2019/20 ShenCoLAB Projects

A.I.M (and in motion)

Project Co-Leaders: Gigi Anderson & Maggie DeFrees

“The only love affair I have ever had was with music.” A.I.M. (and in motion) is a collaborative music and dance piece that tells the life story of composer Maurice Ravel. It explores the unique aspects of his life through movement as Ravel’s Sonatine is played on the piano. The project seeks to collaboratively utilize dancers in portraying the composer and influential people in his life, as well as any other aspects or events such as a car crash that tremendously changed his life. Lighting and costumes are used to help convey Ravel’s tragic story and transport the audience back to the 1870s.

COLLABORATORS

Maggie DeFrees, choreographer/dancer
Gigi Anderson, choreographer/dancer
Mary Kate Cawley, dancer
Amy Cutler, dancer
Sammy Fossum, dancer
Lainey Griffin, dancer
Rachel Harris, dancer
Zariah Henthorn, dancer
Alannah Kidd, dancer
Emily Luzier, dancer
Lauren McDermott, dancer
Michaela Smallwood, dancer
April Ulrich, dancer
Ashlyn Ulrich, dancer
Madeline Bevins, piano
Fatima Barrie, actor/script
Arshan Khan, actor/script
Jade Harkema, costumes
Brian Dugan, lights

SHOW RATING: G

Aria Kidding Me?

Project Co-Leaders: Carly Baron & Laura Couch

Soprano Carly Baron and mezzo-soprano Laura Couch present a delightful program of arias, duets and musical theatre numbers. This recital, accompanied by pianist Brett Baboorian, features works by Mozart, Massenet, Strauss, Delibes, Rodgers and Hammerstein and more.

COLLABORATORS

Carly Baron, soprano
Laura Couch, mezzo-soprano
Brett Baboorian, piano
Rachel Louis, stage director

Show Rating: G

Storytelling Through Cirque

Project Leader: Kelsey Rene

Storytelling Through Cirque is an exploration of cirque/circus art as a means of storytelling. Together, the troupe has worked to learn the basics of a few cirque disciplines, including acrobatics, human pyramid, juggling, slackwire and tumbling. Together, we’ve created “The Masquerade,” a performance using the new skills we’ve acquired. Get lost with us in a world of dreams where it’s true that visions are seldom what they seem. The performance will be followed by a talkback!

COLLABORATORS

McKenna Waldron
Madison Johnstone
Katalina Diller
Bailey Kinsella
Cameron Veach
Jessica Hogg
Lindsey Harford

Show Rating: PG

The Chewing Symphony

Project Leader: Matti Bissen

The Chewing Symphony is a rhythmic ensemble with many textures and tastes. The focus of this project is to change the meaningless process of eating into something greater. It will feature conservatory students but will also have opportunities for audience participation. The performance will be both humorous and enlightening as it transitions from a lunch hall white noise into an original rhythmic composition including solos and audience solis and then back to the white noise to end the piece. The instrumentation will include a healthy variety of fruits and vegetables with varying degrees of ripeness and hydration. The sounds produced throughout the ensemble will be a variety of munching, crunching, slurping, grinding, and plenty of other unique eating accents that will have original notations.

COLLABORATORS

Fatima Barrie
Caitlin Beare
Rob Catinella
Sara Corrieri
Kurt Cox
Brenna Crowgey
Frances Desrosiers
Mariah Hanson
Jade Harkema
Sam Harris
Kacie Johnson
KD Jordan
Arshan Khan
Jana Nelhuebed
Ada Rexrode
Laila Schwartz
Karina Starling

Show Rating: G

The Joy of Light

Project Co-Leaders: Carmen Burbridge

The Joy of Light is a celebration and exploration of the intersection of art and technology. The piece is an immersive movement-led performance that incorporates light and projection design. The project seeks to create a world in which the audience feels as though they are in the future (a future in which one can be optimistic about art), and also seeks to blend art and technology in a way that helps revere both.

COLLABORATORS

Sam White, stage manager/co-lighting director
Trevion Walker, set designer/co-lighting director
Andres Arteaga, projection designer
Kennedi Rolland, mover
Max Sherman, mover
Amayah Jinks, mover
Meredith McClure, mover
Claudia Boutwell, choreographer and dancer
V Cangelosi, choreographer and dancer
Andrew Stevens, music editor
Julia Liebowitz, crew

Show Rating: PG-13 (explicit language)

This project uses a strobe light effect.

