Opening Nights - fence by staibdance Program

Proud supporter of Opening Nights and their mission in Arts Education at Florida State University

TAYLOR BLACKBURN FAMILY FUND

from the director

we are thrilled to present a wide array of world-class performing artists to our community during the fall of 2022.

The first half of our 25th Anniversary Season features highly acclaimed artists including fence by staibdance, a visually stunning performance based upon dramatic events George Staib experienced as a child growing up in Iran; Final Cut features FSU alum Oualid Mouaness, the award-winning creator of 1982, a film based on experiences set in Lebanon; pop culture phenomenon Scott Bradlee’s Post Modern Jukebox remakes today’s hits with the sounds of yesterday; R&B hitmakers All4-One, known for their countless love songs; rising star Mykal Kilgore, who received a GRAMMY® award nomination for “Best Traditional R&B Performance;” award-winning John Jorgensen Blue Brass Band will fill Goodwood with their signature “high lonesome” sound; the magic of Disney comes to Ruby Diamond Concert Hall with Disney Princess – The Concert, featuring four Broadway Disney Princesses singing all the songs you know and love; high rollicking Celtic band Seven Nations brings a new twist to traditional Celtic

music; the enchanting music of tenThing Brass Ensemble, an all-female group from Norway, rings in the holiday season with beautiful music.

It’s not too late to become a member of Opening Nights and to show your support of our mission to present exceptional artists—a mission worthy of supporting and celebrating! These performances create a thriving cultural life in our community and create priceless educational experiences on campus and throughout the community. Ask any Opening Nights associate about these philanthropic opportunities. We hope you join us!

Thank you again for supporting Opening Nights 25th Anniversary Season at Florida State University. Enjoy these outstanding performances!

Jennifer Wright-Allen Director, Opening Nights at Florida State University

Potential is just the start of a push toward greatness. At FSU, the collaborative culture and supportive community helps to cultivate an environment that encourages innovative thinking. Because when we all bring our own unique perspectives and work together toward a common goal, we can all help make tomorrow better than today. Start your journey at fsu.edu/belivingproof

THAT EMPOWERING EACH OTHER GIVES US THE POWER TO CHANGE THE WORLD FOR THE GOOD OF ALL.

performancesupcoming

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fence by staibdance dance Final Cut: 1982 filmSponsored by Taylor Blackburn Family Fund

Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox jazz, pop All-4-One r&b, Sponsoredpop by VyStar Credit Union Mykal Kilgore

r&bSponsored by The Louise Ireland Humphrey Excellence Fund

24 John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band bluegrass, folk

Disney Princess: The Concert family, vocal, musical theatre Sponsored by The Law Office of Johnny Devine

17 Seven Nations Celtic, rock

tenThing Brass Ensemble holiday, classical, instrumental, jazz 22

Cover photo: fence by staibdance

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A COLLABORATION WITH FSU SCHOOL OF DANCE

fence is a journey into a messy world of power struggles and dismissed histories, and an examination of how “otherness” can rob our power or become its source. Founded upon dramatic, life-changing events George Staib encountered as a child in Iran, fence is staibdance’s most political and socially driven work to date. Staib’s intensely physical movement vocabulary bonds with traditional Iranian dance, to explore unrest felt personally and globally. fence gives shape to the conversation around what takes your power and what gives you power.

fence was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This performance is funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the Mellon Foundation. staibdance

FUNDED IN

Eric & Andrea Friall

fence staibdanceby

Continued from pg. 17

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

George Staib

CHOREOGRAPHER

George Staib in collaboration with Sarah Hillmer and the dancers

SOUND

Ben Coleman

LIGHTING DESIGNER

Gregory Catellier

ORIGINAL SCENIC DESIGN

Sara W.

ORIGINAL COSTUME DESIGN

Tamara Cobus

TECHNICAL ARTIST

Jessica Anderson

ADDITIONAL COSTUME DESIGN & SUPERVISORWARDROBE

Jimmy Joyner

DANCERS

Anna Bracewell Crower, Bailey Jo Harbaugh, Nicole Johnson, Jimmy Joyner, James La Russa, Chrystola Luu, Laura Morton La Russa, Amelia Reiser Solodkin

GUEST ARTISTS

April Chinea, Marielle Richardson, Elise St.Cyr

PROGRAM NOTES

“In 1976, a dual murder occurred on the Tehran American School grounds where I was the only Iranian-born and raised student. Two American students were lured to a remote part of campus by two Iranians and fatally stabbed through the fence separating us from the vast, deserted landscape. When my family later fled to rural Pennsylvania, citizenship roles were dramatically reversed, and I was targeted. Now, as a resident of the Southeast, I see a cyclical repetition of power struggles where histories are as pivotal as they are dismissed. Are things the same, or are they different?”- George Staib

