Choreographer Maleek Washington

Rehearsal Directors Lauren Blair Smith, Timothy Tsang

Lighting Designer Joseph R. Walls

Associate Lighting DesignerEthan J. Hoffman

Dancers Keara Eaton, Natalia Gomez, Lily Gonzalez, Zamora Tamminga, Ginny Jiang, Isabel Joves, Bridghaite Lemrow-Collazo-Rosario, Julia Lepore, Anyse Martin, Carly Perrino, Peyton Price, Jessica Serres, Brooke Shaw

Music Credits

“Dividing Space” from The Alias Sessions, Murcof

“Upstream” from The Sails, Pt. 1 Loscil

“Fiction” from The Sails, Pt. 1 Loscil

Acknowledgements

Grateful for the time I’ve had in the studio with these artists. Thank you to every dancer for pushing themselves. Special shout-out to my rehearsal directors for a stellar job.

Choreographer Amy Chavasse, in collaboration with the performers

Rehearsal Director Mallory McKenna

Lighting Designer Ethan J. Hoffman

Sound Designer Katie Hopgood

Dancers Landrie Adams, Alexandra Baron, Anna Bodescu, Ellie Bottio, Aaliyah Brown, Vivian Clay, Dorka Fetter, Curry Jackson, Sarah Lau, Kennedy Marshall, Ladina Schaller, Zeenia Shahpurwala, Nick Sobon, Lindsay Vondell, Ella Williams

Music Credits

“Supplicant”

Cy Tulip

“A1 Crude Motion” (Bell Dip)

Cy Tulip

“objects lost in drawers (found again at the most inconvenient times)”

Yara Asmar

“(There She Is) Miss America” (excerpted)

Johnny Desmond

“After the Gold Rush”

Neil Young (sung by Patti Smith)

“Ramified”

Pavel Milyakov & Yana Pavlova

Program Notes

Susan Sontag’s “Essay on Camp” helped me think about “Everything is America, sorry what America?” as “…a way of seeing that values extravagance, theatricality, and a detached, playful seriousness, bridging high and low culture and often associated with queer subcultures as a private code. Key elements include ….the passionate failure, seeing everything in quotation marks.” (Wikipedia) The truth is, I have a beating heart. I’m in possession of a conscience. I lack the ability to ignore the trampling of human rights and dignity, and I’m a student of history. As a dance maker, I am compelled to wrestle with and question things that are difficult.

Acknowledgements

Without the contributions of this incredible cast, this exploration, this agitation, this dance that isn’t a dance, could not have been made. I offer my sincere thanks to the performers for their willingness to take this ride. Their ravenous curiosity and commitment are evidence of their artistry and intelligence. Additional thanks to Professor Jeremy Sotore for vocal production guidance.

Choreographer Sean McKnight

Associate Choreographer Susan Foster

Lighting Designer Ethan J. Hoffman

Dancers Chloe Erwin, Emerson Forbes, Brianna Hicks, Nathan Mannella, Rachel McNaughton, Lukas Nass, Isabella Rushwin, Erika Serres, Chelsea Wallington, Angelica White, Natalie Yu

Music Credits

“Sherlock Suite” from Agents Are Forever

Performed by Hans Ek & the Danish National Symphony, recorded live on Nov. 6, 2020

“Red Right Hand” from Boxsets and Chill

Performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Acknowledgements

It has been a true privilege to return to the University of Michigan—my alma mater—and to work with this inspiring next generation of dancers. Creating alongside my lifelong friend and collaborator, Susan Grady Foster, has been a dream come true. May these artists continue to lead with courage, curiosity, and the conviction that their work can shape the world.

