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UID:calendar.527816.field_event_date.0@www.wright.edu
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CREATED:20240625T070906Z
DESCRIPTION: \n\n \n\nFor Thursday\, April 24\, only\, students get in free
  with their Wright1 card.\n\n\nProgram:\n\n\n	About the Concert\n	Director's
  Note\n	Performances\n	Production Team and Run Crew\n	Choreographer Bios\n	Dan
 cer Bios\n	Designer Bios\n	Partner Companies\n		 \n\n\nAbout the Concert\n\nSe
 ven dance works by Wright State University faculty and guest artists Steph
 anie Martinez\, Michelle McElveen\, DCDC2\, and Dayton Ballet School Ensem
 ble.\n\n\n	Director's Note\n\nDear Friends\,\n\nWelcome to the powerful and
  dynamic Spring Dance Concert 2025! We invite you to sit back and enjoy th
 e vitality of live performance. Each piece is a living work of art that co
 mbines in a shared experience for performers and audiences alike. We are t
 hrilled to present works by Wright State dance faculty members and esteeme
 d guest choreographers Michelle McElveen and Stephanie Martinez. You will 
 also be seeing works by our wonderful partner companies\, The Dayton Balle
 t School Ensemble and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II\, as well as ou
 r chosen senior piece choreographed by Ariana Alvarado.\n\nOur first guest
  choreographer is the nationally acclaimed Stephanie Martinez. Martinez’s 
 bold\, contemporary voice pushes the boundaries of ballet\, crafting over 
 70 works for professional and collegiate programs nationwide. Recognized f
 or her contributions as a female artist of color\, she has received numero
 us grants and acclaim\, with the Chicago Tribune hailing her as a “chamele
 on” of choreography. Martinez is the founder and artistic director of PARA
 .MAR Dance Theatre\, established in July 2020. Her piece\, World of Anothe
 r\, unveils the hidden narratives and inner thoughts of those around us\, 
 exploring the concept of “othering”—the act of treating someone as an outs
 ider. Through personal stories and raw dialogue\, this work examines the i
 nvisible divides we create between “us” and “them\,” revealing the impact 
 of these divisions on our collective humanity. By exposing the unseen stor
 ies that shape our interactions\, World of Another urges us to recognize t
 he shared humanity in those we might otherwise dismiss.\n\nOur second gues
 t is regional choreographer\, Michelle McElveen\, who earned her Bachelor 
 of Fine Arts degree in dance from Wright State University after graduating
  from Interlochen Arts Academy. She has performed professionally with Walt
  Disney Productions\, the Dayton Opera\, the Sorg and Whitewater Opera Com
 panies\, and La Comedia Dinner Theatre. She has taught at Wright State sin
 ce 1994 and is currently a senior lecturer. She has taught master classes 
 in Cincinnati\, Dayton\, and Michigan and is a huge favorite among her col
 leagues and students.\n\nThe common thread within this year’s concert is e
 xpression through movement. Each piece showcases the individuality and aes
 thetic voice of the seven choreographers. Our dancers embody the choreogra
 pher’s message through movement and infuse it with their own meaning to cr
 eate a genuine work of art. This concert explores many facets of the human
  experience\, and we welcome you as the audience to interpret each piece a
 nd hope you are moved by the stories you see.\n\nThe Spring Dance Concert 
 offers a unique opportunity to enjoy three wonderful dance companies—Wrigh
 t State Dance\, The Dayton Ballet School Ensemble\, and Dayton Contemporar
 y Dance Company II. Our region is lucky to have such a vibrant and diverse
  dance community\, and we thank you for coming to support us.\n\nGina Gard
 ner-Walther\n\nBack to top\n\n\n	Performances\n\nDivenire\n\nChoreographer:
  Michelle McElveen\n	Music: Ludovico Einaudi\n	Costume Design: Zoe Still\n	Li
 ghting Design: Dylan Serrano\n	Dancers: Maria Becker (Thu/Sat)\, Emma Cole\
 , Gretchen Greener (Fri/Sun)\, Gracie Harper\, Anderson Hayes\, Audrey Lee
 \, Hannah McGuffey (Thu/Sat)\, Jenna Mumford (Thu/Fri)\, Lexi Parker (Fri/
 Sun)\, Rae Richard\, Lucy Theado (Thu/Sat)\, Annabelle White (Fri/Sun)\n	Un
 derstudy: Kaitlyn Berry\n	 \n\nThese Lights Won't Kill Me Now\n\nChoreograp
 her: Ariana Alvarado\n	Music: She Wants Revenge\, My Chemical Romance\, Pri
 nce and the New Power Generation\n	Lighting Design: Levi T. Fravel\n	Dancers
 : Zoe Bees\, Ally Jo Buck\, Kailey Colyer\, Alia Dalton\, Lylla Kovacs\, E
 mma McCoy\, Raya Taylor\n	Note: 'I have loved the stars too fondly to be fe
 arful of the night'—Sarah Williams\n	allpoetry.com/Sarah-Williams\n	 \n\nA S
 ilent Plea\n\nChoreographer: Shonna Hickman-Matlock\n	Music: Armand Amar\n	L
 ighting Design: Jennifer E. Dillard\n	Dancers: Brittni Van Dine\, Sawyer He
 rtel\, Macy Perry\, Keilani Reynolds\, Ansley Seiffert\n	Note: Forbidden to
  speak and unable to express what’s truly felt\, A Silent Plea reflects th
 e struggle of unspoken pain and hidden suffering. It captures the tension 
 between the desperate desire to cry out and the inability to do so.\n	 \n\n
 World of Another\n\nChoreographer: Stephanie Martinez\n	Assistant to the Ch
 oreographer: Jayme Braverman\n	Rehearsal Coach: Gina Gardner-Walther\n	Music
 : Antonio Lucio Vivaldi\, Real Quiet\, Steve Mazzaro\n	Costumes: Original d
 esign: Janet Bolick\n	Reimagined by: Zoe Still\n	Lighting Design: Matthew Be
 njamin\n	Dancers: Ariana Alvarado\, Zoe Bees\, Ally Jo Buck\, Brianna Chan\
 , Jonathan Oliver\, Gracie Harper\, Lexi Wilson\, Kailey Colyer\, Alia Dal
 ton\, Jessie Etling\, Carly Hanson\, Audrey Lee\, Emma McCaslin\, Hannah M
 cGuffey\n	Understudies: Maria Becker\, Emma Cole\, Lexi Parker\, Raeanne Ri
 chard\n	 \n\nIntermission\n	 \n\nOpen Out\n\nChoreographer: Gina Gardner-Wal
 ther\n	Music: Ezio Bosso\n	Costume Design: Naomi Indira Reisner\n	Rehearsal A
 ssistant: Gracie Harper\n	Lighting Designer: Emily Hope and Zach Wuest\n	Dan
 cers: Ariana Alvarado (Thursday/Saturday)\, Kaitlyn Berry (Thursday/Saturd
 ay)\, Ally Jo Buck (Friday/Sunday)\, Brianna Chan (Friday/Sunday)\, Kailey
  Colyer\, Alia Dalton\, Jessie Etling\, Carly Hanson (Friday/Sunday)\, Aud
 rey Lee\, Cheyenne Maher (Friday/Sunday)\, Emma McCaslin\, Hannah McGuffey
 \, Sam Minneman\, Jonathan Oliver\, Lexi Wison (Thursday/Saturday)\n	Unders
 tudies: Maria Becker\, Emma McCoy\n\nBlue Skies\n\nChoreographers: Megan F
 orney & Gabrielle Sharp\n	Music: Glen Miller\n	Lighting Design: Robbie Criss
 man\n	Dancers: Jessie Etling\, Mollie Juniewicz\, Jenna Mumford\, Jonathan 
 Oliver\, Raeanne Richards\, Annabelle White\n	 \n\nVive\n\nChoreographer: A
 shley Pabst\n	Composers: James Blake\, SO:HO & Kuranes\n	Costume Design: Zoe
  Still\n	Lighting Design: Zach Wuest\n	Dancers: Ariana Alvarado\, Zoe Bees\,
  Maria Becker\, Alanna Carey\, Laurel Cameron\, Emma Cole\, Kailey Colyer\
 , Alia Dalton\, Gracie Harper\, Emma McCaslin\, Jessie Etling\, Carly Hans
 on\, Anderson Hayes\, Sawyer Hertel\, Lylla Kovacs\, Emma McCoy\, Jonathan
  Oliver\, Lexi Parker\, Raya Taylor\, Lucy Theado\, Abby Zaleski\n\nBack t
 o top\n	 \n\nProduction Team and Run Crew\n\nStage Manager: Dylan Serrano\n
 \nTechnical Productions Manager: Kevin Nedberg\n\nSound Engineer/Audio Coo
 rdinator: James Dunlap\n\nCostume Shop Manager: Carly Anne-Kimmins\n\nLigh
 t Board Operator: Maggie Slauenwhite\n\nHead Stage/Fly Crew: Eli Baader\n
 \nStage/Fly Crew: Logan Gregory\, Kayla Theiss\n\nSound Board Operator: En
 och Graham\n\nWardrobe Crew: Kaitlin Teller\n\nRehearsal Assistant: Gracie
  Harper\n\nBack to top\n\n\n	Choreographer Bios\n\nAriana Alvarado (they\, 
 them) is a senior dance major at Wright State\, graduating with their B.F.
 A. in dance. They are grateful for the opportunities Wright State has prov
 ided them\, such as dancing with DCDC2\, auditioning for and performing at
  Kings Island\, and performing in Wright State's 2023 production of Cabare
 t. They feel privileged to receive their training from Wright State and ar
 e honored to showcase their senior choreographic work once more and perfor
 m alongside their fellow dancers.\n\nMegan Forney is originally from St Lo
 uis\, where she began her dance training. She trained as a student at Kana
 s City Ballet\, Ballet Chicago\, and Ballet Internationale. Forney graduat
 ed from Wright State with a B.F.A. in dance in 2008. She has performed in 
 many Dayton Ballet mainstage shows\, including Nutcracker\, Swan Lake\, Am
 erican Cinderella\, Sleepy Hollow\, and Three Musketeers. She has been the
  recipient of the Josephine and Hereme Schwarz Award\, the Walter J McCasl
 in Award\, and the Dayton Ballet School Peer Award. Megan has been a dance
  educator and choreographer for 15 years. She is currently the education m
 anager of the Dayton Ballet School and the co-director of the Dayton Balle
 t II companies.\n\nStephanie Martinez\, a Chicago-based choreographer\, ta
 kes audiences on dynamic journeys driven by the kinetic energy of her awar
 d-winning works spanning 15+ years. Her creations have been commissioned b
 y top companies including Joffrey Ballet\, Miami City Ballet\, Ballet Hisp
 ánico\, BalletX\, Bruce Wood Dance\, Kansas City Ballet\, South Chicago Da
 nce Theatre\, and Milwaukee Ballet\, with theater credits at Chicago Shake
 speare Theater\, the Lyric Opera of Chicago\, and American Repertory Theat
 re. Martinez’s bold\, contemporary voice pushes the boundaries of ballet\,
  crafting over 70 works for professional and collegiate programs nationwid
 e. Recognized for her contributions as a female artist of color\, she has 
 received numerous grants and acclaim\, with the Chicago Tribune hailing he
 r as a “chameleon” of choreography. Martinez is the founder and artistic d
 irector of PARA.MAR Dance Theatre\, established in July 2020.\n\nShonna Hi
 ckman-Matlock director of DCDC2 and Arts Enrichment Programs\, was a princ
 ipal dancer\, touring nationally and internationally in South Korea\, Russ
 ia\, France\, Germany\, and Bermuda. She performed across the U.S.\, inclu
 ding at the American Dance Festival\, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival\, Linc
 oln Center\, and The Kennedy Center before retiring in 1995. She performed
  in many DCDC repertories\, including Ulysses Dove’s Vespers and Urban Fol
 kdance\, Donald Byrd’s Dark Joy and Bamm\, and Eleo Pomare’s Las Desenamor
 adas. She has created works for DCDC and other institutions. Serving as DC
 DC2 director since 2000 and DCDC resident choreographer\, she became direc
 tor of education and outreach in 2014\, designing arts enrichment programs
  for schools and communities. Under her leadership\, many dancers have tra
 nsitioned into DCDC’s main company and other professional companies\, nati
 onal tours\, and Broadway productions.\n\nMichelle McElveen has had a teac
 hing/performing/choreographing career for more than 35 years. She worked e
 xtensively as a resident choreographer for the Sorg and Whitewater Opera C
 ompanies\, choreographing many operas\, including La Traviata\, Carmen\, T
 he Merry Widow\, and My Fair Lady. She has choreographed for Wright State\
 , South Dayton Dance Theatre\, Miami University\, and Gem City Ballet. She
  earned a B.F.A. in dance from Wright State after graduating from the Inte
 rlochen Arts Academy. She performed professionally with Walt Disney Produc
 tions\, the Dayton Opera\, La Comedia\, Sorg\, and Whitewater Opera compan
 ies. She is a senior lecturer at Wright State as well as a faculty member 
 of the South Dayton School of Dance\, and guest artist in residency at the
  Stiver’s School for the Performing Arts. “Miss Shelly” is a sought-after 
 instructor for summer intensives\, dance conventions\, and festivals throu
 ghout the region.\n\nAshley Pabst is an enthusiastic Instructor and award-
 winning choreographer. Her professional teaching credits include the Inter
 national Ballet Competition (Jackson\, Mississippi)\, Point Park Universit
 y\, Sam Houston State University\, National Choreography Intensive\, Regio
 nal Dance America Festivals\, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company\, and Eise
 nhower Dance Detroit. Before retiring from the stage\, Ashley performed wi
 th companies such as Atlanta Ballet and Dayton Ballet\; concluding on The 
 Kennedy Center stage where she was awarded the Northeast Performer of the 
 Year. She is a nine-time National Choreographic Recognition Award recipien
 t as well as the Monticello Award\, Barbara Weisberger Emerging Choreograp
 her\, Project Tier\, Jonathan Phelps Award\; works selected for the Intern
 ational Association of Blacks in Dance\, The Ballet Alliance\, Youth Ameri
 can Grand Prix Finals and Jazz Dance World Congress. Ashley would like to 
 thank her husband and parents for their endless love and support.\n\nGabri
 elle Sharp is co-director of the Dayton Ballet School Ensemble. Gabrielle 
 danced with Dayton Ballet. You saw her perform in Dracula\, The Nutcracker
 \, Tales from the Shadow\, There Was a Time\, and America’s Robin Hood\, a
 nd recently as the fairy godmother in Cinderella and the nurse in Romeo an
 d Juliet. While a member of DBII Sr. she received the Dancer Peer Award\, 
 Walter J. McCaslin Memorial Award\, and Josephine and Hermene Schwarz Awar
 d. Gabrielle was the previous director of the SSK Dance Ensemble.\n\nGina 
 Gardner-Walther is a dedicated teacher/mentor and award-winning choreograp
 her who has choreographed nationally\, regionally\, and on university stag
 es. Her professional teaching experience includes Indiana University\, Poi
 nt Park University (PA)\, New Arts Festival (FL)\, RDA Craft of Choreograp
 hy Conference\, and RDA Pacific Festival (WA). While performing with The D
 ayton Contemporary Dance Company\, she toured Germany\, Russia\, France\, 
 and throughout the United States. She had the honor of performing at Linco
 ln Center\, The Kennedy Center\, and The Joyce Theatre. She performed work
 s by many of modern dances’ most influential choreographers\, including Dw
 ight Rhoden\, Ulysses Dove\, Donald McKayle\, Merce Cunningham\, Talley Be
 atty\, Anna Sokolow\, Donald Byrd\, and many more. In her final season wit
 h DCDC\, she won the Josie Award as best female dancer. Gina’s choreograph
 y has won several choreographic awards including the prestigious National 
 Choreographic Award. The New York Times called her work Still Present set 
 on DCDC “a stirring dance” that “served as a sparkling introduction to the
  troupe.” Gina earned her B.F.A. in dance performance from Southern Method
 ist University.\n\nBack to top\n	 \n\nDancer Bios\n\nMaria Becker (she\, he
 r) is a freshman dance major from Cincinnati. She danced at SDA Studios fo
 r 16 years\, where she found her love for dance. She is grateful for the o
 pportunity to continue her dance training at Wright State and looks forwar
 d to performing in her first Spring Dance Concert.\n\nZoe Bees (she\, her)
  is a senior dance major\, from Waynesville. She has grown up giving her p
 assion and love for dance every day while continuing to improve her artist
 ry. Zoe is grateful for the opportunities and experiences she has had whil
 e being at Wright State. She is so excited to start her journey in the rea
 l world and would like to thank her loving teachers\, friends\, and family
 .\n\nKaitlyn Berry (she\, her) is a freshman dance major from Dayton. She 
 began her training at South Dayton School of Dance\, where her teachers in
 stilled in her a love for ballet and modern dance. She is so thankful for 
 the opportunity to perform in her first Spring Dance Concert.\n\nAlly Jo B
 uck (she\, her) Is a sophomore dance major from Loveland. She studied danc
 e of all genres at Broadway Bound Dance Academy\, where she now teaches. S
 he has a love of performing and is thankful for the opportunity to perform
  in her second Spring Dance Concert alongside such talented and passionate
  dancers.\n\nLaurel Cameron is a freshman B.F.A. dance major originally fr
 om Stroudsburg\, Pennsylvania. In addition to dance\, she is immensely pas
 sionate about musical theatre and loves blending her talents in both art f
 orms to express herself creatively. She would like to thank all of her tea
 chers\, friends\, and family for their unconditional support and guidance 
 throughout her artistic journey.\n\nAlanna Carey (she\, her) is a freshman
  double major in dance and communication studies from Dayton. She has been
  dancing for 16 years\, including training at Pontecorvo Ballet Studios an
 d South Dayton Dance Theater. She is very grateful and excited to perform 
 in her first Spring Dance Concert!\n\nBrianna Chan (she\, her) is a senior
  dance major pursuing a second degree in biomedical engineering. Originall
 y from Columbus\, Brianna has been part of the dance program for 5 years. 
