STUDIODANCE I
DANCE AT ILLINOIS
Thursday-Saturday, March 12-14, 2015, at 7pm and 9pm
Studio Theatre
PROGRAM
STUDIODANCE I
DANCE AT ILLINOIS
Thursday-Saturday, March 12-14, 2015, at 7pm and 9pm
Studio Theatre
March 12
Graveyard III by Rhea Speights at 7pm
regre[]and0 by Angélica Angulo Soledad at 9pm
The Ballad Collection by Angie Pittman at 9pm
March 13
regre[]and0 by Angélica Angulo Soledad at 7pm
The Ballad Collection by Angie Pittman at 7pm
Graveyard III by Rhea Speights at 9pm
WELCOME
It has been a revelatory experience to witness these three artists delve deeply into areas of research
specific to themselves to unearth such distinctive choreographic visions. There have been many
transformative moments along the way and much hard work, rigorous questioning, and of course lots of
movement. What you see here tonight is the culmination of this research and as you will see each artist
has developed a singular aesthetic voice. Ranging from the deeply personal to the highly conceptual,
the imagined to the concrete these works ask us to see the familiar in new contexts and imagine new
relationships between ideas and structures. The work can’t quite be pinned down; each piece leads
us through fully embodied experiences that wreck havoc with familiar genres. Each creates spaces for
us to sense, imagine, and become familiar again with well-known forms such as ballet, the horror film,
Motown, and hip hop as well as experience new intimacies and othernesses. Please enjoy the show,
talk to each other, the artists and the dancers about your experience. We welcome your thoughts and
responses to the work.
—Jennifer Monson
March 14
Graveyard III by Rhea Speights at 7pm
regre[]and0 by Angélica Angulo Soledad at 9pm
The Ballad Collection by Angie Pittman at 9pm
This production includes haze effects.
This production is supported, in part, by donations to The Producers Group. Dance at Illinois gratefully acknowledges these gifts, which
assist performing arts students in their professional training.
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REGRE[]AND0
GRAVEYARD III
Choreography
Rhea Speights
Choreography
Angélica Angulo Soledad
Costume Coordinator
Kaitlyn Day
Music
Pinda Ho
Costumes
Rhea Speights
Costume Coordinator
Kaitlyn Day
Lighting Designer
Eric Norbury
Lighting Designer
Erin Pleake
Sound Designer
Jailen Ellis
Sound Designer
Jailen Ellis
Sound and Performance Composition
Arielle Dykstra
Abi Elliot
Ellie Fujimoto
Rhea Speights
Dancers and Collaborators
Brendan Behan
Charles Gowin
Angélica Angulo Soledad
Dancers
Arielle Dykstra
Abi Elliot
Ellie Fujimoto
Carla Gruby
Gina Matsie
Reika McNish
Vicky Ronin
Hadley Smith
Randi Townsend
Mary Vo
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WITH THE SUPPORT OF
Pause
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THE BALLAD COLLECTION
Choreography
Angie Pittman in collaboration with Dancers
Music
Motownphilly by Boyz II Men
Tony Reimer
Costume Coordinator
Kaitlyn Day
Lighting Designer
Michael Shoaf
Sound Designer
Jailen Ellis
Understudy
Raha Behnam
Dramaturg
Lailye Weidman
Dancers
Elise Frost
Angie Pittman
Elissandra Rosario
Rhea Speights
James Washington
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to Tony Reimer, Cynthia Oliver, Jennifer Monson, Gabe Solis, Kemal Nance, Jess Pretty,
Rhea Speights, Angélica Angulo-Soledad, and Siobahn Bryant
PROFILES
Angélica Angulo Soledad (Choreographer) is a
freelance choreographer, dancer, and educator.
She was born in Bucaramanga, Colombia and
studied dance at DICAS. While in Colombia, she
taught ballet and modern dance to all levels in
dance studios. She co-founded, collaborated, and
performed with the local dance companies La Hoja
and La Bruma, and the Colombian-German dancetheatre company Periferic. Supported by Fulbright,
Angélica is currently pursuing an MFA in dance at
the University of Illinois. Her work intends to explore
spaces in between identities and relationships that
problematize the perception and understanding
of bodies and the world. Her choreography has
been funded by Instituto Municipal de Cultura de
Bucaramanga and Gobernación de Santander.
Kaitlyn Day (Costume Coordinator) is a native of
Queens, New York. As a third-year MFA candidate
in the Costume Design Program at the U of I,
she has designed for The Tempest for Illinois
Theatre and Gone for February Dance: Hybridity
and is currently designing ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore
for Illinois Theatre. Previously, she has assisted
the costume designer for A Dream Play, Spring
Awakening, Much Ado About Nothing, and The
Skin of Our Teeth.
