Abusua

Director’s Note

Hello and welcome to the 2024 Black History Month Dance Concert entitled “Abusua.” Abusua is an Akan term that signifies family. This production brings together an assembly of choreographers and musicians, each an integral part of my chosen family. Some of these connections have spanned over two decades. Throughout the production, you’ll bear witness to storytelling and performances crafted by these family members.

While the on-stage performers have diverse identities and backgrounds, the narratives unfold through a distinct Black lens. As an added treat, our Ghana Performing Arts Study Away students will showcase a segment of their learnings from their time abroad. The culmination of our efforts since September 2023 is poised to captivate you, and we’re thrilled to share it all. A heartfelt congratulations to the Elon performers and crew for their outstanding contribution to this production. Gratitude extends to everyone who played a role in bringing this production to fruition. And a special acknowledgment to every Black individual reading this—I echo the words of Lucille Clifton: “Come celebrate with me, that every day something has tried to kill me and has failed.” Happy Black History Month. Enjoy the show.

Special Thanks

Office of Cultural & Special Programs, Elon Performing Arts Department, Elon Global Education Center, Kimberly Rippy, Jennifer Guy Metcalf, Dr. Stephanie Baker, David McGraw, Heidi Jo Schiemer, Kayla Higbee, Elon Dance Program Student Workers

Bios

Rick Earl

Maggie Adams

Haley Asbury

Keshia Wall

Lilly Beaver

Hannah Burnett

Gabrielle Cataldo

Sophie David

Zeth Dixon

Olivia Lanter

Meredith Peck

Gaby Minionis

Katey O’Connell

Isabella Sessa

Sarah Rothacker

Maya Simmons

Madeline Trigilio

Jessica Werfel

Anaya Agard

Lilly Sears

Aleah Newman

Lila Snodgrass

Brooke Goldstein

Lindsey Goldstein

Evelyn Ealey

Heidi Jo Scheimer

Myah Shepherd

Madeleine Milner

Hannah Furey

Abigail Mulvaney

Sophie Verrecchia

Aryanna Vindas

Natalie Dixon

Angelina DeMartino

Ella Stewart

Emily Aukamp

Sophie Seitchik

Noah Macam

Alydia Wheeler

Winell Henriquez

Kayla Higbee

Elijah Motley

Robin Gee

Mackenzie Perry

Lillian Chen

Annika Benander

Rick Earl

Rick Earl is the Production Manager for Cultural and Special Programs at Elon University. Rick has worked as an audio engineer, production manager, and designer with various acts and clients throughout the US, Canada and Europe. Rick is a full member of the Audio Engineering Society, USITT, and the Event Safety Alliance.

Maggie Adams

Maggie Adams is a Senior BFA Dance Performance and Choreography major originally from Mount Airy, Maryland. Prior to Elon, Maggie spent six years as a part of the Mid Maryland Performing Arts Center’s pre-professional company, FX. Through FX she has trained in a variety of styles. Dance has given Maggie many traveling opportunities which include dancing at the In Motion Dance Studio in Bermuda, the Florence Dance Center in Italy, completing internships with L.A. Dance Project and RoyalFlux in Los Angeles, and performing in Ireland and Scotland with Dance Unbound. In the summer of 2022, she attended the GUS Giordano College/ Pro Summer Intensive on scholarship and in 2019 she was a full scholarship attendee at Slippery Rock University’s Summer Dance Intensive, FORGE. This semester at Elon, Maggie is excited to perform in Dancing in the Landscape, the Fall Dance Concert, BHM Concert, and the Spring Dance Concert. She looks forward to seeing what the world of dance has in store for her post-graduation!

Haley Asbury

Haley Asbury is a senior from Morris County, NJ earning a dual degree in BFA Dance Performance & Choreography and BA in Arts Administration. During her time at Elon, Haley has had several opportunities to perform works by guest artists in the Fall Dance Concert and Spring Dance Concert. During her spring semester of junior year, she studied abroad at the Florence Dance Center in Florence, Italy. Haley is grateful to be a choreographer in the show this year, and is excited to share what her and her dancers have created.