GeorgeBIOGRAPHIESStaib,staibdance Artistic Director & Choreographer

Born in Tehran, Iran, George Staib is of Armenian descent and has been living in the

United States since the age of ten. He began his dance training at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in conjunction with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, then went on to earn an MFA in dance and choreography from Temple University. Company credits include: Ann Vachon/Dance Conduit, Coriolis Dance Company, Gathering Wild Dance Company, and Paula Kellinger and Dancers. In addition, the fall of 2006 provided Staib the opportunity to perform with the José Limón Dance Company as a guest artist in their re-creation of Missa Brevis

In 2001 he joined the dance faculty at Emory University where he teaches contemporary and ballet techniques, choreography, and a

seminar created to examine the impetus and practice of consuming and making art. He serves as an adjudicator and a member of the executive committee for the American College Dance Association, also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for Dance/ USA. Staib’s work has been commissioned across the United States and he has been recognized by Dance Teacher Magazine as one of the top five dance educators in the country. Staib is also a contributing writer and critic for ArtsATL

Staib is a two-time recipient of Emory’s prestigious Winship Award, taking him to Tel Aviv in 2011 to study Gaga, release technique with Iris Enez, and conduct choreographic workshops in Jerusalem. In

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2016, Staib and the company were invited to Stockholm to perform and teach at Södra Latins and BalletAkadamien, and subsequently created new work on Saraceno SinceDance.the

founding of staibdance, he and the company have been awarded funding from the New England Foundation for the Arts, The Doris Duke Charitable Trust, The Mellon Foundation, The Vail Family Foundation, NEA, The Latham Foundation, The Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.

In addition, staibdance curated and produced the first-ever Atlanta Multicultural Dance Festival, created a summer intensive in Sorrento, Italy, now in its 11th year and hosted a 10-part podcast series that features culturally based artists from across the country, now in its second season.

In 2019, Staib was selected as one of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Arts Leaders of Metro Atlanta. That same year staibdance was selected as one of five dance companies in the South to be awarded funding and participation within the Momentum Program, founded by South Arts.

In the coming months, staibdance will be touring fence, interacting with South Arts and their “Momentum Program” as well as begin work on a new piece, titled ARARAT, set to premiere in 2023.

Sarah Hillmer, Co-collaborator

An Atlanta native, Sarah Hillmer has dedicated over 18 years to the professional dance world as a dancer, assistant to choreographers, ballet master, stager, educator and creator.

Her company credits include the Atlanta Ballet, gloATL as a founding member, and staibdance. During Sarah’s tenure as Ballet Master at the Atlanta Ballet, she worked alongside world-renowned figures in the ballet world, and coached dancers in seminal works by Ohad Naharin, Jiří Kylián, Wayne McGregor, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, John McFall, Helgi Tomasson, Gemma Bond, Craig Davidson, Ricardo Amarante and Yuri Possokhov. It was during her time at the Atlanta Ballet that ongoing artistic relationships with Twyla Tharp and Helen

Pickett were forged. She was instrumental in the building of their full-length ballets and continues to stage their work globally. Sarah’s work as a stager and assistant have taken her to Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Smuin Ballet, New York Theatre Ballet, UNCSA, UArts, Pennsylvania Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Alberta Ballet and Boston Ballet.

In 2017 Sarah formed ImmerseATL, a contemporary dance training platform designed to serve as a bridge between the pre-professional and professional world of dance. ImmerseATL provides classes, mentorships, performance opportunities, and professional connections for its artists.

Sarah is an active member of the Atlanta dance scene, serving as a guest teacher and choreographer for Universities and dance schools. Sarah creates original works for ImmerseATL and has been commissioned to create work for Atlanta Ballet’s Wabi Sabi, Backside of the Tent Productions and Emory Dance Company. Most recently, Sarah collaborated with George Staib on his newest work for staibdance titled fence, which was funded by a grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts National Dance

InProject.August

2019 Sarah stepped into the role of Managing Director for staibdance and is thrilled to be part of leading this extraordinary organization forward.

Ben Coleman, Sound Designer & Composer

Ben Coleman is a British multi-disciplinary artist residing in Denver, CO. His practice is rooted in sound and performance-making, but often plays with other media, including music, text, video and installation.

