Performing Arts at CCBC
presents

Spring 2020 Virtual Dance Concert

CCBC Dance Company Artistic Director
Melinda Blomquist

CCBC Dance Coordinator
Tommy Parlon

CCBC Dance Company Associate Director
Kristi Schaffner

CCBC Dance Company Spring 2020
Adria Applebee | Armeara Blackwell | Dorien Carroll
Ava Correlli | Paij Hardy | Anastasia McKenzie | Emily Minter
Stephanie O’Hare | Maegan Read | London Smith | Shardai Smith

Choreographers:
Melinda Blomquist | Alice Howes
Adrienne Kraus Latanishen
Tommy Parlon | Kristi Schaffner
Guest: Elizabeth Higgins

Musicians:
Jordan Addison | Katelyn Blomquist
Tony Correlli | James Gummer | Aaron Statham

Artistic Director’s Note  

Program

Choreography: Melinda Blomquist and adapted to the environment by the Dancers
Music: Lord I Just Can’t Keep From Cryin’ a traditional spiritual; Be Still My Soul by Katharina von Schlegel;  Noyana a traditional spiritual; Come, Come Ye Saints by William W. Clayton; performed by Katelyn Blomquist
Dancers: Adria Applebee, Paij Hardy, Anastasia McKenzie, Stephanie O’Hare, London Smith
Video Editing: Melinda Blomquist

Choreography: Ava Correlli
Music: No symbols composed by Tony Correlli at The Deep End Studio
Dancer: Ava Correlli
Video Editing: Ava Correlli
This work is in partial fulfillment of the AFA Degree in Dance

Choreography: Emily Minter
Music: Water Lake, Cave Water Drops, Bubbles, Canoe Paddle, Dew Drops; licensed by Apple, Inc. The use of which are provided in the iMovie App from Apple, Inc
Text and Scenic Videography: Benjamin Barrett and Susannah Waldman
Dancers: Kathryn Braunwarth, Ava Correlli, Anastasia McKenzie, Emily Minter, Katey Nelson, Tara Nevans, Amber Slattery
Video and Sound editing: Emily Minter
Program note: This work was created as part of the 2020 National Water Dance Project. Learn more at: National Water Dance Projects 2020

Choreography: Tommy Parlon and dancers
Music: Udu You Think? By James Gummer; Marcus by James Gummer with text by Marcus Aurelius; Taka Monster by James Gummer; Rain Drops by James Gummer and Donna Korn
Dancers: Ava Correlli, Anastasia McKenzie, Stephanie O’Hare, Shardai Smith
Video Editing: Melinda Blomquist

Choreography: Elizabeth Higgins and the Dancers
Music: Greek Dances no.1-3 by Aaron Statham
Dancers: Adria Applebee, Dorien Carroll, Ava Correlli, Anastasia McKenzie, Maegan Read, London Smith
Video Editing: Melinda Blomquist

Choreography: Kristi Schaffner and Dancers
Music: The Whimsical Mr. Vernon by Jordan Addison
Dancers: Adria Applebee, Ava Correlli, Anastasia McKenzie, Maegan Read, London Smith
Video Editing: Melinda Blomquist

Choreography: Armeara Blackwell
Music: you are a memory by Jerome Alexander
Dancers: Maegan Read, London Smith
Video Editing: Melinda Blomquist
This work is in partial fulfillment of the AFA Degree in Dance

Choreography: Adrienne Kraus Latanishen
Music: Of Stars and Love by Aaron Statham
Dancers: Adria Applebee, Armeara Blackwell, Ava Correlli, Paij Hardy, Anastasia McKenzie
Video Editing: Adrienne Kraus Latanishen

Special Thank you to the families and friends of the dancers who helped with the videography of the performances and give space for the dancers to move and create in.

The Dancers

ADRIA APPLEBEE
Is currently in her fourth semester taking dance classes at CCBC, this is her third semester dancing with the CCBC Dance Company. She is a parallel enrolled homeschooler taking full-time college classes at CCBC. Adria is also a gymnast and has been training in aerial silks for 6 years. Her previous aerial productions include Circus, The Flight of Icarus, Under the Sea, The Odyssey, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

ARMEARA BLACKWELL
began her dance experience started at B.funk Dance Company where she trained for 2 years as a hip-hop dancer. She then transitioned to Morton Street Dance Company where she trained in ballet and modern for a year. After leaving Morton Street she started her own dance group as well as joining her high school’s, Perry Hall, dance company. During my time in high school her was also training with Culture Shock where I am currently in my 4th season with them. She has performed in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Diego, and Las Vegas.