Choreographer Mario Bermúdez

Assistant Choreographer Catherine Coury

Rehearsal Directors Caitlyn Wade & Lauren Blair Smith

Lighting Designer Joseph R. Walls

Associate Lighting Designer Ethan J. Hoffman

Dancers Eve Anderson, Grace Aznavoorian, Ava Barber, Ryan Berger, Georgia Cain, Amanda Chizuk, Jaclyn Dierkes, Isabella Garber, Ariana Gustafson, Mary Kacsur, Gabrielle Kiminyo, Jessie Knapp, Leah Kropp, Ava Menzel, Melisa Orduna, Emily Roitman, Emily Schwarz, Dahvi Simon, Kaitlyn Wilson

Music Credits

“Whaqam saba” High Tone

“Sea Island Murders” Loscil

“Dhol Rinse” Asian Dub Foundation

Program Notes

Arise as one, let the light awaken.

Acknowledgements

With immense gratitude to our incredible dancers, rehearsal directors Caitlyn and Lauren, the U-M faculty, and the entire production team – thank you for your passion, support, and dedication!

The works in this production will be separated by interludes performed by students of the School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Sonata no. 2 Eugène Ysaÿe

II. “Malinconia”

Braden Riley, violin

Sonata for Two Violins Sergei Prokofiev

I. “Andante Cantabile”

Braden Riley, violinFelix Guggenheim, violin

44 Duos Béla BartókNo. 43 “Pizzicato”

No. 22 “Mosquito Dance”

Braden Riley, violinFelix Guggenheim, violin

The performers in this production are students in the Department of Dance. The designers for this production are students, faculty, and/or guests of SMTD. Scenery, costumes, properties, sound, and lighting were realized by the students and staff of University Productions, the producing unit of SMTD. Thank you for supporting our educational mission.

Mario Bermúdez (Choreographer) is the co-founder, artistic director, choreographer, and principal dancer of Marcat Dance, one of Spain’s leading contemporary dance companies. A native of Vilches, he trained as an athlete and discovered dance at the age of 20 in Seville. He worked in New York City with Gallim Dance and Jennifer Muller/The Works before joining Batsheva Dance Company in Tel Aviv, performing works by Ohad Naharin, Sharon Eyal, Hofesh Shechter, and Roy Assaf. Renowned for its dynamic physicality and emotional intensity, Bermúdez’s choreography is performed by Marcat Dance and leading international companies, including the Spanish National Dance Company, National Dance Company Wales, and Scapino Ballet Rotterdam. His work has earned him the Andalucía Prize for Theatre and Performing Arts, the Ojo Crítico Prize from Spain’s National Radio, the MAX Awards for Best Male Dancer, and the Spanish Academy Award for Best Choreography. He has also been recognized in Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch.” Bermúdez co-directs Festival Vildanza, transforming Vilches each summer into a hub for creation, training, and the celebration of dance.

Amy Chavasse (Choreographer) (she/any) is a choreographer, performer, educator, and improviser, and the artistic director of ChavasseDance&Performance. Current projects include a drag/About the Creative Team

dance/music/storytelling work, “Afterlife Plunder,” with performances in NYC, South Korea, and the American Dance Festival; “Collapso,” with Buenos Aires-based choreographer Luciana Acuña and Brooklyn-based dance artist Nola Sporn Smith; and “Little Charlotte, the Round Ray,” a collaboration with Malcolm Tulip. Her work has been presented at Shanghai Urban Space Art Season 2019, the New Dance Festival (Daejon, South Korea), and the Goyang International Dance Festival (Seoul), as well as in Uppsala, Sweden; Cuba; Kaunus and Vilnius, Lithuania; Vienna Cali, Colombia; Vancouver, BC; Buenos Aires; the American Dance Festival in Henan (China), the Beijing Dance Festival, and in many US venues. She joined the Department of Dance in 2006, introducing many new initiatives and courses. She is fortunate to have collaborated with many talented colleagues across SMTD and the university. This is her final Power Center creation.

