Welcome to Dancing in the Landscape at Loy Farm! We are delighted to have you join us for this unique experience that blends the art of movement with the drive for positive social change towards a more sustainable future. Our show features choreography created by Elon Dance faculty and students with a special focus on sustainability and our connection to our environment. Our mission is to create immersive experiences that help us connect with our surroundings, rethink our habits, inspire hope, and nurture our shared humanity. Through this, we aim to build sustainable systems for both the present and future.
In this concert, you’ll experience performances that explore themes of interconnectedness, symbiotic human relationships, our reliance on plastic, and the issue of environmental gentrification. Each dance carries profound underlying meanings, which are enhanced by the carefully chosen performance spaces they inhabit. Our production is site-specific, meaning that the location itself is a vital part of the choreography. We’re particularly excited to collaborate with Loy Farm this year as our host venue, and we look forward to showcasing our concert in this unique and meaningful setting. Thanks for coming!
Special Thanks
Department of Performing Arts, Office of Sustainability, Sustainability Scholars Program, Natalie Hart, Fred Rubeck, Heidi Jo Schiemer, Jen Guy Metcalf, Jessica Werfel, and Faculty and Staff at Loy Farm
Production Team
Artistic Director
Renay Aumiller
Costume Coordinator
Heidi Jo Schiemer and Choreographers
Front-of-House Supervisor
David McGraw
House Manager
Lillian Chen
Poster Design
Sydney Dye
Dances
Forbes20Tour “Place Matters”
Choreographer: Bre Forbes
“Environmental gentrification” is the process whereby the seemingly progressive discourse of urban sustainability is used to drive up property values and displace low-income residents.”- Miriam Greenberg, Susie Smith
“There is a disconnect between the need to tie environmental projects to planning for sustainable affordable housing.” -Miriam G., Susie S.
“The successes or failures of the projects are judged by their effects on the physical environment, not on whether they also “sustained” the original community. “ – Miriam G., Susie S.
For many of us, our local communities and neighborhoods were where we first learned to cultivate a real sense of community and culture. It is where we learned about our family’s history, and created many core memories that would contribute to the human beings we would grow to be over time. This piece (excerpt) exhibits the story of four teens who transition from living in a close knit community, enjoying and knowing one another deeply, to experiencing both the pros and cons of environmental gentrification: New places to create experiences such as more recreational spaces for young children to play and farmers markets to distribute better foods to old and new community members, beautification of local areas, separation/zoning, displacement, loss of access to previous resources, and a lesser quality of life for original community members.
*Special Note: I would like to personally extend a special thanks to Professor Robert Charest, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Chair of the Department of Environmental Studies, who is the designer/creator of the amazing site this dance takes place on. Thank you for the work you are doing and have done both at Elon and in the local communities. You are greatly appreciated!
Music Credit: Dlala Thukzin – 95 Unleaded
Costume Design: Bre Forbes
Dancers: Emily Aukamp, Ella Carver, Alydia Wheeler, Ella Stewart
Rehearsal Assistant: Katie Russo
Symbiosis
Choreographer: Emma Morris
Symbiosis is the interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, normally to the advantage of both. This piece explores how this idea of symbiosis could translate into relationships between humans with the goal of creating long-lasting, sustainable relationships, and eventually a community that will pave the way for future generations.
Music Credit: Ólfaur Arnalds, Reykjavík Recording Orchestra, Mother Falcon
“Synergy” is meant to explore the ways in which we can have a symbiotic relationship and interdependency with nature, creating a circular cycle so that energy never dies, but is reabsorbed and transferred.
In previous choreography, I have explored the connection between human beings. For this work, I wanted to explore our connection with the earth, its waters, and how our actions have caused it to not be able to sustain its health. As my inspiration for this piece, the words of Hozier ring true: “Love, won’t you be, be as you’ve always been?”
This work involves the interconnectivity of space with respect to the audience, performer, and location. Space where the people and choreography are not just influenced but a causation of the land.