DORIEN CARROLL
was introduced to dance at age 11 when he joined the Ava Fields Dance Company/Ministry. It wasn’t until he was in the eighth grade when he realized that he wanted to take dancing to a more serious level. He was accepted into The Baltimore School for the Arts and trained in classical ballet and modern for four years. He had the honor to work with numerous choreographers and perform well known work such as Martha Graham’s “Appalachian Spring”, George Balanchine’s “Who Cares”, and many more. Dorien thanks each choreographer and cast member he’s work with for this production and his family for always supporting his craft.

AVA CORRELLI
started her journey at CCBC in 2018 as a Homeschooled tenth grader and is now graduating from CCBC with her Associate in Fine Arts Degree in Dance. Ava will be leaving in August to go to the Disney College program to fulfill her life long dream of performing in Disney! Ava would like to thank Tommy, Melinda, and Kristi for giving her so many opportunities  both at CCBC and outside of school.

PAIJ HARDY
Born in Washington, DC, Paij began her training at the New Hope Academy under the instruction of Concha Egea Marchitelli.  She continued her training at the Marcellus Dance Studio and under the tutelage of Michelle “Ms. Mimi” McDonald , Adrian V. James, and Maya Yamada in PG County Schools. After high school Paij attended Temple University as a dance major.  Some of her memorable performances include B.E.T. television, the White House, The Kennedy Center, The Fringe Festival and the Department of Army and Navy.  Paij is also the founder of aPART: Inclusive Arts Initiative, a nonprofit arts organization whose mission is to promote various avenues of the arts through accessibility, training, and performance opportunities to reach the artistic voice in everyone.

ANASTASIA MCKENZIE
was born in Kirov, Russia, and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. Anastasia graduated in 2015 from CCBC where she was a dance major. She recently graduated with her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography at Coker College in Hartsville, South Carolina. Anastasia was a part of the pre-professional Coker Repertory Dance Company at Coker College. In 2012, Anastasia was nominated to travel to London, England to represent Maryland in dance. During the summer of 2016 she was 1 of 25 lucky dancer chosen to travel to Italy for a two-week summer dance intensive. Anastasia is currently back in school perusing another degree while continuing performing and creating choreography.

EMILY MINTER
lives in Baltimore City. She is a company member of Dance & Bmore where she performs, teaches, and provides community outreach regarding violence prevention and conflict resolution to city residents. Emily has been dancing for 10 years. During that time, she has performed with the goal of education on sensitive issues and community building. In 2014 she performed in the National Water Dance, educating the public about environmental issues affecting water.

STEPHANIE O’HARE
began dance at The Dance Studio, currently located in White Marsh under the direction of Brittany Iafolla Conn. She attended Perry Hall High School, where she became dance team captain and participated in many performances and competitions. During this time she also taught dance at her studio and continues to do so. She graduated in 2016 and came to CCBC where she first became a member of company in Spring. After 2 years off, she came back again this Spring to continue training with CCBC Dance Company. Stephanie plans on transferring to Towson University after completing her AFA degree at CCBC.

MEAGAN READ
began dancing at the age of 3 at church. After her passion for dance was apparent to the leader of the dance ministry she began taking classes at an actual dance studio. She began attending Gardenville recreation soon after. After attending Gardenville for a couple of years, she left that studio and started attending Baltimore Dance Tech. She left Baltimore Dance Tech in 2013. Following her departure from that dance studio, she began attending The Maryland Academy of Dance, under the leadership of Darby Pack, which is the same person who was in charge of the church dance ministry when she began dancing. After graduating from High School in 2017, she attended Morgan State University and joined the Morgan State Modern Dance Ensemble. After transferring to CCBC in fall of 2019, she joined the dance company 

LONDON SMITH
started her training at CCBC under Thomas Parlon. She attend New Town High School where she graduated in 2018. She has also performed with All County Honors Dance Ensemble and Deviated Theatre. This is London’s first year working with CCBC Dance Company. London plans to transferring to University of the Arts after completing her AFA degree at CCBC.

SHARDAI SMITH
began her dance training at a family friend studio and in her church dance ministry. She attended Franklin High School where she graduated in 2015. She also has danced for Rayn Fall dance studio. This is Shardai first year dancing with CCBC Dance Company. Shardai plans on transferring to Temple University upon achieving her AFA degree in Dance.

The Choreographers

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.

