Fall Dance Concert

Director’s Note

Welcome to the Department of Performing Arts 2020 Fall Dance Concert. This year’s first-ever virtual presentation features six original dance compositions for physically distanced solos, duets, trios, and quartets celebrating diverse and varied voices in dance. While uniquely different in presentation, the choreographers created rich emotional content that, even while physically distanced, reflects the challenges, limitations, repressions, and isolation experienced uniquely by being alive in 2020. The artistic choices made from one dance to another are eloquently executed by Elon dance majors charged with performing such varied and nuanced choreography. While certainly with its challenges, we have found this to be a rich and fruitful experience that captures the essence of live theater that audiences can view from the comfort of their own home. This year’s production features dances from three student choreographers: Caroline Boothe, Marissa Mahoney, and Lauren Mitchell. It also features works by Professors Renay Aumiller, Alexandra Joye Warren, and guest artist Jasmine Powell. This show represents one more example of how dancers work very well with limitations and find ways to create and move in any given circumstance. Thank you for viewing, and I hope you enjoy Elon’s first-ever virtual Fall Dance Concert!

Warmly,

Renay Aumiller, Artistic Director 

Special Thanks

Casey Avaunt, Lauren Kearns, Marissa Mahoney, David McGraw, J. McMerty, Jen Guy Metcalf, Kimberly Rippy, Justin Tornow, and Jessica Werfel

Pieces

Holding Space

Choreographed by Renay Aumiller

Music Credit: “Faith’s Hymn” by Beautiful Chorus

Renay Aumiller

Caroline Boothe

Caroline Bernardon

Renay Aumiller

Renay Aumiller has presented her choreography in Italy, Cambodia, Taiwan, Sweden, and Pakistan, and across the United States as the artistic director/founder of RAD | Renay Aumiller Dances. She presents her scholarship of dance education at national and international conferences and has published articles on dance education and undergraduate mentorship. Aumiller's education includes earning an MFA in Choreography from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a BA in Dance Studies from the UNC-Greensboro. She is an Associate Professor of Dance at Elon University, a certified Yoga teacher, and a Franklin Method® Educator.

Caroline Boothe

Caroline Boothe is a native of Chester, New Jersey. She is currently a senior at Elon University pursuing a B.F.A in Dance and a B.S in Accounting. She has performed in Fall Dance Concert, Spring Dance Concert, Dancing in the Landscape, Black History Month, and student choreographed research projects/pieces. She has presented choreography in Fall Dance Concert and will be choreographing for this year's Fall Dance Concert.

Caroline Bernardon

Caroline Bernardon is a native of Madison, New Jersey and is currently living in Naples, Florida. She is a Senior Dance Performance & Choreography Major with minors in Exercise Science and Biology. In addition to pursuing a career in dance, and as a certified yoga instructor, she will be attending graduate school in the fall for her Masters of Science in Nutrition. Caroline is so thankful for her four years at Elon and is looking forward to her last main stage performance!

Beings

Choreographed by Lauren Mitchell

Music Credit: “Hurricane” by Slow Meadow, Mac Miller in an interview with Sway’s Universe: “Mac Miller Speaks on Addiction + talks Love & Working with Kendrick & Anderson. Paak,” Music Edited by Lauren Mitchell

Kate Axness

Mackenzie Holub

Sarah McNamee

Lauren Mitchell

Rachel Rightmyer

Alexandra Strouse

Erin Woods

Kate Axness

Katherine (Kate) Axness is a senior Dance Performance and Choreography major from Collegeville, Pennsylvania. She is also pursuing a Leadership Studies minor, a Chemistry Minor, and the Pre-Medicine track. She has performed in Dancing in the Landscape, Salon, Red Circle Showcase, Fall Dance Concert, and Spring Dance Concert as well as choreographed for Red Circle Showcase and Salon. While studying abroad in Israel last semester, she took artistic and technical training courses at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in the disciplines of classical ballet, Cunningham technique, Gaga, contemporary, release technique, repertoire, and improvisation.

Mackenzie Holub

Mackenzie Holub is originally from Springfield, VA. She is currently a senior pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography and a B.A. in Arts Administration. She has performed in Dancing in the Landscape, Fall Dance Concerts and Spring Dance Concerts. During her time at Elon, she has interned with the Los Angeles Ballet and McDonald Selznick Associates Agency, having most recently completed the Elon in LA program this past summer. She is also currently working on her Pilates mat and reformer certification.