Being Positive

Project Leader: Daniel Burston

Being Positive is A HIV/Aid awareness and STD/STI prevention fashion show. The fashion show is built around facts concerning today’s HIV/Aids epidemic, which will be displayed through modeling, clothes, body language, dancing, monologues, music and lights. This show uses fashion to send a message of acceptance to the audience and to kill stigmas and preconceived notions of who and what HIV positive people are. It will use artistic collaboration to inspire the audience to prevent the growth of HIV and ignorance around it. To inspire people who are HIV positive to love themselves no matter what their status, to inspire them to keep living one day at a time. It will use the history of HIV and facts of safe sex to enlighten audiences about what they need to do to know their own status, to know what HIV positive people go through, and what our generation is faced with every day. Being Positive will be true to every sense of its meaning, encouraging people to live full and healthy lives, whether they be negative or positive.

COLLABORATORS

Theresa Brown, sound producer
Rylie Butzbaugh-Patrick, actor
Victoria Alexander, model
Michaela Brayboy, model
Kévon Cody, model
Franchesca Contreras, model
Jordan Cornelius, model
Jonathon Edwards, model
Allison Farrall, model
Laterria Jordan, model
Evan Miller, model
Jalen Mims, model
Lourdes Rodriguez, model
Sydney Smith, model
Kristin Sullivan, model
Corey Sydney, model
Zakiyyah Thompson, model
Shaunghnessy Wailis, model

To Be a Human

Project Leader: Alissa Cecala

To Be a Human is a piece of immersive, devised theatre. Poems will be created based on interviews with Shenandoah students about their lives in college, including what they typically wouldn’t project to the world. These poems will then be performed in an immersive classroom environment. The performers and the audience will all be classmates together as the poems come to life around everyone. The goal of this piece is to remind everyone that we all are going through things, so it’s okay to feel whatever you feel.

COLLABORATORS

Jennifer Adams, music
Rosalee Discenza, music
Ariel Fischer, actor
Cassie Rathie, actor
Erin Coughlan, actor
Jordan Cornelius, actor
Maxwell Castellano, actor
Rachel Louis, actor
Diego Murillo, actor

Show Rating: PG

SONDER

Project Leader: Abigail Colborn

Sonder is defined as the profound realization that each person’s life is as complex as one’s own. At the start of the rehearsal process, this concept was all we had. We discovered this performance through the exploration of our life experiences and created a piece revolving around strangers connecting with one another. In a crowded place, it is easy to feel alone; stranded, even. We hope to remind people of their humanity and kindness that can be found in strangers.

COLLABORATORS

Abby Wright, assistant director
Cameron Travitz, actor
Annie Lesser, actor
Mary Sikorovsky, actor
Emma Sleeman, actor
Gabby Simone, actor
Angela Menoyo, light technician

Show Rating: PG-13

The Science of Art

Project Leader: Adrienne Elion

The Science of Art is a research-based project specifically attuned to the arts. Looking at technique from a science perspective, the goal is to find new ways to “practice smarter, not harder” and see if knowing more about the science enhances our technique. This is a lecture-demonstration focusing on a specific topic within dance, instrumental and vocal training to research and demonstrate how scientific laws enable us to make art.

COLLABORATORS

Adam Abrahms, research team
Johnny Canamaso, research team
Daniel Mackie, research team
Dakota Matos, research team
Cassidy Myers, research team
Nathan Ploski, research team

21st Century Cabaret

Project Leaders: Lily Farrar

21st Century Cabaret is about bringing the world of a 1960s cabaret into the 21st century. The project draws inspiration from the 2010 movie Burlesque, the work of Bob Fosse — specifically from Sweet Charity (1969) and Cabaret (1966) — and the work of PostModern Jukebox. The experience will be a 45-minute show replicating a 1960s cabaret variety show, including 5 dance pieces with a live band and singers performing songs of the modern age, ranging from Katy Perry to Kanye West with a classic jazz twist.