Catherine Coury (Assistant Choreographer) is the co-founder and co-artistic director of Marcat Dance, one of Spain’s most celebrated contemporary dance companies, and Festival Vildanza, an international dance festival based in a rural village in southern Spain, bringing world-class dance to a region where it might otherwise not exist. She also serves as principal dancer and creative assistant to Spanish choreographer Mario Bermúdez and is a certified Gaga teacher (Ohad Naharin’s movement language). Coury’s performances with Marcat Dance have earned her “Best Female Dancer” at the Escenarios de Sevilla Awards (2023), the Lorca Awards (2023), and the PAD Awards (2020), and she is a three-time nominee for the Spanish Academy Awards (2023–25). In 2024, she received the Paul Boylan Award from the University of Michigan for her artistic and educational contributions. A native of Michigan and a U-M graduate, she founded U-M’s first study abroad program in Spain (2019) and previously performed in New York City with choreographers Shen Wei and Shannon Gillen, touring internationally.About the Creative Team

Brittany Crinson (Hair & Makeup Designer) is the Wigs, Hair, and Makeup Studio manager and designer for all of UPROD. Crinson spent several years in Chicago building her portfolio and skill set as a wig, hair, and makeup designer. Her credits include hair department head of HBO’s Somebody Somewhere, season 3; the head of hair and makeup for the Joffrey Ballet for several seasons; and hairstylist on Hulu’s The Bear, seasons 1-4, in addition to designing for theatres around Chicago and Detroit. She is thrilled to be back for her second full year at U-M.

Camille Deering (Costume Designer) is an accomplished costume designer across theatre, opera, ballet, and modern dance, and also a proud member of USA Local 829. Currently, she is working with the Indiana Repertory Theatre on their upcoming production, “English”, opening in March 2026. Deering’s passion for both costume design and dance has brought her numerous opportunities, including the notable reimagined premiere of “La Bayadère” at Indiana University Jacob’s School of music. “Cabaret” at Indiana University Theatre, and now the U-M’s Dance Company Program. Deering’s collaborative spirit has also led her to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, where she served as an associate costume designer for “Yuletide Celebration in 2025.” She served as 2nd Assistant Costume Designer on the MET/Jacob’s School of Music co‑production of the world premiere of “Kavalier and Clay.” Additionally, she was the assistant costume designer for “The Marriage of Figaro” at the Santa Fe Opera in 2025, and has designed costumes for the play “WAD” at the New Harmony Project. Camille has also branched out into the film world, with the film “Someone Saved My Life” and the Oscar-nominated short film “The Ice Cream Man,” working as a set costumer on both films. Deering received her BFA in costume design from Emerson College, and her MFA in costume design from Indiana University.About the Creative Team

Patrick Drone (Props Designer) is the theatrical properties supervisor for the School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD). He has held this position for over half of his two decades in props at SMTD, during which he has worked on over 200 productions that include theatrical, opera, and modern dance pieces. He is mentor to countless students spanning from majors in SMTD programs participating for course credit to those in unrelated programs filling work-study job positions. Regardless of what brings them, he believes their learning is made better through experiencing the realm of props. Prior to joining the University of Michigan, he used and grew his skills at Virginia Scenic/Virginia Opera, the Arizona Theatre Company, Denver Center Theatre Company, Goodspeed Musicals, and Northrup Grumman-Newport News Shipbuilding-Reactor Team (to keep things interesting for those still reading). Drone is an active member and co-vice president of the Society of Prop Managers.

Shannon Gillen (Artistic Director) is the artistic director of VIM VIGOR (US). Her choreographic work has been commissioned widely throughout the United States, Canada, Central America, South America, and Europe. Notable projects include commissions and collaborations with L.A. Dance Project; BAM (dance.films); New York Fashion Week; Danceworks at the Lobero Theatre; Gibney Dance Company; Zagreb Dance Company; Hubbard Street 2; Resilience Dance; over het lj (NL); Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival; Boston Dance Theater at the ICA Boston; Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center; b12 Festival at Dock 11 (DE); and as a Think Big choreographer-in-residence at Staatsoper Hannover (DE) and the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University. Her work has been presented at prominent festivals and venues in the US and abroad. Recent commissions include projects with IUA Reykjavík (Iceland); b12 Festival Berlin; the Institute of the Arts Barcelona (ES); Michigan Movement Performance Projects (M2P2), an annual contemporary training and creation program held at U-M. In 2025, VIM VIGOR established Arts Assembly A2, a new hub for contemporary performance training and research in Ann About the Creative Team