Sarah McNamee

Sarah McNamee is a senior majoring in Dance Performance and Choreography and Exercise Science. From Charlotte, NC, she danced at Dance Productions and graduated from Northwest School of the Arts as a dance major. At Elon, she has performed in Dancing in the Landscape in 2017 and 2019, Echoes: the Spring Dance Concert in 2018, Chroma: the Spring Dance Concert in 2019, the Research Fellows show in 2019, and the Fall Dance Concert in 2019. She also spent a summer performing in Florence, Italy. Sarah is excited to spend her senior year with a great group of dancers and faculty!

Lauren Mitchell

Lauren Mitchell, from Sparta, New Jersey, is a senior at Elon pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography and B.S. in Dance Science. She has worked with various faculty and student choreographers in performances throughout the years, both on film and stage. During the summer of 2019 she had the incredible opportunity to travel and study abroad in Florence, Italy, training at the Florence Dance Center. This year she is working towards her goals of becoming a pediatric occupational therapist and dance teacher, where she will get to work with kids while continuing her passion for dance!

Rachel Rightmyer

Rachel Rightmyer is a senior majoring in Dance Performance and Choreography and minoring in Exercise Science. Rachel has been in many works throughout her time at Elon, including works by Yoshito Sakuraba, Maurice Watson, Clarice Young, and Brianna Forbes. She is excited to be completing her last performance on the McCrary stage in the Spring Dance Concert performing works by Ming-Lung Yang and Shaleigh Comerford.

Alexandra Strouse

Alexandra Love Strouse is a senior at Elon University, pursuing her B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography and B.A. in Strategic Communications. Alexandra has performed as an Apprentice with JOYEMOVEMENT, dance company in Greensboro, North Carolina, under the direction of Alexandra Joye Warren. At Elon, she has performed in Dancing in the Landscape, Fall Dance Concert, Black History Month Concert, College Fellows Concert, Red Circle Showcase, and Spring Dance Concert. At Elon, Alexandra has presented her choreography in Dancing in the Landscape and Red Circle Showcase. Alexandra was recently awarded the Elon Outstanding Senior Dance Performance and Choreography Award. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Alexandra studied dance with the George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology, the Inertia Dance Company, and The Moving Company Dance Center. Alexandra was awarded the Maryland All-State Dance Award and the Carver Unsung Hero Dance Award. Her training has also included summer intensive programs with The Ailey School and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. The past two summers, Alexandra has worked as the Ailey Extension Workshop Coordinator and Intern with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. This summer, she also worked as the Marketing/Public Relations Intern with the Durham Performing Arts Center.

Erin Woods

Erin Woods is a native of Ridgewood, New Jersey. She is currently a junior at Elon University pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance & Choreography and a B.S. in Dance Science. Previously, Erin trained with the Steps on Broadway Conservatory program and Ridgewood Performing Arts Center, and has attended summer intensives with the Pennsylvania Ballet. She completed an internship with Hackensack Meridian Health in the inpatient Physical Therapy unit. Erin has performed in Elon’s Fall Dance Concert (2019 & 2020), the Elon College Fellows Showcase (2019), Dancing in the Landscape (2018), and is excited to perform in this year’s Spring Dance Concert!

Overthought

Choreographed by Caroline Boothe

Music Credit: “Slow Up” by Jacob Banks, Radio Static, edited by Caroline Boothe

Caroline Boothe

Lia Kelly

Caroline Boothe

Caroline Boothe is a native of Chester, New Jersey. She is currently a senior at Elon University pursuing a B.F.A in Dance and a B.S in Accounting. She has performed in Fall Dance Concert, Spring Dance Concert, Dancing in the Landscape, Black History Month, and student choreographed research projects/pieces. She has presented choreography in Fall Dance Concert and will be choreographing for this year's Fall Dance Concert.

Lia Kelly

Lia Kelly is a Senior Dance Performance & Choreography and Communications Design double major from Buffalo, New York. She has performed in and been a part of Dancing In The Landscape, Fall Dance Concert, Black History Month Dance Concert, Spring Dance Concert, and various student works. She spent this past summer studying in Florence, Italy where she furthered her training at Florence Dance Center. Her choreographic work is also being presented in Fall Dance Concert (2022). She is so grateful to be a part of the dance program and looks forward to the rest of her time at Elon.