 She is deeply grateful for the opportunities she has received\, as well as
  the support from her professors\, friends\, and family. It has been a pri
 vilege for her to dance alongside such talented artists and dancers.\n\nEm
 ma Cole (she\, her) is a sophomore dance major from Toledo. Before joining
  Wright State\, she trained at her local studio\, Toledo Met. Emma is exci
 ted to be performing in the Spring Dance Concert and is grateful for the o
 pportunity to learn from such wonderful teachers and choreographers.\n\nKa
 iley Colyer (she\, her) is a junior dance major from Cincinnati. She began
  dancing at the age of 2\, where she trained at Just Off-Broadway dance st
 udio. She continued her dance education at the School for Creative and Per
 forming Arts from grades 4–12. Kailey is very excited to perform in her th
 ird Spring Dance Concert and feels very fortunate to have worked with such
  talented teachers and choreographers.\n\nAlia Dalton (she\, her) is a jun
 ior dance major from Cincinnati. She has been dancing for 16 years\, where
  she trained at her local dance studio Just Off Broadway\, and graduated f
 rom the School for Creative and Performing Arts. Alia is excited to perfor
 m alongside her peers and is grateful to have worked with such amazing/ins
 piring choreographers during this year's Spring Dance Concert She would li
 ke to thank her family for their continuous support in her journey through
  dance.\n\nJessie Etling (she\, her) is from Salisbury\, Maryland\, and a 
 junior dance major. She has been dancing for 16 years and feels incredibly
  grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Wright State dance progr
 am. Jessie is also a part of Dayton Ballet School Ensemble and performed r
 oles in Dracula\, Coppelia\, The Nutcracker\, and Swan Lake alongside the 
 first company.\n\nGretchen Greener is a freshman dance major from Carmel\,
  Indiana. She spent her formative years under the direction of Suzann DeLa
 y at Central Indiana Academy of Dance and John and Heather Timm at Richens
 /Timm Academy of Irish Dance. Gretchen is so excited and thankful to perfo
 rm in her first Spring Dance Concert.\n\nCarly Hanson (she\, her) began da
 ncing age 3 and received her training from Dancekids Studio under the dire
 ction of Denise Devery. She is currently a junior dance major at Wright St
 ate pursuing a B.F.A. in dance and an arts management certificate. In addi
 tion to school\, she was a member of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company's S
 econd Company (DCDC2) for its 2023-2024 season. Carly is so thankful for t
 he opportunity to perform alongside her very talented peers in this year’s
  Spring Dance Concert!\n\nGracie Harper (she\, her) is a senior dance majo
 r at Wright State and is originally from Cincinnati. During her time at th
 e university\, she was a second company dancer with Dayton Contemporary Da
 nce Company\, performed in the university’s production of Cabaret\, and ha
 s been featured in the annual dance concerts put on by the program. Gracie
  would like to thank her fellow dancers\, faculty\, and the technical crew
  for their incredible work on this performance!\n\nAnderson Hayes (she\, h
 er) is a freshman dance major from Lawrenceville\, Georgia. She started da
 nce at age 3 with Southern Performing Arts Academy and performed with thei
 r company\, Southern Ballet Theatre. She also trained at School of the Art
 s at Central Gwinnett from grades 10–12. Anderson is grateful for her fami
 ly and friends\, and very excited for her first Spring Dance Concert.\n\nL
 ylla Kovacs is a sophomore dance major at Wright State\, and this is her s
 econd time participating in the Spring Dance Concert. She is grateful to b
 e in a couple of the pieces and would like to thank everyone who contribut
 ed to the creative process. She hopes everyone enjoys the show!\n\nAudrey 
 Lee is a junior dance major from Springfield. She began dancing at a very 
 early age and received her training from the Gary Geis School of Dance. Au
 drey is thrilled to be further continuing her education at Wright State\, 
 where she is incredibly fortunate to be a part of this exceptional program
 .\n\nCheyenne Maher is a freshman dance major from Piqua. Before attending
  Wright State\, she previously trained at the Sidney Dance Company. She is
  so grateful for the opportunity to perform in her first Spring Dance Conc
 ert.\n\nEmma McCaslin (she\, her) is a junior dance major at Wright State.
  She is from Avon\, Indiana\, where she grew up dancing at Curtain Call Da
 nce Center. At Wright State\, she has had the opportunity to swing the uni
 versity’s production of Cabaret. She has also been incredibly grateful to 
 work with various choreographers for the dance concerts put on by the prog
 ram. Emma thanks her family\, fellow dancers\, faculty\, and tech crew for
  this experience!\n\nHannah McGuffey (she\, her) is a junior dance major a
 t Wright State from Dayton. Hannah received her dance training through Gem
  City Ballet\, Dayton Ballet\, and Stivers School for the Arts. Hannah is 
 excited to share her love of dance with you\, and looks forward to growing
  as a dancer in the upcoming years at Wright State. \n\nSam Minneman is a 
 third-year double major in dance and psychology from Dayton. She is a memb
 er of Psi Chi\, the International Honor Society of Psychology\, and she re
 cently debuted her first full-length choreographic work at Wright State’s 
 Emerging Choreographers Concert. This summer she is attending RDAs Nationa
 l Choreographic Intensive as a project tier choreographer to set a new wor
 k over the 2-week intensive. Performing and creating dance and art is a li
 fe-long passion Sam continues to cultivate at Wright State.\n\nJenna Mumfo
 rd is a junior dance major at Wright State and has been dancing for 15 yea
 rs. She is a part of the Dayton Ballet School Ensemble and has performed w
 ith the main company in shows such as The Nutcracker\, The Great Gatsby\, 
 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow\, Dracula: Bloodlines\, and Coppélia. Jenna is
  also a photographer and videographer and has photographed the Fall Dance 
 Concert and Emerging Choreographers Concert.\n\nJonathan Oliver is a senio
 r dance major who has performed one season with Dayton Contemporary Dance 
 Company’s Second Company under the direction of (Momma) Shonna Hickman-Mat
 lock. He is grateful for his time at Wright State\, where he has grown as 
 an artist and had the opportunity to travel to New York to take classes wi
 th Jamar Roberts\, Peter Chu\, Brandon Coleman\, and Norbert de La Cruz. T
 his summer\, he is excited to dance with Dayton Dance Initiative before he
 ading to Asheville\, North Carolina. Jonathan also makes a mean banana pan
 cake\, loves teaching\, and enjoys peanut butter by the spoonful.\n\nAlexi
 a Parker (she\, her) is a freshman dance major from Bunker Hill\, West Vir
 ginia. She began dancing at age 3\, training at Inwood Performing Arts for
  the majority of her years. She is very thankful to perform in her first S
 pring Dance Concert as a part of Wright State.\n\nRaya Taylor (she\, her) 
 is a freshman dance major from Cambridge. She began dancing at age 6\, and
  she trained at Movement on Main Center for Dance. Raya is excited to perf
 orm in her first Spring Dance Concert alongside her peers.\n\nLucy Theado 
 (she\, her) is a freshman double major in dance and communications from Co
 lumbus. She trained previously at the Moriarity Lukyanova Dance Academy. S
 he is very excited to be a part of her very first Spring Dance Concert and
  wants to thank everyone who came out to support her.\n\nAnnabelle White i
 s a freshman dance and English major at Wright State. She has been dancing
  for 15 years and danced at All About Dance and Miami Valley Dance Center 
 growing up\, and is currently a part of the Dayton Ballet School Ensemble.
  This is Annabelle's first Spring Dance Concert\, and she is excited to be
  able to perform with such wonderful people.\n\nAlexis Wilson (she\, her) 
 is a senior from Nashville. Lexi has been dancing since she was 2 and is e
 xcited to be dancing in her last Spring Dance Concert. Thanks to the amazi
 ng faculty here at Wright State\, Lexi received many choreography job oppo
 rtunities right here in Dayton. She is excited to announce that she will b
 e continuing her dreams at Disney starting in August. She hopes you enjoy 
 this beautiful show.\n\nBack to top\n	 \n\nDesigner Bios\n\nMatthew P. Benj
 amin is in his 27th year at Wright State as a professor of theatrical desi
 gn\, head of the theatre design and technology program\, and the resident 
 lighting designer with theatre and dance programs in the school of fine an
 d performing arts. Prior to joining the Wright State faculty\, Matthew ser
 ved as the coordinator of the performing arts program at Stockton College 
 of New Jersey and the Associate Resident lighting designer for the Univers
 ity of Cincinnati\, College-Conservatory of Music. Professional credits in
 clude seven seasons as the resident lighting designer for the Opera Theatr
 e and Music Festival of Lucca\, Italy\, where he also served as the compan
 y’s production manager. Other professional designs includes projects with 
 the Interlochen Center for the Arts\, Cincinnati Opera\, Aspen Music Festi
 val\, Dayton Opera\, Dayton Ballet\, Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati\, Tr
 i-Cities Opera\, Dayton Performing Arts Alliance\, Opera at Florham\, Luna
  Negra Dance Theatre\, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company\, the Human Race 
 Theatre Company\, Little Theatre of the Rockies\, ballettech Ohio\, New Ho
 rizon Theatre Company\, the Taj Mahal casino\, the National Academy of Tel
 evision Arts and Sciences\, and many others. An active theatre consultant\
 , he has worked on regional projects such as the Springboro Performing Art
 s Center\, the Theatre at Third in the downtown Dayton Public Library\, Di
 xie High School\, and the Alter High School Performing Arts Center\, among
  many others. He is a proud member of the United Scenic Artists Local #829
  (Lighting Design) and the International Alliance of Lighting Designers.\n
 \nRobbie Crissman is a freshman lighting design major originally from Haml
 in\, New York. His previous credits at Wright State include A2 for Our Tow
 n\, sound board operator for Much Ado About Nothing\, production electrici
 an for Everybody\, and a lighting designer for the most recent Emerging Ch
 oreographers Concert.\n\nJennifer E. Dillard is a sophomore theatre design
  and technology major concentrating in lighting. She is very excited to be
  designing for this year’s Spring Dance Concert! Jennifer has previously d
 esigned for Wright State’s Emerging Choreographers Concert\, the Fall Danc
 e Concert\, and The Apple Tree.\n\nLevi T. Fravel (they\, them) is a sopho
 more focusing on lighting design. They are excited to be designing in thei
 r second Spring Dance Concert. They would like to thank all their friends 
 and family for their endless support!\n\nDylan Serrano (stage manager) is 
 a third-year design/technology major focusing in stage management and ligh
 ting design. They are extremely excited to be stage managing their first d
 ance concert and designing another piece at Wright State. They have previo
 usly designed for the past two Emerging Choreographers’ Concerts\, Fall Da
 nce Concerts\, and last year’s Spring Dance Concert. They are also a resid
 ent designer for Stivers School for the Arts dance program. They assistant
  stage managed with The Dayton Ballet’s previous two runnings of The Nutcr
 acker. At Wright State\, they most recently stage-managed Carrie: The Musi
 cal. This June\, they will be the stage manager for Dayton Dance Initiativ
 e’s summer concert\, CoLAB II.\n\nZach Wuest is a senior lighting design m
 ajor at Wright State and is absolutely thrilled to be designing for the Sp
 ring Dance Concert. His previous credits include\, as the lighting designe
 r at Wright State\, Kelly the Destroyer vs. the Springfield Cobras\, A Dol
 l's House Parts 1 & 2\, Our Town\, and Alice by Heart. He was also the lig
 hting designer for Dayton Playhouse's Is There Life After High School? and
  the assistant lighting designer for DPAA's The Nutcracker. He hopes you e
 njoy the show!\n\nBack to top\n	 \n\nPartner Companies\n\nDCDC2 l Pre-Profe
 ssional Ensemble\n	Founded in 1975 by Jeraldyne Blunden\n	Chief Executive & 
 Artistic Director: Debbie Blunden-Diggs\n	Director of DCDC2 & Arts Enrichme
 nt Programs: Shonna Hickman-Matlock\n\nComprised of recent graduate and un
 dergraduate dance students\, DCDC2 is the next generation of dance artists
  under the umbrella of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. DCDC2 presen
 ts performances in traditional theatre and alternative venues. The ensembl
 e plays an integral role in DCDC school and community engagement throughou
 t the Miami Valley region. DCDC2 participates in DCDC’s established univer
 sity partnerships providing opportunities to engage in collaborative progr
 ams with the University of Dayton\, Wright State University\, and Central 
 State University campus-wide activities and dance programs. The ensemble h
 as performed throughout the Miami Valley and all regions of Ohio. In 2019\
 , the ensemble was chosen to present at the OhioDance Festival in Columbus
  and the Denison University Ohio Five Colleges of Ohio 5 Dance Festival\, 
 as well as showcased at the 31st International Blacks in Dance “Establishe
 d Dance Companies” performance hosted in Dayton. DCDC2 continues to be a r
 esource for new dancers for DCDC’s main company and maintains an impressiv
 e record of successfully transitioning dancers into other professional com
 panies\, Broadway\, film\, television\, media\, and graduate schools.\n\nD
 ayton Ballet School Ensemble (DBSE)\, divided into apprentice and junior e
 nsembles\, is a pre-professional training program available to dancers thr
 ough audition only. This division is for dancers committed to a high level
  of dance training\, strengthening\, and artistic development\, along with
  elective classes to supplement their dance education. This division inclu
 des additional performance opportunities.\n\nBack to top\n	 \n\nBox Office 
 and Current SeasonEvent Webpage: https://liberal-arts.wright.edu/fine-and-
 performing-arts/dance-productions/spring-dance-concert-99481
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250424T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250424T190000
LAST-MODIFIED:20250419T070931Z
SUMMARY:Spring Dance Concert
URL;TYPE=URI:https://www.wright.edu/events/spring-dance-concert-1
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:calendar.527816.field_event_date.0@www.wright.edu
DTSTAMP:20260307T175621Z
CREATED:20240625T070906Z
DESCRIPTION: \n\n \n\nFor Thursday\, April 24\, only\, students get in free
  with their Wright1 card.\n\n\nProgram:\n\n\n	About the Concert\n	Director's
  Note\n	Performances\n	Production Team and Run Crew\n	Choreographer Bios\n	Dan
 cer Bios\n	Designer Bios\n	Partner Companies\n		 \n\n\nAbout the Concert\n\nSe
 ven dance works by Wright State University faculty and guest artists Steph
 anie Martinez\, Michelle McElveen\, DCDC2\, and Dayton Ballet School Ensem
 ble.\n\n\n	Director's Note\n\nDear Friends\,\n\nWelcome to the powerful and
  dynamic Spring Dance Concert 2025! We invite you to sit back and enjoy th
 e vitality of live performance. Each piece is a living work of art that co
 mbines in a shared experience for performers and audiences alike. We are t
 hrilled to present works by Wright State dance faculty members and esteeme
 d guest choreographers Michelle McElveen and Stephanie Martinez. You will 
