance and A Step Ahead Dance Center. This will be her 3rd year as a dance instructor. She teaches/has taught classes for A Step Ahead Dance Center, Perry Hall Dance, Forrest Hill Dance, Dance Conservatory of Maryland, and Belair Dance Academy. She has also performed with Charm City Ballet, and has attended various dance events yearly on the east coast such as The Pulse, Dance Teacher Summit, and Jersey Tap Fest. This is Anita’s first year working with the CCBC Dance Company.

RACHEL WEDDINGTON

began her training at Connexions School for the Arts in 2010 where she participated in Connexions Repertory Company for 3 years. She graduated Cum Laude and was awarded for Most Artistic Improvement. She is an AFA dance major for performing arts and will be working towards receiving her BFA in dance performance/chorography.

Production Staff

Who’s Who

MELINDA BLOMQUIST
(Artistic Director)

received a Master of Fine Arts in Dance Choreography and Performance from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee; and a Master of Arts in Dance Pedagogy from Brigham Young University. Melinda has presented her choreographic work in numerous venues nationally and internationally including: the South Central and Mid-Atlantic American College Dance Festivals; the Southern District AAHPERD conferences; Northwest Vista College; the National Dance Association Pedagogy Conferences; the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee; and at the Attakkalari Festival in Bangalore India. She has also performed her own work and the work of other artists in various venues. Melinda is currently working with Trajectory Dance Project.

Melinda is an Associate Professor of Dance at the Community College of Baltimore County and is the Artistic Director of the CCBC Dance Company. Melinda is involved in community outreach, focusing on promoting the importance of dance as art form in public education. Previously Melinda was a member of the dance faculty at the University of Texas Pan American where she was the Co-Artistic Director of the Dance Ensemble. Melinda has also worked with the Theatre and Music departments as a choreographer for Musical Theatre productions both at the University of Texas Pan American and at the Community College of Baltimore County.

KRISTI SCHAFFNER
(Associate Director)

attended the University of Oklahoma as a teaching fellow where she received her MFA in modern dance (2011). She also has BFA in dance education from Kent State University (2004). Through a graduate student grant, she studied Laban Movement Analysis at the Laban Institute in NYC. Ms. Schaffner has performed with Jeslyn Dance Gallery, Clawson Dances, Junction Dance Theatre, and Tommy Parlon Dance Projects among others, and is a current dancer and Director of Education and Outreach for Dragonfly Dance Experiment. Her choreography has been presented across the country including Pittsburgh, Oklahoma City, Washington D.C., Annapolis, Baltimore, Salt Lake City and at the Howard County Dance Festival. A passion for education has inspired her to create and implement dance curricula for both preschools and charter school students diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. Ms. Schaffner is a current adjunct faculty member in the dance divisions of Anne Arundel Community College and the Community College of Baltimore County and is a frequent guest instructor and performer in schools and community events.

TOMMY PARLON
(Dance Coordinator)

a native of Washington, D.C., received his M.F.A. in Dance (Choreography and Technology) from Arizona State University and his B.F.A. in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. From 1998-2002 he was an Assistant Professor of Dance at Kent State University. While in New York City he danced with J. Fregalette Janson Dance, Centaur Dance Theatre, Beyondance Inc! and the Paris based multi-media performance art company FIASCO. Mr. Parlon has danced in pieces by Doug Varone, Stephen Petronio, Alvin Mayes, Laura Dean and Elizabeth Streb. In 1996-1998 he collaborated on Falling to Earth, an interactive multi-media performance piece created with the Institute for Studies in the Arts at Arizona State University. His choreography has been commissioned by Incidents Physical Theater of New York City, NEW ARTiculations in Tucson, Arizona, Lansing Chamber Dance in Michigan, and numerous colleges throughout the United States. He was awarded an Individual Artist Award in Solo Dance Performance from the Maryland State Arts Council in 2004 and an Artist Award in Choreography in 2007. Mr. Parlon is currently the Artistic Director of Tommy Parlon Dance Projects in Washington, D.C., the Artistic Associate of Ground Zero Dance in Richmond and the Dance Coordinator at CCBC.

