DANCE REPERTORY THEATRE presents
TRAN SCE N D E N C E March 28 - April 8, 2018 B. Iden Payne Theatre
DANCE REPERTORY THEATRE presents
ARTISTIC DIRECTORS Charles O. Anderson | Andrea Beckham MARCH 28-30, APRIL 5-7 AT 7:30 P.M. APRIL 7-8 AT 2:00 P.M.
B. IDEN PAYNE THEATRE F. LOREN WINSHIP BUILDING
THEATREDANCE.UTEXAS.EDU
DANCE
CHOREOGRAPHER
She Has No Shame Daring Greatly Distillation Study More About Love Sextant Heavenly Resurrection
Andrea Beckham Madison Hicks Courtney Mazeika Yacov Sharir Andee Scott Ginnifer Joe Rennie Harris
Stage Manager: Michael Logue Technical Director: David Tolin
Dance DECODED There will be a post-performance discussion with the artistic directors immediately following the 7:30 p.m. performance on March 30. The projections featured in the interludes between live works and in the lobby pay tribute to the career of Dr. Yacov Sharir. Designed by Kaiwen Fa and Alex Gendal, second-year M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidates with a focus in Integrated Media for Live Performance, they are based on archival footage of Dr. Sharir’s choreography in performances between 1989 and 2015. They honor Dr. Sharir’s contributions to dance choreography and pedagogy, his commitment to artistic collaborations and his pioneering work combining live performance with virtual environments. Fa and Gendal took their inspiration from the concert theme, “transcendence,” and from Dr. Sharir’s innovations in the intersection of the live and the virtual.
COVER PHOTOS: LAWRENCE PEART, CHIAN-ANN LU
There will be one 15-minute intermission. Videography and photography is strictly prohibited.
NOTE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTORS In religious experience, “transcendence” is a state of being that has overcome the limitations of physical existence and, by some definitions, has also become independent of it. This is typically manifested in prayer, meditation and vision-questing. Philosophically speaking, something is “transcendental” if it plays a role in the way the mind constitutes objects and makes it possible for us to experience them as objects in the first place. This concert is based on the phenomenon of transcendence: the “transcendent” is that which transcends our own consciousness, much like both the scholarly and artistic work of Dr. Yacov Sharir over the span of his illustrious career. It also captures the profound impact of Haruka Weiser upon our dance community. Transcendence marks the inaugural year of celebrating Haruka Weiser with a new work commissioned in her name. This commission is possible through the Haruka Weiser Endowed Excellence Fund in Choreography, an endowment created by students, alumni and friends to honor her in perpetuity. New faculty member, Rennie Harris’ work, Resurrection, is the first Haruka Weiser commemorative dance. We have the distinct privilege of presenting excerpts of this compelling new evening-length work that has been commissioned by the world-renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (the first eveninglength work ever commissioned by the Ailey company). We feel fortunate to offer a dance of this stature as our first choreographic tribute to Haruka Weiser. This concert also features choreography from artists who have learned from, performed with and been inspired by Dr. Yacov Sharir. It has been a tremendous gift to witness and experience the impact of his legacy upon these brilliant artists and to watch them fondly remember their time with him. At its core, this concert is a celebration of Haruka Weiser and Dr. Yacov Sharir and an opportunity to remind ourselves of the power of dance to overcome our perceived limitations to transcend to our best selves. As we have been working to honor these two important individuals whose lives intersected in our dance program, they have offered us the opportunity to reflect how profoundly they have both touched our lives. For that, we remain eternally humbled and grateful.
DR. YACOV SHARIR
PHOTO: JOSH RASMUSSEN
HARUKA WEISER
SHE HAS NO SHAME Choreography: Andrea Beckham Music: Composed, performed and recorded by Ryah Christensen with collaborator Aundre Wesley; edited by Benjamin Galvan, with traditional gospel music in the public domain. Costume Designer: Stephanie Fisher Lighting Designer: Qi Jiajing Projection/Scenic Designer: Kaiwen Fa Sound Designer: Benjamin Galvan Draper: Chun Kang Chen Production Assistant: Sarah Maggard Rehearsal Assistant (Alternate): Taylor Schmuelgen Cast: Andie Duong, Kaitlyn Jones, Becky Nam, Myrah Porter, Claire Wood Understudies: Mykaela Johnson, Avery Moore From the Choreographer What does it mean when someone says “She Has No Shame” . . . What does that feel like? What does that look like? This is a collaborative work investigating these and other questions, including words from Mary Oliver as inspiration. We are moved by words from bell hooks, “Accept and embrace embodiment as a way to care for the soul and let the heart speak,” and utilize improvisation inspired by words from Miranda Tufnell, “We begin our own narrative of discovery that differs from the received narratives of our culture.” Special thanks to the cast, assistants, understudies and team for creative research, collaboration and discovery.