Keshia Wall

Keshia Wall of Greensboro, NC earned an undergraduate degree from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Dance and African American Studies and completed the Master of Fine Arts in Dance degree program at Hollins University in collaboration with Kunstlerhavs Mousontvrm and The Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts; with support from The Dresden Frankfort Dance Company. She is also the founder of Matriarch Dance Co. LLC, which exists to empower women of all ages to discover their strength and purpose through dance training, performance, and positive mentorship.Wall is currently an Assistant Professor at Elon University, where she coordinates the African and African American Studies minor and instructs courses in contemporary and traditional West African dance. She also leads a study abroad trip to Ghana yearly in collaboration with the University of Ghana Legon and the Ghana Dance Ensemble. Her research focus is rooted in the presence of West African dance in higher education and how this dance form can be engaged as valued and valid epistemological and ontological domains in scholarship and performance. 

Lilly Beaver

Lilly, a native of Kannapolis, NC is a senior Dance Performance & Choreography and Psychology major. Lilly’s performance credits include Elon’s Dancing in the Landscape, Black History Month, Fall, and Spring Dance Concerts, along with Elon Cares, ADF’s Footprints, NCDF’s Residency Showing, and JOYEMOVEMENT’s Love Notes. She has presented work in the Fall Dance Concert and numerous festivals and is excited to present work in this year’s Dancing in the Landscape. Lilly has enjoyed working with various guest artists, faculty, and student choreographers. She is grateful to be an apprentice with the JOYEMOVEMENT dance company and a teacher at Miss Kim's.

Hannah Burnett

Hannah Burnett is a senior from Beverly, Massachusetts pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance & Choreography with a minor in Photography. While at Elon, she has performed in Dancing in the Landscape (2020, 2021, 2022), Fall Dance Concert (2021, 2022), Spring Dance Concert (2021, 2022), and a multitude of student-choreographed pieces. Hannah is grateful to have studied abroad in Florence, Italy last spring and performed choreography by Angelo Egarese. She also performed work by Brian Brooks at ADF this summer. Hannah is appreciative of all past performance opportunities and looks forward to dancing with her peers for one last year at Elon. 

Gabrielle Cataldo

Gabrielle Cataldo, a native of Jamison, Pennsylvania, is a senior pursuing two degrees in Dance Performance and Choreography (B.F.A.), Arts Administration (B.A.), and a minor in Business Administration. Last spring, she performed a work by Angelo Egarese in Florence, Italy through her study-abroad program. She is excited to have the opportunity to perform again in Fall Dance Concert, Black History Month Dance Concert, and Spring Dance Concert. Gabrielle wants to thank her family for their constant support and love, without them none of this would be possible. She is very excited to take the stage for one last year at Elon.

Sophie David

Sophie David grew up in Franklin, Massachusetts and is in her senior year at Elon University. She is pursuing a BFA in Dance Performance & Choreography, a BA in Arts Administration, and a minor in Business Administration. While at Elon, Sophie has had the opportunity to perform in works by Casey Avaunt, Courtney Liu, Jen Guy Metcalf, Ming Lung Yang, Jiwon Ha, and many others. She has also choreographed several dance pieces in various styles for student choreography showings and club performances. Sophie is so excited to perform in Lee Edwards’ piece in the 2023 Fall Dance Concert!

Zeth Dixon

Zeth Dixon is a Senior Music Theatre major from Nashville, TN. Previous credits include: Flatrock Playhouse - A Chorus Line, Cinderella, Elon University - Spring Awakening, Bridges of Madison County, 42nd Street. He is thrilled to be apart of this years Black History Month Dance Concert as it will also be his last Elon MainStage performance.

