Volume 2. Issue 1, October 2007

Upcoming Events

Days of DanceNov 16-20, 2010-8p.m.Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre

Dance Repertory TheatreJanuary 28-29, 2011-8p.m.Alumni events; January 29th Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre

For details, visit dance.fsu.edu/Events/drt

For tickets visit www.tickets.fsu.edu or call 850-644-6500.

Volume 5, Issue 1 - November 2010

MANCC Receives Prestigious Mellon Foundation Award

by Libby Fairhurst

The Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography (MANCC) recently received a significant grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to expand and improve residency support for visiting choreographers over the next two years.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant will enable MANCC to make multi-year commitments to returning artists developing new work. The grant will also enable administrative and new-media fellowships, and will provide additional assistance for the technical and production needs of new works in development at Florida State.Since its beginnings in 2004, more than 50 choreographers have created new work at the prestigious Florida State University center in concert with performers, composers, visual artists, dramaturges, filmmakers and lighting designers alike. MANCC Director Jennifer Calienes said artists consistently call the unique support provided by MANCC “the most productive and comprehensive residency a choreographer will ever experience.”Fourteen artists from around the nation and world are slated to be in residence this coming season, including 2010 Guggenheim fellowship recipients Miguel Gutierrez and Pavel Zustiak of New York City; 2010

McKnight Fellow Otto Ramstad (Minnesota) of The BodyCartography Project; and 2010 National Dance Project award recipients Dean Moss and John Jasperse.MANCC opened at Florida State in 2004 as a new model for

the support of professional choreographic research and development within a comprehensive research university. The center is housed in state-of-the-art facilities at the School of Dance. For choreographers, MANCC provides resources and an environment that generate unprecedented opportunities not only for research and innovation, but also for collaboration and implementation. In turn, students, faculty and the greater Tallahassee community are able to engage with innovative artists in their creative process.“We are grateful that the Mellon Foundation’s support has enabled and nourished these activities, which are critical to advancing our work and enabling additional investments in the field,” Calienes said.To learn more about MANCC artists and ways to engage with their work and programming at Florida State University, visit www.mancc.org/home.html.

Happy Birthday Nancy Smith Fichter!

We Love You!

Photo by Kathryn Nolettofeaturing dancers from Rosie Herrera (FL)choreographic fellowship

Dance Repertory Theatre Hosts DRT Alumni Event to Celebrate 25th Anniversary

This year FSU’s resident student dance company, Dance Repertory Theatre (DRT), marks 25 years of dancing. To celebrate this anniversary, in addition to their annual concert and various community performances, DRT will host a DRT alumni event on January 29th. This event will feature a master class with Lynda Davis, lunch, an informal choreography presentation with selections from DRT alumni, dinner, and the annual DRT concert that weekend. The day’s festivities begin at 9:30am and last through the evening with a reception following the concert.Over the years the company, directed by Lynda Davis, has reached hundreds of school, theater, and museum goers in the Tallahassee community with engaging performances and exposure to numerous exceptional guest choreographers. It has also provided a unique performance experience to over 200 student dancers many of whom have moved on to outstanding professional dance careers with internationally recognized companies including The Martha Graham Company, Parsons Dance Company, Ben Levy Dance, Kate Weare Dance, Philadanco, and Urban Bush Women to name a few. The annual Dance Repertory Theatre Concert will be January 28th and 29th, 2011 at 8pm in the Nancy Smith Fichter Theater. The concert will feature choreography from FSU faculty and esteemed guest choreographers including Alan Danielson and Michael Foley. For more information about Dance Repertory Theatre and the 25th Anniversary events visit www.dance.fsu.edu/Events/drt.

FSU Dance Performs at Ringling International Arts Festival and the International Conference for Fine Arts Deans

Florida State University Department of Dance was selected for a second year to perform at the Ringling International Arts Festival in Sarasota. The festival, presented in partnership by the Ringling Museum and the Baryshnikov Arts Center, featured internationally recognized artists of mixed disciplines including visual art, music, and dance. This year the school was also selected to perform for the International Conference of Fine Arts Deans (ICFAD), which also took place in Sarasota, FL. FSU dance performed at the conference in the Historic Asolo Theatre on October 29th. Both performances showcased a variety of works and styles of dance choreographed by our faculty, guest artists, alumni, and students. The program included “Back Again,” by guest artist Monica Bill Barnes from Evening of Dance 2010, “Throb” and “In Your Dreams,” by faculty member Gerri Houlihan, “Flor,” by Michael Foley, guest artist for Katie Noletto’s MFA concert this October, “Transform,” by Dance Repertory Theater’s guest artist Alan Danielson, “At the Round,” by FSU alumni Shelley Bourgeois (MFA 2010), “Fishbowl,” by FSU alumni Kirstin A. Kapustic (MFA 2009), “Mantis Prays,” by MFA candidate Lauren Slone, “Rite of Self,” by BFA candidate Murphy Reinert, and “Hopeless Rom-Antics,” by MFA candidate Sarah Harkness.