DANIELLE STENN
(Choreographer)

develops inspiring contemporary compositions that are sought after by other innovators, contemporary companies and educational institutions. She strives to be an innovator of new ideas, styles and techniques – pushing the boundaries of movement and beauty – rather than a follower of the present day trends. Her work has been performed on the stage at the Joyce Theater in New York City, and in the scenes of Disney Channel movies, representing her versatility in the industry.

Danielle has been blessed to work alongside 2 time Emmy-nominated choreographer, Christopher Scott in film, music and television. She was his Assistant Choreographer and Dancer in the Disney Channel Original Movie, “Teen Beach Movie” and its sequel, “Teen Beach 2”, as well as in “Lemonade Mouth”. Her television credits as Assistant Choreographer include SYTYCD Season 8 Finale Show, ABC’s “Good Morning America” and “The View”, and as a dancer for music icon, Gloria Estefan, on “The Rosie Show”, “Nuestra Navidad”, and “The View”. Danielle was also a dancer in Gloria Estefan’s “Wepa” music video. Early in her career, Danielle had the privilege of dancing for Paula Abdul.

In 2008, Danielle and her husband, Lance Guillermo, created “On the DL”. They are a fusion of unique contemporary movement with the fundamentals of hip hop technique – a duet that challenges the misconceptions of a true blend of contemporary movement with authentic hip hop dance. Together they are resident faculty members for PowerPak, Turn It Up Dance Convention, A Day of Dance, and for the Baltimore-based workshop CRAZE: A New Dance Experience, as well as travel across the country and overseas to teach master classes, and choreograph unique compositions. During the summer of 2013, Danielle and Lance wrote, directed, and choreographed an original theater-dance production entitled, “Working America”. Their work has also been performed in shows in Los Angeles, California, Las Vegas, Nevada, New York City, Orlando, Florida and other parts of the country. Danielle is represented by Movement Talent Agency for Choreography and Education.

G. MAURICE “MOE” CONN
(Technical Director / Scenic/Lighting Designer)

is the full-time Technical Director and Designer at CCBC Catonsville Center for the Arts Theatre. He has an MFA in Scene Design and Technical Theatre. Moe has been doing technical theatre since 1993, as a Designer, Technician, Technical Director, and Educator. Moe had also served as the Technical Director and Designer for Cockpit in Court Theatre, Maryland’s Oldest Summer theatre, for 4 summers. Moe has received multiple nominations for Best Scene Design from Broadway World.com and Received Best Scenic Design from the MD Theatre Guide’s Readers’ Choice Awards. When not backstage, Moe volunteers with the ESTA foundation’s “Behind the Scenes”. He also helps coordinate the Long Reach Long Riders charity motorcycle ride, (www.LRLR.org ) to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity fights AIDS and ESTA’s Behind the Scenes, two theatre based charities.

ALICE HOWES
(Guest Choreographer)

is a dance artist and educator who is director of Trajectory Dance Project, a Baltimore-based modern dance ensemble. She has held full-time faculty positions at universities including Coppin State University, UNC Charlotte, and Lamar University. In addition, she served from 1995 to 2004 as artistic director and resident choreographer of Washington, D.C.’s Sister’s Trousers Dance Company, a modern dance ensemble based in the D.C. area. Sarah Kaufman of The Washington Post described Howes’ performance as “riveting, thrilling and deeply mysterious”. Howes’ choreography has appeared in selective showcases at venues such as D.C.’s Dance Place, The Booth Theater in Charlotte, North Carolina and the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater and Millennium Stage. She holds an MA in dance from American University and an MFA in dance from Sam Houston State University. Howes also has earned a Certificate of Movement Analysis (CMA) from the Laban Institute of Movement Studies in New York City.

Special Thanks

Dr. Sandra Kurtinitis | President, CCBC
Dr. Mark McColloch | Vice President of Instruction
Dr. Rich Lilley | Vice President of Enrollment & Student Services
Dr. William Watson | Dean of Liberal Arts
Patti Crossman, Chair | Performing Arts & Humanities
Jacqueline Lucy | Media Relations Coordinator
Jacqueline McTear | Graphic Designer