Summer Contemporary Dance Festival Concert
This concert is made possible by The Jane Lonon Legacy Grant.
The Summer Contemporary Dance Festival, curated and facilitated by Makayla Rosenberger, is funded by the Jane Lonon Legacy Grant through the Ashe County Arts Council. The goal of the festival is to bring new ways of participating in contemporary dance to the high country. This performance will include performances by two local dance studios, the festival students, and working dance professionals.
Local Studios Performing:
High Country Performing Arts Academy (HCPAA)
April’s School of Dance (ASD)
Professional Guest Dancers:
Makayla Rosenberger
Makayla is a dance artist, choreographer, and educator who is a native to West Jefferson, NC. She earned a BA in Dance with a concentration in Education and K-12 North Carolina Teaching License from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2018. In 2019 she created a dance program at Hopewell High School in Huntersville and has also been working as the advanced ballet instructor and Youth America Grand Prix coach at Dance Fusion of Harrisburg, NC. She is trained in ballet, modern, contemporary, and jazz dance forms. Makayla has trained with Paul Taylor American Modern Dance in NYC, performed in Tony award winner George Faison’s restaging of “Suite Otis”, and studied under former American Ballet Theatre dancer Melissa Coyle. Over the past couple of years Makayla has presented choreography throughout the state, including her recent work “Internal Swimming” in Looseleaves Showcase performed at Brooklyn Grace. She believes we are all dancers and anyone can experience the joy of movement. Makayla will begin her Masters of Fine Arts in Dance at Texas Woman’s University in August of 2022.
Alyssa Bainey (She/Her)
Alyssa Bainey is a current student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she is attaining a Bachelor in Arts in Dance, with a concentration in Dance Education, graduating in this upcoming December. She is also a dance teacher at Dance Fever, a dance studio with locations in the Charlotte and Huntersville areas. Alyssa is trained in many different styles in dance, including ballet, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, and tap! Her goal in life is to share her passion of dance with others, so that they can experience the same joy that dance has brought to her!
Joshua Dawson
Joshua Dawson is an accomplished dancer and choreographer at the young age of 19 years old. He began his dance training at Dancerz Stage in Charlotte, NC under his mentor Treshawn Brown. He later continued his training at Havilah Dance Company in Matthews, NC. At the age of 12, he had the amazing opportunity to perform with Debbie Allen in the Award-Winning Musical “Brothers of the Knight.” Throughout his teenage years, he has traveled around the country and has won numerous regional and national titles and championships. Joshua has also danced for the NBA as a member of the Hive Hip Hop Crew and appeared in Broadway Star Christy Altomare’s new music “Freedom Inside.” Currently, Joshua lives in New York City where he is continuing his training as a BFA Commercial Dance student at Pace University, where he trains under greats such as Dee Caspary, Lauren Gaul, Scott Jovovich, and Michael Cusumano.
Anna Edwards
Anna Edwards is a Charlotte, NC based dancer, choreographer, and teaching artist. She earned her B.A. in Dance Performance, Choreography, and Theory from UNC Charlotte in 2018 and her M.F.A. in Dance from Hollins University in 2019. Since then she has been an adjunct lecturer at Johnson C. Smith University and Winthrop University. She also teaches at local dance studios and is the Co- Director of Belmont Dance Expressions and Director of Central Fine Arts Academy. As a dancer and choreographer, Edwards seeks to empower voices, emphasize community, and tell stories through rigor and play.
Elizabeth Mendieta
Elizabeth Mendieta is a dancer and choreographer currently based in Charlotte, North Carolina. In New York City she was a scholarship student with Jennifer Muller/The Works, an apprentice with Lori Belilove and the Isadora Duncan Dance Company, a guest artist with the Alison Cook Beatty Dance Company and a company member with Emma Elliott Dance. She also performed choreography by Anna McDunn in NACHMOx and with Atmosphere Dance at Project Dance NYC. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2017, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in Dance Performance and Business Management. She has attended intensives with Joffrey, Bates, the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, RIOULT, Doug Varone and Dancers, and the Limón Dance Company. Elizabeth’s choreography has been performed at The Deadline, the International Sandwich Festival, the Loose Leaves Showcase, and the BOOM Festival.
Program Order
Slow Up
Dancer: Joshua Dawson
Choreography: Joshua Dawson
Music Credits: Jacob Banks
Strut (HCPAA)
Dancers: Ella Lambert, Macie Beard, Drew Johnson, Abigail Lyall, Arabella Hanson
Choreography: Suzanne Rieder, Christina Mae Lee
Black and Gold (ASD)
Dancer: Holland Price
Choreography: Destiny Young
Gimme More (HCPAA)
Dancers: Emery Barr, Carly Bently, Melody Pierce, Chloe Henson, Callie Goodman
Choreography: Suzanne Rieder
Girlz (ASD)
Dancers: Emmaline Farmer, Harlow Smith
Choreography: Destiny Young
Shake the Room (HCPAA)
Dancers: Aleva Presnell, Meridy Brown, Scotlyn Johnson, Collins Brown
Choreography: Christina Mae Lee
Divine Development
Dancer: Makayla Rosenberger
Choreography: Makayla Rosenberger
Music Credits: Michael Wall
Radiance
Dancer: Alyssa Blainey
Choreography: Blainey
Music Credits: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Across the Blue Ridge Mountains
Dancers: Emery Barr, Callie Goodman, Arabella Hanson, Abigail Lyall, Melody Pierce, Holland Price
Choreography: Makayla Rosenberger
Music Credits: Rising Appalachia
This festival work was inspired by Appalachian culture and aims to highlight the landscapes of Ashe County.
INTERMISSION
Are you not going to come see me?
Dancer: Anna Edwards
Choreography: Anna Edwards
Music Credits: Vince Guaradli Trio, Bridgerton Vail
It’s a Man’s World
Dancer: Joshua Dawson
Choreography: Joshua Dawson
Music Credits: Joshua Ledet
Party Swing (HCPAA)
Dancers: Ella Lambert, Macie Beard, Drew Johnson, Abigail Lyall, Arabella Hanson
Choreography: Suzanne Rieder
Countdown (HCPAA)
Dancers: Hadley Goss, Melody Pierce, Chloe Henson, Emery Barr, Carley Bentley
Choreography: Suzanne Rieder
Falling Like The Stars
Performed by festival participants
Choreography: Makayla Rosenbegrer
Music Credits: James Arthur
This is a demonstration of skills learned throughout the festival by the Kid’s Contemporary Class.
Dancing With Your Ghost
Performed by festival participants
Choreography: Makayla Rosenberger
Music Credits: Sasha Alex Sloan
This is a demonstration of skills learned throughout the festival by the Teen Contemporary Technique Class.
Finding Place
Dancers: Alyssa Blainey, Joshua Dawson, Anna Edwards, Elizabeth Mendieta
Choreography: Makayla Rosenberger in collaboration with the dancers
Music Credits: Michael Wall
This festival piece was created to engage the audience through an abstract narrative and showcase the strengths of the dancers. In this work Makayla uses contemporary dance to explore the concepts of community, relationships, and support.
Finale
Dancers: Emery Barr, Callie Goodman, Arabella Hanson, Abigail Lyall, Melody Pierce, Holland Price
Choreography: Makayla Rosenberger
Music Credits: Alison Brown