Olivia Lanter

Olivia Lanter is a senior pursuing a double major in BFA Dance Performance & Choreography and BA Psychology with a minor in neuroscience. She is a proud St. Louis native and began dancing at the age of two. Besides dancing in numerous dance concerts on campus, she has also studied dance nationally and internationally. She spent the Summer of 2022 in Florence, Italy, where she performed in the Florence Dance Festival. Olivia also spent last summer with world-renowned choreographers and completed an internship with Clear Talent Group Agency in Los Angeles. She is grateful for the opportunity to complete dance neuropsychological research at Elon and presented her findings at the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science. Ultimately, Olivia is excited to pursue commercial dance after graduation this May.

Meredith Peck

Meredith Peck is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio and she is a third-year BFA dance performance and choreography major with a second education track in Dance Science (B.A). Peck trained at Premier Studio for Dance in Loveland, Ohio where she was a competitive member of their nationwide travel team. Peck has trained at various renowned studios including Steps on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, and Alvin Ailey. She has performed with the Elon University Dance Program in Dancing in the Landscape and Fall Dance Concert.

Gaby Minionis

Gaby is a senior at Elon, working towards her BFA in Dance Performance & Choreography, BA in Arts Administration and BS in Sport Management. Originally from Fairfax, VA, she performed with the Burke Civic Ballet for 7 seasons. As a former member of The Movement Studios in Springfield, VA, she traveled and competed nationally and trained with Kathryn McCormick, Dejan Tubic and Kyle Robinson of DMI. While dancing at Elon, Gaby has performed in multiple shows including: Dancing in the Landscape, Fall Dance Concert, Spring Dance Concert and Black History Month Concert. She proudly represented Elon University at the Accademia Europea di Firenze while performing “Catching Light” by Laura Kerns in Florence, Italy. Currently, Gaby is choreographing for studios in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Katey O’Connell

Katey O'Connell, a native of Bedford, New Hampshire, is a junior at Elon pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography and a Bachelor of Arts in History. Throughout her Elon career she has had the privilege to be a part of all of the dance performances from Dancing in the Landscape, Black History Month Concert, as well both Fall and Spring Dance Concerts. Dance has allowed Katey to travel all over New England, New York, and Florida and cannot wait to see where else it will take her. After finishing a summer working for the Joffrey Ballet School, she is excited to continue her training for the next two years at Elon. 

Isabella Sessa

Isabella Sessa was born and raised in Monmouth County, New Jersey. She is currently a senior at Elon University double majoring in Dance Performance & Choreography and Arts Administration with a Business Administration minor. At Elon, Isabella will be performing in Fall Dance Concert, Black History Month Dance Concert, Spring Dance Concert, The Matriarchy: Stories of Womankind, and her senior thesis production this year! This past spring semester, Isabella trained in Florence, Italy at the Florence Dance Center to continue her dance education. She is so excited to be dancing with her peers for one last time!

Sarah Rothacker

Sarah Rothacker is a Junior at Elon University majoring in Dance Performance and Choreography (BFA) and Communication Design (BA) from Dublin, OH. While at Elon she has been given the opportunity to perform in Dancing in the Landscape, Fall Dance Concert, Black History Month Concert and Spring Dance Concert along with various student works including Semicolon last fall, and The Rhoades Grant Dance Concert later this semester. She has had the opportunity to study dance in Los Angeles this past Summer and plans to dance at the study abroad program in Florence, Italy in Summer 2024.

Maya Simmons

Maya Simmons is a senior from Atlanta, Georgia. She will be earning her B.F.A in Dance Performance & Choreography and B.A. in English this spring. She is proud to have performed with the Florence Dance Festival, American Dance Festival, Ash and Elm Dance Co., NC Dance Project, and in a multitude of performances here at Elon every semester. She is grateful to have had her choreographic work presented in Fall Dance Concert 2022 and Dancing in the Landscape 2023! She is so excited to perform in her final Black History Month!

Madeline Trigilio

Madeline Trigilio is a senior Dance Performance and Choreography and Arts Administration double major, with a minor in Business Administration. Madeline is native of Georgetown, MA, and has been dancing since the age of two. Throughout her career, she has performed across the United States and in Florence, Italy. She made her professional choreographic debut with Ash & Elm Dance Co. in 2022., and is making her directorial debut this March with her show, The Matriarchy. Madeline is looking forward to pursuing a career in arts administration while keeping dance in her life in new forms.