Friends Of Dance Updates

Friends of Dance New Student Scholarship Recipients:

Harper AddisonTrent Williams Jr.Nicole Morris

Welcome New Friends of Dance Members:

John W. BrownMary BraunagelCourtney HarrisonNancy HarrisonJon & Dottie HinkleBettina KroneScott Thorp & Don LathamRick McCulloughPhilip McDaniel & Wendy MandelNorth Florida Financial CorporationBecky MillerScott & Cindy Morris

Photo by Jon Nalonof Hope Gaines in “Back Again”

Photo by Jon Nalonfeaturing DRT 2010 dancers in

Suzanne Farrell Sets Balanchine Repertory on FSU Dancers

Suzanne Farrell returned this fall to teach ballet technique classes as well as set Balanchine repertory on FSU dancers Joshua Reaver and Anna Manja Larcher. Suzanne previously worked with Manja, as the recipient of the Suzanne Farrell Fellowship. The fellowship afforded Manja the opportunity to study with Suzanne and her company, The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, for the past two summers in Washington, DC. During this time, Manja studied technique and participated in research for the choreographic reconstruction of various Balanchine works. Suzanne recently set excerpts from Balanchine’s “Episodes,” on Josh and Manja which was performed in the fall MFA concert. Suzanne will return this spring to teach at the Young Dancers workshop Feb 5th and 6th. Her company will be in residence afterwards to continue her research and rehearsal process for the debut of her latest reconstruction of Balanchine repertory.

Youth Workshops

Suzanne Farrell Young Dancers Workshop

For dancers age 10-18February 5-6, 2011

Featuring master classes with Suzanne Farrell and FSU Dance Faculty

Summer Dance IntensiveFor dancers age 13-18

June 12-25, 2011

Featuring classes with FSU DanceFaculty

For more information contact Joyce Fausone at (850) 645-2449 or

jbstraub@fsu.edu

Michelle Fletcher graduated from FSU with her MFA in 2006. She then moved to San Francisco and founded “Here Now Dance Collective.” While at FSU Michelle was inspired by the MANCC program and faculty, especially Dan Wagoner and Nancy Smith Fichter. She also had the opportunity to work with Cedar Lake and other guest artists. Her present choreographic work focuses on finding non-traditional ways to expose the humanity in dancing. As director of “Here Now Dance Collective” Michelle collabo-rates with her fellow dancers including several FSU alumni. The company has had great success in the Bay Area and is currently working on “The Apology Project,” which is attempting to “expose guilt, the daily human practice of experiencing shame, apology, and forgiveness.” For more information about Here Now Dance Collective visit them at http://herenowdancecollective.com or on facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Here-Now-Dance-Collective/88002536642?ref=ts.

photo by Matt Lewis of Michelle Fletcher (bottom) and Sarah PomaricoPhoto by Jon Nalonof Hope Gaines in “Back Again”

Photo by Kathryn Noletto

featuring Manja Larcher and Josh Reaver rehearsing “Episodes” by Balanchine

School of Dance NewsletterFlorida State University204 Montgomery HallPO Box 3062120Tallahassee, FL 32306-2120Editor: Mary Love Ward,P: 850.644.4425 • F: 850.644.1277dance.fsu.edu

FACULTY / STAFF NEWS

Anjali Austin taught as a guest artist for the Florida Dance Festival this summer. She also serves on the Florida Dance Association board along with FSU alumni Leymis Wilmont and Gerri Houlihan. Anjali serves as president of the board.

Nancy Smith Fichter had a full summer directing the Lillian E. Smith Center for the Arts in northeast Georgia with her husband Robert. The center had a full house with fourteen artists of various genres. She also traveled on a wild- life trawler in the Inner Hebrides, on the west coast of Scotland, for a week and spent a week in London. This October she celebrated her 80th birthday.