 also be seeing works by our wonderful partner companies\, The Dayton Balle
 t School Ensemble and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II\, as well as ou
 r chosen senior piece choreographed by Ariana Alvarado.\n\nOur first guest
  choreographer is the nationally acclaimed Stephanie Martinez. Martinez’s 
 bold\, contemporary voice pushes the boundaries of ballet\, crafting over 
 70 works for professional and collegiate programs nationwide. Recognized f
 or her contributions as a female artist of color\, she has received numero
 us grants and acclaim\, with the Chicago Tribune hailing her as a “chamele
 on” of choreography. Martinez is the founder and artistic director of PARA
 .MAR Dance Theatre\, established in July 2020. Her piece\, World of Anothe
 r\, unveils the hidden narratives and inner thoughts of those around us\, 
 exploring the concept of “othering”—the act of treating someone as an outs
 ider. Through personal stories and raw dialogue\, this work examines the i
 nvisible divides we create between “us” and “them\,” revealing the impact 
 of these divisions on our collective humanity. By exposing the unseen stor
 ies that shape our interactions\, World of Another urges us to recognize t
 he shared humanity in those we might otherwise dismiss.\n\nOur second gues
 t is regional choreographer\, Michelle McElveen\, who earned her Bachelor 
 of Fine Arts degree in dance from Wright State University after graduating
  from Interlochen Arts Academy. She has performed professionally with Walt
  Disney Productions\, the Dayton Opera\, the Sorg and Whitewater Opera Com
 panies\, and La Comedia Dinner Theatre. She has taught at Wright State sin
 ce 1994 and is currently a senior lecturer. She has taught master classes 
 in Cincinnati\, Dayton\, and Michigan and is a huge favorite among her col
 leagues and students.\n\nThe common thread within this year’s concert is e
 xpression through movement. Each piece showcases the individuality and aes
 thetic voice of the seven choreographers. Our dancers embody the choreogra
 pher’s message through movement and infuse it with their own meaning to cr
 eate a genuine work of art. This concert explores many facets of the human
  experience\, and we welcome you as the audience to interpret each piece a
 nd hope you are moved by the stories you see.\n\nThe Spring Dance Concert 
 offers a unique opportunity to enjoy three wonderful dance companies—Wrigh
 t State Dance\, The Dayton Ballet School Ensemble\, and Dayton Contemporar
 y Dance Company II. Our region is lucky to have such a vibrant and diverse
  dance community\, and we thank you for coming to support us.\n\nGina Gard
 ner-Walther\n\nBack to top\n\n\n	Performances\n\nDivenire\n\nChoreographer:
  Michelle McElveen\n	Music: Ludovico Einaudi\n	Costume Design: Zoe Still\n	Li
 ghting Design: Dylan Serrano\n	Dancers: Maria Becker (Thu/Sat)\, Emma Cole\
 , Gretchen Greener (Fri/Sun)\, Gracie Harper\, Anderson Hayes\, Audrey Lee
 \, Hannah McGuffey (Thu/Sat)\, Jenna Mumford (Thu/Fri)\, Lexi Parker (Fri/
 Sun)\, Rae Richard\, Lucy Theado (Thu/Sat)\, Annabelle White (Fri/Sun)\n	Un
 derstudy: Kaitlyn Berry\n	 \n\nThese Lights Won't Kill Me Now\n\nChoreograp
 her: Ariana Alvarado\n	Music: She Wants Revenge\, My Chemical Romance\, Pri
 nce and the New Power Generation\n	Lighting Design: Levi T. Fravel\n	Dancers
 : Zoe Bees\, Ally Jo Buck\, Kailey Colyer\, Alia Dalton\, Lylla Kovacs\, E
 mma McCoy\, Raya Taylor\n	Note: 'I have loved the stars too fondly to be fe
 arful of the night'—Sarah Williams\n	allpoetry.com/Sarah-Williams\n	 \n\nA S
 ilent Plea\n\nChoreographer: Shonna Hickman-Matlock\n	Music: Armand Amar\n	L
 ighting Design: Jennifer E. Dillard\n	Dancers: Brittni Van Dine\, Sawyer He
 rtel\, Macy Perry\, Keilani Reynolds\, Ansley Seiffert\n	Note: Forbidden to
  speak and unable to express what’s truly felt\, A Silent Plea reflects th
 e struggle of unspoken pain and hidden suffering. It captures the tension 
 between the desperate desire to cry out and the inability to do so.\n	 \n\n
 World of Another\n\nChoreographer: Stephanie Martinez\n	Assistant to the Ch
 oreographer: Jayme Braverman\n	Rehearsal Coach: Gina Gardner-Walther\n	Music
 : Antonio Lucio Vivaldi\, Real Quiet\, Steve Mazzaro\n	Costumes: Original d
 esign: Janet Bolick\n	Reimagined by: Zoe Still\n	Lighting Design: Matthew Be
 njamin\n	Dancers: Ariana Alvarado\, Zoe Bees\, Ally Jo Buck\, Brianna Chan\
 , Jonathan Oliver\, Gracie Harper\, Lexi Wilson\, Kailey Colyer\, Alia Dal
 ton\, Jessie Etling\, Carly Hanson\, Audrey Lee\, Emma McCaslin\, Hannah M
 cGuffey\n	Understudies: Maria Becker\, Emma Cole\, Lexi Parker\, Raeanne Ri
 chard\n	 \n\nIntermission\n	 \n\nOpen Out\n\nChoreographer: Gina Gardner-Wal
 ther\n	Music: Ezio Bosso\n	Costume Design: Naomi Indira Reisner\n	Rehearsal A
 ssistant: Gracie Harper\n	Lighting Designer: Emily Hope and Zach Wuest\n	Dan
 cers: Ariana Alvarado (Thursday/Saturday)\, Kaitlyn Berry (Thursday/Saturd
 ay)\, Ally Jo Buck (Friday/Sunday)\, Brianna Chan (Friday/Sunday)\, Kailey
  Colyer\, Alia Dalton\, Jessie Etling\, Carly Hanson (Friday/Sunday)\, Aud
 rey Lee\, Cheyenne Maher (Friday/Sunday)\, Emma McCaslin\, Hannah McGuffey
 \, Sam Minneman\, Jonathan Oliver\, Lexi Wison (Thursday/Saturday)\n	Unders
 tudies: Maria Becker\, Emma McCoy\n\nBlue Skies\n\nChoreographers: Megan F
 orney & Gabrielle Sharp\n	Music: Glen Miller\n	Lighting Design: Robbie Criss
 man\n	Dancers: Jessie Etling\, Mollie Juniewicz\, Jenna Mumford\, Jonathan 
 Oliver\, Raeanne Richards\, Annabelle White\n	 \n\nVive\n\nChoreographer: A
 shley Pabst\n	Composers: James Blake\, SO:HO & Kuranes\n	Costume Design: Zoe
  Still\n	Lighting Design: Zach Wuest\n	Dancers: Ariana Alvarado\, Zoe Bees\,
  Maria Becker\, Alanna Carey\, Laurel Cameron\, Emma Cole\, Kailey Colyer\
 , Alia Dalton\, Gracie Harper\, Emma McCaslin\, Jessie Etling\, Carly Hans
 on\, Anderson Hayes\, Sawyer Hertel\, Lylla Kovacs\, Emma McCoy\, Jonathan
  Oliver\, Lexi Parker\, Raya Taylor\, Lucy Theado\, Abby Zaleski\n\nBack t
 o top\n	 \n\nProduction Team and Run Crew\n\nStage Manager: Dylan Serrano\n
 \nTechnical Productions Manager: Kevin Nedberg\n\nSound Engineer/Audio Coo
 rdinator: James Dunlap\n\nCostume Shop Manager: Carly Anne-Kimmins\n\nLigh
 t Board Operator: Maggie Slauenwhite\n\nHead Stage/Fly Crew: Eli Baader\n
 \nStage/Fly Crew: Logan Gregory\, Kayla Theiss\n\nSound Board Operator: En
 och Graham\n\nWardrobe Crew: Kaitlin Teller\n\nRehearsal Assistant: Gracie
  Harper\n\nBack to top\n\n\n	Choreographer Bios\n\nAriana Alvarado (they\, 
 them) is a senior dance major at Wright State\, graduating with their B.F.
 A. in dance. They are grateful for the opportunities Wright State has prov
 ided them\, such as dancing with DCDC2\, auditioning for and performing at
  Kings Island\, and performing in Wright State's 2023 production of Cabare
 t. They feel privileged to receive their training from Wright State and ar
 e honored to showcase their senior choreographic work once more and perfor
 m alongside their fellow dancers.\n\nMegan Forney is originally from St Lo
 uis\, where she began her dance training. She trained as a student at Kana
 s City Ballet\, Ballet Chicago\, and Ballet Internationale. Forney graduat
 ed from Wright State with a B.F.A. in dance in 2008. She has performed in 
 many Dayton Ballet mainstage shows\, including Nutcracker\, Swan Lake\, Am
 erican Cinderella\, Sleepy Hollow\, and Three Musketeers. She has been the
  recipient of the Josephine and Hereme Schwarz Award\, the Walter J McCasl
 in Award\, and the Dayton Ballet School Peer Award. Megan has been a dance
  educator and choreographer for 15 years. She is currently the education m
 anager of the Dayton Ballet School and the co-director of the Dayton Balle
 t II companies.\n\nStephanie Martinez\, a Chicago-based choreographer\, ta
 kes audiences on dynamic journeys driven by the kinetic energy of her awar
 d-winning works spanning 15+ years. Her creations have been commissioned b
 y top companies including Joffrey Ballet\, Miami City Ballet\, Ballet Hisp
 ánico\, BalletX\, Bruce Wood Dance\, Kansas City Ballet\, South Chicago Da
 nce Theatre\, and Milwaukee Ballet\, with theater credits at Chicago Shake
 speare Theater\, the Lyric Opera of Chicago\, and American Repertory Theat
 re. Martinez’s bold\, contemporary voice pushes the boundaries of ballet\,
  crafting over 70 works for professional and collegiate programs nationwid
 e. Recognized for her contributions as a female artist of color\, she has 
 received numerous grants and acclaim\, with the Chicago Tribune hailing he
 r as a “chameleon” of choreography. Martinez is the founder and artistic d
 irector of PARA.MAR Dance Theatre\, established in July 2020.\n\nShonna Hi
 ckman-Matlock director of DCDC2 and Arts Enrichment Programs\, was a princ
 ipal dancer\, touring nationally and internationally in South Korea\, Russ
 ia\, France\, Germany\, and Bermuda. She performed across the U.S.\, inclu
 ding at the American Dance Festival\, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival\, Linc
 oln Center\, and The Kennedy Center before retiring in 1995. She performed
  in many DCDC repertories\, including Ulysses Dove’s Vespers and Urban Fol
 kdance\, Donald Byrd’s Dark Joy and Bamm\, and Eleo Pomare’s Las Desenamor
 adas. She has created works for DCDC and other institutions. Serving as DC
 DC2 director since 2000 and DCDC resident choreographer\, she became direc
 tor of education and outreach in 2014\, designing arts enrichment programs
  for schools and communities. Under her leadership\, many dancers have tra
 nsitioned into DCDC’s main company and other professional companies\, nati
 onal tours\, and Broadway productions.\n\nMichelle McElveen has had a teac
 hing/performing/choreographing career for more than 35 years. She worked e
 xtensively as a resident choreographer for the Sorg and Whitewater Opera C
 ompanies\, choreographing many operas\, including La Traviata\, Carmen\, T
 he Merry Widow\, and My Fair Lady. She has choreographed for Wright State\
 , South Dayton Dance Theatre\, Miami University\, and Gem City Ballet. She
  earned a B.F.A. in dance from Wright State after graduating from the Inte
 rlochen Arts Academy. She performed professionally with Walt Disney Produc
 tions\, the Dayton Opera\, La Comedia\, Sorg\, and Whitewater Opera compan
 ies. She is a senior lecturer at Wright State as well as a faculty member 
 of the South Dayton School of Dance\, and guest artist in residency at the
  Stiver’s School for the Performing Arts. “Miss Shelly” is a sought-after 
 instructor for summer intensives\, dance conventions\, and festivals throu
 ghout the region.\n\nAshley Pabst is an enthusiastic Instructor and award-
 winning choreographer. Her professional teaching credits include the Inter
 national Ballet Competition (Jackson\, Mississippi)\, Point Park Universit
 y\, Sam Houston State University\, National Choreography Intensive\, Regio
 nal Dance America Festivals\, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company\, and Eise
 nhower Dance Detroit. Before retiring from the stage\, Ashley performed wi
 th companies such as Atlanta Ballet and Dayton Ballet\; concluding on The 
 Kennedy Center stage where she was awarded the Northeast Performer of the 
 Year. She is a nine-time National Choreographic Recognition Award recipien
 t as well as the Monticello Award\, Barbara Weisberger Emerging Choreograp
 her\, Project Tier\, Jonathan Phelps Award\; works selected for the Intern
 ational Association of Blacks in Dance\, The Ballet Alliance\, Youth Ameri
 can Grand Prix Finals and Jazz Dance World Congress. Ashley would like to 
 thank her husband and parents for their endless love and support.\n\nGabri
 elle Sharp is co-director of the Dayton Ballet School Ensemble. Gabrielle 
 danced with Dayton Ballet. You saw her perform in Dracula\, The Nutcracker
 \, Tales from the Shadow\, There Was a Time\, and America’s Robin Hood\, a
 nd recently as the fairy godmother in Cinderella and the nurse in Romeo an
 d Juliet. While a member of DBII Sr. she received the Dancer Peer Award\, 
 Walter J. McCaslin Memorial Award\, and Josephine and Hermene Schwarz Awar
 d. Gabrielle was the previous director of the SSK Dance Ensemble.\n\nGina 
 Gardner-Walther is a dedicated teacher/mentor and award-winning choreograp
 her who has choreographed nationally\, regionally\, and on university stag
 es. Her professional teaching experience includes Indiana University\, Poi
 nt Park University (PA)\, New Arts Festival (FL)\, RDA Craft of Choreograp
 hy Conference\, and RDA Pacific Festival (WA). While performing with The D
 ayton Contemporary Dance Company\, she toured Germany\, Russia\, France\, 
 and throughout the United States. She had the honor of performing at Linco
 ln Center\, The Kennedy Center\, and The Joyce Theatre. She performed work
 s by many of modern dances’ most influential choreographers\, including Dw
 ight Rhoden\, Ulysses Dove\, Donald McKayle\, Merce Cunningham\, Talley Be
 atty\, Anna Sokolow\, Donald Byrd\, and many more. In her final season wit
 h DCDC\, she won the Josie Award as best female dancer. Gina’s choreograph
 y has won several choreographic awards including the prestigious National 
 Choreographic Award. The New York Times called her work Still Present set 
 on DCDC “a stirring dance” that “served as a sparkling introduction to the
  troupe.” Gina earned her B.F.A. in dance performance from Southern Method
 ist University.\n\nBack to top\n	 \n\nDancer Bios\n\nMaria Becker (she\, he
 r) is a freshman dance major from Cincinnati. She danced at SDA Studios fo
 r 16 years\, where she found her love for dance. She is grateful for the o
 pportunity to continue her dance training at Wright State and looks forwar
 d to performing in her first Spring Dance Concert.\n\nZoe Bees (she\, her)
  is a senior dance major\, from Waynesville. She has grown up giving her p
 assion and love for dance every day while continuing to improve her artist
 ry. Zoe is grateful for the opportunities and experiences she has had whil
 e being at Wright State. She is so excited to start her journey in the rea
 l world and would like to thank her loving teachers\, friends\, and family
 .\n\nKaitlyn Berry (she\, her) is a freshman dance major from Dayton. She 
 began her training at South Dayton School of Dance\, where her teachers in
 stilled in her a love for ballet and modern dance. She is so thankful for 
 the opportunity to perform in her first Spring Dance Concert.\n\nAlly Jo B
 uck (she\, her) Is a sophomore dance major from Loveland. She studied danc
 e of all genres at Broadway Bound Dance Academy\, where she now teaches. S
 he has a love of performing and is thankful for the opportunity to perform
  in her second Spring Dance Concert alongside such talented and passionate
  dancers.\n\nLaurel Cameron is a freshman B.F.A. dance major originally fr
 om Stroudsburg\, Pennsylvania. In addition to dance\, she is immensely pas
 sionate about musical theatre and loves blending her talents in both art f
 orms to express herself creatively. She would like to thank all of her tea
 chers\, friends\, and family for their unconditional support and guidance 
 throughout her artistic journey.\n\nAlanna Carey (she\, her) is a freshman
  double major in dance and communication studies from Dayton. She has been
  dancing for 16 years\, including training at Pontecorvo Ballet Studios an
 d South Dayton Dance Theater. She is very grateful and excited to perform 
 in her first Spring Dance Concert!\n\nBrianna Chan (she\, her) is a senior
  dance major pursuing a second degree in biomedical engineering. Originall
 y from Columbus\, Brianna has been part of the dance program for 5 years. 