Jessica Werfel

Jessica is a senior from Virginia, pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography and B.A. in Arts Administration. She studied abroad at the Florence Dance Center in Italy in Spring 2023. She has danced professionally with Krista Tucker Insights Modern Dance Company, DHH Collaborative, and the Fairfax Ballet. Jessica’s choreography “Just Becoming” was selected to be in Elon’s Dancing in the Landscape performance of 2022. She is also conducting undergraduate research on dance improvisation, to be presented Spring 2024 in the Rhoades Grant Dance Concert. She is thrilled to be performing in Spring Dance Concert this year!

Anaya Agard

Anaya is a second year Dance Performance & Choreography and Arts Administration double major from Norwalk CT. She has trained in ballet and modern since she was five years old and is loving all the new dance styles and movements she has been learning in Elon’s dance program thus far. This year, she will be performing in Dancing in the Landscape, the Fall Dance Concert, the Black History Month Dance Concert, and the Spring Dance Concert. She is so excited to share her love of dance with you!!

Lilly Sears

Lilly Sears is a sophomore with a major in Dance Performance and Choreography and two minors in Expressive Art and Psychology. She is from Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina and is so excited to be a part of the Elon Performing Arts program. This year Lilly will be performing in Dancing in the Landscape, the Fall Dance Concert, the Black History Month Concert, and the Spring Dance Concert.

Aleah Newman

Aleah Newman Is a sophomore BFA Dance Major from Chicago who has been dancing from a young age in various styles and spent four years dancing with Inaside Chicago Dance's Pre-professional company. She is so happy to continue her study of dance here at Elon.

Lila Snodgrass

Lila Snodgrass is a sophomore from Pittsburgh double majoring in Dance Performance and Choreography and mathematics. This summer, Lila attended the American Dance Festival, where she had the opportunity to perform for Abdel R. Salaam. At Elon this year, Lila performed in Dancing In The Landscape, Fall Dance Concert, and the Black History Month Dance Concert, and she traveled to Ghana to study West African dance. She is currently working on her research involving the intersection between math and dance through knot theory under the mentorship of Dr. Nancy Scherich. Lila is so excited to be part of this performance!

Brooke Goldstein

Brooke Goldstein is a sophomore student from Rockland County, New York. She is pursuing a double major in Dance Performance and Choreography and Sociology. This summer, Brooke completed a choreography intensive with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. During her dance career at Elon, Brooke has performed in Dancing in the Landscape (2022), Black History Month Dance Concert (2023, 2024), and Spring Dance Concert (2023 and 2024). She has also understudied for the 2022 Fall Dance Concert and performed in the 2023 Fall Dance Concert. Brooke has also had experience in student choreography pieces, such as Semicolon, directed by Pheriby Bryan under the Rhoades Scholarship.

Lindsey Goldstein

Lindsey is a sophomore Dance Performance and Choreography major with a minor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She is originally from outside of Boston, MA, and has been dancing since she was three years old! This year, Lindsey has performed in Dancing in the Landscape, Fall Dance Concert, Black History Month Dance Concert, and a student production titled Semicolon. She is so excited to be a part of the Spring Dance Concert and hopes you enjoy the show!

Evelyn Ealey

Evelyn Ealey is a second year at Elon University pursuing a double major in Dance Performance & Choreography and Strategic Communications. She is from Fort Mill, South Carolina and is so excited to be a part of the Spring Dance Concert. She has enjoyed participating in Dancing In The Landscape, the Fall Dance Concert, and the Black History Month Dance Concert this year and is eager to see what the rest of her time at Elon will bring!

Heidi Jo Scheimer

Myah Shepherd

Myah Shepherd is a first year at Elon pursuing a major in Dance Performance and Choreography. She has been dancing since she was 2 in her hometown Coral Springs, Florida and is excited to continue training at Elon. This year she’s performing in Dancing in the Landscape, Black History Month Concert, and Spring Dance Concert.