Enkindle

Choreographed by Jasmine Powell

Music Credit: “ASMR Lighter Sounds” by Pudding ASMR, “Tracking Airplanes” by The Echelon Effect, “Temple of the Sun” by Robin Mahler, “Reaching for the Moon” by Lizz Wright

Jasmine Powell

Olivia Lanter

Cassidy Perry

Madi Trigilio

Lauren Weinberg

Jasmine Powell

Jasmine Powell, MFA, is a creative expressionist from Hillsborough, NC. Her artistry joyfully teaches cultural history, technique, and creative process as an Elon Performing Arts Professor. Jasmine’s career led her to Philadanco!, Dianne McIntyre, Milton Myers, Ron Brown, Okwui Okpokwasili, and consistently performs in Durham with Company and KT Dance Collective alongside her largest choreographic premiere, Approximation of a Woman. Performance theaters, international festivals, music videos and recently the North Carolina Dance Festival 2022-23 season makes her smile at the opportunity to share her work rooted in conceptual storytelling and is always relating to others through a creative expressionist lens.

Olivia Lanter

Olivia Lanter is a junior student from St. Louis, Missouri. She is pursuing a double major in Dance Performance & Choreography and Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience. Olivia has performed in Dancing in the Landscape (2020), the 2020 Fall Dance Concert, the 2021 Fall Dance Concert, and the Spring Dance Concert (2022), and the 2022 Fall Dance Concert. Notably, she spent this summer abroad in Italy taking class at The Florence Dance Center and performing in the Florence Dance Festival as well as presenting choreography by Lauren Kearns. Additionally, Olivia is preparing to present her neuropsychological dance science undergraduate research that she embarked on last fall. She hopes to better the dance community as a whole with her findings.

Cassidy Perry

Cassidy Perry is a native of Stone Mountain, Georgia. She is currently a senior at Elon University pursuing a B.F.A in Dance Performance and Choreography and Minors in Entrepreneurship, Business Administration, and Exercise Science. She trained with Phusion Dance Company for 11 years as a pre-professional artist and has attended summer intensives, including Dance Theater of Harlem and Atlanta Dance Experience. At Elon, she has performed in a number of dance concerts. She was also able to dance abroad over Winter Term during which she studied West African dance and culture in Ghana.

Madi Trigilio

Madi Trigilio is a junior at Elon University from Georgetown, Massachusetts. She is pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography and a B.A. Arts Administration with a minor in Business Administration. She has performed in Dancing in the Landscape, Black History Month Dance Concert, Spring Dance Concert, and is excited to perform in Fall Dance Concert again! Recently, Madi presented her choreography at Ash & Elm Dance Company’s, Astronomy, and attended American Dance Festival’s Dance Professional Workshops. Madi is grateful for the opportunities Elon Dance has given her and is looking forward to the coming year of performances!

Lauren Weinberg

Lauren Weinberg is a native of San Antonio, Texas and currently, a senior at Elon University. She is pursuing a double major with a B.F.A in Dance Performance and Choreography and a B.S in Dance Science, along with a minor in Exercise Science. She studied at San Antonio Dance Academy for ten years along with San Antonio Metropolitan Dance Company for four years. She has attended summer intensives with American Ballet Theater, The Joffrey Ballet, and Point Park University. During her undergraduate career, Lauren has performed in Dancing in the Landscape, Fall Dance Concert, Spring Dance Concert, Black History Dance Concert, Student Fellowship Productions and various student works. She has also choreographed in the Red Circle Showcase and her first mainstage choreography piece, Just A Number, was performed in this year’s Fall Dance Concert. Just A Number¸ was selected through an adjudicating process, to be performed and compete in the Richmond Dance Festival in May. Lauren is also a Club Pilates Apprentice and will be fully certified in Pilate’s mat and equipment by graduation!

En Caul

Choreographed by Marissa Mahoney

Music Credit: “Seigfried” by Frank Ocean

Nov. 13 Performers: Olivia Haskell, Olivia Walton, and Erin Woods

Nov. 14 Performers: Kate Axness, Ashlyn Deloughy, and Sarah DeSordi

Kate Axness

Sarah DeSordi

Olivia Haskell

Marissa Mahoney

Olivia Walton

Erin Woods

Kate Axness

Katherine (Kate) Axness is a senior Dance Performance and Choreography major from Collegeville, Pennsylvania. She is also pursuing a Leadership Studies minor, a Chemistry Minor, and the Pre-Medicine track. She has performed in Dancing in the Landscape, Salon, Red Circle Showcase, Fall Dance Concert, and Spring Dance Concert as well as choreographed for Red Circle Showcase and Salon. While studying abroad in Israel last semester, she took artistic and technical training courses at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in the disciplines of classical ballet, Cunningham technique, Gaga, contemporary, release technique, repertoire, and improvisation.