COLLABORATORS

Maggie Pekala, dancer
Ashley Rivette, dancer
Cara Thomas, choreographer/dancer
Arrow ZurSchmiede, choreographer/dancer
Spencer Lynn, host
Jack Dossett, singer/dancer
Emily Steinhart, singer/dancer
Kati Freeman, dancer
Brandon Cameron, dancer
Becca Hopkins, dancer
Maddie Boone, dancer
Brittney Prestridge, dancer
Vanessa Estaniel, voice
Matt White, band
John Toomer, band
Andrew Stevens, band
Mark Quarles, band
Jon Long Leary, band
Nick Leasure, band
Dom Jackson, band
Quincy Harmon, band
Evan Ripple, band

FACULTY MENTOR

Michael Lomeka, Auxiliary Adjunct Assistant Professor of Dance, M.F.A.

Envizé Tutti

Project Leader: Briana Gillet

The purpose of Envizé Tutti is to create a unique interdisciplinary collaboration between the dance and music departments at Shenandoah Conservatory that showcases creativity in artistic expression. In this live experience, dancers and musicians share the stage to present one complete audience experience of an original composition.

COLLABORATORS

Briana Gillet, trumpet
Caeley Niess, trumpet
Lenny Falwell, composer
Aaron Tonaki, choreographer
Nicolette Peron, dancer
Trey Gregg, dancer

Temperance

Project Leader: Amy Hale

Temperance is a nonlinear theatre piece that explores the five stages of grief and what it means to be in another person’s life. Temperance will be told in small vignettes that are out of chronological order and each in a different performance style/genre.

COLLABORATORS

Isabelle Howley
Katie Holland
Finn MacDevitt
Ruby Larimer
Amanda Leyva
Katryna Richter
Tyler Wrotny
Erik Daughterman

Show Rating: PG-13

This production contains explicit language and mentions of death.

Jazz Steps

Project Leader: Jared Haley & Colby Gustafson

Jazz Steps is a study of the history of jazz and hip-hop. The goal of this study is to see how these two musical genres influenced black culture and each other. This presentation is not only an analysis of the music but a celebration of the styles intertwining.

COLLABORATORS

Colby Gustafson

Show Rating: PG-13

This production uses explicit language in the music examples.

There is One

Project Leader: Brianna Jaeger

“Hope for those who are hopeless, and healing for the wounded.” There Is One is a programmatic score written by new music composer Charity Morrison of North Texas University. This project, titled after the composition, is a faith-based piece combining multiple disciplines into a single performance. There Is One will feature live piano music, dancers and spoken word to shed light and hope into the lives of those who are emotionally broken, victims of domestic violence and abuse, addiction and trauma.

COLLABORATORS

Seanna Krikorian
Brianna Jaeger
Rachel Bitgood

So What Do You Guys Do?

Project Leader: Allie Kassraie

So What Do You Guys Do? is a common question posed to music therapists and music therapy students everywhere. Even for those who have a grasp on music therapy, it can be hard to determine the difference between “music in therapy” and “music as therapy.” If you have ever been curious about what music therapy is, how it works or who uses music therapy services, come participate during these day-to-day sessions. The final performance culminates in a deep dive into what music therapy is in broad terms by talking to professionals and discussing ways in which music therapists and health care providers are making it accessible.

Show Rating: G

COLLABORATORS

Nikki Bohnett
Kevin Carlton
Diana Miranda
Hannah Wheeler

Faculty Mentor

Bronwen Landless, Assistant Professor of Music Therapy, M.M.T., MT-BC

Without a Hurt, the Heart is Hollow

Project Leader: Robert Lewis

“When I was a child…I thought as a child.” But eventually we all must grow up. We put away our fantasies of how the world works and learn the realities. Sadness and discomfort are part of that process. They teach us that there’s more to life than ourselves. As we learn about the lives of others, each with their own joys and sorrows, we learn how to live together. Using selected scenes and songs from the musical The Fantasticks, this performance explores the idea that pain and sorrow are essential parts of life, and without them there is no joy.

COLLABORATORS

Troy Wheeler, Matt
Alaina Droog, Luisa
Javere Green, El Gallo
Ashlyn Fitch, ensemble
Conner Kabat, ensemble
Gracie Keener, ensemble
Caitlyn Piedra, ensemble
Owen Raynor, ensemble
Maggie Roach, ensemble
Devyn Trondson, ensemble
Cole Vaughan, ensemble
Nick Villacorte, ensemble
Riley Thad Young, ensemble
Robert Lewis, piano
Erin Roukous, harp
Erik Daughterman, choreographer
Kaila Friedman, choreographer

Show Rating: PG

Faculty Mentor

Carolyn Coulson, Professor of Theatre, Ph.D.