Arbor. Gillen is an associate professor of dance at U-M. She is a graduate of the Juilliard School and holds an MFA from Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. artsassemblya2.com vimvigordance.com

Ethan J. Hoffman (Lighting Designer) is a senior pursuing a BFA in theatre design & production with a concentration in lighting design at the University of Michigan. Design credits include Cabaret (University Productions), Oklahoma! (Encore Musical Theatre Company), A Chorus Line (MUSKET), and Stop Kiss (Rude Mechanicals). Assistant design credits include Ethan Stiefel’s Spirit of the Highlands (American Repertory Ballet), Jorden Morris’s Giselle (Orlando Ballet), Messiah in America (Millennial® Choirs and Orchestra), West Side Story (Encore Musical Theatre Company), Turn of the Screw (University Productions), The Opposite of Killing (University Productions), Flying Home (University Productions), ReQuest (University Productions), Mabanza (University Productions), and The Cherry Orchard (University Productions). ethanhoffman.com

Shelby Holloway (Production Stage Manager) is a third-year student pursuing her BFA in theatre design and production, with concentrations in stage management and lighting design, with an additional minor in business administration. Other U-M credits include: UProd—The Convent (ASM), Gloria (Assistant Lighting Designer), University of Michigan Dance Company 2025 (1ASM); Basement Arts—I and You (PSM). Outside of theatre, Shelby is also the Production Manager for EnspiRED Runway. She would like to thank the entire team, especially her ASMs, for such a wonderful experience!

Jillian Hopper (Co-Artistic Director) is interim chair and assistant professor of dance at U-M. Hopper is excited to be returning to the Power Center as co-AD with Shannon Gillen this year. She is a specialist in the technique and repertory of Doris Humphrey, delving deeply into performance aesthetics and methods of embodiment within classical modern dance practices. Hopper has had the pleasure of collaborating with

the University Musical Society on the Graham 100 Performance that just took place in January 2026. The performance included 31 BFA dance majors who performed “Panorama” (1935), created by Martha Graham and re-staged by Kim Jones on the same program with the Martha Graham Dance Company. She has taught professionally for Northern School of Contemporary Dance (Leeds, UK), Middlesex University (London, UK), the Place (London, UK), Eastern Michigan University, and Hillsdale College, and is a regular guest choreographer for ConTexture Dance Detroit.

Sean McKnight (Choreographer) began his career as a performer, appearing on Broadway or in national tours of Anything Goes, Shrek, A Christmas Story, Curtains, The Producers, 42nd Street, Cinderella, and Annie Get Your Gun. Other highlights include many seasons of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular; New York City Center Encores! productions of Merrily We Roll Along, Girl Crazy, and Stairway to Paradise; as well as Kennedy Center productions of Ragtime, Carnival!, and Mame. As a choreographer and director, McKnight earned an Ovation! Award and LA Drama Critics Circle nominations for Hot Mikado, and he staged the sold-out concert “Broadway Classics at Carnegie Hall,” starring Carolee Carmello and Cheyenne Jackson. His work includes The Big Waltz at Lincoln Center, numerous Broadway Cares events (including Carol Channing’s 90th birthday celebration), and many regional productions. McKnight holds a BFA in musical theatre from U-M and an MA in arts management from the New School.

Lauren Blair Smith (Rehearsal Director) is a professional performing artist, choreographer, and the proud founder/artistic director of Lauren Blair Smith Dance Company in Singapore. Smith holds a BFA in contemporary dance with a minor in arts entrepreneurship from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and is currently pursuing her MFA at U-M. She is a multi-Maggie Allesee Choreography Award finalist (and 2024 screendance winner). Smith is a Kenan

About the Creative Team About the Creative Team

Fellow at Lincoln Center Education, an American Ballet Theatre certified teacher, and founder of Singapore Dance Intensive. Smith performed on the Broadway national tour of Fiddler on the Roof in 400+ performances in 100+ cities. Smith’s choreography has been featured in the US, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, Portugal, and Australia and has received prestigious recognition from international festivals. Smith has also enjoyed successful collaborations with organizations such as Panasonic, Google, Jewel Changi Airport, TEDx Procter & Gamble, Certis Group, X System International, and Singapore American School. laurenblairsmith.com