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DARING GREATLY Choreography: Madison Hicks Music: Soundscape by Madison Hicks featuring text by Alan Watts Costume Designer: Jenifer Margos Lighting Designer: Qi Jiajing Sound Designer: Benjamin Galvan Production Assistant: Dayna Palmer Rehearsal Assistant: Victoria Antoinette Murillo Cast: Sofia Aranha, Raquel Baron, Alexandra Behar, Katherine Cornell, Andie Duong, Haley Fuller, James Atticus Griffin, Andreina Hurtado, Mykaela Johnson, Abby Loper, Madelyn Manlove, Morgan Mikes, Avery Moore, Victoria Antoinette Murillo, Oluwaseun S. Olayiwola, Dayna Palmer, Kyla Patton, Carolina Sirias, Anna Starr From the Choreographer “When we get to thinking of everything in terms of survival and profit value, as we do, then the shapes of scratches on the floor cease to have magic. And most things, in fact, cease to have magic.” – Alan Watts “‘Daring greatly’ is a creation that encompasses the magic within life and death. It shows the acceptance stage of loss and shines light on the concept that “one person who dies in a way is honorable because he’s making room for others…”– Alan Watts
DISTILLATION STUDY Choreography: Courtney Mazeika Music: Max Judelson, bassist and composer Costume Designer: Ariana Sonsino Lighting Designer: Qi Jiajing Sound Designer: Benjamin Galvan Production Assistant: Jesse Quezada Rehearsal Assistant: Antonia Neal Cast: Kaitlyn Jones, Mackenzie Lawrence, Addison Norman, Lizzy Tan, Khorii Tinson, Emily Tolson, Kayla White Understudies: Mykaela Johnson, Avery Moore From the Choreographer This work is distilled from the performance process with this cast of amazingly strong and dynamic women. It is also a way of distilling the influence and impact of Dr. Yacov Sharir upon my own identity as an artist.
MORE ABOUT LOVE Choreography: Yacov Sharir Restaged by Andrea Beckham Music: More About Love by Yehudit Ravitz Costume Designer: Laura Gonzalez Lighting Designer: Qi Jiajing Sound Designer: Benjamin Galvan Production Assistant: Taylor Schmuelgen Research Assistant: Katie Van Winkle Cast I: Oluwaseun S. Olayiwola, Lizzy Tan Cast II: Becky Nam, Mario Alberto Ramirez From the Choreographer More About Love is a dance dedicated to my colleague and friend, Andrea Beckham. The work was inspired by her ability to pay attention to the smallest nuances, detail and artistry in movement and its origin was as one of four Love Studies created in 1988 by myself and Jose Luis Bustamante. The version you will see was based upon a re-vision in 1991 for Andrea Beckham and Heywood “Woody� McGriff and is embodied by four current B.F.A. in Dance majors as part of their performative training. Special thanks also to my research assistant, Katie Van Winkle, and colleague and friend, Charles O. Anderson.
INTERMISSION
The Department of Theatre and Dance is a world-class educational environment that serves as the ultimate creative incubator for the next generation of artists, thinkers and leaders in theatre and performance.
SEXTANT Choreography: Andee Scott Costume Designer: Delena Bradley Lighting Designer: Qi Jiajing Projection/Scenic Designer: Alex J. Gendal Sound Designer: Benjamin Galvan Production Assistant: Raquel Baron Rehearsal Assistant: Ashleigh Friday Cast: Raquel Baron, David Cruz, Ashleigh Friday, Haley Fuller, James Atticus Griffin, Ginnifer Joe, Mackenzie Lawrence, Addison Norman, Myrah Porter, Mario Alberto Ramirez, Lizzy Tan, Emily Tolson, Claire Wood From the Choreographer Inspired by the Cassini Spacecraft, orbiting and diving through the planet Saturn and its rings, Sextant utilizes kinesthetic motifs based on elliptical and orbital pathways and perpetual motion in a physical exploration of trajectories, gravitational force and momentum.
HEAVENLY Choreography: Ginnifer Joe Costume Designer: Laura Gonzalez Lighting Designer: Qi Jiajing Sound Designer: Benjamin Galvan Production Assistant: Carolina Sirias Rehearsal Assistant: Abigail Loper Cast: Katherine Cornell, Ashleigh Friday, James Atticus Griffin, Kolina Hocevar, Isaac Iskra, Mackenzie Lawrence, Abigail Loper, Morgan Mikes, Victoria Antoinette Murillo, Dayna Palmer, Jesse Quezada, Brooke Shore, Carolina Sirius, Emily Tolson, Kayla White From the Choreographer To live with the hope of heaven. The yearning and longing on Earth meets the everlasting, perfect afterlife. To live in heaven on Earth.
RESURRECTION Choreography: Rennie Harris Rehearsal Director: Millie Heckler Costume Designer: Penelope Revelo Lighting Designer: Qi Jiajing Sound Designer: Benjamin Galvan Production Assistant: Anna Starr Cast: Raquel Baron, Haley Fuller, Millie Heckler, Ginnifer Joe, Mykaela Johnson, Kaitlyn Jones, Christian Leal, Abby Loper, Madelyn Manlove, Avery Moore, Becky Nam, Antonia Neal, Addison Norman, Myrah Porter, Jesse Quezada, Anna Starr, Khorii Tinson, Kayla White From the Choreographer The definition of resurrection: the act of being raised from the dead or the act of bringing to view, attention or to use again. In thinking about the cycle of life and how we all often forget that this life is but one part of our spiritual journey, this excerpt of an evening-length work I am currently creating on The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre is about experiencing the moment - to live and remember the lives before and after you...to keep resurrecting their memory, their spirits again and again. It is a hip-hop dance theatre work inspired by recent loss - my mother, my mentor, Baba Chuck Davis, and of course Haruka Weiser (who makes me think of my eldest daughter also of part Japanese descent). The movement is informed by a variety of street dance styles as well as butoh. It is also a social and political statement about becoming like the living dead - conforming socially, politically and religiously without even realizing it; it’s about staying true to one’s self when the pressure to comply and conform is ever present.