Coleman grew up in theatre and music, forming his first bands in London while studying contemporary performance. Moving to the US in 2006, he dedicated some eventful years to musical projects—later returning to performance alongside new roles as composer, sound designer and installation artist. His practice now embraces curatorial projects, and frequent collaboration with choreographers, visual artists, and theater practitioners.

His work has been presented by the High Museum of Art, Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Contemporary, Museum of Contemporary Art Georgia, Gibney Dance, Dashboard, Georgia Institute of Technology, Flux Projects, Zuckerman Museum of Art and Emory Coleman’sUniversity.work has been featured by Hyperallergic, Wire Magazine, Vice, Pitchfork, Arts ATL, Burnaway and WABE Atlanta. He is an artist in residence at Redline Contemporary Art Centre, Denver.

Gregory Catellier, Lighting Designer

An Atlanta-based dance artist, Catellier choreographs, performs, teaches and designs lighting for dance. Catellier has designed lighting for hundreds of dances both in and out of academia for artists such as Paul Matteson, David Neumann and Lisa Race, as well as local artists at staibdance, CORE, Full RadiusDance and Ruth Mitchell Dance Theater, among others. Between 2009 and 2017, Greg Catellier was the lighting supervisor/resident light designer for the Bates Dance Festival. The following year, he shifted into the role of the production manager with the festival. Catellier started dancing at Webster University before earning a BA in dance from Arizona State University and his MFA in dance with an emphasis in design and production from Ohio State University. As a professor of practice at Emory University, he teaches modern dance technique, principles of design, lighting design, choreography, movement improvisation and contact improvisation. In addition, he acts as resident dance lighting designer and technical director for Emory Dance Program. Catellier has been manufacturing eclectic dances for Atlanta’s discerning local community since 2002. Catellier Dance Projects, initiated in 2010, is an organization dedicated to creating intimate dance performances for the Atlanta community. His award-winning dance for camera collaborations with Seattle-based dance/media artist Jeff Curtis have been selected for many dance for camera festivals. The most recent film, Transit, has been selected for more than 20 international film festivals.

Sara W. Culpepper, Scenic Designer

Sara W. Culpepper is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University (BA) and of the University of Virginia (MFA). Currently, she is based in Atlanta, working as a lecturer in the Department of Theater and Dance, resident scenic artist and scenic designer with Theater Emory at Emory University. Designing nationally and locally, she has had the pleasure of working with many talented artists, including Heritage Theatre Festival, The Atlanta Opera, The Culbreth Stage, the Alliance Theatre, Dogwood Studios, Georgia Shakespeare Festival, The Center for Puppetry Arts, CENTERSTAGE in Baltimore, and Williamstown Theatre Festival. Sara

studied painting, drawing, architecture and furniture making. While studying for her undergraduate degree, she became intrigued by architecture and art. She wanted to find an avenue that took both of these interests and combined them to form a collaborative artistic experience. Scenic design found her. Her approach to set design incorporates the integration of the human form within its environment. She enjoys the translation of text into location and the exploration of how the characters interact with the audience. Research is a huge part of this discovery, and she pulls from her personal experience and emotional responses to produce the surroundings. Line, texture and color are essential to her composition and design.

Tamara Cobus, Costume Designer

Tamara Cobus has been designing nationally and internationally for theater, dance, and performance artists and personal clients for over thirty years. Her designs have been seen on runways for fashion, bridal and arts festivals. After a long career running her own business, she took the position of costume director for Richmond Ballet and then Atlanta Ballet. She retired from directorship to pursue a new career in film with Black Panther being one of her recently credited films.

Jessica Anderson & Into Outof Studio, Technical Artist

Into Outof Studio is an Atlanta artist duo

I see a cyclical repetition of power struggles where histories are as pivotal as they are dismissed. Are things the same, or are they different?”

- George Staib

comprised of Jessica Anderson and Sebastian Monroy. The two artists combine their backgrounds in digital media and computer graphics to create installation artworks that immerse viewers in new sensory experiences that connect people to each other in new ways. Sebastian’s experience in video game programming brings fresh takes on interactivity to their work, while Jessica’s experience as a scholar of storytelling grounds their work in narrative. They began working together in graduate school at Georgia Tech and find that through art they fall more in love with each other and the world every day. They have worked with organizations like Digital Naturalism Labs, T.Lang Dance, Mass Collective, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Brutal Studio, Eyedrum Gallery and The Bakery. Through their artwork, they challenge viewers to engage critically and creatively with the possibilities that digital technologies bring to artistic experience.