 She is deeply grateful for the opportunities she has received\, as well as
  the support from her professors\, friends\, and family. It has been a pri
 vilege for her to dance alongside such talented artists and dancers.\n\nEm
 ma Cole (she\, her) is a sophomore dance major from Toledo. Before joining
  Wright State\, she trained at her local studio\, Toledo Met. Emma is exci
 ted to be performing in the Spring Dance Concert and is grateful for the o
 pportunity to learn from such wonderful teachers and choreographers.\n\nKa
 iley Colyer (she\, her) is a junior dance major from Cincinnati. She began
  dancing at the age of 2\, where she trained at Just Off-Broadway dance st
 udio. She continued her dance education at the School for Creative and Per
 forming Arts from grades 4–12. Kailey is very excited to perform in her th
 ird Spring Dance Concert and feels very fortunate to have worked with such
  talented teachers and choreographers.\n\nAlia Dalton (she\, her) is a jun
 ior dance major from Cincinnati. She has been dancing for 16 years\, where
  she trained at her local dance studio Just Off Broadway\, and graduated f
 rom the School for Creative and Performing Arts. Alia is excited to perfor
 m alongside her peers and is grateful to have worked with such amazing/ins
 piring choreographers during this year's Spring Dance Concert She would li
 ke to thank her family for their continuous support in her journey through
  dance.\n\nJessie Etling (she\, her) is from Salisbury\, Maryland\, and a 
 junior dance major. She has been dancing for 16 years and feels incredibly
  grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Wright State dance progr
 am. Jessie is also a part of Dayton Ballet School Ensemble and performed r
 oles in Dracula\, Coppelia\, The Nutcracker\, and Swan Lake alongside the 
 first company.\n\nGretchen Greener is a freshman dance major from Carmel\,
  Indiana. She spent her formative years under the direction of Suzann DeLa
 y at Central Indiana Academy of Dance and John and Heather Timm at Richens
 /Timm Academy of Irish Dance. Gretchen is so excited and thankful to perfo
 rm in her first Spring Dance Concert.\n\nCarly Hanson (she\, her) began da
 ncing age 3 and received her training from Dancekids Studio under the dire
 ction of Denise Devery. She is currently a junior dance major at Wright St
 ate pursuing a B.F.A. in dance and an arts management certificate. In addi
 tion to school\, she was a member of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company's S
 econd Company (DCDC2) for its 2023-2024 season. Carly is so thankful for t
 he opportunity to perform alongside her very talented peers in this year’s
  Spring Dance Concert!\n\nGracie Harper (she\, her) is a senior dance majo
 r at Wright State and is originally from Cincinnati. During her time at th
 e university\, she was a second company dancer with Dayton Contemporary Da
 nce Company\, performed in the university’s production of Cabaret\, and ha
 s been featured in the annual dance concerts put on by the program. Gracie
  would like to thank her fellow dancers\, faculty\, and the technical crew
  for their incredible work on this performance!\n\nAnderson Hayes (she\, h
 er) is a freshman dance major from Lawrenceville\, Georgia. She started da
 nce at age 3 with Southern Performing Arts Academy and performed with thei
 r company\, Southern Ballet Theatre. She also trained at School of the Art
 s at Central Gwinnett from grades 10–12. Anderson is grateful for her fami
 ly and friends\, and very excited for her first Spring Dance Concert.\n\nL
 ylla Kovacs is a sophomore dance major at Wright State\, and this is her s
 econd time participating in the Spring Dance Concert. She is grateful to b
 e in a couple of the pieces and would like to thank everyone who contribut
 ed to the creative process. She hopes everyone enjoys the show!\n\nAudrey 
 Lee is a junior dance major from Springfield. She began dancing at a very 
 early age and received her training from the Gary Geis School of Dance. Au
 drey is thrilled to be further continuing her education at Wright State\, 
 where she is incredibly fortunate to be a part of this exceptional program
 .\n\nCheyenne Maher is a freshman dance major from Piqua. Before attending
  Wright State\, she previously trained at the Sidney Dance Company. She is
  so grateful for the opportunity to perform in her first Spring Dance Conc
 ert.\n\nEmma McCaslin (she\, her) is a junior dance major at Wright State.
  She is from Avon\, Indiana\, where she grew up dancing at Curtain Call Da
 nce Center. At Wright State\, she has had the opportunity to swing the uni
 versity’s production of Cabaret. She has also been incredibly grateful to 
 work with various choreographers for the dance concerts put on by the prog
 ram. Emma thanks her family\, fellow dancers\, faculty\, and tech crew for
  this experience!\n\nHannah McGuffey (she\, her) is a junior dance major a
 t Wright State from Dayton. Hannah received her dance training through Gem
  City Ballet\, Dayton Ballet\, and Stivers School for the Arts. Hannah is 
 excited to share her love of dance with you\, and looks forward to growing
  as a dancer in the upcoming years at Wright State. \n\nSam Minneman is a 
 third-year double major in dance and psychology from Dayton. She is a memb
 er of Psi Chi\, the International Honor Society of Psychology\, and she re
 cently debuted her first full-length choreographic work at Wright State’s 
 Emerging Choreographers Concert. This summer she is attending RDAs Nationa
 l Choreographic Intensive as a project tier choreographer to set a new wor
 k over the 2-week intensive. Performing and creating dance and art is a li
 fe-long passion Sam continues to cultivate at Wright State.\n\nJenna Mumfo
 rd is a junior dance major at Wright State and has been dancing for 15 yea
 rs. She is a part of the Dayton Ballet School Ensemble and has performed w
 ith the main company in shows such as The Nutcracker\, The Great Gatsby\, 
 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow\, Dracula: Bloodlines\, and Coppélia. Jenna is
  also a photographer and videographer and has photographed the Fall Dance 
 Concert and Emerging Choreographers Concert.\n\nJonathan Oliver is a senio
 r dance major who has performed one season with Dayton Contemporary Dance 
 Company’s Second Company under the direction of (Momma) Shonna Hickman-Mat
 lock. He is grateful for his time at Wright State\, where he has grown as 
 an artist and had the opportunity to travel to New York to take classes wi
 th Jamar Roberts\, Peter Chu\, Brandon Coleman\, and Norbert de La Cruz. T
 his summer\, he is excited to dance with Dayton Dance Initiative before he
 ading to Asheville\, North Carolina. Jonathan also makes a mean banana pan
 cake\, loves teaching\, and enjoys peanut butter by the spoonful.\n\nAlexi
 a Parker (she\, her) is a freshman dance major from Bunker Hill\, West Vir
 ginia. She began dancing at age 3\, training at Inwood Performing Arts for
  the majority of her years. She is very thankful to perform in her first S
 pring Dance Concert as a part of Wright State.\n\nRaya Taylor (she\, her) 
 is a freshman dance major from Cambridge. She began dancing at age 6\, and
  she trained at Movement on Main Center for Dance. Raya is excited to perf
 orm in her first Spring Dance Concert alongside her peers.\n\nLucy Theado 
 (she\, her) is a freshman double major in dance and communications from Co
 lumbus. She trained previously at the Moriarity Lukyanova Dance Academy. S
 he is very excited to be a part of her very first Spring Dance Concert and
  wants to thank everyone who came out to support her.\n\nAnnabelle White i
 s a freshman dance and English major at Wright State. She has been dancing
  for 15 years and danced at All About Dance and Miami Valley Dance Center 
 growing up\, and is currently a part of the Dayton Ballet School Ensemble.
  This is Annabelle's first Spring Dance Concert\, and she is excited to be
  able to perform with such wonderful people.\n\nAlexis Wilson (she\, her) 
 is a senior from Nashville. Lexi has been dancing since she was 2 and is e
 xcited to be dancing in her last Spring Dance Concert. Thanks to the amazi
 ng faculty here at Wright State\, Lexi received many choreography job oppo
 rtunities right here in Dayton. She is excited to announce that she will b
 e continuing her dreams at Disney starting in August. She hopes you enjoy 
 this beautiful show.\n\nBack to top\n	 \n\nDesigner Bios\n\nMatthew P. Benj
 amin is in his 27th year at Wright State as a professor of theatrical desi
 gn\, head of the theatre design and technology program\, and the resident 
 lighting designer with theatre and dance programs in the school of fine an
 d performing arts. Prior to joining the Wright State faculty\, Matthew ser
 ved as the coordinator of the performing arts program at Stockton College 
 of New Jersey and the Associate Resident lighting designer for the Univers
 ity of Cincinnati\, College-Conservatory of Music. Professional credits in
 clude seven seasons as the resident lighting designer for the Opera Theatr
 e and Music Festival of Lucca\, Italy\, where he also served as the compan
 y’s production manager. Other professional designs includes projects with 
 the Interlochen Center for the Arts\, Cincinnati Opera\, Aspen Music Festi
 val\, Dayton Opera\, Dayton Ballet\, Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati\, Tr
 i-Cities Opera\, Dayton Performing Arts Alliance\, Opera at Florham\, Luna
  Negra Dance Theatre\, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company\, the Human Race 
 Theatre Company\, Little Theatre of the Rockies\, ballettech Ohio\, New Ho
 rizon Theatre Company\, the Taj Mahal casino\, the National Academy of Tel
 evision Arts and Sciences\, and many others. An active theatre consultant\
 , he has worked on regional projects such as the Springboro Performing Art
 s Center\, the Theatre at Third in the downtown Dayton Public Library\, Di
 xie High School\, and the Alter High School Performing Arts Center\, among
  many others. He is a proud member of the United Scenic Artists Local #829
  (Lighting Design) and the International Alliance of Lighting Designers.\n
 \nRobbie Crissman is a freshman lighting design major originally from Haml
 in\, New York. His previous credits at Wright State include A2 for Our Tow
 n\, sound board operator for Much Ado About Nothing\, production electrici
 an for Everybody\, and a lighting designer for the most recent Emerging Ch
 oreographers Concert.\n\nJennifer E. Dillard is a sophomore theatre design
  and technology major concentrating in lighting. She is very excited to be
  designing for this year’s Spring Dance Concert! Jennifer has previously d
 esigned for Wright State’s Emerging Choreographers Concert\, the Fall Danc
 e Concert\, and The Apple Tree.\n\nLevi T. Fravel (they\, them) is a sopho
 more focusing on lighting design. They are excited to be designing in thei
 r second Spring Dance Concert. They would like to thank all their friends 
 and family for their endless support!\n\nDylan Serrano (stage manager) is 
 a third-year design/technology major focusing in stage management and ligh
 ting design. They are extremely excited to be stage managing their first d
 ance concert and designing another piece at Wright State. They have previo
 usly designed for the past two Emerging Choreographers’ Concerts\, Fall Da
 nce Concerts\, and last year’s Spring Dance Concert. They are also a resid
 ent designer for Stivers School for the Arts dance program. They assistant
  stage managed with The Dayton Ballet’s previous two runnings of The Nutcr
 acker. At Wright State\, they most recently stage-managed Carrie: The Musi
 cal. This June\, they will be the stage manager for Dayton Dance Initiativ
 e’s summer concert\, CoLAB II.\n\nZach Wuest is a senior lighting design m
 ajor at Wright State and is absolutely thrilled to be designing for the Sp
 ring Dance Concert. His previous credits include\, as the lighting designe
 r at Wright State\, Kelly the Destroyer vs. the Springfield Cobras\, A Dol
 l's House Parts 1 & 2\, Our Town\, and Alice by Heart. He was also the lig
 hting designer for Dayton Playhouse's Is There Life After High School? and
  the assistant lighting designer for DPAA's The Nutcracker. He hopes you e
 njoy the show!\n\nBack to top\n	 \n\nPartner Companies\n\nDCDC2 l Pre-Profe
 ssional Ensemble\n	Founded in 1975 by Jeraldyne Blunden\n	Chief Executive & 
 Artistic Director: Debbie Blunden-Diggs\n	Director of DCDC2 & Arts Enrichme
 nt Programs: Shonna Hickman-Matlock\n\nComprised of recent graduate and un
 dergraduate dance students\, DCDC2 is the next generation of dance artists
  under the umbrella of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. DCDC2 presen
 ts performances in traditional theatre and alternative venues. The ensembl
 e plays an integral role in DCDC school and community engagement throughou
 t the Miami Valley region. DCDC2 participates in DCDC’s established univer
 sity partnerships providing opportunities to engage in collaborative progr
 ams with the University of Dayton\, Wright State University\, and Central 
 State University campus-wide activities and dance programs. The ensemble h
 as performed throughout the Miami Valley and all regions of Ohio. In 2019\
 , the ensemble was chosen to present at the OhioDance Festival in Columbus
  and the Denison University Ohio Five Colleges of Ohio 5 Dance Festival\, 
 as well as showcased at the 31st International Blacks in Dance “Establishe
 d Dance Companies” performance hosted in Dayton. DCDC2 continues to be a r
 esource for new dancers for DCDC’s main company and maintains an impressiv
 e record of successfully transitioning dancers into other professional com
 panies\, Broadway\, film\, television\, media\, and graduate schools.\n\nD
 ayton Ballet School Ensemble (DBSE)\, divided into apprentice and junior e
 nsembles\, is a pre-professional training program available to dancers thr
 ough audition only. This division is for dancers committed to a high level
  of dance training\, strengthening\, and artistic development\, along with
  elective classes to supplement their dance education. This division inclu
 des additional performance opportunities.\n\nBack to top\n	 \n\nBox Office 
 and Current SeasonEvent Webpage: https://liberal-arts.wright.edu/fine-and-
 performing-arts/dance-productions/spring-dance-concert-99481
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250424T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250424T190000
LAST-MODIFIED:20250419T070931Z
SUMMARY:Spring Dance Concert
URL;TYPE=URI:https://www.wright.edu/events/spring-dance-concert-1
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:calendar.527816.field_event_date.0@www.wright.edu
DTSTAMP:20260307T175621Z
CREATED:20240625T070906Z
DESCRIPTION: \n\n \n\nFor Thursday\, April 24\, only\, students get in free
  with their Wright1 card.\n\n\nProgram:\n\n\n	About the Concert\n	Director's
  Note\n	Performances\n	Production Team and Run Crew\n	Choreographer Bios\n	Dan
 cer Bios\n	Designer Bios\n	Partner Companies\n		 \n\n\nAbout the Concert\n\nSe
 ven dance works by Wright State University faculty and guest artists Steph
 anie Martinez\, Michelle McElveen\, DCDC2\, and Dayton Ballet School Ensem
 ble.\n\n\n	Director's Note\n\nDear Friends\,\n\nWelcome to the powerful and
  dynamic Spring Dance Concert 2025! We invite you to sit back and enjoy th
 e vitality of live performance. Each piece is a living work of art that co
 mbines in a shared experience for performers and audiences alike. We are t
 hrilled to present works by Wright State dance faculty members and esteeme
 d guest choreographers Michelle McElveen and Stephanie Martinez. You will 