Timothy Tsang (Rehearsal Director) is a queer Chinese American dance artist whose work bridges contemporary performance, cultural memory, and embodied research. He is currently pursuing his MFA in dance at U-M, where his research investigates queer performance, Chinese cultural memory, and the affective influence of cinema. Tsang has been awarded the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies Fellowship and the Rackham International Research Award in support of his research-based creative projects. His choreographic work has been commissioned and presented at venues including the Auditorium Theatre, Links Hall, the Edge Theater, and Evanston Dance Ensemble, and he has performed with companies such as South Chicago Dance Theatre, Mordine & Company Dance Theatre, and the Seldoms. His current work centers on choreography as a practice of care, attention, and cultural inquiry, examining how movement holds memory, relationality, and lived experience across time.

Caitlyn Wade (Rehearsal Director) is from Rochester Hills, Michigan, and graduated from U-M in May 2025 with a BFA in dance, a BA in linguistics, and an astronomy minor. Through their time at U-M, Wade trained closely with both VIM VIGOR and Marcat Dance, placing specific emphasis on floorwork, partnering, Gaga, improvisation, and Humphrey. In the fall of 2025, Wade officially joined VIM VIGOR as a company

member. Also working as an apprentice with Marcat Dance, they were hired by the U-M Department of Dance as Marcat’s rehearsal director for “Arise” to be performed by current students. Wade has performed works by VIM VIGOR and Marcat Dance through Michigan Movement Performance Projects, as well as works by FLOCKWORKS, Rosanna Tavarez, Wideman-Davis, KyungHwa Hong, Jillian Hopper, and FangFei Miao. Additionally, they have worked closely alongside NW Dance Project, RUBBERBAND, and Giordano Dance Chicago.

Joseph R. Walls (Lighting Designer) is an international lighting designer whose work spans dance, theatre, and live events. His designs have been seen at the Kennedy Center and by companies such as Royal Caribbean Entertainment, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, the Washington Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Ballet West, Atlanta Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Richmond Ballet, Utah Metropolitan Ballet, Inland Pacific Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, and Ballet Nacional de Cuba. Walls’s notable credits include the 2019 Catholic Church World Youth Day in Panama City, Panama, a historic event led by Pope Francis and Messiah in America with Millennial Choirs & Orchestras. His recent work features Grassville by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and the upcoming North American premiere of The Osmonds: A New Musical. He is currently a faculty member in the Department of Dance. jwallsdesign.com.

Anishinaabeg gaa bi dinokiiwaad temigad manda Michigan Kichi Kinoomaagegamig. Mdaaswi nshwaaswaak shi mdaaswi shi niizhawaaswi gii-sababoonagak, Ojibweg, Odawaag, minwaa Bodwe’aadamiig wiiba gii-miigwenaa’aa maamoonjiniibina Kichi Kinoomaagegamigoong wi pii-gaa aanjibiigaadeg Kichi-Naakonigewinning, debendang manda aki, mampii Niisaajiwan, gewiinwaa niijaansiwaan ji kinoomaagaazinid. Daapanaming ninda kidwinan, megwaa minwaa gaa bi aankoosejig zhinda akiing minwaa gii-miigwewaad Kichi-Kinoomaagegamigoong aanji-daapinanigaade minwaa mshkowenjigaade.

The University of Michigan is located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe people. In 1817, the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Bodewadami Nations made the largest single land transfer to the University of Michigan. This was offered ceremonially as a gift through the Treaty at the Foot of the Rapids so that their children could be educated. Through these words of acknowledgment, their contemporary and ancestral ties to the land and their contributions to the University are renewed and reaffirmed.

Thank you for attending this program. The University of Michigan strives to create a truly open forum, one in which diverse opinions can be expressed and heard. You can see our full Freedom of Expression policy at smtd.umich.edu/FOE

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