Gerri Houlihan recently celebrated her 25th summer as faculty at the American Dance Festival, where she has recently been named as the Festival’s Interim Co-Dean. This summer she also taught a residency in Seoul, Korea at Kookmin University. In May, she attended the National Event at the American College Dance Festival as a member of the board, and gave a class at the Kennedy Center in D.C. She set work on the Tallahassee Ballet for An Evening of Music and Dance this September and in October she set a work in South Carolina.

Rick McCullough was awarded a FSU AHPEG grant to support the publication of a dance photography book. This summer he traveled to the American Dance Festival to take photographs to include in this publication with two student assistants Katie Noletto (MFA) and Diane Cahill (MFA 2010). This year he also continues as the director of the Tallahassee Ballet.

Anthony Morgan taught Spring and Summer dance courses at Simon Fraser University and in the Vancouver community. He continued his work with Dancers Dancing remounting his 2007 choreography Idyll for performances of Voices in Motion, Bodies that Sing in Vancouver and Nanaimo, BC, where he also acted as rehearsal director; lectured in school shows; and edited the company newsletter.

Tom Welsh taught conditioning for the FSU Summer Dance Intensive and the Ririe-Woodbury Summer Dance Workshop. He also participated in the Dance Kinesiology Teachers Group conference at Cornish College in Seattle along with FSU alumni Kim Holt (MFA 2009) and Sonia (Cronmiller) DeVille.

On August 31 2010, Tom’s mentor and friend Sally Fitt, author of Dance Kinesiology, passed away at her home from complications involving a neuro-muscular disease. She will be missed, but her work will continue to inform dancers for years to come.

ALUMNI NEWS

Blythe Barton (MFA 2005) who dances with Isaacs San Diego Dance Theater and Malashock Dance in San Diego was recently featured in a biographical article for the San Diego Union Tribune.

Shelly Bourgeois (MFA 2010) was selected to present “Silent Witness” from Days of Dance 2008 in The Dance Gallery Festival in New York and Houston.

Andy Chapman (BFA 2010) was selected as a company dancer for the New Works 2010 Bessie Schonberg Choreographers’ Residency at the Yard Dance Festival in Martha’s Vineyard featuring choreography by Gregory Dolbashian, Ximena Garnica, Marta Renzi & Yara Travieso.

Jackie O’Toole (MFA 2010) recently presented “Second Star” from Days of Dance 2009 in the Dumbo, White Wave Festival in New York. She is also dancing with Philadelphia’s 180 Dance Company and Contempra Dance Company.

Merry Lynn Morris (MFA 1999) recently re-ceived a U.S. patent for her “mobility” chair that she is developing for dancers of mixed abilities. She is working on further research and development of the chair with the School of Physical Therapy and Re habilitation, and the Department of Me chanical Engineering at USF, where she is also on faculty as a dance professor. In October she will present her research on this project at the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) in the UK.

Chelsea Rodriguez (BFA 09) has been selected to perform in a company piece for STREB. Chelsea will perform with the company during their home shows in November and December Do you have alumni news? Send it to jmk03g@fsu.edu with “Alumni Notes” in the subject line. Deadline to submit for the Winter issue is January 3rd, 2011.

STUDENT NOTES

Ariel Trzaskos Earl (BFA) was awarded a full tuition workstudy scholarship at Mosley’s Institute of the Arts Summer Intensive where she was selected to perform works by Kevin Wynn, Aubrey Lynch, Ronald K. Brown, and a collaboration of Robert Battle’s works.

Sarah Harkness (MFA) served as Assistant Director for the FSU Summer Dance Intensive Workshop.

Jessica Mayhew (MFA) was awarded a full tuition workstudy scholarship to the American Dance Festival as a faculty assistant. She was a demonstrator for Gerri Houlihan’s technique classes.

Michelle Russell (BFA) was awarded a summer study scholarship to the Graham School Summer Intensive.

Mary Love Ward (MFA) was awarded a full tuition workstudy scholarship to the Florida Dance Festival. She also performed in the festival in “Hello Dali” with FSU alumni Leymis Wilmont’s (MFA 2006) company, Fuzion Dance Artists. The performance featured FSU alumni Alyson Dolan (BFA 2007) and Angela McDonough (MFA 2004). This year Mary Love was also selected to represent the School of Dance teaching assistant program as a university PIE associate. This fall she will have a guest artist residency and be presented as a guest choreographer at Darton College, GA.