 also be seeing works by our wonderful partner companies\, The Dayton Balle
 t School Ensemble and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II\, as well as ou
 r chosen senior piece choreographed by Ariana Alvarado.\n\nOur first guest
  choreographer is the nationally acclaimed Stephanie Martinez. Martinez’s 
 bold\, contemporary voice pushes the boundaries of ballet\, crafting over 
 70 works for professional and collegiate programs nationwide. Recognized f
 or her contributions as a female artist of color\, she has received numero
 us grants and acclaim\, with the Chicago Tribune hailing her as a “chamele
 on” of choreography. Martinez is the founder and artistic director of PARA
 .MAR Dance Theatre\, established in July 2020. Her piece\, World of Anothe
 r\, unveils the hidden narratives and inner thoughts of those around us\, 
 exploring the concept of “othering”—the act of treating someone as an outs
 ider. Through personal stories and raw dialogue\, this work examines the i
 nvisible divides we create between “us” and “them\,” revealing the impact 
 of these divisions on our collective humanity. By exposing the unseen stor
 ies that shape our interactions\, World of Another urges us to recognize t
 he shared humanity in those we might otherwise dismiss.\n\nOur second gues
 t is regional choreographer\, Michelle McElveen\, who earned her Bachelor 
 of Fine Arts degree in dance from Wright State University after graduating
  from Interlochen Arts Academy. She has performed professionally with Walt
  Disney Productions\, the Dayton Opera\, the Sorg and Whitewater Opera Com
 panies\, and La Comedia Dinner Theatre. She has taught at Wright State sin
 ce 1994 and is currently a senior lecturer. She has taught master classes 
 in Cincinnati\, Dayton\, and Michigan and is a huge favorite among her col
 leagues and students.\n\nThe common thread within this year’s concert is e
 xpression through movement. Each piece showcases the individuality and aes
 thetic voice of the seven choreographers. Our dancers embody the choreogra
 pher’s message through movement and infuse it with their own meaning to cr
 eate a genuine work of art. This concert explores many facets of the human
  experience\, and we welcome you as the audience to interpret each piece a
 nd hope you are moved by the stories you see.\n\nThe Spring Dance Concert 
 offers a unique opportunity to enjoy three wonderful dance companies—Wrigh
 t State Dance\, The Dayton Ballet School Ensemble\, and Dayton Contemporar
 y Dance Company II. Our region is lucky to have such a vibrant and diverse
  dance community\, and we thank you for coming to support us.\n\nGina Gard
 ner-Walther\n\nBack to top\n\n\n	Performances\n\nDivenire\n\nChoreographer:
  Michelle McElveen\n	Music: Ludovico Einaudi\n	Costume Design: Zoe Still\n	Li
 ghting Design: Dylan Serrano\n	Dancers: Maria Becker (Thu/Sat)\, Emma Cole\
 , Gretchen Greener (Fri/Sun)\, Gracie Harper\, Anderson Hayes\, Audrey Lee
 \, Hannah McGuffey (Thu/Sat)\, Jenna Mumford (Thu/Fri)\, Lexi Parker (Fri/
 Sun)\, Rae Richard\, Lucy Theado (Thu/Sat)\, Annabelle White (Fri/Sun)\n	Un
 derstudy: Kaitlyn Berry\n	 \n\nThese Lights Won't Kill Me Now\n\nChoreograp
 her: Ariana Alvarado\n	Music: She Wants Revenge\, My Chemical Romance\, Pri
 nce and the New Power Generation\n	Lighting Design: Levi T. Fravel\n	Dancers
 : Zoe Bees\, Ally Jo Buck\, Kailey Colyer\, Alia Dalton\, Lylla Kovacs\, E
 mma McCoy\, Raya Taylor\n	Note: 'I have loved the stars too fondly to be fe
 arful of the night'—Sarah Williams\n	allpoetry.com/Sarah-Williams\n	 \n\nA S
 ilent Plea\n\nChoreographer: Shonna Hickman-Matlock\n	Music: Armand Amar\n	L
 ighting Design: Jennifer E. Dillard\n	Dancers: Brittni Van Dine\, Sawyer He
 rtel\, Macy Perry\, Keilani Reynolds\, Ansley Seiffert\n	Note: Forbidden to
  speak and unable to express what’s truly felt\, A Silent Plea reflects th
 e struggle of unspoken pain and hidden suffering. It captures the tension 
 between the desperate desire to cry out and the inability to do so.\n	 \n\n
 World of Another\n\nChoreographer: Stephanie Martinez\n	Assistant to the Ch
 oreographer: Jayme Braverman\n	Rehearsal Coach: Gina Gardner-Walther\n	Music
 : Antonio Lucio Vivaldi\, Real Quiet\, Steve Mazzaro\n	Costumes: Original d
 esign: Janet Bolick\n	Reimagined by: Zoe Still\n	Lighting Design: Matthew Be
 njamin\n	Dancers: Ariana Alvarado\, Zoe Bees\, Ally Jo Buck\, Brianna Chan\
 , Jonathan Oliver\, Gracie Harper\, Lexi Wilson\, Kailey Colyer\, Alia Dal
 ton\, Jessie Etling\, Carly Hanson\, Audrey Lee\, Emma McCaslin\, Hannah M
 cGuffey\n	Understudies: Maria Becker\, Emma Cole\, Lexi Parker\, Raeanne Ri
 chard\n	 \n\nIntermission\n	 \n\nOpen Out\n\nChoreographer: Gina Gardner-Wal
 ther\n	Music: Ezio Bosso\n	Costume Design: Naomi Indira Reisner\n	Rehearsal A
 ssistant: Gracie Harper\n	Lighting Designer: Emily Hope and Zach Wuest\n	Dan
 cers: Ariana Alvarado (Thursday/Saturday)\, Kaitlyn Berry (Thursday/Saturd
 ay)\, Ally Jo Buck (Friday/Sunday)\, Brianna Chan (Friday/Sunday)\, Kailey
  Colyer\, Alia Dalton\, Jessie Etling\, Carly Hanson (Friday/Sunday)\, Aud
 rey Lee\, Cheyenne Maher (Friday/Sunday)\, Emma McCaslin\, Hannah McGuffey
 \, Sam Minneman\, Jonathan Oliver\, Lexi Wison (Thursday/Saturday)\n	Unders
 tudies: Maria Becker\, Emma McCoy\n\nBlue Skies\n\nChoreographers: Megan F
 orney & Gabrielle Sharp\n	Music: Glen Miller\n	Lighting Design: Robbie Criss
 man\n	Dancers: Jessie Etling\, Mollie Juniewicz\, Jenna Mumford\, Jonathan 
 Oliver\, Raeanne Richards\, Annabelle White\n	 \n\nVive\n\nChoreographer: A
 shley Pabst\n	Composers: James Blake\, SO:HO & Kuranes\n	Costume Design: Zoe
  Still\n	Lighting Design: Zach Wuest\n	Dancers: Ariana Alvarado\, Zoe Bees\,
  Maria Becker\, Alanna Carey\, Laurel Cameron\, Emma Cole\, Kailey Colyer\
 , Alia Dalton\, Gracie Harper\, Emma McCaslin\, Jessie Etling\, Carly Hans
 on\, Anderson Hayes\, Sawyer Hertel\, Lylla Kovacs\, Emma McCoy\, Jonathan
  Oliver\, Lexi Parker\, Raya Taylor\, Lucy Theado\, Abby Zaleski\n\nBack t
 o top\n	 \n\nProduction Team and Run Crew\n\nStage Manager: Dylan Serrano\n
 \nTechnical Productions Manager: Kevin Nedberg\n\nSound Engineer/Audio Coo
 rdinator: James Dunlap\n\nCostume Shop Manager: Carly Anne-Kimmins\n\nLigh
 t Board Operator: Maggie Slauenwhite\n\nHead Stage/Fly Crew: Eli Baader\n
 \nStage/Fly Crew: Logan Gregory\, Kayla Theiss\n\nSound Board Operator: En
 och Graham\n\nWardrobe Crew: Kaitlin Teller\n\nRehearsal Assistant: Gracie
  Harper\n\nBack to top\n\n\n	Choreographer Bios\n\nAriana Alvarado (they\, 
 them) is a senior dance major at Wright State\, graduating with their B.F.
 A. in dance. They are grateful for the opportunities Wright State has prov
 ided them\, such as dancing with DCDC2\, auditioning for and performing at
  Kings Island\, and performing in Wright State's 2023 production of Cabare
 t. They feel privileged to receive their training from Wright State and ar
 e honored to showcase their senior choreographic work once more and perfor
 m alongside their fellow dancers.\n\nMegan Forney is originally from St Lo
 uis\, where she began her dance training. She trained as a student at Kana
 s City Ballet\, Ballet Chicago\, and Ballet Internationale. Forney graduat
 ed from Wright State with a B.F.A. in dance in 2008. She has performed in 
 many Dayton Ballet mainstage shows\, including Nutcracker\, Swan Lake\, Am
 erican Cinderella\, Sleepy Hollow\, and Three Musketeers. She has been the
  recipient of the Josephine and Hereme Schwarz Award\, the Walter J McCasl
 in Award\, and the Dayton Ballet School Peer Award. Megan has been a dance
  educator and choreographer for 15 years. She is currently the education m
 anager of the Dayton Ballet School and the co-director of the Dayton Balle
 t II companies.\n\nStephanie Martinez\, a Chicago-based choreographer\, ta
 kes audiences on dynamic journeys driven by the kinetic energy of her awar
 d-winning works spanning 15+ years. Her creations have been commissioned b
 y top companies including Joffrey Ballet\, Miami City Ballet\, Ballet Hisp
 ánico\, BalletX\, Bruce Wood Dance\, Kansas City Ballet\, South Chicago Da
 nce Theatre\, and Milwaukee Ballet\, with theater credits at Chicago Shake
 speare Theater\, the Lyric Opera of Chicago\, and American Repertory Theat
 re. Martinez’s bold\, contemporary voice pushes the boundaries of ballet\,
  crafting over 70 works for professional and collegiate programs nationwid
 e. Recognized for her contributions as a female artist of color\, she has 
 received numerous grants and acclaim\, with the Chicago Tribune hailing he
 r as a “chameleon” of choreography. Martinez is the founder and artistic d
 irector of PARA.MAR Dance Theatre\, established in July 2020.\n\nShonna Hi
 ckman-Matlock director of DCDC2 and Arts Enrichment Programs\, was a princ
 ipal dancer\, touring nationally and internationally in South Korea\, Russ
 ia\, France\, Germany\, and Bermuda. She performed across the U.S.\, inclu
 ding at the American Dance Festival\, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival\, Linc
 oln Center\, and The Kennedy Center before retiring in 1995. She performed
  in many DCDC repertories\, including Ulysses Dove’s Vespers and Urban Fol
 kdance\, Donald Byrd’s Dark Joy and Bamm\, and Eleo Pomare’s Las Desenamor
 adas. She has created works for DCDC and other institutions. Serving as DC
 DC2 director since 2000 and DCDC resident choreographer\, she became direc
 tor of education and outreach in 2014\, designing arts enrichment programs
  for schools and communities. Under her leadership\, many dancers have tra
 nsitioned into DCDC’s main company and other professional companies\, nati
 onal tours\, and Broadway productions.\n\nMichelle McElveen has had a teac
 hing/performing/choreographing career for more than 35 years. She worked e
 xtensively as a resident choreographer for the Sorg and Whitewater Opera C
 ompanies\, choreographing many operas\, including La Traviata\, Carmen\, T
 he Merry Widow\, and My Fair Lady. She has choreographed for Wright State\
 , South Dayton Dance Theatre\, Miami University\, and Gem City Ballet. She
  earned a B.F.A. in dance from Wright State after graduating from the Inte
 rlochen Arts Academy. She performed professionally with Walt Disney Produc
 tions\, the Dayton Opera\, La Comedia\, Sorg\, and Whitewater Opera compan
 ies. She is a senior lecturer at Wright State as well as a faculty member 
 of the South Dayton School of Dance\, and guest artist in residency at the
  Stiver’s School for the Performing Arts. “Miss Shelly” is a sought-after 
 instructor for summer intensives\, dance conventions\, and festivals throu
 ghout the region.\n\nAshley Pabst is an enthusiastic Instructor and award-
 winning choreographer. Her professional teaching credits include the Inter
 national Ballet Competition (Jackson\, Mississippi)\, Point Park Universit
 y\, Sam Houston State University\, National Choreography Intensive\, Regio
 nal Dance America Festivals\, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company\, and Eise
 nhower Dance Detroit. Before retiring from the stage\, Ashley performed wi
 th companies such as Atlanta Ballet and Dayton Ballet\; concluding on The 
 Kennedy Center stage where she was awarded the Northeast Performer of the 
 Year. She is a nine-time National Choreographic Recognition Award recipien
 t as well as the Monticello Award\, Barbara Weisberger Emerging Choreograp
 her\, Project Tier\, Jonathan Phelps Award\; works selected for the Intern
 ational Association of Blacks in Dance\, The Ballet Alliance\, Youth Ameri
 can Grand Prix Finals and Jazz Dance World Congress. Ashley would like to 
 thank her husband and parents for their endless love and support.\n\nGabri
 elle Sharp is co-director of the Dayton Ballet School Ensemble. Gabrielle 
 danced with Dayton Ballet. You saw her perform in Dracula\, The Nutcracker
 \, Tales from the Shadow\, There Was a Time\, and America’s Robin Hood\, a
 nd recently as the fairy godmother in Cinderella and the nurse in Romeo an
 d Juliet. While a member of DBII Sr. she received the Dancer Peer Award\, 
 Walter J. McCaslin Memorial Award\, and Josephine and Hermene Schwarz Awar
 d. Gabrielle was the previous director of the SSK Dance Ensemble.\n\nGina 
 Gardner-Walther is a dedicated teacher/mentor and award-winning choreograp
 her who has choreographed nationally\, regionally\, and on university stag
 es. Her professional teaching experience includes Indiana University\, Poi
 nt Park University (PA)\, New Arts Festival (FL)\, RDA Craft of Choreograp
 hy Conference\, and RDA Pacific Festival (WA). While performing with The D
 ayton Contemporary Dance Company\, she toured Germany\, Russia\, France\, 
 and throughout the United States. She had the honor of performing at Linco
 ln Center\, The Kennedy Center\, and The Joyce Theatre. She performed work
 s by many of modern dances’ most influential choreographers\, including Dw
 ight Rhoden\, Ulysses Dove\, Donald McKayle\, Merce Cunningham\, Talley Be
 atty\, Anna Sokolow\, Donald Byrd\, and many more. In her final season wit
 h DCDC\, she won the Josie Award as best female dancer. Gina’s choreograph
 y has won several choreographic awards including the prestigious National 
 Choreographic Award. The New York Times called her work Still Present set 
 on DCDC “a stirring dance” that “served as a sparkling introduction to the
  troupe.” Gina earned her B.F.A. in dance performance from Southern Method
 ist University.\n\nBack to top\n	 \n\nDancer Bios\n\nMaria Becker (she\, he
 r) is a freshman dance major from Cincinnati. She danced at SDA Studios fo
 r 16 years\, where she found her love for dance. She is grateful for the o
 pportunity to continue her dance training at Wright State and looks forwar
 d to performing in her first Spring Dance Concert.\n\nZoe Bees (she\, her)
  is a senior dance major\, from Waynesville. She has grown up giving her p
 assion and love for dance every day while continuing to improve her artist
 ry. Zoe is grateful for the opportunities and experiences she has had whil
 e being at Wright State. She is so excited to start her journey in the rea
 l world and would like to thank her loving teachers\, friends\, and family
 .\n\nKaitlyn Berry (she\, her) is a freshman dance major from Dayton. She 
 began her training at South Dayton School of Dance\, where her teachers in
 stilled in her a love for ballet and modern dance. She is so thankful for 
 the opportunity to perform in her first Spring Dance Concert.\n\nAlly Jo B
 uck (she\, her) Is a sophomore dance major from Loveland. She studied danc
 e of all genres at Broadway Bound Dance Academy\, where she now teaches. S
 he has a love of performing and is thankful for the opportunity to perform
  in her second Spring Dance Concert alongside such talented and passionate
  dancers.\n\nLaurel Cameron is a freshman B.F.A. dance major originally fr
 om Stroudsburg\, Pennsylvania. In addition to dance\, she is immensely pas
 sionate about musical theatre and loves blending her talents in both art f
 orms to express herself creatively. She would like to thank all of her tea
 chers\, friends\, and family for their unconditional support and guidance 
 throughout her artistic journey.\n\nAlanna Carey (she\, her) is a freshman
  double major in dance and communication studies from Dayton. She has been
  dancing for 16 years\, including training at Pontecorvo Ballet Studios an
 d South Dayton Dance Theater. She is very grateful and excited to perform 
 in her first Spring Dance Concert!\n\nBrianna Chan (she\, her) is a senior
  dance major pursuing a second degree in biomedical engineering. Originall
 y from Columbus\, Brianna has been part of the dance program for 5 years. 