Madeleine Milner

Madeleine Milner is originally from Dallas, TX. She graduated from Allen High School and is a first year Dance Performance and Psychology major with a minor in Neuroscience at Elon. She is excited to be participate in Black History Month Dance Concert, Dancing in the Landscape, and Spring Dance Concert this year.

Hannah Furey

Hannah Furey is a sophomore at Elon University pursing a major in Dance Performance & Choreography as well as Public Health Studies. She has been dancing for 16 years in her home town of Sturbridge, Massachusetts and is thrilled to continue her training at Elon. Along with Dancing in the Landscape, she will also perform in the Fall Dance Concert and the Black History Month Concert this year.

Abigail Mulvaney

Abigail is a first-year student at Elon University. She is originally from Richmond, Virginia, where she danced at West End Academy of Dance. At Elon, Abigail is looking to continue her dance education while studying business.

Sophie Verrecchia

Sophie Verrecchia is a sophomore originally from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Previously, she danced at Savage Dance Company as a part of the competitive dance team. She is continuing her dance training here at Elon as well as majoring in Psychology and minoring in Neuroscience.

Aryanna Vindas

Aryanna Vindas is a Major in Dance Performance and Choreography (BFA) with a Minor in Asian Studies. Participated in Dancing in the Landscape, Fall Dance Concert, Black History Month and Spring Dance Concert. I am excited to share my love for dance and movement with everyone.

Natalie Dixon

Natalie Dixon is a second year at Elon, pursuing a double major in Dance Performance and Choreography and Dance Science. She is from Annapolis Maryland and is excited to participate in Dancing in the Landscape this year!

Angelina DeMartino

Angelina DeMartino is a second year at Elon pursuing a double major in Dance Performance and Choreography and Psychology. She is from Holland, Massachusetts and is so excited to be a part of the Elon Performing Arts community. This year, she will be participating in Dancing In The Landscape, the Fall Dance Concert, and the Black History Month Dance Concert.

Ella Stewart

Ella Stewart is a first year at Elon pursuing a BFA in Dance Performance & Choreography and a BA in Arts Administration. She is from Columbia, South Carolina and is thrilled to continue her dance journey at Elon. This year, Ella will be performing in Dancing in the Landscape, Black History Month Dance Concert, and Spring Dance Concert.

Emily Aukamp

Emily Aukamp is a first year pursuing a major in Dance Performance & Choreography. From Cary, North Carolina, Emily has been dancing for 7 years. Emily trained at Triangle Academy Of Dance where she performed in classical ballets and was a team member on their competitive jazz and tap teams. Emily is excited to be a part of Elon’s Spring Dance Concert this year!

Sophie Seitchik

Sophie Seitchik is a sophomore from Woodstock, MD pursuing her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography and BS in Dance Science. This semester, she will be part of the Black History Month Dance Concert, Spring Dance Concert, The Matriarchy, as well as a student research project performance on SURF Day. She is so excited to be performing for you today!

Noah Macam

Noah Macam is a freshman BFA Dance Performance & Arts Admin double major from St. Louis, MO. He is thrilled to be closing out his first year of Elon performances with the Spring Dance Concert, which follows his performances in the Black History Month Dance Concert, A Chorus Line (Mike Costa), and Dancing In The Landscape. Regional credits at The Muny include: Beauty & The Best, RENT, Legally Blonde, Mary Poppins, and On Your Feet! Many thanks to his family and friends for their endless support!

Alydia Wheeler

Alydia Wheeler is a first year student pursuing a major in dance performance and choreography. She is from locust, North Carolina and danced at Albemarle Academy of Dance. She is so excited to be in upcoming performances at Elon. This school year she will be performing in Dancing in the Landscape, the Black History Month Dance Concert, and the Spring Dance Concert.