CREATIVE Charles O. Anderson (Co-Artistic Director) is head of the dance program at The University of Texas at Austin. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Anderson earned his B.A. in Choreography and Performance with a minor in African Studies from Cornell University and an M.F.A. in Dance from Temple University where he specialized in African Diasporic dance. Professionally, Anderson is the artistic director of the critically-acclaimed Charles O. Anderson Projects (formerly dance theatre X), which he founded in 2003. He has performed in the companies of Ronald K. Brown, Sean Curran, Mark Dendy and Miguel Gutierrez, among others. His work has been presented nationally and internationally and has earned recognition from numerous organizations such as the Pew Fellowship for the Arts, one of “25 to Watch” by Dance Magazine and one of “12 Rising Stars in the Academy” by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine. Andrea Beckham (Co-Artistic Director, Choreographer – She Has No Shame, Restaging Choreographer – More About Love) is a choreographer, dancer and educator. Her choreography has been presented in the United States, Europe, Taiwan and Mexico, and collaborations with Yacov Sharir, Heywood “Woody” McGriff, and John Christensen in China, Israel and Scotland. She worked with the Sharir Dance Company as a principal dancer, guest artist and choreographer as well as with Llory Wilson’s Tallulah Dance Company in Seattle, New York and Jacob’s Pillow, briefly with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in New York, with many others, and has developed over 25 new works with her own company, Andrea Beckham Collaborative Dance. Beckham teaches in the Department of Theatre and Dance at The University of Texas at Austin and runs the Pilatesevolved Movement Laboratory. She is the proud recipient of the Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award. Delena Bradley (Costume Designer – Sextant) is a first-year M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate with a focus in costume design. She comes to Austin by way of Chicago, Illinois where she spent five years freelance designing and
working in theatre and film. Bradley graduated from Ball State University in 2012 with a B.S. in Theatre Design and Technology. Chun Kang Chen (Draper – She Has No Shame) is a M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate with a focus in costume technology. He graduated with a B.F.A. in Costume Design from Taipei National University of the Arts (TNUA). Before coming to The University of Texas at Austin, he worked as an assistant and first hand in a costume studio at Yong-Le Fabric Market where he made costumes for Chinese opera, theatre, dance and music performances as well as advertisements, television programs and film. Kaiwen Fa (Projection/Scenic Designer – She Has No Shame) is a M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate with a focus in Integrated Media for Live Performance. Originally from Beijing, China, Fa holds a B.A. in Theatre and Dance and a B.S. in Radio-Television-Film from The University of Texas at Austin. Fa has always been fascinated with the power of visual design to transport an audience into a different world where stories unfold. He recently served as the projection designer for Cosi fan Tutte (Butler Opera Center), Galactic Orphans and The Bigot (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2017). Stephanie Fisher (Costume Designer – She Has No Shame) is a first-year M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate with a focus in costume design at The University of Texas at Austin. Before moving to Austin, she worked as a stiycher and designer in Washington, D.C., New Hampshire, Ohio and New York. She has designed costumes for theatre, dance and film. Previous design credits include The Giver, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (D.C.); Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Annapurna, James and the Giant Peach (New Hampshire); Light in the Piazza, Next to Normal, There is Happiness that Morning Is (Ohio). stephaniefisher.weebly.com Benjamin Galvan (Sound Designer) is a novice sound designer. Originally from San Antonio, Texas, he has worked on multiple projects at
CREATIVE Texas Theatre and Dance including In the Red and Brown Water, Dance Repertory Theatre’s Momentum (In D’Nile, choreographed by Charles O. Anderson) and 105: Walking Days as part of the Cohen New Works Festival (2017). Alex J. Gendal (Projection/Scenic Designer – Sextant) is a second-year M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate with a focus in Integrated Media for Live Performance at The University of Texas at Austin. He graduated from the Purchase College Conservatory of Theatre Arts with a B.F.A. in Theatre Design and Technology with a concentration in lighting design. Design credits include Gondal, Slumber Party (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2017); Ears, Eyes + Feet; The Laramie Project; Into the Woods; Not On This Night; Blood Wedding; Theater Decomposed; Marat/Sade; Anon(ymous) (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017) and The Not Knowing. Laura Gonzalez (Costume Designer – Heavenly, More About Love) is a B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in design and technology (honors) at The University of Texas at Austin. She has designed work for over 25 productions during her time at the university for both stage and film. Recent work includes ENRON, La Pastorela, En Memoire and Book of Days. Rennie Harris (Choreographer – Resurrection) has “literally embodied the history of hip-hop dance” (London Times) and is considered the pioneer of the street dance theater genre. He was voted one of the most influential people in the last 100 years of Philadelphia history. Compared to Alvin Ailey and Bob Fosse, Harris has been awarded three Bessie Awards, three Alvin Ailey Black Choreographers Awards, Herb Alpert Award in choreography and was nominated for a Lawrence Olivier Award (U.K.). He previously served as an ambassador of Hip-hop for Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and, more recently, for President Obama’s cultural exchange program, Dance Motion USA.