COMPANY BIOGRAPHIES

Anna Bracewell Crowder is an Atlantabased dance artist. She was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia and began her dance training at an early age at Decatur School of Ballet (DSOB). While continuing her classical training at DSOB, she trained, and went on to graduate from, DeKalb School of the Arts where she studied under the legendary Pamala Jones-Malave. Anna later received a BFA in Dance from the University of Georgia. Since 2012, she has the deep pleasure of being a member of Staibdance, under the direction of George Staib, where she is in her 8th season as a dancer, collaborator and teacher. Anna was also a member of Core Dance from 2012–2020. As a Dance Artist with Core Dance she has performed in theaters, museums, public spaces, and festivals across the United States, France, Spain and Israel. In her time with the company, Anna has had the opportunity to move and create original works with notable artists such as Niv Shienfeld & Oren Laor (Tel Aviv), Germana Civera (France/Spain), Frank van de Ven (Amsterdam), Amanda K. Miller (Germany/ U.S.), Isabelle Saulle & Adolfo Vargas (France), Leslie Scates (U.S.), D. Patton

White, Lori Teague and Sue Schroder (U.S.). In addition to her collaborations with Core Dance, Anna is able to practice her work with outreach through the Dynamic X-Change Healing Arts Program in pursuit to ignite the creative spirit and actively encourage participation and conversation by and with communities.

In her 8 years of dancing professionally in Atlanta, Anna has also created and collaborated with local artists Blake Beckham (The Lucky Penny), Joshua Rackliffe, Erik Thurmond and Catellier Dance Projects.

Anna was recognized as “Best Dancer” in Atlanta by Arts ATL in 2018 and has been internationally recognized in her collaborative work with: Association Manifeste (Toulouse, France) in which she performed in several public corner spaces across France and the U.S., and in her work with Niv Shienfeld and Oren Laor performed in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Bailey Jo Harbaugh has been active in Atlanta dance for 6 years amidst graduating Kennesaw State University in 2019. She has had the privilege of collaborating and originating roles in process with artists local and abroad. Numerous creations include work with Tomer Zvulun, Amir Levy, Ricardo Aponte, Donald Byrd, and Omar Román de Jesús.

Nicole Johnson, Atlanta native and a founding artist of Fly on a Wall, began her professional career with the Atlanta Ballet in 2002 where she had the pleasure of working under the direction of John McFall. In 2009, she left the ballet to pursue more contemporary work with dance maker Lauri Stalling’s and this led to the formation of gloATL. In her five years helping to build glo, Nicole was a part of numerous site specific installations and performances and had the opportunity to work with artists of various media.

This gave her the understanding that all work is truly collaborative at heart and became the foundation of Fly on Wall, which she began with Nathan Griswold and Sean Nguyen-Hilton in 2014. Since their inception, Fly on a Wall has created 13 original works for Atlanta, and are now proud to be artists

in residence at the Windmill Art Center. As an independent artist in Atlanta Nicole has worked with The Alliance Theatre, Horizon Theater, Sky Creature, and was a 2016 Hughley Fellow. Nicole is ever grateful for her family and friends who believe in a life in pursuit of the arts.

Jimmy Joyner, grew up in West Tennessee, raised in a household and atmosphere where he was left the space to be creative and allow his imagination to run wild. Once leaving home he moved through many different groups and organizations of people. He is very grateful to have some of that time spent in Atlanta. There he was introduced to the founding members of Fly on a Wall. This is a very special project for him and is thankful for the opportunity to continue to explore who is an artist amongst a truly wonderful and nurturing environment. Jimmy now lives in Nashville, Tennessee where he teaches dance and yoga and is a co-founder of Nashville Design House.

James La Russa began his dance training at The Atlanta Ballet and was a student of the pre-professional division by the age of 9. During his time as a student, James received full scholarships to the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education and the Australian Ballet School, as well as the Boston Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and Orlando Ballet Summer Intensives. He’s performed in multiple works adjudicated for the Southeast Regional Ballet Association as well as the Regional Dance America National Festival. After graduating high school, James attended Emory University where he earned his BA in Dance & Movement Studies as well as a BS in Biology with a Pre-Veterinary Medicine concentration. During his time at Emory, James was part of the Emory Dance Company, captain of the Hip-Hop dance crew TrickaNomeTry (TNT), and had his inaugural performance with staibdance in Attic during the spring of 2015. Throughout college, James’s academic dedication earned him numerous awards including the Friends of Dance Scholarship, Zell Miller Scholarship, William & Otis Benton Scholar, and the Sudler Prize.

Since graduating college, he’s worked and performed with other renown dance companies such as Fly on a Wall, Appalachian Ballet Company, and Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre. Throughout his career, James has worked with notable choreographers and directors including Twyla Tharp, Simon Dow, Paulo Manso de Sousa and John McFall.

Presently, James and his wife, Laura Morton La Russa, reside in Decatur, Georgia. James is currently dancing his eighth season as a company member with staibdance in addition to teaching and setting staibdance repertoire for the company’s Italy Summer Program. James has traveled with staibdance to perform works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Montgomery, Alabama; Stockholm, Sweden; and Sorrento, Italy. In conjunction with his staibdance company position, James is freelance performing, teaching, and choreographing for numerous dance companies and schools, as he continues to explore the depth and complexity of movement.

Chrystola “Chryssy” Luu was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but much of her childhood was spent in Monroe, Louisiana where she began her dance training at the age of 3-years-old. Chryssy continued her training through college, attaining a dance scholarship and attending New World School of the Arts in Miami, Florida. She completed her degree at the University of Georgia (UGA), graduating Cum Laude and receiving a BFA in Dance. While attending UGA, Chryssy was a member of CORE Concert Dance Company—an aerial and contemporary dance company under the direction of Bala Sarasvati. Some highlights of Chryssy’s dance career include winning Dancer of the Year in the AMTC national talent competition, being recognized for her talents with the NAACP, performing in various music videos and television shows and being a member of Zoetic Dance Ensemble for four seasons under the direction of Mallory Baxley. Chryssy currently runs her afterschool dance program, Just Dance It! LLC and choreographs for several studios in the Atlanta area. When Chryssy is not dancing, she enjoys creating new gluten-free recipes,

attending Crossfit classes and planning her next travels.

Laura Morton La Russa a Maryville, Tennessee native was trained under her mother’s, Amy Morton Vaughn, direction at Van Metre School of Dance and as a member of the Appalachian Ballet Company. Laura was a scholarship recipient and studied at many summer intensives including Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, Chautauqua Institute of Dance, and Atlanta Ballet. At age 16, she trained with the Houston Ballet Academy where she completed her high school studies online. In 2014, she joined Atlanta Ballet’s second company and in 2016 was promoted to an apprentice. In her professional experience with Atlanta Ballet, Laura had the honor of performing ‘Carabosse’ in John McFall’s Sleeping Beauty. She was also featured in celebrated choreographers works such as Jiri Kylian, Liam Scarlett, George Balanchine, David Bentley, Helen Pickett, and Gemma Bond. In 2017, she had the opportunity to perform the ‘Sugar Plum Fairy’ in Appalachian Ballet Company’s, The Nutcracker. As well as being featured in works created by George Staib, Heath Gill, and Tara Lee, she was also in the digital world-premiere of Long Ago and Only Once choreographed by Ana Maria Lucaciu and debuted as ‘Marley’ in Heath Gill’s Marley was dead, to begin with. She is a company member with Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre and the Student Program Principal at Terminus School of Modern Ballet. Laura attended the staibdance summer intensive in Italy as a scholarship recipient for two summers and joined staibdance as a company member in 2018. She had the honor of being in Staib’s fence premiere in the fall of 2019.

Laura was named as one of 2021’s “25 to Watch” in Dance Magazine and is excited to continue her artistic journey alongside her husband, James La Russa.

Amelia Reiser Solodkin, a native of Norman, Oklahoma, began dancing at a young age at Classical Ballet Academy under the direction of Julie Blacksten.

Amelia went on to attend The University of Georgia where she completed a BFA degree in Dance Performance. While at UGA she

trained and performed as a member of CORE Concert Dance Company (CCDC) under the direction of Bala Sarasvati, and Dance Repertory Project under the direction of Rebecca Gose. Over her 20+ years of dancing, Amelia has had the opportunity to work with numerous dancemakers and artists including T Lang Dance, Maryn Whitmore, Christina Noel Reaves, Emily Christianson, and Greg Catellier. Her work has been shown in festivals and venues both locally and internationally. In addition to dancing with staibdance, Amelia teaches yoga at Decatur Yoga, and is a yoga and mindfulness teacher and administrator working with incarcerated youth through local nonprofit Centering Youth. An avid lover of dramatic skies, mountains, and trees, Amelia spends most spare moments in her garden, or escaping the city in search of adventure and wilderness.

GRANT CREDITING

fence was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

This performance is funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the Mellon Foundation.

Herb & Mary Jervis

Congratulations Opening Nights for fostering the Arts in Tallahassee for the past 25 years.

The students, faculty, and staff of FSU and the citizens of north Florida have been enriched by your efforts.

We eagerly await what the next 25 years will bring.