 She is deeply grateful for the opportunities she has received\, as well as
  the support from her professors\, friends\, and family. It has been a pri
 vilege for her to dance alongside such talented artists and dancers.\n\nEm
 ma Cole (she\, her) is a sophomore dance major from Toledo. Before joining
  Wright State\, she trained at her local studio\, Toledo Met. Emma is exci
 ted to be performing in the Spring Dance Concert and is grateful for the o
 pportunity to learn from such wonderful teachers and choreographers.\n\nKa
 iley Colyer (she\, her) is a junior dance major from Cincinnati. She began
  dancing at the age of 2\, where she trained at Just Off-Broadway dance st
 udio. She continued her dance education at the School for Creative and Per
 forming Arts from grades 4–12. Kailey is very excited to perform in her th
 ird Spring Dance Concert and feels very fortunate to have worked with such
  talented teachers and choreographers.\n\nAlia Dalton (she\, her) is a jun
 ior dance major from Cincinnati. She has been dancing for 16 years\, where
  she trained at her local dance studio Just Off Broadway\, and graduated f
 rom the School for Creative and Performing Arts. Alia is excited to perfor
 m alongside her peers and is grateful to have worked with such amazing/ins
 piring choreographers during this year's Spring Dance Concert She would li
 ke to thank her family for their continuous support in her journey through
  dance.\n\nJessie Etling (she\, her) is from Salisbury\, Maryland\, and a 
 junior dance major. She has been dancing for 16 years and feels incredibly
  grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Wright State dance progr
 am. Jessie is also a part of Dayton Ballet School Ensemble and performed r
 oles in Dracula\, Coppelia\, The Nutcracker\, and Swan Lake alongside the 
 first company.\n\nGretchen Greener is a freshman dance major from Carmel\,
  Indiana. She spent her formative years under the direction of Suzann DeLa
 y at Central Indiana Academy of Dance and John and Heather Timm at Richens
 /Timm Academy of Irish Dance. Gretchen is so excited and thankful to perfo
 rm in her first Spring Dance Concert.\n\nCarly Hanson (she\, her) began da
 ncing age 3 and received her training from Dancekids Studio under the dire
 ction of Denise Devery. She is currently a junior dance major at Wright St
 ate pursuing a B.F.A. in dance and an arts management certificate. In addi
 tion to school\, she was a member of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company's S
 econd Company (DCDC2) for its 2023-2024 season. Carly is so thankful for t
 he opportunity to perform alongside her very talented peers in this year’s
  Spring Dance Concert!\n\nGracie Harper (she\, her) is a senior dance majo
 r at Wright State and is originally from Cincinnati. During her time at th
 e university\, she was a second company dancer with Dayton Contemporary Da
 nce Company\, performed in the university’s production of Cabaret\, and ha
 s been featured in the annual dance concerts put on by the program. Gracie
  would like to thank her fellow dancers\, faculty\, and the technical crew
  for their incredible work on this performance!\n\nAnderson Hayes (she\, h
 er) is a freshman dance major from Lawrenceville\, Georgia. She started da
 nce at age 3 with Southern Performing Arts Academy and performed with thei
 r company\, Southern Ballet Theatre. She also trained at School of the Art
 s at Central Gwinnett from grades 10–12. Anderson is grateful for her fami
 ly and friends\, and very excited for her first Spring Dance Concert.\n\nL
 ylla Kovacs is a sophomore dance major at Wright State\, and this is her s
 econd time participating in the Spring Dance Concert. She is grateful to b
 e in a couple of the pieces and would like to thank everyone who contribut
 ed to the creative process. She hopes everyone enjoys the show!\n\nAudrey 
 Lee is a junior dance major from Springfield. She began dancing at a very 
 early age and received her training from the Gary Geis School of Dance. Au
 drey is thrilled to be further continuing her education at Wright State\, 
 where she is incredibly fortunate to be a part of this exceptional program
 .\n\nCheyenne Maher is a freshman dance major from Piqua. Before attending
  Wright State\, she previously trained at the Sidney Dance Company. She is
  so grateful for the opportunity to perform in her first Spring Dance Conc
 ert.\n\nEmma McCaslin (she\, her) is a junior dance major at Wright State.
  She is from Avon\, Indiana\, where she grew up dancing at Curtain Call Da
 nce Center. At Wright State\, she has had the opportunity to swing the uni
 versity’s production of Cabaret. She has also been incredibly grateful to 
 work with various choreographers for the dance concerts put on by the prog
 ram. Emma thanks her family\, fellow dancers\, faculty\, and tech crew for
  this experience!\n\nHannah McGuffey (she\, her) is a junior dance major a
 t Wright State from Dayton. Hannah received her dance training through Gem
  City Ballet\, Dayton Ballet\, and Stivers School for the Arts. Hannah is 
 excited to share her love of dance with you\, and looks forward to growing
  as a dancer in the upcoming years at Wright State. \n\nSam Minneman is a 
 third-year double major in dance and psychology from Dayton. She is a memb
 er of Psi Chi\, the International Honor Society of Psychology\, and she re
 cently debuted her first full-length choreographic work at Wright State’s 
 Emerging Choreographers Concert. This summer she is attending RDAs Nationa
 l Choreographic Intensive as a project tier choreographer to set a new wor
 k over the 2-week intensive. Performing and creating dance and art is a li
 fe-long passion Sam continues to cultivate at Wright State.\n\nJenna Mumfo
 rd is a junior dance major at Wright State and has been dancing for 15 yea
 rs. She is a part of the Dayton Ballet School Ensemble and has performed w
 ith the main company in shows such as The Nutcracker\, The Great Gatsby\, 
 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow\, Dracula: Bloodlines\, and Coppélia. Jenna is
  also a photographer and videographer and has photographed the Fall Dance 
 Concert and Emerging Choreographers Concert.\n\nJonathan Oliver is a senio
 r dance major who has performed one season with Dayton Contemporary Dance 
 Company’s Second Company under the direction of (Momma) Shonna Hickman-Mat
 lock. He is grateful for his time at Wright State\, where he has grown as 
 an artist and had the opportunity to travel to New York to take classes wi
 th Jamar Roberts\, Peter Chu\, Brandon Coleman\, and Norbert de La Cruz. T
 his summer\, he is excited to dance with Dayton Dance Initiative before he
 ading to Asheville\, North Carolina. Jonathan also makes a mean banana pan
 cake\, loves teaching\, and enjoys peanut butter by the spoonful.\n\nAlexi
 a Parker (she\, her) is a freshman dance major from Bunker Hill\, West Vir
 ginia. She began dancing at age 3\, training at Inwood Performing Arts for
  the majority of her years. She is very thankful to perform in her first S
 pring Dance Concert as a part of Wright State.\n\nRaya Taylor (she\, her) 
 is a freshman dance major from Cambridge. She began dancing at age 6\, and
  she trained at Movement on Main Center for Dance. Raya is excited to perf
 orm in her first Spring Dance Concert alongside her peers.\n\nLucy Theado 
 (she\, her) is a freshman double major in dance and communications from Co
 lumbus. She trained previously at the Moriarity Lukyanova Dance Academy. S
 he is very excited to be a part of her very first Spring Dance Concert and
  wants to thank everyone who came out to support her.\n\nAnnabelle White i
 s a freshman dance and English major at Wright State. She has been dancing
  for 15 years and danced at All About Dance and Miami Valley Dance Center 
 growing up\, and is currently a part of the Dayton Ballet School Ensemble.
  This is Annabelle's first Spring Dance Concert\, and she is excited to be
  able to perform with such wonderful people.\n\nAlexis Wilson (she\, her) 
 is a senior from Nashville. Lexi has been dancing since she was 2 and is e
 xcited to be dancing in her last Spring Dance Concert. Thanks to the amazi
 ng faculty here at Wright State\, Lexi received many choreography job oppo
 rtunities right here in Dayton. She is excited to announce that she will b
 e continuing her dreams at Disney starting in August. She hopes you enjoy 
 this beautiful show.\n\nBack to top\n	 \n\nDesigner Bios\n\nMatthew P. Benj
 amin is in his 27th year at Wright State as a professor of theatrical desi
 gn\, head of the theatre design and technology program\, and the resident 
 lighting designer with theatre and dance programs in the school of fine an
 d performing arts. Prior to joining the Wright State faculty\, Matthew ser
 ved as the coordinator of the performing arts program at Stockton College 
 of New Jersey and the Associate Resident lighting designer for the Univers
 ity of Cincinnati\, College-Conservatory of Music. Professional credits in
 clude seven seasons as the resident lighting designer for the Opera Theatr
 e and Music Festival of Lucca\, Italy\, where he also served as the compan
 y’s production manager. Other professional designs includes projects with 
 the Interlochen Center for the Arts\, Cincinnati Opera\, Aspen Music Festi
 val\, Dayton Opera\, Dayton Ballet\, Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati\, Tr
 i-Cities Opera\, Dayton Performing Arts Alliance\, Opera at Florham\, Luna
  Negra Dance Theatre\, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company\, the Human Race 
 Theatre Company\, Little Theatre of the Rockies\, ballettech Ohio\, New Ho
 rizon Theatre Company\, the Taj Mahal casino\, the National Academy of Tel
 evision Arts and Sciences\, and many others. An active theatre consultant\
 , he has worked on regional projects such as the Springboro Performing Art
 s Center\, the Theatre at Third in the downtown Dayton Public Library\, Di
 xie High School\, and the Alter High School Performing Arts Center\, among
  many others. He is a proud member of the United Scenic Artists Local #829
  (Lighting Design) and the International Alliance of Lighting Designers.\n
 \nRobbie Crissman is a freshman lighting design major originally from Haml
 in\, New York. His previous credits at Wright State include A2 for Our Tow
 n\, sound board operator for Much Ado About Nothing\, production electrici
 an for Everybody\, and a lighting designer for the most recent Emerging Ch
 oreographers Concert.\n\nJennifer E. Dillard is a sophomore theatre design
  and technology major concentrating in lighting. She is very excited to be
  designing for this year’s Spring Dance Concert! Jennifer has previously d
 esigned for Wright State’s Emerging Choreographers Concert\, the Fall Danc
 e Concert\, and The Apple Tree.\n\nLevi T. Fravel (they\, them) is a sopho
 more focusing on lighting design. They are excited to be designing in thei
 r second Spring Dance Concert. They would like to thank all their friends 
 and family for their endless support!\n\nDylan Serrano (stage manager) is 
 a third-year design/technology major focusing in stage management and ligh
 ting design. They are extremely excited to be stage managing their first d
 ance concert and designing another piece at Wright State. They have previo
 usly designed for the past two Emerging Choreographers’ Concerts\, Fall Da
 nce Concerts\, and last year’s Spring Dance Concert. They are also a resid
 ent designer for Stivers School for the Arts dance program. They assistant
  stage managed with The Dayton Ballet’s previous two runnings of The Nutcr
 acker. At Wright State\, they most recently stage-managed Carrie: The Musi
 cal. This June\, they will be the stage manager for Dayton Dance Initiativ
 e’s summer concert\, CoLAB II.\n\nZach Wuest is a senior lighting design m
 ajor at Wright State and is absolutely thrilled to be designing for the Sp
 ring Dance Concert. His previous credits include\, as the lighting designe
 r at Wright State\, Kelly the Destroyer vs. the Springfield Cobras\, A Dol
 l's House Parts 1 & 2\, Our Town\, and Alice by Heart. He was also the lig
 hting designer for Dayton Playhouse's Is There Life After High School? and
  the assistant lighting designer for DPAA's The Nutcracker. He hopes you e
 njoy the show!\n\nBack to top\n	 \n\nPartner Companies\n\nDCDC2 l Pre-Profe
 ssional Ensemble\n	Founded in 1975 by Jeraldyne Blunden\n	Chief Executive & 
 Artistic Director: Debbie Blunden-Diggs\n	Director of DCDC2 & Arts Enrichme
 nt Programs: Shonna Hickman-Matlock\n\nComprised of recent graduate and un
 dergraduate dance students\, DCDC2 is the next generation of dance artists
  under the umbrella of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. DCDC2 presen
 ts performances in traditional theatre and alternative venues. The ensembl
 e plays an integral role in DCDC school and community engagement throughou
 t the Miami Valley region. DCDC2 participates in DCDC’s established univer
 sity partnerships providing opportunities to engage in collaborative progr
 ams with the University of Dayton\, Wright State University\, and Central 
 State University campus-wide activities and dance programs. The ensemble h
 as performed throughout the Miami Valley and all regions of Ohio. In 2019\
 , the ensemble was chosen to present at the OhioDance Festival in Columbus
  and the Denison University Ohio Five Colleges of Ohio 5 Dance Festival\, 
 as well as showcased at the 31st International Blacks in Dance “Establishe
 d Dance Companies” performance hosted in Dayton. DCDC2 continues to be a r
 esource for new dancers for DCDC’s main company and maintains an impressiv
 e record of successfully transitioning dancers into other professional com
 panies\, Broadway\, film\, television\, media\, and graduate schools.\n\nD
 ayton Ballet School Ensemble (DBSE)\, divided into apprentice and junior e
 nsembles\, is a pre-professional training program available to dancers thr
 ough audition only. This division is for dancers committed to a high level
  of dance training\, strengthening\, and artistic development\, along with
  elective classes to supplement their dance education. This division inclu
 des additional performance opportunities.\n\nBack to top\n	 \n\nBox Office 
 and Current SeasonEvent Webpage: https://liberal-arts.wright.edu/fine-and-
 performing-arts/dance-productions/spring-dance-concert-99481
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250424T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250424T190000
LAST-MODIFIED:20250419T070931Z
SUMMARY:Spring Dance Concert
URL;TYPE=URI:https://www.wright.edu/events/spring-dance-concert-1
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:calendar.527816.field_event_date.0@www.wright.edu
DTSTAMP:20260307T175621Z
CREATED:20240625T070906Z
DESCRIPTION: \n\n \n\nFor Thursday\, April 24\, only\, students get in free
  with their Wright1 card.\n\n\nProgram:\n\n\n	About the Concert\n	Director's
  Note\n	Performances\n	Production Team and Run Crew\n	Choreographer Bios\n	Dan
 cer Bios\n	Designer Bios\n	Partner Companies\n		 \n\n\nAbout the Concert\n\nSe
 ven dance works by Wright State University faculty and guest artists Steph
 anie Martinez\, Michelle McElveen\, DCDC2\, and Dayton Ballet School Ensem
 ble.\n\n\n	Director's Note\n\nDear Friends\,\n\nWelcome to the powerful and
  dynamic Spring Dance Concert 2025! We invite you to sit back and enjoy th
 e vitality of live performance. Each piece is a living work of art that co
 mbines in a shared experience for performers and audiences alike. We are t
 hrilled to present works by Wright State dance faculty members and esteeme
 d guest choreographers Michelle McElveen and Stephanie Martinez. You will 