Millie Heckler (Rehearsal Director, Dancer – Resurrection) graduated with a B.F.A. in Dance from University of Colorado Boulder, where she received numerous scholarships for her passion in dance. Recently becoming a founding member and principal dancer of Rennie Harris Grass Roots Project, she tours with Harris internationally dancing and assisting in the choreographic process. She is currently teaching at The University of Texas Austin and excited about her unfolding artistic path. Madison Hicks (Choreographer – Daring Greatly), originally from Dallas, Texas, graduated from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) and is now a senior at The Juilliard School. Hicks was a 2013 YoungArts winter for modern dance, 2014 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts nominee and the 2016 Gene Kelly Legacy Scholarship recipient. She was a resident choreographer for both Wanderlust Dance Project and the Booker T. Washington HSPVA Rep. II Ensemble in 2017 and has showcased work at Periapsis Music and Dance and WestFest Dance Festival. Hicks created and directs Moving Forward Dance Project, an innovative dance intensive for young artists. Qi Jiajing (Lighting Designer) is a second-year M.F.A. in Design and Technology candidate with a focus in lighting design at The University of Texas at Austin. His background is in television, special events, concerts and film. Previous credits include serving as the lighting assistant on Cosi Fan Tutte (Butler Opera Center) and Little Women the Broadway Musical (Texas Theatre and Dance). Ginnifer Joe (Choreographer – Heavenly, Dancer - Sextant, Resurrection) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. Prior to her time at the university, she trained in Spring, TX in the competitive dance circuit. She was recently seen in S.E.E.D. (Dance Action), the Cohen New Works Festival (2017) and in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Momentum (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017).
CREATIVE Michael Logue (Stage Manager) is a B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in stage management and design and technology at The University of Texas at Austin. He has an extensive background in lighting design, electrical work and stage management. Logue recently served as an assistant stage manager for The Crucible (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017) and a stage manager for FronteraFest and will serve as a stage manager for The Afterparty this May. Jenifer Margos (Costume Designer – Daring Greatly) is a third-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with an emphasis in design and technology. Previous work includes costume design for Urinetown, the Musical (Alpha Psi Omega), When (Fall For Dance, Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017) and assistant costume design for The Drowsy Chaperone (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017), Spring Awakening and UTNT (UT New Theatre) (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017). Courtney Mazeika (Choreographer – Distillation Study) received her B.F.A. in Dance from The University of Texas at Austin. Upon graduating, she moved to the Bay Area to train with Summer Lee Rhatigan at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance and joined Alex Ketley’s company, The Foundry. As a freelance artist, Mazeika has had the opportunity to perform in various projects including works by burnsWORK, Crossings SF, Project20, UNA Projects, Bobbi Jene Smith and Tom Weinberger. She currently works closely with Tom Weinberger on new work and commissions throughout Europe and North America and is a faculty member of the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance. Penelope Revelo (Costume Designer – Resurrection) is a fourth-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance student with an emphasis on design and technology at The University of Texas at Austin. She has designed for theatre, film and dance. Recent credits include serving as the assistant costume designer for ENRON (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2018), the film IAMTX and as the costume designer for the film Boys Club, Mirror (Fall For
Dance, 2017) and Cloud 9, which premiered in New York City. peneloperevelo.com Andee Scott (Choreographer – Sextant) is a collaborative dance artists based in St. Petersburg, Florida. Current areas of concentration include improvisation, technology, site-specific choreography and devising and curating site-specific performance events that invite the audience to physically travel between works. Her work has been performed nationally and internationally and she was an artist-in-residence at Djerassi in 2011. Scott was a member of Sharir + Bustamante Danceworks and Blue Lapis Light in Austin, Texas and is currently a member of the faculty at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Yacov Sharir (Choreographer – More About Love) founded the American Deaf Dance Company in 1977 and joined the The University of Texas at Austin faculty the following year. In 1982, he founded Sharir Dance Company, UT’s professional company-in-residence through its final season in 2007. The company took the name Sharir + Bustamante Danceworks in 1997, acknowledging José Luis Bustamante as co-director. Professor Sharir was the recipient of 1998 Career Research Excellence Award in the Robert W. Hamilton Faculty Authors Award competition at The University of Texas at Austin, awarded the 1997 Innovative Use of Instructional Technology “Virtual Reality & Cyberspace in the Arts” award, and received the 1995-96 National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts Award. In addition, he is a recipient of numerous National Endowment for the Arts Choreographic Fellowship awards, a Meet the Composer/Choreographer National Grant award and The University of Texas College of Fine Arts Student Council Teaching Excellence Award. He has served on the National Endowment for the Arts Choreographic Fellowship Dance Panel, the Texas Commission on the Arts Dance Panel, the Mid-America Dance On Tour Panel, and several international Arts Councils in Israel, Spain and France. Dr. Sharir also served on the summer dance faculty at the Jerusalem Rubin Academy of Music and Dance for a decade.
CREATIVE Ariana Sonsino (Costume Designer – Distillation Study) is a third-year B.A. in Theatre and Dance major with a focus in design and technology. Most recently, she served as a costume designer for Dance Repertory Theatre’s Fall For Dance; assistant costume designer for The Bigot and Slumber Party (UTNT (UT New Theatre), 2017) and costume designer for Legally Blonde: The Musical (studio project). David Tolin (Technical Director) was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. He attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he received his B.A. in Theatre with a concentration in design/technology. In 2006, he interned with Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère (Treasure Island) and served as a stagehand for Desert Entertainment for several concerts, productions and events
across Las Vegas. He received his M.F.A. in Scenic Technology from The University of Texas at Austin before teaching at Westlake High School for seven years. Tolin joined the staff of the Department of Theatre and Dance in 2017. Katie Van Winkle (Research Assistant – More About Love) has collaborated with Dr. Yacov Sharir, Beth Kerr and the Perry-Castañeda Library’s Digitization and Preservation team to create the Sharir and Sharir/Bustamante Dance Collaction, hosted virtually at Texas Scholar Works and physically at the Fine Arts Library (The University of Texas at Austin). She is a Harrington Doctoral Fellow and Ph.D. candidate in Performance as Public Practice. Van Winkle makes theatre as a director, performer and dramaturg with several companies in the Austin area.