Sarah DeSordi

Sarah DeSordi is a Senior at Elon University earning her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography, BS in Dance Science and BS in Exercise Science. Before choosing to study dance in a collegiate setting, she trained at her home studio in New Jersey. Her time at Elon thus far has consisted of performing in multiple dance concerts, site-specific works, and student choreography-research projects in addition to presenting choreographic works of her own. She was even able to further her performance experience and dance training by studying in Florence, Italy. She is excited to pursue an intersection of her interests in both choreography and human performance through art and wellness!

Olivia Haskell

Olivia Haskell is a fourth year student working to complete her B.F.A in Dance Performance and Choreography and her BA in Psychology. She spends her summers teaching and choreographing at her home studio on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. During her time at Elon University, she has performed in various Fall Dance Concert, Spring Dance Concert, Black History Month Dance Concert, Senior Fellows Performances, and American College Dance Association. She is excited to continue dancing through her last year at Elon.

Marissa Mahoney

Marissa Mahoney is from Naples, Florida. She is a senior at Elon University pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography, B.A. in Strategic Communications, and a minor in Creative Writing. Marissa’s choreography was featured in the American College Dance Association Southeast Regional Gala and she is excited to showcase her work in the 2020 Fall Dance Concert. Marissa has completed internships at the Merce Cunningham Trust in NYC and Avalon Artists Group in LA. She is also the president of Elon DanceWorks, as well as an office assistant to the head of the performing arts department.

Olivia Walton

Olivia is a native of Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a senior pursuing a BFA in Dance and a BA in Arts Administration with a minor in Business Administration. At Elon, she has worked with various guest artists, such as Gallim and Kira Blazek Ziaii, faculty, and student choreographers in performances throughout the year, both on film and the stage. Recently Olivia participated in the DanceJerusalem Program at Hebrew University in the Spring of 2020, where she worked with past members of the prestigious Batsheva Dance Company. Olivia would like to thank her Elon family for everything and more.

Erin Woods

Erin Woods is a native of Ridgewood, New Jersey. She is currently a junior at Elon University pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance & Choreography and a B.S. in Dance Science. Previously, Erin trained with the Steps on Broadway Conservatory program and Ridgewood Performing Arts Center, and has attended summer intensives with the Pennsylvania Ballet. She completed an internship with Hackensack Meridian Health in the inpatient Physical Therapy unit. Erin has performed in Elon’s Fall Dance Concert (2019 & 2020), the Elon College Fellows Showcase (2019), Dancing in the Landscape (2018), and is excited to perform in this year’s Spring Dance Concert!

Reclamation

Choreographed by Alexandra Joye Warren

“Go on Blues” by Matthew L. Downer, Original Poetry Commission: Lavinia Jackson and Read by Kayla Jacobs, “Empty Chairs” by Randy Martin, featuring Shannon Harden and Stephanie Liu, “Middle” composed by Alexandra Joye Warren 

Alexandra Joye Warren

Hannah Burnett

Hannah Kieserman

Jenna Kulacz

Lauren Jacobbe

Kayla Spalding

Alexandra Joye Warren

Alexandra Joye Warren is the Founding Artistic Director of JOYEMOVEMENT. Her most recent projects include Head Over Heels (Choreographer), Womanifesto (Performer, choreographed by Amelia Renee Byrd) 42nd Street (Director), A Wicked Silence (Playwright, Director, Choreographer), and Movin On’ (Choreographer) a new work in development by Julio Matos and John Franceschina. She was selected for the 2022-2023 Artist-In-Residence for the North Carolina Dance Festival. Alexandra Joye Warren is currently an Assistant Professor of Performing Arts at Elon University, Director/Choreographer for the Music Theatre program.

Hannah Burnett

Hannah Burnett is a junior from Beverly, Massachusetts. She is currently pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance & Choreography with a minor in Photography. Over the past few years at Elon, she has performed in Dancing in the Landscape (2020, 2021), Fall Dance Concert (2021), Spring Dance Concert (2021, 2022), and several other student pieces. Hannah is grateful to have had these past performance opportunities and is looking forward to another year full of dancing with her fellow peers. She has enjoyed her time thus far and is excited to see what the future holds within the Elon Dance Program.

Hannah Kieserman

Hannah Kieserman is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is currently a freshman at Elon University pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance & Choreography. She trained at the Institute of Dance Artistry located in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania for the past 15 years and has completed a pre-college summer program at the University of the Arts earning 3 credits.