 also be seeing works by our wonderful partner companies\, The Dayton Balle
 t School Ensemble and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II\, as well as ou
 r chosen senior piece choreographed by Ariana Alvarado.\n\nOur first guest
  choreographer is the nationally acclaimed Stephanie Martinez. Martinez’s 
 bold\, contemporary voice pushes the boundaries of ballet\, crafting over 
 70 works for professional and collegiate programs nationwide. Recognized f
 or her contributions as a female artist of color\, she has received numero
 us grants and acclaim\, with the Chicago Tribune hailing her as a “chamele
 on” of choreography. Martinez is the founder and artistic director of PARA
 .MAR Dance Theatre\, established in July 2020. Her piece\, World of Anothe
 r\, unveils the hidden narratives and inner thoughts of those around us\, 
 exploring the concept of “othering”—the act of treating someone as an outs
 ider. Through personal stories and raw dialogue\, this work examines the i
 nvisible divides we create between “us” and “them\,” revealing the impact 
 of these divisions on our collective humanity. By exposing the unseen stor
 ies that shape our interactions\, World of Another urges us to recognize t
 he shared humanity in those we might otherwise dismiss.\n\nOur second gues
 t is regional choreographer\, Michelle McElveen\, who earned her Bachelor 
 of Fine Arts degree in dance from Wright State University after graduating
  from Interlochen Arts Academy. She has performed professionally with Walt
  Disney Productions\, the Dayton Opera\, the Sorg and Whitewater Opera Com
 panies\, and La Comedia Dinner Theatre. She has taught at Wright State sin
 ce 1994 and is currently a senior lecturer. She has taught master classes 
 in Cincinnati\, Dayton\, and Michigan and is a huge favorite among her col
 leagues and students.\n\nThe common thread within this year’s concert is e
 xpression through movement. Each piece showcases the individuality and aes
 thetic voice of the seven choreographers. Our dancers embody the choreogra
 pher’s message through movement and infuse it with their own meaning to cr
 eate a genuine work of art. This concert explores many facets of the human
  experience\, and we welcome you as the audience to interpret each piece a
 nd hope you are moved by the stories you see.\n\nThe Spring Dance Concert 
 offers a unique opportunity to enjoy three wonderful dance companies—Wrigh
 t State Dance\, The Dayton Ballet School Ensemble\, and Dayton Contemporar
 y Dance Company II. Our region is lucky to have such a vibrant and diverse
  dance community\, and we thank you for coming to support us.\n\nGina Gard
 ner-Walther\n\nBack to top\n\n\n	Performances\n\nDivenire\n\nChoreographer:
  Michelle McElveen\n	Music: Ludovico Einaudi\n	Costume Design: Zoe Still\n	Li
 ghting Design: Dylan Serrano\n	Dancers: Maria Becker (Thu/Sat)\, Emma Cole\
 , Gretchen Greener (Fri/Sun)\, Gracie Harper\, Anderson Hayes\, Audrey Lee
 \, Hannah McGuffey (Thu/Sat)\, Jenna Mumford (Thu/Fri)\, Lexi Parker (Fri/
 Sun)\, Rae Richard\, Lucy Theado (Thu/Sat)\, Annabelle White (Fri/Sun)\n	Un
 derstudy: Kaitlyn Berry\n	 \n\nThese Lights Won't Kill Me Now\n\nChoreograp
 her: Ariana Alvarado\n	Music: She Wants Revenge\, My Chemical Romance\, Pri
 nce and the New Power Generation\n	Lighting Design: Levi T. Fravel\n	Dancers
 : Zoe Bees\, Ally Jo Buck\, Kailey Colyer\, Alia Dalton\, Lylla Kovacs\, E
 mma McCoy\, Raya Taylor\n	Note: 'I have loved the stars too fondly to be fe
 arful of the night'—Sarah Williams\n	allpoetry.com/Sarah-Williams\n	 \n\nA S
 ilent Plea\n\nChoreographer: Shonna Hickman-Matlock\n	Music: Armand Amar\n	L
 ighting Design: Jennifer E. Dillard\n	Dancers: Brittni Van Dine\, Sawyer He
 rtel\, Macy Perry\, Keilani Reynolds\, Ansley Seiffert\n	Note: Forbidden to
  speak and unable to express what’s truly felt\, A Silent Plea reflects th
 e struggle of unspoken pain and hidden suffering. It captures the tension 
 between the desperate desire to cry out and the inability to do so.\n	 \n\n
 World of Another\n\nChoreographer: Stephanie Martinez\n	Assistant to the Ch
 oreographer: Jayme Braverman\n	Rehearsal Coach: Gina Gardner-Walther\n	Music
 : Antonio Lucio Vivaldi\, Real Quiet\, Steve Mazzaro\n	Costumes: Original d
 esign: Janet Bolick\n	Reimagined by: Zoe Still\n	Lighting Design: Matthew Be
 njamin\n	Dancers: Ariana Alvarado\, Zoe Bees\, Ally Jo Buck\, Brianna Chan\
 , Jonathan Oliver\, Gracie Harper\, Lexi Wilson\, Kailey Colyer\, Alia Dal
 ton\, Jessie Etling\, Carly Hanson\, Audrey Lee\, Emma McCaslin\, Hannah M
 cGuffey\n	Understudies: Maria Becker\, Emma Cole\, Lexi Parker\, Raeanne Ri
 chard\n	 \n\nIntermission\n	 \n\nOpen Out\n\nChoreographer: Gina Gardner-Wal
 ther\n	Music: Ezio Bosso\n	Costume Design: Naomi Indira Reisner\n	Rehearsal A
 ssistant: Gracie Harper\n	Lighting Designer: Emily Hope and Zach Wuest\n	Dan
 cers: Ariana Alvarado (Thursday/Saturday)\, Kaitlyn Berry (Thursday/Saturd
 ay)\, Ally Jo Buck (Friday/Sunday)\, Brianna Chan (Friday/Sunday)\, Kailey
  Colyer\, Alia Dalton\, Jessie Etling\, Carly Hanson (Friday/Sunday)\, Aud
 rey Lee\, Cheyenne Maher (Friday/Sunday)\, Emma McCaslin\, Hannah McGuffey
 \, Sam Minneman\, Jonathan Oliver\, Lexi Wison (Thursday/Saturday)\n	Unders
 tudies: Maria Becker\, Emma McCoy\n\nBlue Skies\n\nChoreographers: Megan F
 orney & Gabrielle Sharp\n	Music: Glen Miller\n	Lighting Design: Robbie Criss
 man\n	Dancers: Jessie Etling\, Mollie Juniewicz\, Jenna Mumford\, Jonathan 
 Oliver\, Raeanne Richards\, Annabelle White\n	 \n\nVive\n\nChoreographer: A
 shley Pabst\n	Composers: James Blake\, SO:HO & Kuranes\n	Costume Design: Zoe
  Still\n	Lighting Design: Zach Wuest\n	Dancers: Ariana Alvarado\, Zoe Bees\,
  Maria Becker\, Alanna Carey\, Laurel Cameron\, Emma Cole\, Kailey Colyer\
 , Alia Dalton\, Gracie Harper\, Emma McCaslin\, Jessie Etling\, Carly Hans
 on\, Anderson Hayes\, Sawyer Hertel\, Lylla Kovacs\, Emma McCoy\, Jonathan
  Oliver\, Lexi Parker\, Raya Taylor\, Lucy Theado\, Abby Zaleski\n\nBack t
 o top\n	 \n\nProduction Team and Run Crew\n\nStage Manager: Dylan Serrano\n
 \nTechnical Productions Manager: Kevin Nedberg\n\nSound Engineer/Audio Coo
 rdinator: James Dunlap\n\nCostume Shop Manager: Carly Anne-Kimmins\n\nLigh
 t Board Operator: Maggie Slauenwhite\n\nHead Stage/Fly Crew: Eli Baader\n
 \nStage/Fly Crew: Logan Gregory\, Kayla Theiss\n\nSound Board Operator: En
 och Graham\n\nWardrobe Crew: Kaitlin Teller\n\nRehearsal Assistant: Gracie
  Harper\n\nBack to top\n\n\n	Choreographer Bios\n\nAriana Alvarado (they\, 
 them) is a senior dance major at Wright State\, graduating with their B.F.
 A. in dance. They are grateful for the opportunities Wright State has prov
 ided them\, such as dancing with DCDC2\, auditioning for and performing at
  Kings Island\, and performing in Wright State's 2023 production of Cabare
 t. They feel privileged to receive their training from Wright State and ar
 e honored to showcase their senior choreographic work once more and perfor
 m alongside their fellow dancers.\n\nMegan Forney is originally from St Lo
 uis\, where she began her dance training. She trained as a student at Kana
 s City Ballet\, Ballet Chicago\, and Ballet Internationale. Forney graduat
 ed from Wright State with a B.F.A. in dance in 2008. She has performed in 
 many Dayton Ballet mainstage shows\, including Nutcracker\, Swan Lake\, Am
 erican Cinderella\, Sleepy Hollow\, and Three Musketeers. She has been the
  recipient of the Josephine and Hereme Schwarz Award\, the Walter J McCasl
 in Award\, and the Dayton Ballet School Peer Award. Megan has been a dance
  educator and choreographer for 15 years. She is currently the education m
 anager of the Dayton Ballet School and the co-director of the Dayton Balle
 t II companies.\n\nStephanie Martinez\, a Chicago-based choreographer\, ta
 kes audiences on dynamic journeys driven by the kinetic energy of her awar
 d-winning works spanning 15+ years. Her creations have been commissioned b
 y top companies including Joffrey Ballet\, Miami City Ballet\, Ballet Hisp
 ánico\, BalletX\, Bruce Wood Dance\, Kansas City Ballet\, South Chicago Da
 nce Theatre\, and Milwaukee Ballet\, with theater credits at Chicago Shake
 speare Theater\, the Lyric Opera of Chicago\, and American Repertory Theat
 re. Martinez’s bold\, contemporary voice pushes the boundaries of ballet\,
  crafting over 70 works for professional and collegiate programs nationwid
 e. Recognized for her contributions as a female artist of color\, she has 
 received numerous grants and acclaim\, with the Chicago Tribune hailing he
 r as a “chameleon” of choreography. Martinez is the founder and artistic d
 irector of PARA.MAR Dance Theatre\, established in July 2020.\n\nShonna Hi
 ckman-Matlock director of DCDC2 and Arts Enrichment Programs\, was a princ
 ipal dancer\, touring nationally and internationally in South Korea\, Russ
 ia\, France\, Germany\, and Bermuda. She performed across the U.S.\, inclu
 ding at the American Dance Festival\, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival\, Linc
 oln Center\, and The Kennedy Center before retiring in 1995. She performed
  in many DCDC repertories\, including Ulysses Dove’s Vespers and Urban Fol
 kdance\, Donald Byrd’s Dark Joy and Bamm\, and Eleo Pomare’s Las Desenamor
 adas. She has created works for DCDC and other institutions. Serving as DC
 DC2 director since 2000 and DCDC resident choreographer\, she became direc
 tor of education and outreach in 2014\, designing arts enrichment programs
  for schools and communities. Under her leadership\, many dancers have tra
 nsitioned into DCDC’s main company and other professional companies\, nati
 onal tours\, and Broadway productions.\n\nMichelle McElveen has had a teac
 hing/performing/choreographing career for more than 35 years. She worked e
 xtensively as a resident choreographer for the Sorg and Whitewater Opera C
 ompanies\, choreographing many operas\, including La Traviata\, Carmen\, T
 he Merry Widow\, and My Fair Lady. She has choreographed for Wright State\
 , South Dayton Dance Theatre\, Miami University\, and Gem City Ballet. She
  earned a B.F.A. in dance from Wright State after graduating from the Inte
 rlochen Arts Academy. She performed professionally with Walt Disney Produc
 tions\, the Dayton Opera\, La Comedia\, Sorg\, and Whitewater Opera compan
 ies. She is a senior lecturer at Wright State as well as a faculty member 
 of the South Dayton School of Dance\, and guest artist in residency at the
  Stiver’s School for the Performing Arts. “Miss Shelly” is a sought-after 
 instructor for summer intensives\, dance conventions\, and festivals throu
 ghout the region.\n\nAshley Pabst is an enthusiastic Instructor and award-
 winning choreographer. Her professional teaching credits include the Inter
 national Ballet Competition (Jackson\, Mississippi)\, Point Park Universit
 y\, Sam Houston State University\, National Choreography Intensive\, Regio
 nal Dance America Festivals\, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company\, and Eise
 nhower Dance Detroit. Before retiring from the stage\, Ashley performed wi
 th companies such as Atlanta Ballet and Dayton Ballet\; concluding on The 
 Kennedy Center stage where she was awarded the Northeast Performer of the 
 Year. She is a nine-time National Choreographic Recognition Award recipien
 t as well as the Monticello Award\, Barbara Weisberger Emerging Choreograp
 her\, Project Tier\, Jonathan Phelps Award\; works selected for the Intern
 ational Association of Blacks in Dance\, The Ballet Alliance\, Youth Ameri
 can Grand Prix Finals and Jazz Dance World Congress. Ashley would like to 
 thank her husband and parents for their endless love and support.\n\nGabri
 elle Sharp is co-director of the Dayton Ballet School Ensemble. Gabrielle 
 danced with Dayton Ballet. You saw her perform in Dracula\, The Nutcracker
 \, Tales from the Shadow\, There Was a Time\, and America’s Robin Hood\, a
 nd recently as the fairy godmother in Cinderella and the nurse in Romeo an
 d Juliet. While a member of DBII Sr. she received the Dancer Peer Award\, 
 Walter J. McCaslin Memorial Award\, and Josephine and Hermene Schwarz Awar
 d. Gabrielle was the previous director of the SSK Dance Ensemble.\n\nGina 
 Gardner-Walther is a dedicated teacher/mentor and award-winning choreograp
 her who has choreographed nationally\, regionally\, and on university stag
 es. Her professional teaching experience includes Indiana University\, Poi
 nt Park University (PA)\, New Arts Festival (FL)\, RDA Craft of Choreograp
 hy Conference\, and RDA Pacific Festival (WA). While performing with The D
 ayton Contemporary Dance Company\, she toured Germany\, Russia\, France\, 
 and throughout the United States. She had the honor of performing at Linco
 ln Center\, The Kennedy Center\, and The Joyce Theatre. She performed work
 s by many of modern dances’ most influential choreographers\, including Dw
 ight Rhoden\, Ulysses Dove\, Donald McKayle\, Merce Cunningham\, Talley Be
 atty\, Anna Sokolow\, Donald Byrd\, and many more. In her final season wit
 h DCDC\, she won the Josie Award as best female dancer. Gina’s choreograph
 y has won several choreographic awards including the prestigious National 
 Choreographic Award. The New York Times called her work Still Present set 
 on DCDC “a stirring dance” that “served as a sparkling introduction to the
  troupe.” Gina earned her B.F.A. in dance performance from Southern Method
 ist University.\n\nBack to top\n	 \n\nDancer Bios\n\nMaria Becker (she\, he
 r) is a freshman dance major from Cincinnati. She danced at SDA Studios fo
 r 16 years\, where she found her love for dance. She is grateful for the o
 pportunity to continue her dance training at Wright State and looks forwar
 d to performing in her first Spring Dance Concert.\n\nZoe Bees (she\, her)
  is a senior dance major\, from Waynesville. She has grown up giving her p
 assion and love for dance every day while continuing to improve her artist
 ry. Zoe is grateful for the opportunities and experiences she has had whil
 e being at Wright State. She is so excited to start her journey in the rea
 l world and would like to thank her loving teachers\, friends\, and family
 .\n\nKaitlyn Berry (she\, her) is a freshman dance major from Dayton. She 
 began her training at South Dayton School of Dance\, where her teachers in
 stilled in her a love for ballet and modern dance. She is so thankful for 
 the opportunity to perform in her first Spring Dance Concert.\n\nAlly Jo B
 uck (she\, her) Is a sophomore dance major from Loveland. She studied danc
 e of all genres at Broadway Bound Dance Academy\, where she now teaches. S
 he has a love of performing and is thankful for the opportunity to perform
  in her second Spring Dance Concert alongside such talented and passionate
  dancers.\n\nLaurel Cameron is a freshman B.F.A. dance major originally fr
 om Stroudsburg\, Pennsylvania. In addition to dance\, she is immensely pas
 sionate about musical theatre and loves blending her talents in both art f
 orms to express herself creatively. She would like to thank all of her tea
 chers\, friends\, and family for their unconditional support and guidance 
 throughout her artistic journey.\n\nAlanna Carey (she\, her) is a freshman
  double major in dance and communication studies from Dayton. She has been
  dancing for 16 years\, including training at Pontecorvo Ballet Studios an
 d South Dayton Dance Theater. She is very grateful and excited to perform 
 in her first Spring Dance Concert!\n\nBrianna Chan (she\, her) is a senior
  dance major pursuing a second degree in biomedical engineering. Originall
 y from Columbus\, Brianna has been part of the dance program for 5 years. 
