California Arts Academy presents Elemental Dance, a concert of classical and contemporary dance, May 16 & 17 at 7:30pm and May 18 at 2:00pm, at the Severance Building.
Experience dance that is elemental: essential, meaningful, thoughtful… of earth, air, fire, and water. These elements have long been studied in relation to our physical bodies, our psychology and spirituality, our culture, and the natural environment. As dancers, we embrace the beauty and symbolism of these elements and express them through classical and contemporary dance interspersed with spoken word performance. Faculty and students of California Arts Academy and the Severance Ballet Conservatory are the artists, dancers, and choreographers of Elemental Dance. We are pleased to include a piece by special guests Heart Sparks, an emerging local modern dance company.
Elemental Dance is directed by Julie Ann Keller and features choreography by CAA dance instructors Lesandre Ayrey, Daniel Chavez Jr., Margaret Hord, Carla Stallings-Lippert, Sarah Lofgren, J. Orta, Noel Pryor, Dallas Aranjo, and Crystal Tiscareno. Guest choreographer Beth McGill (former dance faculty of Fresno City College) has set her award-winning modern piece “Mahadeva” on members of the Severance Ballet Conservatory for these performances.
Exerpts from Elemental Dance and works-in-progress were presented at the 2008 Rogue Festival to appreciative audiences, and we are pleased to now present the full-length concert with lighting design by Nikki Lack. Donald Munro of the Fresno Bee said of the rogue show, “…it is nice to see enthusiastic young people so enamored of their art form. There are likely some real stars in the bunch.”
A significant number of dancers taking part in Elemental Dance will be traveling this summer to prestigious audition-in summer intensive programs. These programs are highly competitive, and they are the first step a dancer takes toward a professional dance career. Carolyn Lippert (age 14) and Paula Obler (age 17) will be training at American Ballet Theater in New York City. Lexi Bohigian (age 13) will be training at the Joffrey Ballet, also in New York City. Meredith Johnson (age 19) will participate in the American Ballet Theater Collegiate Program in New York. Melissa Wu (age 13) will study with the Washington DC Ballet, and Whitney Hord (age 19) will attend the Alvin Ailey school in New York.
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