Dancers: Lucy Burk, Noelle Drummonds, Jessica Guidice, Winell Henriquez, Maddie Milner, Emma Vanags, Noah Macam, Sophie Verrecchia, Abigail Mulvaney
Choreographers
Bre Forbes
Lilly Beaver
Emma Morris
Maya Simmons
Kate Shugar
Elijah Motley
Bre Forbes
Bre Forbes (MFA) is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Performing Arts & Technology at North Carolina State University. She is passionate about Dance, Restorative Justice, and Community enrichment. Prior to joining NC State, she taught K-12 Public School Dance, along with guest choreographing and serving as faculty within Elon University’s Department of Performing Arts. Forbes currently serves as the National Board Advisor of Delta Chi Xi Honorary Dance Fraternity Inc., and is a proud dancer of Dance Now Cry Later. Currently, through her Restorative Justice Project, Forbes20Tour, She mentors collegiate dancers across the United States and produces and facilitates community performances and workshops for a positive change. She has performed in various Street Dance festivals such as We Are Hip Hop in Charlotte, NC, and has choreographed and performed several House Dance based pieces during her Dance Project Artist Residency in Greensboro, NC. Forbes is an Alumna of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), where she received her Master of Fine Arts in Choreography along with her K-12 Teaching license. She enjoys teaching and choreographing for students of all ages, and hopes to continue building and restoring communities through arts activism.
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.
Emma Morris
Emma Morris is a junior at Elon pursuing a double major in Dance Performance & Choreography and Dance Science. She is from Lexington, Kentucky and is thrilled to continue on her path of becoming a professional dancer here at Elon. At Elon, she has had multiple opportunities to perform in Dancing In The Landscape, Spring Dance Concert & Black History Month Dance Concert. Emma was given the opportunity to debut her choreography in Dancing in the Landscape earlier this year. She is grateful and excited to perform in Fall Dance for the first time!
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!
Kate Shugar
Kate Shugar earned her MFA (2019) from Sarah Lawrence College under the direction of John Jasperse and is now based in NC. She has been privileged to teach at Elon University, Sapphire Studio, Hickory Ballet and Performing Arts, and UNCG. She has most enjoyed performing for Vanessa Voskuil, Raja Feather Kelly, and Diane Madden. Kate’s choreography has recently appeared in Dancing in the Landscape (2022,23), NC Dance Festival (2020), and the Dance Project residency program (2020). Education, particularly helping students discover the joy of learning, is at the root of her love for dance.
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/.
Dancers
Maggie Adams
Hannah Burnett
Gabrielle Cataldo
Anna Iglesias
Katey O’Connell
Anaya Agard
Lilly Sears
Aleah Newman
Lila Snodgrass
Lindsey Goldstein
Evelyn Ealey
Myah Shepherd
Madeleine Milner
Hannah Furey
Abigail Mulvaney
Katie Bermes
Sophie Verrecchia
Natalie Dixon
Angelina DeMartino
Lucy Burk
Emma Vanags
Ella Stewart
Emily Aukamp
Noelle Drummonds
Noah Macam
Alydia Wheeler
Winell Henriquez
Jessica Guidice
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!
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.
Anna Iglesias
Anna Iglesias is from Tampa, Florida. She is a third year student pursuing a B.S. in Dance Science on the Accelerated Pathway to PT. She has been dancing for 17 years, and danced for most of her life at her former studio, All American Dance Factory. So far, she has been a part of Dancing in the Landscape, Fall Dance Concert, Spring Dance Concert, DanceWorks shows, and some student-run productions here at Elon. She can't wait to be involved in more shows this year and in the future.
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.
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!
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!
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.
Katie Bermes
Katie Bermes is a Freshman from Fort Wayne, IN planning to double major in Dance Science and Exercise Science. She began dancing competitively at the age of 4 and previously trained at Evolve Dance Force. Dancing in the Landscape will be her first performance at Elon but she is eager for many more in the coming years!
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.
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.
Lucy Burk
Lucy Burk is a first-year student double majoring in dance performance and choreography and dance science. She is from Indiana and trained at Culver Academies. She is very excited for her first performance and Elon!
Emma Vanags
Emma Vanags is a first-year student at Elon University. She is originally from Richmond, Virginia, where she previously trained at J'adore Dance Studio. She is excited to continue her dancing at Elon and double major in the B.F.A. for Dance Performance and Choreography and the B.S. for Dance Science.
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!
Noelle Drummonds
Noelle is a freshman Dance major from Rogers, Arkansas and is thrilled to be rolling in the dirt. She has performed and choreographed at Arkansas Public Theatre with most recent credits including Something Rotten!, The Music Man, and Little Shop of Horrors. She would like to thank her family and her Performing Arts LLC friends for coming and supporting her.
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.
Jessica Guidice
Jessica Guidice is a first-year student in the Dance Performance and Choreography B.F.A. program. She is from Norfolk, Massachusetts. She previously trained in the ballet conservatory program at the Franklin School for the Performing Arts for thirteen years.