CAST
Raquel Baron
Sofia Aranha
Alexandra Behar
David Cruz
Ashleigh Friday
Haley Fuller
James Atticus Griffin
Andreina Hurtado
Mykaela Johnson
Andie Duong
Millie Heckler
Isaac Iskra
Kaitlyn Jones
Abby Loper
Katherine Cornell
Kolina Hocevar
Ginnifer Joe
Mackenzie Lawrence
Sarah Maggard
Christian Leal
Madelyn Manlove
CAST
Morgan Mikes
Avery Moore
Antonia Neal
Dayna Palmer
Addison Norman
Kyla Patton
Mario Alberto Ramirez
Carolina Sirias
Victoria Antoinette Murillo
Anna Starr
Emily Tolson
Oluwaseun S. Olayiwola
Myrah Porter
Taylor Schmuelgen
Lizzy Tan
Kayla White
Becky Nam
Jesse Quezada
Brooke Shore
Khorii Tinson
Claire Wood
CAST Sofia Aranha (Daring Greatly) hails from Richardson, Texas where she danced for 16 years before moving to Austin to study dance and economics at The University of Texas at Austin. This will be her final performance with Dance Repertory Theatre. Upon graduating, she plans to work on various choreographic projects in her community. Raquel Baron (Daring Greatly, Sextant, Resurrection, Production Assistant - Sextant) began dancing in Dallas, Texas at a young age and attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. As a B.F.A. in Dance major, Baron has performed in Ears, Eyes + Feet, S.E.E.D. (Dance Action) and Dance Repertory Theatre’s Fall For Dance and Momentum (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017). After graduating in 2019, Baron plans to dance professionally and pursue her passion for event planning. Alexandra Behar (Daring Greatly) is a secondyear B.F.A. in Dance major, born in Miami, Florida. She has performed major classical roles in numerous productions of The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, La Bayadere, Sleeping Beauty and Paquita with professional companies. She has trained for 15 years in Russian Technique with educators from the Vaganova Ballet Academy, Marinsky Ballet and Ballet Nacional de Cuba and has performed at dance festivals in Peru, Germany and Chile, winning multiple awards. Katherine Cornell (Daring Greatly, Heavenly) is a first-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, she has an extensive background in ballet, modern, jazz and contemporary dance. This will be her first mainstage performance with Texas Theatre and Dance. David Cruz (Sextant) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major also pursuing a B.S.A. in Biology at The University of Texas at Austin. He began his professional dance career in 2015, receiving training from artists Charles O. Anderson, Sara L. Paul and Lyn C. Wiltshire. Since then, Cruz has performed in the Cohen New Works Festival
(2017), Fall For Dance (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017) and Ears, Eyes + Feet. Andie Duong (She Has No Shame, Daring Greatly) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She is also pursuing a B.A. in Urban Studies. She has performed in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Fall For Dance, Momentum as well as Ears, Eyes + Feet and in multiple projects as part of the Cohen New Works Festival (2017). Ashleigh Friday (Sextant, Heavenly, Rehearsal Assistant - Sextant) is a third-year UTeach Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. Friday was a company member at Lake Houston Performing Arts Center for 14 years and is currently a member of the Texas Dance Team. She recently performed in Erica Gionfriddo’s work, In the Ether (Fall For Dance (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017)). Upon graduating in May 2019, she plans to pursue a career as a dance educator in the public school system. Haley Fuller (Daring Greatly, Sextant, Resurrection) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She grew up in Frisco, Texas where she trained for 15 years. She recently performed with Dance Repertory Theatre in Fall For Dance and Momentum (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017) After graduating in May 2019, Fuller plans to pursue a career as a professional dancer. James Atticus Griffin (Daring Greatly, Sextant, Heavenly) is a second-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. He has trained in ballet, contemporary and modern dance techniques. This will be his first mainstage performance with Texas Theatre and Dance. Kolina Hocevar (Heavenly) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major at the University of Texas at Austin. Hocevar has been dancing since she was three years old and has attended summer intensives at Pittsburgh Ballet and The Jillana School. She attended high school at Booker
CAST T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and was trained at Chamberlain School of Ballet. Andreina Hurtado (Daring Greatly) is a first-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has trained in classical ballet for 13 years and has attended multiple summer dance intensives. Her recent work includes Giselle, Paquita, The Unkindest Year and Storybook Fantasy, along with her own choreography for her previous dance studio. Isaac Iskra (Heavenly) is a third-year UTeach Dance major at The University. He recently served as the fight choreographer for Last Ones Out (Chaddick Dance Theater) at the 2017 Austin Fall Dance Festival. Mykaela Johnson (Daring Greatly, Resurrection, Understudy – She Has No Shame, Distillation Study) is a first-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. Johnson is a graduate of the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (Dallas, Texas), where she worked with several guest choreographers and a prestigious dance faculty. Kaitlyn Jones (She Has No Shame, Distillation Study, Resurrection) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major from Houston, Texas. She has worked with multiple world-renowned choreographers including Ananya Chatterjea and Rennie Harris. Jones most recently performed in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Fall For Dance (2017). Upon graduating in May 2019, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in dance/movement therapy and hopes to use dance to help Sickle Cell Disease patients ease muscle and joint pain. Mackenzie Lawrence (Distillation Study, Sextant, Heavenly) is a second-year UTeach Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin originally from Austin, Texas. She recently performed in works choreographed by Erica Gionfriddo, Dorothy O’Shea Overbey and Jenn Freeman in
Dance Repertory Theatre’s Fall For Dance (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017). Additionally, she choreographed and performed in S.E.E.D. (Dance Action), the Cohen New Works Festival (2017) and Ears, Eyes + Feet. Christian Leal (Resurrection) is a third-year UTeach Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. He began dancing in middle school in Houston, Texas and has an extensive background in b-boying and other hip hop styles. He was recently seen in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Fall For Dance and Momentum (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017) and has set work at McCallum High School. Upon graduating in 2019, he plans to dance professionally before teaching dance at a middle and high school level. Abby Loper (Daring Greatly, Heavenly, Resurrection, Rehearsal Assistant - Heavenly) is a third-year UTeach Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She recently performed works choreographed by Jenn Freeman, Rennie Harris, Ananya Chatterjea and Jeremy Arnold, as well as Philosophize Your Figure (Soul Escape) in Los Angeles where she was in works by Justin Giles and Alan Salazar. Additionally, she has choreographed and performed in S.E.E.D. (Dance Action), the Cohen New Works Festival (2017) and Ears, Eyes + Feet. Sarah Maggard (Production Assistant – She Has No Shame) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has worked with choreographers Wayne M. Smith, Tiffany Arnold, Heidi Latsky and Ray Schwartz, among others. She recently performed with Austin Acro Art, Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Trip-A-Trope. Madelyn Manlove (Daring Greatly, Resurrection) is a first-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has been dancing since the age of three in San Antonio, Texas. She has participated in S.E.E.D. (Dance Action). This is her first performance with Dance Repertory Theatre.