ADRIENNE KRAUS LATANISHEN
(Choreographer)
is not only an adjunct dance professor at The Community College of Baltimore County, but a proud alum too. After transferring to The University of Maryland, College Park she graduated with honors with her B.A. in Dance. Adrienne is currently the Director of Dance at St. Timothy’s School, a private/boarding school for girls. At the moment she dances professionally and independently for Trajectory Dance Project, Molly Jean Kirkup Heer, and herself. She has also danced for BlueShift Dance (principal dancer), The Collective (choreographer, teacher, and dancer), B3W of New York City, Andary Dance, and withhart.dance.projects, of which she was also founding member and assistant director. Her choreography has been commissioned for local theatre groups, high schools, and colleges including Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts where she was made Artist in Residence.

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.

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.

ALICE HOWES
(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.

ELIZABETH HIGGINS
(Choreographer)
Associate Professor and Coordinator of Dance
BFA, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University
MFA, School of Visual Arts and Dance, Florida State University

Ms. Higgins joined the faculty at HCC in 2013 after teaching at several professional dance and academic institutions including Marymount Manhattan College, Manhattanville College, Sarah Lawrence College, Hunter College, Columbia University, Florida State University, the Spence School, Peridance Capezio Center and the New York City Ballet Education Program.  Her choreography has been presented in Bolivia and throughout the United States, at venues including the Cunningham Studio, Dance Theater Workshop and Joyce SoHo of NYC.  She was a recipient of the Turner Choreography Award, winner of the New Moves NY State Choreography Competition, and her work was chosen as one of the critics’ “Best Picks” by Back Stage Magazine.  Ms. Higgins received a University Fellowship and a School of Visual Arts and Dance Fellowship at Florida State University and was a Garden State Scholar at Rutgers University.  As a professional dancer, she toured nationally and internationally with Murray Louis and Nikolais Dance, Dance Compass, the Brian Brooks Moving Company, Pick of the Crop Dance and Don Redlich Dance.  She has received choreographic commissions from Sarasota Contemporary Dance, the Steffi Nossen School and the Dance Programs of Agnes Scott College and Florida State College at Jacksonville.

The Musicians

JORDAN ADDISON
received a Bachelor’s of Music in Piano Performance at Appalachian State University. He was a headline entertainer on Carnival Cruise lines for many years. After the cruises, Jordan furthered his music career in performing in restaurants & jazz clubs all over Manhattan. He was featured weekly at the NYC’s “world famous” Don’t Tell Mama: restaurant, piano bar, & cabaret. Jordan’s Piano on Broadway album is available on Spotify & Apple Music. His rendition of “New York, New York” from the album was featured on the HBO series “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” He would  like to share a thank you to Kristi Schaffner & Melinda Blomquist, for asking him to play a role in the music collaboration for CCBC’s live performances.

KATELYN BLOMQUIST
has had the opportunity to perform and choreograph for professional and community companies from Texas, Maryland, Montana, and Utah. She studied voice at CCBC and later continued her studies in theatre and dance at Utah Valley University. She currently owns and operates Falling Star Parties where she specializes in children’s character entertainment. To find out more about Katelyn and her work, visit Falling Star Parties.

TONY CORRELLI
is a composer and record producer operating Deep End Studio in Baltimore, MD. He collaborates with artists from the Mid-Atlantic region and around the world, composes for film and television, and performs in the electronic project Steep Steps. He was a featured speaker at CCBC’s Music Forum last year. Visit him online at The Deep End Studio

JAMES GUMMER
is an accompanist for the Community College of Baltimore County and the University of Maryland Baltimore County Dance departments. He is a Remo Health Rhythms Drum Circle Facilitator and is the resident drummer at The Maryland Renaissance Festival. In addition to percussion, James also teaches Tai Chi and meditation. He’s a hoodie enthusiast and huge fan of naps. Visit him online at JamesGummer.com

AARON STATHAM
is a music major at CCBC.  Up until he was 15 he had no interest in music. Then out of nowhere he gained a deep passion for music. He taught himself Music Theory, Composition, and how to play the piano; joined the Calvert Hall Jazz Orchestra in his senior year of high school. He never had formal music lessons until arriving at CCBC two semesters ago. Aaron was originally a law major before transferring to music. Aaron’s goal in life is to write music for films, video games, and anything else that would require scoring.

Special Thanks

Dr. Sandra Kurtinitis | CCBC President
Mr. Jack McLaughlin | Interim Vice President of Instruction
Dr. Rich Lilley | Vice President of Enrollment & Student Services
Dr. William Watson | Dean of Liberal Arts
Dr. Anne M.Lefter | Director, Performing Arts
Professor Patti Crossman | Chair of Performing Arts and Humanities
Cathy Kratovil | CCBC Performing Arts Communications Assistant
Brad Norris | CCBC Performing Arts Production Manager
Kim Bleakley | CCBC Creative Services, Graphic Designer