Winell Henriquez

Winell Henriquez is a first-year college student at Elon University from Clayton, NC. She is in the 3+1 accelerated program for Business Analytics, as well as majoring in Marketing and Dance Performance and Choreography. Winell has previously trained at the International Ballet Academy in Cary, NC.

Kayla Higbee

Kayla Higbee (she/her) is a Costume Designer and Assistant Faculty Member of Performing Arts at Elon University. Selected Costume Designs: Men on Boats (Tantrum Theatre), Tall Girls (SEY Independent Productions), Twelfth Night (Centre College), Superior Donuts (AthensWest Theatre Company), Assassins (Centre College), Objects in the Mirror (Tantrum Theatre), Stitched with a Sickle and a Hammer (Ohio University), The Wolves (Ohio University). Other: Assistant to the Costume Designers, Texas Shakespeare Festival (2022), Wardrobe Supervisor, Berkshire Theatre Group (2015-2019), Resident Costume Designer, Centre College (2014-2018). MFA, Ohio University.

Elijah Motley

Elijah, or Eli, Motley (Greensboro, NC) is a choreographer, dancer, instructor, and lecturer. Eli occupies a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance and Choreography from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Eli also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and Theatre and a Bachelor of Science in Civil/Environmental Engineering from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.Eli’s movement vocabulary is at the intersection of breaking, popping, house, hip-hop, contemporary, and modern dance. Eli performed with Chicago Dance Crash as a company member for three years performing works like Two Inside, Lil Pine Nut, and The Bricklayers. In 2022, he had the honor to perform as a guest performer in Rennie Harris Puremovement’s Lifted at the American Dance Festival. As a solo performer, Eli presented work at the Austin Dance Festival (Texas), Links Hall Co-Missions (Chicago), and Clarice Young Project’s Black History Month Dance (North Carolina). In addition to performing, Eli teaches at dance festivals, intensives, and various colleges. You can check out more of Eli at https://elimotley.com/.

Robin Gee

Robin Gee, Professor of Dance at UNC Greensboro holds an MFA in Dance Choreography and Performance from Sarah Lawrence College and specializes in African dance techniques, Modern and Carribean dance forms, and dance designed for the screen. Ms. Gee has performed with several New York based dance companies, including: Ballet Bagata, Maimouna Keita Dance Company and the Cinque Folkloric Dance Company. She is the recipient of the numerous research grants and awards for her work in dance documentation and preservation including: the West African Research Associations’ Post Doctoral Fellowship in African Research the Central Piedmont Regional Artists Hub Grant; the AAUW Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, US Fulbright Scholars Award and NC Choreographers Fellowship. She is also Director/Creator of the Greensboro Dance Film Festival.

Mackenzie Perry

Mackenzie Perry is a sophomore pursuing a double major in Political Science & Policy Studies. Mackenzie is from Clinton, MD and has danced since the age of two. She choreographs and is the Assistant Public Relations Chair for Elon DanceWorks. In addition to dance she is the RA of Kenan Honors Pavilion LLC, a Student Involvement Ambassador, a member of Elon’s Honor Board and Pi Sigma Alpha Undergraduate Journal of Politics Editorial Board. Mackenzie is excited to perform in her first Black History Month Dance Concert - Abusua.

Lillian Chen

Lillian is a first-year student from New Jersey and is so excited to be taking part in As You Like It as the light board operator! She is double majoring in Theatrical Design & Technology and Strategic Communications and when not taking part in shows, she also works as a house manager for the performing arts productions. Recent Elon credits include: The Antipodes (ASM), Abusua - Black History Month Dance Concert (Stage Manager), and Spring Dance Concert (ASM). She hopes you enjoy the performance!

Annika Benander

Annika Benander is so excited to be working on their first Elon University mainstage production! Annika recently graduated high school from the University North Carolina School of the Arts as a part of the Calliope Acting Ensemble, and is now a first year Acting BFA major here at Elon! She is so excited to begin this new journey and is so grateful to the whole John Proctor Is The Villain team for creating such a supportive creative space to grow into.