Jenna Kulacz

Jenna Kulacz is a native of Westchester, New York. She is currently a senior at Elon University pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance & Choreography. She has a passion for health and wellness and is a certified yoga instructor. Performance credits include Elon’s Fall Dance Concert and Spring Dance Concert, ACDA, where she performed a duet representing Elon and had her piece selected to be featured in the 2020 Choreography Showcase and the CAPEZIO 125th ANNIVERSARY GALA. She has also performed professionally for Christal Brown’s INSPIRIT In Arts Across America: A Live Virtual Performance with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Jenna is grateful for the talented and dedicated artists who have supported her growth as a dancer and is excited for the future!

Lauren Jacobbe

Lauren Jacobbe is a Senior studying Dance Performance and Choreography and Human Service Studies from Western Massachusetts. This summer she studied abroad in Florence, Italy and performed in the Florence Dance Festival Summer 2022. She has previously performed and assisted in Elon University's Productions of Dancing in the Landscape, Fall Dance Concert, Black History Month, Spring Dance Concert, as well as student run choreography. She has worked closely with Berkshire Dance Theatre from Massachusetts, as well with Dysfunk Crew opening up for dance companies and performing at Jacob's Pillow "On the Road" events in the summer of 2021.

Kayla Spalding

Kayla Spalding is a dancer and choreographer from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She is a senior at Elon University, majoring in both Dance Performance and Choreography (BFA) and History (AB). During her time at Elon, she has performed in Dancing In The Landscape, Fall Dance Concert, Black History Month Dance Concert, and Spring Dance Concert all four years. Kayla has also presented work during the Dancing In The Landscape and the Fall Dance Concert at Elon. She also performed in both the Richmond Dance Festival and Florence Dance Festival this past year. Kayla is incredibly thankful for all her opportunities throughout her time at Elon!

Bios

Renay Aumiller

Alexandra Joye Warren

Jasmine Powell

Kate Axness

Caroline Boothe

Caroline Bernardon

Hannah Burnett

Sarah DeSordi

Olivia Haskell

Riley Gibson

Mackenzie Holub

Hannah Kieserman

Emily Kopchains

Jenna Kulacz

Lauren Jacobbe

Marissa Mahoney

Lia Kelly

Sarah McNamee

Olivia Lanter

Lauren Mitchell

Alex Nemfakos

Cassidy Perry

Rachel Rightmyer

Alexandra Strouse

Anna Thomson

Madi Trigilio

Kayla Spalding

Olivia Walton

Lauren Weinberg

Erin Woods

Renay Aumiller

Renay Aumiller has presented her choreography in Italy, Cambodia, Taiwan, Sweden, and Pakistan, and across the United States as the artistic director/founder of RAD | Renay Aumiller Dances. She presents her scholarship of dance education at national and international conferences and has published articles on dance education and undergraduate mentorship. Aumiller's education includes earning an MFA in Choreography from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a BA in Dance Studies from the UNC-Greensboro. She is an Associate Professor of Dance at Elon University, a certified Yoga teacher, and a Franklin Method® Educator.

Alexandra Joye Warren

Alexandra Joye Warren is the Founding Artistic Director of JOYEMOVEMENT. Her most recent projects include Head Over Heels (Choreographer), Womanifesto (Performer, choreographed by Amelia Renee Byrd) 42nd Street (Director), A Wicked Silence (Playwright, Director, Choreographer), and Movin On’ (Choreographer) a new work in development by Julio Matos and John Franceschina. She was selected for the 2022-2023 Artist-In-Residence for the North Carolina Dance Festival. Alexandra Joye Warren is currently an Assistant Professor of Performing Arts at Elon University, Director/Choreographer for the Music Theatre program.

Jasmine Powell

Jasmine Powell, MFA, is a creative expressionist from Hillsborough, NC. Her artistry joyfully teaches cultural history, technique, and creative process as an Elon Performing Arts Professor. Jasmine’s career led her to Philadanco!, Dianne McIntyre, Milton Myers, Ron Brown, Okwui Okpokwasili, and consistently performs in Durham with Company and KT Dance Collective alongside her largest choreographic premiere, Approximation of a Woman. Performance theaters, international festivals, music videos and recently the North Carolina Dance Festival 2022-23 season makes her smile at the opportunity to share her work rooted in conceptual storytelling and is always relating to others through a creative expressionist lens.

Kate Axness

Katherine (Kate) Axness is a senior Dance Performance and Choreography major from Collegeville, Pennsylvania. She is also pursuing a Leadership Studies minor, a Chemistry Minor, and the Pre-Medicine track. She has performed in Dancing in the Landscape, Salon, Red Circle Showcase, Fall Dance Concert, and Spring Dance Concert as well as choreographed for Red Circle Showcase and Salon. While studying abroad in Israel last semester, she took artistic and technical training courses at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in the disciplines of classical ballet, Cunningham technique, Gaga, contemporary, release technique, repertoire, and improvisation.

Caroline Boothe

Caroline Boothe is a native of Chester, New Jersey. She is currently a senior at Elon University pursuing a B.F.A in Dance and a B.S in Accounting. She has performed in Fall Dance Concert, Spring Dance Concert, Dancing in the Landscape, Black History Month, and student choreographed research projects/pieces. She has presented choreography in Fall Dance Concert and will be choreographing for this year's Fall Dance Concert.

Caroline Bernardon

Caroline Bernardon is a native of Madison, New Jersey and is currently living in Naples, Florida. She is a Senior Dance Performance & Choreography Major with minors in Exercise Science and Biology. In addition to pursuing a career in dance, and as a certified yoga instructor, she will be attending graduate school in the fall for her Masters of Science in Nutrition. Caroline is so thankful for her four years at Elon and is looking forward to her last main stage performance!

Hannah Burnett

Hannah Burnett is a junior from Beverly, Massachusetts. She is currently pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance & Choreography with a minor in Photography. Over the past few years at Elon, she has performed in Dancing in the Landscape (2020, 2021), Fall Dance Concert (2021), Spring Dance Concert (2021, 2022), and several other student pieces. Hannah is grateful to have had these past performance opportunities and is looking forward to another year full of dancing with her fellow peers. She has enjoyed her time thus far and is excited to see what the future holds within the Elon Dance Program.

Sarah DeSordi

Sarah DeSordi is a Senior at Elon University earning her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography, BS in Dance Science and BS in Exercise Science. Before choosing to study dance in a collegiate setting, she trained at her home studio in New Jersey. Her time at Elon thus far has consisted of performing in multiple dance concerts, site-specific works, and student choreography-research projects in addition to presenting choreographic works of her own. She was even able to further her performance experience and dance training by studying in Florence, Italy. She is excited to pursue an intersection of her interests in both choreography and human performance through art and wellness!

Olivia Haskell

Olivia Haskell is a fourth year student working to complete her B.F.A in Dance Performance and Choreography and her BA in Psychology. She spends her summers teaching and choreographing at her home studio on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. During her time at Elon University, she has performed in various Fall Dance Concert, Spring Dance Concert, Black History Month Dance Concert, Senior Fellows Performances, and American College Dance Association. She is excited to continue dancing through her last year at Elon.

Riley Gibson

Riley is a junior Theatrical Design & Technology and Statistics double major from Durham, NC. The Cherry Orchard is his first mainstage stage management position at Elon, and he cannot wait for you to experience the work this company has been putting into this production for months. Riley would like to thank his friends and family for all of their support, love, and compassion!

Mackenzie Holub

Mackenzie Holub is originally from Springfield, VA. She is currently a senior pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography and a B.A. in Arts Administration. She has performed in Dancing in the Landscape, Fall Dance Concerts and Spring Dance Concerts. During her time at Elon, she has interned with the Los Angeles Ballet and McDonald Selznick Associates Agency, having most recently completed the Elon in LA program this past summer. She is also currently working on her Pilates mat and reformer certification.

Hannah Kieserman

Hannah Kieserman is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is currently a freshman at Elon University pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance & Choreography. She trained at the Institute of Dance Artistry located in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania for the past 15 years and has completed a pre-college summer program at the University of the Arts earning 3 credits.

Emily Kopchains

Emily Kopchains is a Senior Theatrical Design and Technology major with a Scenic focus and is so honored to be the Scenic Designer for Medea. She is beyond lucky to be a member of the Elon TDT family and could not be more grateful for the faculty and especially her fellow students who have encouraged her to learn, make mistakes, and push boundaries throughout this process.

Jenna Kulacz

Jenna Kulacz is a native of Westchester, New York. She is currently a senior at Elon University pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance & Choreography. She has a passion for health and wellness and is a certified yoga instructor. Performance credits include Elon’s Fall Dance Concert and Spring Dance Concert, ACDA, where she performed a duet representing Elon and had her piece selected to be featured in the 2020 Choreography Showcase and the CAPEZIO 125th ANNIVERSARY GALA. She has also performed professionally for Christal Brown’s INSPIRIT In Arts Across America: A Live Virtual Performance with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Jenna is grateful for the talented and dedicated artists who have supported her growth as a dancer and is excited for the future!

Lauren Jacobbe

Lauren Jacobbe is a Senior studying Dance Performance and Choreography and Human Service Studies from Western Massachusetts. This summer she studied abroad in Florence, Italy and performed in the Florence Dance Festival Summer 2022. She has previously performed and assisted in Elon University's Productions of Dancing in the Landscape, Fall Dance Concert, Black History Month, Spring Dance Concert, as well as student run choreography. She has worked closely with Berkshire Dance Theatre from Massachusetts, as well with Dysfunk Crew opening up for dance companies and performing at Jacob's Pillow "On the Road" events in the summer of 2021.

Marissa Mahoney

Marissa Mahoney is from Naples, Florida. She is a senior at Elon University pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography, B.A. in Strategic Communications, and a minor in Creative Writing. Marissa’s choreography was featured in the American College Dance Association Southeast Regional Gala and she is excited to showcase her work in the 2020 Fall Dance Concert. Marissa has completed internships at the Merce Cunningham Trust in NYC and Avalon Artists Group in LA. She is also the president of Elon DanceWorks, as well as an office assistant to the head of the performing arts department.

Lia Kelly

Lia Kelly is a Senior Dance Performance & Choreography and Communications Design double major from Buffalo, New York. She has performed in and been a part of Dancing In The Landscape, Fall Dance Concert, Black History Month Dance Concert, Spring Dance Concert, and various student works. She spent this past summer studying in Florence, Italy where she furthered her training at Florence Dance Center. Her choreographic work is also being presented in Fall Dance Concert (2022). She is so grateful to be a part of the dance program and looks forward to the rest of her time at Elon.

Sarah McNamee

Sarah McNamee is a senior majoring in Dance Performance and Choreography and Exercise Science. From Charlotte, NC, she danced at Dance Productions and graduated from Northwest School of the Arts as a dance major. At Elon, she has performed in Dancing in the Landscape in 2017 and 2019, Echoes: the Spring Dance Concert in 2018, Chroma: the Spring Dance Concert in 2019, the Research Fellows show in 2019, and the Fall Dance Concert in 2019. She also spent a summer performing in Florence, Italy. Sarah is excited to spend her senior year with a great group of dancers and faculty!

Olivia Lanter

Olivia Lanter is a junior student from St. Louis, Missouri. She is pursuing a double major in Dance Performance & Choreography and Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience. Olivia has performed in Dancing in the Landscape (2020), the 2020 Fall Dance Concert, the 2021 Fall Dance Concert, and the Spring Dance Concert (2022), and the 2022 Fall Dance Concert. Notably, she spent this summer abroad in Italy taking class at The Florence Dance Center and performing in the Florence Dance Festival as well as presenting choreography by Lauren Kearns. Additionally, Olivia is preparing to present her neuropsychological dance science undergraduate research that she embarked on last fall. She hopes to better the dance community as a whole with her findings.

Lauren Mitchell

Lauren Mitchell, from Sparta, New Jersey, is a senior at Elon pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography and B.S. in Dance Science. She has worked with various faculty and student choreographers in performances throughout the years, both on film and stage. During the summer of 2019 she had the incredible opportunity to travel and study abroad in Florence, Italy, training at the Florence Dance Center. This year she is working towards her goals of becoming a pediatric occupational therapist and dance teacher, where she will get to work with kids while continuing her passion for dance!

Alex Nemfakos

Alex is a Senior TDT major with a concentration in lighting and stage management. This year she is the lighting designer on Heart of Shrapnel, Sense and Sensibilities, and The Cherry Orchard. Additionally, she is one of several lighting designers on the Fall Dance Concert and an assistant lighting designer on 42nd Street.

Cassidy Perry

Cassidy Perry is a native of Stone Mountain, Georgia. She is currently a senior at Elon University pursuing a B.F.A in Dance Performance and Choreography and Minors in Entrepreneurship, Business Administration, and Exercise Science. She trained with Phusion Dance Company for 11 years as a pre-professional artist and has attended summer intensives, including Dance Theater of Harlem and Atlanta Dance Experience. At Elon, she has performed in a number of dance concerts. She was also able to dance abroad over Winter Term during which she studied West African dance and culture in Ghana.

Rachel Rightmyer

Rachel Rightmyer is a senior majoring in Dance Performance and Choreography and minoring in Exercise Science. Rachel has been in many works throughout her time at Elon, including works by Yoshito Sakuraba, Maurice Watson, Clarice Young, and Brianna Forbes. She is excited to be completing her last performance on the McCrary stage in the Spring Dance Concert performing works by Ming-Lung Yang and Shaleigh Comerford.

Alexandra Strouse

Alexandra Love Strouse is a senior at Elon University, pursuing her B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography and B.A. in Strategic Communications. Alexandra has performed as an Apprentice with JOYEMOVEMENT, dance company in Greensboro, North Carolina, under the direction of Alexandra Joye Warren. At Elon, she has performed in Dancing in the Landscape, Fall Dance Concert, Black History Month Concert, College Fellows Concert, Red Circle Showcase, and Spring Dance Concert. At Elon, Alexandra has presented her choreography in Dancing in the Landscape and Red Circle Showcase. Alexandra was recently awarded the Elon Outstanding Senior Dance Performance and Choreography Award. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Alexandra studied dance with the George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology, the Inertia Dance Company, and The Moving Company Dance Center. Alexandra was awarded the Maryland All-State Dance Award and the Carver Unsung Hero Dance Award. Her training has also included summer intensive programs with The Ailey School and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. The past two summers, Alexandra has worked as the Ailey Extension Workshop Coordinator and Intern with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. This summer, she also worked as the Marketing/Public Relations Intern with the Durham Performing Arts Center.

Anna Thomson

Anna Thomson will always try to write a bio that makes people laugh. Clever enough to make you say "oh that's clever," but not too clever so that it looks like she's trying too hard. She hopes this one is in that in-between space 🙂 Favorite credits include Damn Yankees (Fly operator), Shrek Jr (Director), The Other Room (Director), and The Dungeons and The Dragons (Stage Manager). She sends endless love and thanks to her parents, siblings, close friends, and her dogs, Greta, Toodles, and Tonya.

Madi Trigilio

Madi Trigilio is a junior at Elon University from Georgetown, Massachusetts. She is pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography and a B.A. Arts Administration with a minor in Business Administration. She has performed in Dancing in the Landscape, Black History Month Dance Concert, Spring Dance Concert, and is excited to perform in Fall Dance Concert again! Recently, Madi presented her choreography at Ash & Elm Dance Company’s, Astronomy, and attended American Dance Festival’s Dance Professional Workshops. Madi is grateful for the opportunities Elon Dance has given her and is looking forward to the coming year of performances!

Kayla Spalding

Kayla Spalding is a dancer and choreographer from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She is a senior at Elon University, majoring in both Dance Performance and Choreography (BFA) and History (AB). During her time at Elon, she has performed in Dancing In The Landscape, Fall Dance Concert, Black History Month Dance Concert, and Spring Dance Concert all four years. Kayla has also presented work during the Dancing In The Landscape and the Fall Dance Concert at Elon. She also performed in both the Richmond Dance Festival and Florence Dance Festival this past year. Kayla is incredibly thankful for all her opportunities throughout her time at Elon!

Olivia Walton

Olivia is a native of Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a senior pursuing a BFA in Dance and a BA in Arts Administration with a minor in Business Administration. At Elon, she has worked with various guest artists, such as Gallim and Kira Blazek Ziaii, faculty, and student choreographers in performances throughout the year, both on film and the stage. Recently Olivia participated in the DanceJerusalem Program at Hebrew University in the Spring of 2020, where she worked with past members of the prestigious Batsheva Dance Company. Olivia would like to thank her Elon family for everything and more.

Lauren Weinberg

Lauren Weinberg is a native of San Antonio, Texas and currently, a senior at Elon University. She is pursuing a double major with a B.F.A in Dance Performance and Choreography and a B.S in Dance Science, along with a minor in Exercise Science. She studied at San Antonio Dance Academy for ten years along with San Antonio Metropolitan Dance Company for four years. She has attended summer intensives with American Ballet Theater, The Joffrey Ballet, and Point Park University. During her undergraduate career, Lauren has performed in Dancing in the Landscape, Fall Dance Concert, Spring Dance Concert, Black History Dance Concert, Student Fellowship Productions and various student works. She has also choreographed in the Red Circle Showcase and her first mainstage choreography piece, Just A Number, was performed in this year’s Fall Dance Concert. Just A Number¸ was selected through an adjudicating process, to be performed and compete in the Richmond Dance Festival in May. Lauren is also a Club Pilates Apprentice and will be fully certified in Pilate’s mat and equipment by graduation!

Erin Woods

Erin Woods is a native of Ridgewood, New Jersey. She is currently a junior at Elon University pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance Performance & Choreography and a B.S. in Dance Science. Previously, Erin trained with the Steps on Broadway Conservatory program and Ridgewood Performing Arts Center, and has attended summer intensives with the Pennsylvania Ballet. She completed an internship with Hackensack Meridian Health in the inpatient Physical Therapy unit. Erin has performed in Elon’s Fall Dance Concert (2019 & 2020), the Elon College Fellows Showcase (2019), Dancing in the Landscape (2018), and is excited to perform in this year’s Spring Dance Concert!