The Writer’s Lament

Project Leader: Alia Shahid

A young writer’s emotions get the best of her when she is faced with an excruciating dilemma in the midst of meeting a major deadline, a dilemma that could change her life for the better… or worse. This piece is a sensory, immersive experience through movement, projection, lighting, and sound, that dwells into the intuitive, colorful mind of a creative writer’s mind.

COLLABORATORS

Abigail Haggerty
Jeneane Kraft
Kevon Cody
Kayli Lemeiux
Camila Calderon
Ali Leary
Andrea Diaz
Rita Welch
Jordan Champe
Braxton Cooper
Nate Kiefer

Shore

Project Leader: Signe Mortensen

Shore is a piece written by the Danish String Quartet and represents the shores on the coasts of Denmark, the ensemble’s home. This project experiments with the idea of string musicians in a quartet moving to mimic the waves coming in and out at the shore. Dancers will add additional movement to the piece, along with fabrics used to add distinct visual effects to the experience.

COLLABORATORS

Brenna Crowgey, violin
Layla Baker, violin
Jaylon Hayes-Keller, viola
Nikki Bohnett, cello
Trey Gregg, dancer

Disco at ShenCo

Project Leader: Evan Ripple

Disco at ShenCo was formed with the idea of bringing back 70s disco and pop in a dance party environment. The group is composed of students from many majors at Shenandoah Conservatory, including Music Education, Music Production & Recording Technology, Jazz Studies, Acting and more. The performance environment will be very exciting and allows participants to experience the disco era in a jukebox dance party fashion by selecting the music from the setlist! Dance and sing along with some of the best music from the 70s!

COLLABORATORS

Jacob Aguglia, performer
Angel Dominguez, performer
Noah Flanigan, performer
Quincy Harmon, performer
Nick Leasure, performer
Jasmine Lockwood, performer
Jon Long-Leary, performer
Evan Ripple, performer
Matt White, performer
Justin Whitt, performer
Mike Pratt, performer/audio
Mark Quarles, performer/audio
Roz Smith, performer/audio
Andrew Stevens, performer/audio
Alex Lopez, performer/lighting

SHOW RATING: PG

This production uses strobe lights and loud volume.

Mo’bility

Project Leader: Allyson R. Trunzer

Mo’bility is a multidisciplinary, interactive presentation exploring movement, sound and film. The conversation surrounds the theme of able-ism and movement accessibility to all bodies. The project was inspired by different individuals ranging from dancers to pregnant mothers and friends with mobility issues, all having an interest in dance. The intention is to create an environment where space and movement can be shared with everyBODY.

COLLABORATORS

Frances Desrosiers, composer/viola
Sara Corrieri, composer/viola
Michael Daley, double bass
Ian Warren, percussion
Ashayla Byrd, dancer
Hannah Mikulecky, dancer
Hallie Moore, dancer
Jenny Dalrymple, movement
Ashlyn Fitch, movement
Maggie Roach, movement
Azaria Rubio, movement
Andy Espinoza, film
Allyson R. Trunzer, film
David Eisele, tech coordinator

Show Rating: PG

Audience participation is suitable for all ages.

Faculty Mentor

Matt Pardo, Assistant Professor of Modern Dance, M.F.A.
Film: Professor Paul DiFranco / Assistant: Joe Fisher

An Exploration of the Javanese Gamelan

Project Leader: Anita Williams

This project gives students the opportunity to explore music outside the traditional Western canon by putting on a short performance highlighting the Javanese Gamelan, a traditional southeast asian percussion ensemble. A brief lecture will be paired with traditional Gamelan repertoire and Lou Harrison’s Threnody for Carlos Chavez to showcase how the ensemble has been used by Western composers.

COLLABORATORS

Jack Kerness, Gamelan ensemble
Jacob Routhier, Gamelan ensemble
Jonah Frith, Gamelan ensemble
Austin Dettor, Gamelan ensemble
Kevin Carlton, Gamelan ensemble
Edward Shilts, Gamelan ensemble