CAST Morgan Mikes (Daring Greatly, Heavenly) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. Before coming to Austin, Mikes attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas and was part of a pre-professional ballet contemporary dance company. Recently, Mikes performed in works by Abby Zbikowski, Netta Yerushalmy, Oluwaseun S. Olayiwola, Lyn C. Wiltshire, Francis Rodriguez and Ray Eliot Schwartz. Mikes also participated in projects including String Circle at the Cohen New Works Festival (2017). Last March, she represented the university at the American Country Dance Association (ACDA) in Dallas, Texas. Avery Moore (Daring Greatly, Resurrection, Understudy – She Has No Shame, Distillation Study) is a first-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. Moore is a graduate of the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (Houston, Texas), where she has experience working with many guest choreographers. Victoria Antoinette Murillo (Daring Greatly, Heavenly, Rehearsal Assistant – Daring Greatly) is a third-year UTeach Dance Major also pursuing a Business Foundations Certificate with the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin where she has trained in ballet, jazz and ballet folklorico in El Paso, Texas. As a member of Dance Repertory Theatre, Murillo has performed works in Momentum and Fall For Dance. Last year, she choreographed and directed Si Se Puede for the 2017 Cohen New Works Festival and work for Ears, Eyes + Feet. Becky Nam (She Has No Shame, More About Love, Resurrection) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has worked with choreographers Gesel Mason, Jenn Freeman and Robert Swinston. In January, Nam participated in the Doug Varone Winter Intensive in New York City. In 2016, she studied at Centre National de Danse Contemporaine in Angers, France and was recently seen in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Fall For Dance and Momentum (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017).
Antonia Neal (Resurrection, Rehearsal Assistant - Distillation Study) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She is from Las Vegas, Nevada where she graduated from Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts. She has training in a variety of styles including ballet, modern, jazz and contemporary. Neal has been seen in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Momentum and Fall For Dance (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017) and Ears, Eyes + Feet. She participated in Alvin Ailey’s American Dance Theatre summer intensive and plans to pursue a career with the company upon graduating. Addison Norman (Distillation Study, Sextant, Resurrection) is a second-year B.F.A in Dance major and applied movement science major from Dallas, Texas. She graduated from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts where she received extensive dance training. Norman performed in the Cohen New Works Festival (2017), Dance Repertory Theatre’s Fall For Dance (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017) and Ears, Eyes + Feet. She has worked with choreographers Robert Battle, Sidra Bell, Jenn Freeman, Jessica Lang and Dwight Rhoden, among others. Oluwaseun S. Olayiwola (Daring Greatly, More About Love) is a fourth-year UTeach Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. He has worked with choreographers Charles O. Anderson, Jenn Freeman, Manuel Vignoulle, Sidra Bell, Netta Yerushalmy and Alvin Rangel. Olayiwola recevently performed works by Bill T. Jones and Merce Cunningham at the American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina and was seen in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Fall For Dance and Momentum (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017). Dayna Palmer (Daring Greatly, Heavenly, Production Assistant – Daring Greatly) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance and B.S. in Exercise Science major also pursuing a pre-physical therapy track by way of the Health Professions Certificate Program at The University of Texas at Austin. Palmer has recently performed with Dance Repertory Theatre
CAST in Fall For Dance, Momentum and Ears, Eyes + Feet (2017). During her time at the university, she has had the privilege of working with choreographers Jeremy Arnold, Charles O. Anderson, Ray Eliot Schwartz and Erica Gionfriddo. Kyla Patton (Daring Greatly) is a first-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin originally from Atlanta, Georgia. She began classical ballet training at age 12 and has since performed in works including Swan Lake, Giselle, Coppella, Cinderella, The Nutcracker and a new contemporary ballet choreographed by Kristy Nilson entitled Racketty-Packetty House. Patton has performed with Northeast Atlanta Ballet, Houston Repertoire Ballet and has attended several summer intensive programs across the country. Myrah Porter (She Has No Shame, Sextant, Resurrection) is a second-year BF.A. in Dance major from Houston, Texas. This is her second performance with Dance Repertory Theatre and she has been seen in several projects across the university. She has worked with several choreographers during her time at Texas Theatre and Dance including Rennie Harris, Mille Heckler, Andrea Beckham and Andee Scott. Jesse Quezada (Heavenly, Resurrection, Production Assistant - Distillation Study) is a third-year B.F.A. in Dance major with training in b-boying, ballet, contemporary and hip hop styles. After graduating in 2019, he plans to spread his love for dance by teaching at the high school level as a dance director. Mario Alberto Ramirez (More About Love, Sextant) is a third-year UTeach Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. he has an extensive dance background from Danza Azteca to contemporary dance. He was recently seen in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Fall For Dance (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017) and has worked with choreographers Jenn Freeman, Dorothy O’Shea Overbey and Charles O. Anderson. After graduation, Ramirez hopes to attend graduate school and become a dance educator.