 She is deeply grateful for the opportunities she has received\, as well as
  the support from her professors\, friends\, and family. It has been a pri
 vilege for her to dance alongside such talented artists and dancers.\n\nEm
 ma Cole (she\, her) is a sophomore dance major from Toledo. Before joining
  Wright State\, she trained at her local studio\, Toledo Met. Emma is exci
 ted to be performing in the Spring Dance Concert and is grateful for the o
 pportunity to learn from such wonderful teachers and choreographers.\n\nKa
 iley Colyer (she\, her) is a junior dance major from Cincinnati. She began
  dancing at the age of 2\, where she trained at Just Off-Broadway dance st
 udio. She continued her dance education at the School for Creative and Per
 forming Arts from grades 4–12. Kailey is very excited to perform in her th
 ird Spring Dance Concert and feels very fortunate to have worked with such
  talented teachers and choreographers.\n\nAlia Dalton (she\, her) is a jun
 ior dance major from Cincinnati. She has been dancing for 16 years\, where
  she trained at her local dance studio Just Off Broadway\, and graduated f
 rom the School for Creative and Performing Arts. Alia is excited to perfor
 m alongside her peers and is grateful to have worked with such amazing/ins
 piring choreographers during this year's Spring Dance Concert She would li
 ke to thank her family for their continuous support in her journey through
  dance.\n\nJessie Etling (she\, her) is from Salisbury\, Maryland\, and a 
 junior dance major. She has been dancing for 16 years and feels incredibly
  grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Wright State dance progr
 am. Jessie is also a part of Dayton Ballet School Ensemble and performed r
 oles in Dracula\, Coppelia\, The Nutcracker\, and Swan Lake alongside the 
 first company.\n\nGretchen Greener is a freshman dance major from Carmel\,
  Indiana. She spent her formative years under the direction of Suzann DeLa
 y at Central Indiana Academy of Dance and John and Heather Timm at Richens
 /Timm Academy of Irish Dance. Gretchen is so excited and thankful to perfo
 rm in her first Spring Dance Concert.\n\nCarly Hanson (she\, her) began da
 ncing age 3 and received her training from Dancekids Studio under the dire
 ction of Denise Devery. She is currently a junior dance major at Wright St
 ate pursuing a B.F.A. in dance and an arts management certificate. In addi
 tion to school\, she was a member of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company's S
 econd Company (DCDC2) for its 2023-2024 season. Carly is so thankful for t
 he opportunity to perform alongside her very talented peers in this year’s
  Spring Dance Concert!\n\nGracie Harper (she\, her) is a senior dance majo
 r at Wright State and is originally from Cincinnati. During her time at th
 e university\, she was a second company dancer with Dayton Contemporary Da
 nce Company\, performed in the university’s production of Cabaret\, and ha
 s been featured in the annual dance concerts put on by the program. Gracie
  would like to thank her fellow dancers\, faculty\, and the technical crew
  for their incredible work on this performance!\n\nAnderson Hayes (she\, h
 er) is a freshman dance major from Lawrenceville\, Georgia. She started da
 nce at age 3 with Southern Performing Arts Academy and performed with thei
 r company\, Southern Ballet Theatre. She also trained at School of the Art
 s at Central Gwinnett from grades 10–12. Anderson is grateful for her fami
 ly and friends\, and very excited for her first Spring Dance Concert.\n\nL
 ylla Kovacs is a sophomore dance major at Wright State\, and this is her s
 econd time participating in the Spring Dance Concert. She is grateful to b
 e in a couple of the pieces and would like to thank everyone who contribut
 ed to the creative process. She hopes everyone enjoys the show!\n\nAudrey 
 Lee is a junior dance major from Springfield. She began dancing at a very 
 early age and received her training from the Gary Geis School of Dance. Au
 drey is thrilled to be further continuing her education at Wright State\, 
 where she is incredibly fortunate to be a part of this exceptional program
 .\n\nCheyenne Maher is a freshman dance major from Piqua. Before attending
  Wright State\, she previously trained at the Sidney Dance Company. She is
  so grateful for the opportunity to perform in her first Spring Dance Conc
 ert.\n\nEmma McCaslin (she\, her) is a junior dance major at Wright State.
  She is from Avon\, Indiana\, where she grew up dancing at Curtain Call Da
 nce Center. At Wright State\, she has had the opportunity to swing the uni
 versity’s production of Cabaret. She has also been incredibly grateful to 
 work with various choreographers for the dance concerts put on by the prog
 ram. Emma thanks her family\, fellow dancers\, faculty\, and tech crew for
  this experience!\n\nHannah McGuffey (she\, her) is a junior dance major a
 t Wright State from Dayton. Hannah received her dance training through Gem
  City Ballet\, Dayton Ballet\, and Stivers School for the Arts. Hannah is 
 excited to share her love of dance with you\, and looks forward to growing
  as a dancer in the upcoming years at Wright State. \n\nSam Minneman is a 
 third-year double major in dance and psychology from Dayton. She is a memb
 er of Psi Chi\, the International Honor Society of Psychology\, and she re
 cently debuted her first full-length choreographic work at Wright State’s 
 Emerging Choreographers Concert. This summer she is attending RDAs Nationa
 l Choreographic Intensive as a project tier choreographer to set a new wor
 k over the 2-week intensive. Performing and creating dance and art is a li
 fe-long passion Sam continues to cultivate at Wright State.\n\nJenna Mumfo
 rd is a junior dance major at Wright State and has been dancing for 15 yea
 rs. She is a part of the Dayton Ballet School Ensemble and has performed w
 ith the main company in shows such as The Nutcracker\, The Great Gatsby\, 
 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow\, Dracula: Bloodlines\, and Coppélia. Jenna is
  also a photographer and videographer and has photographed the Fall Dance 
 Concert and Emerging Choreographers Concert.\n\nJonathan Oliver is a senio
 r dance major who has performed one season with Dayton Contemporary Dance 
 Company’s Second Company under the direction of (Momma) Shonna Hickman-Mat
 lock. He is grateful for his time at Wright State\, where he has grown as 
 an artist and had the opportunity to travel to New York to take classes wi
 th Jamar Roberts\, Peter Chu\, Brandon Coleman\, and Norbert de La Cruz. T
 his summer\, he is excited to dance with Dayton Dance Initiative before he
 ading to Asheville\, North Carolina. Jonathan also makes a mean banana pan
 cake\, loves teaching\, and enjoys peanut butter by the spoonful.\n\nAlexi
 a Parker (she\, her) is a freshman dance major from Bunker Hill\, West Vir
 ginia. She began dancing at age 3\, training at Inwood Performing Arts for
  the majority of her years. She is very thankful to perform in her first S
 pring Dance Concert as a part of Wright State.\n\nRaya Taylor (she\, her) 
 is a freshman dance major from Cambridge. She began dancing at age 6\, and
  she trained at Movement on Main Center for Dance. Raya is excited to perf
 orm in her first Spring Dance Concert alongside her peers.\n\nLucy Theado 
 (she\, her) is a freshman double major in dance and communications from Co
 lumbus. She trained previously at the Moriarity Lukyanova Dance Academy. S
 he is very excited to be a part of her very first Spring Dance Concert and
  wants to thank everyone who came out to support her.\n\nAnnabelle White i
 s a freshman dance and English major at Wright State. She has been dancing
  for 15 years and danced at All About Dance and Miami Valley Dance Center 
 growing up\, and is currently a part of the Dayton Ballet School Ensemble.
  This is Annabelle's first Spring Dance Concert\, and she is excited to be
  able to perform with such wonderful people.\n\nAlexis Wilson (she\, her) 
 is a senior from Nashville. Lexi has been dancing since she was 2 and is e
 xcited to be dancing in her last Spring Dance Concert. Thanks to the amazi
 ng faculty here at Wright State\, Lexi received many choreography job oppo
 rtunities right here in Dayton. She is excited to announce that she will b
 e continuing her dreams at Disney starting in August. She hopes you enjoy 
 this beautiful show.\n\nBack to top\n	 \n\nDesigner Bios\n\nMatthew P. Benj
 amin is in his 27th year at Wright State as a professor of theatrical desi
 gn\, head of the theatre design and technology program\, and the resident 
 lighting designer with theatre and dance programs in the school of fine an
 d performing arts. Prior to joining the Wright State faculty\, Matthew ser
 ved as the coordinator of the performing arts program at Stockton College 
 of New Jersey and the Associate Resident lighting designer for the Univers
 ity of Cincinnati\, College-Conservatory of Music. Professional credits in
 clude seven seasons as the resident lighting designer for the Opera Theatr
 e and Music Festival of Lucca\, Italy\, where he also served as the compan
 y’s production manager. Other professional designs includes projects with 
 the Interlochen Center for the Arts\, Cincinnati Opera\, Aspen Music Festi
 val\, Dayton Opera\, Dayton Ballet\, Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati\, Tr
 i-Cities Opera\, Dayton Performing Arts Alliance\, Opera at Florham\, Luna
  Negra Dance Theatre\, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company\, the Human Race 
 Theatre Company\, Little Theatre of the Rockies\, ballettech Ohio\, New Ho
 rizon Theatre Company\, the Taj Mahal casino\, the National Academy of Tel
 evision Arts and Sciences\, and many others. An active theatre consultant\
 , he has worked on regional projects such as the Springboro Performing Art
 s Center\, the Theatre at Third in the downtown Dayton Public Library\, Di
 xie High School\, and the Alter High School Performing Arts Center\, among
  many others. He is a proud member of the United Scenic Artists Local #829
  (Lighting Design) and the International Alliance of Lighting Designers.\n
 \nRobbie Crissman is a freshman lighting design major originally from Haml
 in\, New York. His previous credits at Wright State include A2 for Our Tow
 n\, sound board operator for Much Ado About Nothing\, production electrici
 an for Everybody\, and a lighting designer for the most recent Emerging Ch
 oreographers Concert.\n\nJennifer E. Dillard is a sophomore theatre design
  and technology major concentrating in lighting. She is very excited to be
  designing for this year’s Spring Dance Concert! Jennifer has previously d
 esigned for Wright State’s Emerging Choreographers Concert\, the Fall Danc
 e Concert\, and The Apple Tree.\n\nLevi T. Fravel (they\, them) is a sopho
 more focusing on lighting design. They are excited to be designing in thei
 r second Spring Dance Concert. They would like to thank all their friends 
 and family for their endless support!\n\nDylan Serrano (stage manager) is 
 a third-year design/technology major focusing in stage management and ligh
 ting design. They are extremely excited to be stage managing their first d
 ance concert and designing another piece at Wright State. They have previo
 usly designed for the past two Emerging Choreographers’ Concerts\, Fall Da
 nce Concerts\, and last year’s Spring Dance Concert. They are also a resid
 ent designer for Stivers School for the Arts dance program. They assistant
  stage managed with The Dayton Ballet’s previous two runnings of The Nutcr
 acker. At Wright State\, they most recently stage-managed Carrie: The Musi
 cal. This June\, they will be the stage manager for Dayton Dance Initiativ
 e’s summer concert\, CoLAB II.\n\nZach Wuest is a senior lighting design m
 ajor at Wright State and is absolutely thrilled to be designing for the Sp
 ring Dance Concert. His previous credits include\, as the lighting designe
 r at Wright State\, Kelly the Destroyer vs. the Springfield Cobras\, A Dol
 l's House Parts 1 & 2\, Our Town\, and Alice by Heart. He was also the lig
 hting designer for Dayton Playhouse's Is There Life After High School? and
  the assistant lighting designer for DPAA's The Nutcracker. He hopes you e
 njoy the show!\n\nBack to top\n	 \n\nPartner Companies\n\nDCDC2 l Pre-Profe
 ssional Ensemble\n	Founded in 1975 by Jeraldyne Blunden\n	Chief Executive & 
 Artistic Director: Debbie Blunden-Diggs\n	Director of DCDC2 & Arts Enrichme
 nt Programs: Shonna Hickman-Matlock\n\nComprised of recent graduate and un
 dergraduate dance students\, DCDC2 is the next generation of dance artists
  under the umbrella of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. DCDC2 presen
 ts performances in traditional theatre and alternative venues. The ensembl
 e plays an integral role in DCDC school and community engagement throughou
 t the Miami Valley region. DCDC2 participates in DCDC’s established univer
 sity partnerships providing opportunities to engage in collaborative progr
 ams with the University of Dayton\, Wright State University\, and Central 
 State University campus-wide activities and dance programs. The ensemble h
 as performed throughout the Miami Valley and all regions of Ohio. In 2019\
 , the ensemble was chosen to present at the OhioDance Festival in Columbus
  and the Denison University Ohio Five Colleges of Ohio 5 Dance Festival\, 
 as well as showcased at the 31st International Blacks in Dance “Establishe
 d Dance Companies” performance hosted in Dayton. DCDC2 continues to be a r
 esource for new dancers for DCDC’s main company and maintains an impressiv
 e record of successfully transitioning dancers into other professional com
 panies\, Broadway\, film\, television\, media\, and graduate schools.\n\nD
 ayton Ballet School Ensemble (DBSE)\, divided into apprentice and junior e
 nsembles\, is a pre-professional training program available to dancers thr
 ough audition only. This division is for dancers committed to a high level
  of dance training\, strengthening\, and artistic development\, along with
  elective classes to supplement their dance education. This division inclu
 des additional performance opportunities.\n\nBack to top\n	 \n\nBox Office 
 and Current SeasonEvent Webpage: https://liberal-arts.wright.edu/fine-and-
 performing-arts/dance-productions/spring-dance-concert-99481
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250424T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250424T190000
LAST-MODIFIED:20250419T070931Z
SUMMARY:Spring Dance Concert
URL;TYPE=URI:https://www.wright.edu/events/spring-dance-concert-1
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR