Choreographer Feature: Brynn Barber

Name: Brynn Barber

Year: Sophomore

Major: Government - Minor: Sociology

Years of Dance Experience: 12 years
Dance Troupe Experience: 2 years performing, 1st year choreographing

Favorite Style of Dance: Contemporary Jazz

Favorite Color: Yellow

Music for Concert: Lights (Bassnectar Remix)

Title: A Purpose
Cast List: Lindsay Cope, Noelle Mouton, Emily Haire, Suzannah Forbes, Caroline Fagan, Morgan Johnston, and Marley Simonis

What is your dance about? The social constraints that affect people in everyday life.

Where did you get the inspiration for this piece? It's a common theme that everyone faces at some point in their life.
What do you hope the audience gets from this piece? I have absolutely no idea haha, that they really enjoy the piece.

What has been the most challenging part of choreographing this number? Choreographing variety when the same beat is throughout the music and choreographing a story into the piece. I have a problem conveying a storyline through choreographing, I usually choreograph by listening to the music and just going with what comes to me.

What is your favorite part of being involved in dance troupe? Being able to be involved in many different styles of dance. I learn something new every year; last year was the very first time I had ever done hip-hop!

What part of the concert are you most looking forward to? Performing: getting dressed up and going out on stage

Are you tired of your song yet?? Surprisingly no!

Choreographer Feature: Morgan Johnston

Name: Morgan Johnston

Major: Biology with minor in Religion and Dance

Years of Dance Experience: 11

Dance Troupe Experience: 1st year!

Favorite styles of dance: Tap and contemporary

Favorite color? Green

Music for Concert: Plc.4 Mie Haed (Amp Live Ft. Zion) by Linkin Park

Title: Breaking Through

Cast List: Brynn Barber, Victoria Davis, Caroline Fagan, Suzannah Forbes, Danni Jones, Kristina Lewis, and Marley Simonis

What is your dance about? My dance is about women who are being taken advantage of and are finally standing up for themselves.

Where did you get the inspiration for this piece? I have known this song for awhile now, but only recently I have been educated on the abuse some women go through, whether that be verbal, physical, or emotional abuse. Women who go through these horrible experiences either stay beaten down in it or come out of it stronger. I have seen women who fight back and who come out stronger than they were before, both in their relationship with God and with their self-esteem. To me these women who fight are very inspiring, because it would be so easy to just give up. 

What do you hope the audience gets from this piece? I really want the audience to see the strength of the dancers and really enjoy watching it!

What has been the most challenging part of choreographing this number? The most difficult thing for me is coming up with choreography... Yeah, I know right?! 

What is your favorite part of being involved in dance troupe? I love hanging out with fellow dancers who are AWESOME and of course being able to dance more on a regular basis.

What part of the concert are you most looking forward to? I can't wait to see everybody's piece completed with costumes and lighting! They are all great and I love watching them!

Are you tired of your song yet??

I am not tired of it yet, but I definitely do not listen to it anymore than I have to!

Choreographer Feature: Monique Masutier

Name: Monique Masutier

Class: Junior

Major: Interdisciplinary Studies- Movement and Psychology

Minor: Spanish

 

How many years have you been dancing? 10

What is your favorite type of dance: Ballet and modern

Years involved in Dance Troupe: This is my second.

Music for concert: Glósóli by Sigur Rós

 

Cast List: Caitlin Million, Emily Thomas, Dani White, Suzannah Forbes, Caroline Fagan, Emily Haire, Holly Bevil, Morgan Johnston, and Abbey Smyth

 

What is  your dance about? My piece is about struggles and finding your strength despite them.

 

What do you hope the audience gets from this dance? I would love for the audience to be able to relate to my piece. I would love for them to be able to 'plug in' their struggle and see that there is strength in fighting through it.

Who is your favorite choreographer? Pina Bausch. Not only has her choreography been an inspiration to me but her confidence and intent as well.

 

What has been  (or is) your favorite part about being involved in dance troupe? I have loved being involved in dance troupe because I have been able to work with so many talented dancers and choreographers! Everyone is so fun and creative!

 

Choreographer Feature: Victoria Davis

Name: Victoria Davis

Class: Junior

Major: Communications

How many years you have been dancing: 17 years

Your favorite type of dance: Hip-Hop

Dance Troupe Experience: First year performing and choreographing!

Music for Concert: Massive Attack by Nicki Minaj

Title of piece: Vital Signs

Cast List: Kristina Lewis, Monique Masutier, Lindsey Cope, Markie Fleming, Seth Smith, Danni Jones, Susannah Forbes, Sydney Thayer, Alex Peters, Camille Hardy, Benson Phinazee, Kit Durant, Lucero Mendez, and Chas McLaughlin

What is you piece about? My dance is about finding that one thing that brings a new clarity to your life. I want it to represent a break from our daily, predictable, and tiring routines.

Why did you chose to make this piece? I chose this type of dance and song because it’s a style and theme that I’ve wanted to work with for a really long time. I’ve typically choreographed lighter, more feminine dances, so I wanted to experiment with a more intense, heavier movement.

Anything you hope the audience gets from this dance? I hope that my dance is powerful enough to encourage the audience to either find or get back into an activity that brings them to life and allows them to let loose. Other than that, I just hope it makes them want to jump out of their seats and start dancing themselves!

Choreographer Feature: Sydney Thayer

Name: Sydney Thayer

Class: Senior

Major/Minor: Management major/Dance Minor

How many years you have been dancing: This is my First year actually dancing, but I did cheerleading for 9 years and The Rome Braves Brigade for 2 years. 

What is your favorite type of dance: I like watching all styles, but Ballroom and hip hop are my favorites to dance.

Years involved in Dance Troupe: This is my first year

Music (song you're using): You Make Me Feel by Cobra Starship (feat. Sabi)

Title of piece: Playful Attractions

Cast List: Bentley Anderson, Cory Brooks, Victoria Davis, Kit Durant, Aaron Estes, Kara Hardy, Kristina Lewis, Michelle McAloon, Graydon McCrite, Benson Phinazee, Radu Rodila, Kristine Smith, Caleb Timmerman, and Dani White

 

What is your dance about? My dance is about the first time you meet that Special Someone in your life, and you experience those flirty interations. The dance is all about having fun with this person and seeing those first interactions and feelings between two people.

Why did you chose to make this piece? My inspiration for this dance was my own experience with interactions like these. I love my boyfirend very much and I look back and just smile when I think about when we were first getting to know each other and acted like this.

Anything you hope the audience gets from this dance?: I hope that when the audience watches my dance thay see the connections my dancers have with each other and can look back on their own life and remember their own flirty expericnces and smile.  

 

Have you had any experience choreographing before the choreography class? I have choreographed many routines for my cheerleading squads and a couple of dances for the Braves Brigade

 

What has been (or is) your favorite part about being involved in dance troupe? Meeting and getting to know all of the wonderful dancers. I feel like I have really made a lot of friends and can't wait to work with them next again.

What is your biggest challenge when it comes to choreographing? The biggest challenge for me was coming up with hip-hop choreography for the men in my dance. At first I felt akward trying to dance like a boy or not come up with moves a guy wouldn't do, but I eventually figured it all out and they look great!

Choreographer Feature: Caitlin Million

Name: Caitlin Million

Class: Senior!

Major: Psychology

Minor: Dance

How many years have you been dancing? 18

Your favorite type of dance? I'm totally a ballerina but I love contemporary

Music for concert? Combo of drum pieces

What your dance is about? AFRICA! and literally, Vitality!

Why did you choose to make this piece? I have a huge passion for Africa. In my opinion, nothing fits vitality better than a full of life, full of energy African dance. I was in Africa again this summer and I was excited to bring a piece of the culture back to share. 

Anything you hope the audience gets from this dance? Encouragement to let go "Live Alive"! I hope this dance encourages them to see the vibrancy of life and embrace it! 

What has been your favorite part about being involved in dance troupe? The people! We are really like one big family. Of course I love the dancing part but the people are what really make it special.

What is your biggest challenge choreographing this year? Well I'm only African in my heart and I'm definitely a ballerina by training so learning the type of movement well enough to teach it to other people and choreograph has been a bit of a challenge...but a very fun challenge.

What kind of dances have you choreographed in the past? Contemporary ballet, so this is a big change for me!

Do you see yourself continuing in dance after graduation? If so, what do you want that to look like? I'd love to! I'm really not sure what that will look like because I'm guessing that grad school is going to take up a lot of my time. I'd love to maybe work part time at a studio or for a local/school company and choreograph for them (and dance for them too!). 

Choreographer Feature: Danielle White

Name: Danielle White

Class: Junior

Major: Dance Education

Years of Dance Training: 17

Favorite style of dance: Contemporary/ Modern

Music: Glitter in the Air by P!nk

Title of piece: Revuls

Cast List: Mary Liz Taylor, Michelle McAloon, Lindsay Cope, Kristine Smith, Noelle Mouton

What is your dance about? This piece is about suddenly losing someone important in your life and how to cope with it. To know that you must keep living your life even though their gone. That the world does not stop revolving because of the loss of a person.

Why did you chose to make this piece? A little over a year ago my grandfather passed away, he was very important in my life as the patriarch of my family. When he passed you could feel a difference in the atmosphere, an emptiness, a blank space. It took the whole family a few days before we could really do much beyond simply being. This relates to my dance because I had to keep moving and keep living even after he died, although it was a sharp blow to myself and my family we made it through and we kept living. 

What do you want the audience to get from your piece? I hope the audience gets a sense of questioning and longing from this piece. The lyrics of the song ask questions regarding the little things that one may not think as important and I hope the audience takes a sense of understanding from this dance. Understanding what and who is important in this life.