Taylor Schmuelgen (Production Assistant - More About Love, Rehearsal Assistant –She Has No Shame) is a second-year B.F.A. in Dance major also pursuing a B.S. in Biology at The University of Texas at Austin. She was recently seen in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Fall For Dance (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017) in works by Erica Gionfriddo and Ray Eliot Schwartz. Her choreography was recently showcased in S.E.E.D. (Dance Action) in Fall 2017. Brooke Shore (Heavenly) is a B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. Originally from Long Island, New York, she has trained under Principal Paul-Talor dancers Heather Berest and Orion for many years in genres including modern and ballet. This will be her first main stage performance with Texas Theatre and Dance. Carolina Sirias (Daring Greatly, Heavenly, Production Assistant – Heavenly) is a second-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She grew up learning various folkloric, classical and contemporary techniques in Mexico City and Houston, Texas. She has worked with choreographers Gloria Hernandez, Glenda Brown and Thom Clower, among others. Sirias has performed with Young! Tanzsommer Dance Festival (Allegro Ballet); Ears, Eyes + Feet, Centro Cultural Los Talleres (Coyoacán, Mexico) and in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Fall For Dance (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017). Anna Starr (Daring Greatly, Resurrection, Production Assistant - Resurrection) is a fourth-year B.F.A. in Dance major from Dallas, Texas also pursuing a Business Foundations Certificate from the McCombs School of Business. Most recently, she was seen in works by Jenn Freeman, Dorothy O’Shea Overbey, Charles O. Anderson and Jeremy Arnold in Fall For Dance (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017). Starr has also been seen in Momentum, Bodies & Souls (Dance Repertory Theatre); Ears, Eyes + Feet (2016, 2017); Reflective Impulse; the Cohen New Works Festival (2017); S.E.E.D. (Dance Action) and Texas Pom. Upon graduating in May, Starr plans to continue her passion for performing.
CAST Lizzy Tan (Distillation Study, More About Love, Sextant) is a fourth-year B.F.A. in Dance and B.A. in Economics major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has performed extensively with Dance Repertory Theatre and in Footprints (American Dance Festival). Recently, Tan debuted her work, HOLLOW, at the Cohen New Works Festival (2017) and Ears, Eyes + Feet. Upon graduating, she plans to move to London to pursue a masters at the London School of Economics while working as a freelance dance artist. Khorii Tinson (Distillation Study, Resurrection) is a second-year B.F.A. in Dance major from Washington state. She has worked with renowned choreographers such as Rennie Harris and Jenn Freeman. Recently, Tinson was seen in the Cohen New Works Festivawl and Dance Repertory Theatre’s Fall For Dance (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017). Upon graduating in 2020, Tinson plans to become a freelance professional dancer and join a contemporary dance company. Emily Tolson (Distillation Study, Sextant, Heavenly) is a second-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She has worked with choreographers Alex Ketley, Erica
Gionfriddo and Jenn Freeman, among others. Tolson recently performed in Fall For Dance (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017), the Cohen New Works Festival (2017) and had her work featured in S.E.E.D. (Dance Action). Kayla White (Distillation Study, Heavenly, Resurrection) is a second-year B.F.A. in Dance major at The University of Texas at Austin. She was recently seen in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Fall For Dance (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017) in works by Charles O. Anderson and Jenn Freeman. She has also performed with the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance’s summer intensive, Wanderlust Dance Project (Dallas, Texas) and presented original choreography in S.E.E.D. (Dance Action). Claire Wood (She Has No Shame, Sextant) is a third-year UTeach Dance major also pursuing a minor in business. Most recently, she performed in Dance Repertory Theatre’s Fall For Dance (Texas Theatre and Dance, 2017); Ears, Eyes + Feet (2017) and projects as part of the Cohen New Works Festival (2017). Upon graduating in 2019, she plans to perform, teach and pursue a career in arts administration.
CREW ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS TORI HUSTING WALTER REYES ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER AUSTIN SHIRLEY SCENIC STUDIO SUPERVISOR J.E. JOHNSON SCENIC ART SUPERVISOR KAREN MANESS ASSOCIATE SCENIC STUDIO SUPERVISOR JASON HUERTA MASTER CARPENTER HANK SCHWEMMER GRADUATE PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS TUCKER GOODMAN ROXY MOJICA ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ALY REDLAND PRODUCTION LEADS JACOB CAIRE CAROL ENDICOTT JARED WAYNE HORN CHRISTINA JANSEN ASHTON MURPHY REED NEAL GOBI-KLA VONAN PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS MADELYN CONSOLDANE NATASHA COSME BATISTA DARSHAN DESAI CECILLIA IBARRA JADE JACKSON TAYLOR JONES JUAN LEYVA ERIC RAMIREZ LUKE STODGHILL ASSISTANT SCENIC ART SUPERVISOR KRISTINA TIJERINA SCENIC STUDIO INTERNS JACOB FOSTER ANTONIO SERVIN DYLAN SCHMIDT HAILEY STRADER GUSTAVO ZAMARRIPA PROP SHOP SUPERVISOR REBECCA SWITZER ASSISTANT PROP SHOP SUPERVISOR CAROLYN HARDIN PROP MASTER R. SWITZER PROP SHOP GRADUATE ASSISTANT ZOE ANDERSEN
PROP ARTISANS MADELEINE HAYES DI MARTINEZ KIARA MCGEE MORGAN STUART TAYLOR TRAVIS PROP STOCK MANAGER JACKIE PEREZ PROPS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT JACKIE PEREZ
WARDROBE CREW SUPERVISOR JOEY HARRINGTON WARDROBE CREW HAILEY ROBERTS CAROLINE GREEN SARA CHANEY LILIAN COLLINS ANA ROSAS COSTUME CRAFTS SUPERVISOR TANYA OLALDE
AUDIO PRODUCTION STUDENT CREW WYATT LASTER MILA LUNA MALYSSA QUILES JESSICA SELL SOUND BOARD OPERATOR GREYLAND GOFF MEDIA SHOP SUPERVISOR ELIOT FISHER
COSTUME CRAFTS ASSISTANTS ALEXANDER GREER MARIKA WYNNE
MEDIA GRADUATE ASSISTANTS KAIWEN FA ALEX GENDAL ROBERT MALLIN MINGXIANG YA
SCENERY/PROPS CREW VIVIAN GONZALEZ GREYSON SLICKER
COSTUME SHOP ASSISTANTS SAMANTHA GASHETTE TORI HUSTINGS
MEDIA SHOP CREW CHRISTIAN COFFEY ADRIAN LOPEZ NEHA SUKUMAR
COSTUME SHOP SUPERVISOR NANETTE ACOSTA
COSTUME STOCK SUPERVISOR DESIREÉ HUMPHRIES
MEDIA BOARD OPERATOR CAMERON TERRY
COSTUME SHOP ASSOCIATE SUPERVISOR DARCY WEBERG
COSTUME STOCK ASSISTANTS CECELIA IBARRA ALFY LINDSEY
PROPS CONSTRUCTION CREW KATIE GARCIA GEORGINA GARZA MORGAN RIDDLE DALYNN GRACE WATSON
DRAPERS SARAH ALDRIDGE BETTY CHLYSTEK 1ST HANDS SAMANTHA GASHETTE AARON KUBACAK STITCHERS MIA BARRERA LAURA GONZALEZ MORGAN BROMGARD JANIE MACKLIN ADVANCED COSTUME PRODUCTION CREW TEACHING ASSISTANTS CHUN KANG CHEN VANESSA LOPEZ COSTUME PRODUCTION CREW SULTAN ABBOUSHI ANNEMARIE ALANIZ ALAYA BALDERAS-GALLEGO GRACE BOHN DARLESIA CARTER TAIZHA CHRISTENSEN KYLE CORDOVA JENNIFER GOMEZ EMMA HUFF CASSIDY KAYE MORRIS JUDE MARTINEZ HAILEY ROBERTS KINSEY SHACKELFORD WIG AND MAKEUP SPECIALIST ALLISON LOWERY WIG ASSISTANT J. DYLAN GIBSON
TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS MASTER ELECTRICIAN MIKELA COWAN TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS LIGHTING SUPERVISOR JEFF ELLINGER SENIOR LIGHTING TECHNICIANS AARON CURRY MERCEDES MCCLEARY JIAJING QI AUSTIN SHIRLEY KENDRA WILEY TEXAS THEATRE AND DANCE LIGHTING CREW JOSE FIGEROA JENNIFER HERNANDEZ ADRIANA SCAMARDI STEVEN SCHWOPE BRISA SHAW GEORGE VELASQUEZ MAX WESTLUND TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS LIGHTING CREW CASEY CANAMAR BEN GALVAN JAKE BRINKS ALEX JEREB ADRIANA LARA MICHAEL LOGUE LIGHT BOARD OPERATOR MICHAEL MCCASLIN AUDIO SUPERVISOR MIKE MALAK ASSOCIATE AUDIO SUPERVISOR KENNY KUYKENDALL
STAGE MANAGEMENT ADVISOR RUSTY CLOYES COSTUME DESIGN ADVISOR SUSAN MICKEY COSTUME TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR JAMES GLAVAN LIGHTING DESIGN ADVISOR MICHELLE HABECK INTEGRATED MEDIA DESIGN ADVISOR SVEN ORTEL SCENIC DESIGN ADVISOR WILLIAM BLOODGOOD SOUND DESIGN ADVISOR CAROLINA PEREZ ACADEMIC PRODUCTION MANAGER JEFF GRAPKO PHOTOGRAPHERS CHIAN-ANN LU LAWRENCE PEART GRAPHIC DESIGNER JEFF GRAY SPECIAL THANKS ELIOT FISHER DOROTHY O’SHEA OVERBEY DR. TINA CURRAN ERICA GIONFRIDDO SARA PAUL JEREMY ARNOLD MILLIE HECKLER SANDRA ORGAN LYN C. WILTSHIRE DR. REBECCA ROSSEN