Jailen Ellis (Sound Designer) (aka Jay Eli) has
always had a passion for music and technology
and uses his talents for audio engineering and
music production. Jailen is currently pursuing
an undergraduate degree in sound design and
technology and is devoted to the development
of quality music of all genres. He has worked with
several prominent recording studios in downtown
Chicago, including Wall to Wall Recording, Audio
Recording Unlimited, Soundscape Studios, and
Classick Studios. His previous sound designs
at Krannert Center include Spring Awakening,
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Clybourne Park, and 44 Plays for 44 Presidents.
He is currently expanding his network within the
entertainment industry and working with several
groups and recording artists to create music for all
audiences.
Roy Howington (Technical Director) is a first-year
MFA candidate in the Scenic Technology Program
at the U of I. For more than a decade, he was a
technical director, instructor, and fabricator in
Atlanta and New York. His New York colleagues
and collaborators include the Chautauqua Theater
Company, New York University’s Tisch School of
the Arts, PDNYC’s Sleep No More, Paper Mâché
Monkey, George Tsypin Opera Factory, Juniper
Street Productions, Jerard Studios, and the
Atlantic Theater Company. His Atlanta colleagues
and collaborators include the Center for Puppetry
Arts, the Alliance Theatre, Georgia Shakespeare,
Théâtre du Rêve, Synchronicity, Theatrical Outfit,
and the Object Group.
Samantha Kosinski (Stage Manager) is a senior
pursuing a BFA in stage management at the U of
I. She has recently been the stage manager for Oh
What A Lovely War and Studiodance II; worked on
Studiodance I: Nico Johanna Niall, The Tempest,
and The Normal Heart as an assistant stage
manager; and was a technical assistant stage
manager on The Threepenny Opera. She was the
production coordinator for the Illinois High School
Theatre Festival in January. In addition to working
on her BFA, Sami is also a seasonal cast member at
the Walt Disney World Resort.
Jennifer Monson (Concert Director) uses
choreographic practice as a means to discover
connections between environmental, philosophical,
and aesthetic approaches to knowledge and
understandings of our surroundings. As Artistic
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Director of iLAND she creates large-scale dance
projects informed and inspired by phenomena of
the natural and the built environment. Her recent
projects include BIRD BRAIN (2000-2011) iMAP/
Ridgewood Reservoir (2007), NYC and Mahomet
Aquifer Project (2009) in Illinois, SIP(sustained
immersive process)/watershed (2010) in NYC and
Live Dancing Archive (2012). Her current project, In
Tow, is based in Urbana. Monson is on the faculty
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
in the Dance Department and is currently a Marsh
Professor at Large at the University of Vermont.
She is an inaugural Doris Duke Impact Artist (2014).
Eric Norbuy (Lighting Designer) is a first-year
graduate student in pursuit of an MFA in lighting
design at the U of I. He recently received his BFA
in design and production from East Carolina
University, where he was able to work with
lighting designer Howell Binkley and his team.
Recent design credits include The Little King,
Dream City and The Magic Knight, The Great God
Brown, and The Gondoliers.
Angie Pittman (Choreographer) hails from Virginia
where she began her investigation of dance
and how movement communicates in the world.
Pittman earned her BA in dance at Old Dominion
University where she also minored in art history. In
Virginia, she has performed and presented work
at the Virginia Association for Health, Physical
Education, Recreation and Dance conferences and
at the American College Dance Festival where her
choreography I Am Really Excited About This. was
selected to be performed at the Gala Showcase.
Pittman has taught and performed regionally and
internationally in Bucaramanga, Colombia; New
York; Illinois; North Carolina; and Washington DC.
She is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts in
dance and choreography with a graduate minor in
African American studies at the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign.
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Erin Pleake (Lighting Designer) is a first-year
MFA lighting and media design student at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with
interests in nontraditional theatre. As a designer,
she strives to create appropriate environments
not only for the audience but the performers as
well. When not hard at work in the theatre, Erin
relaxes with friends and attempts to learn piano.
PRODUCTION STAFF
Concert Director
Jennifer Monson
Dance Production Manager
Sarah Aker
Stage Manager
Samantha Kosinski
Technical Director
Roy Howington
Julie Rundell (Properties Master) has been
the assistant properties director at Krannert
Center since 1990. Her work has been seen at
theatres in Montana, North Carolina, Michigan,
Massachusetts, and Wisconsin, and, occasionally,
her work can be seen in Chicago. She has a BFA
from the North Carolina School of the Arts.
Assistant Stage Manager
Kyle Bricker
Properties Master
Julie Rundell
Master Electrician
Michael Lipinski
Dance Asst. Stage Mgrs.
Kamila Kinard
Alexandra Lidbury
Michael Shoaf is a first-year MFA lighting design
candidate at the University of Illinois. He recently
received his BFA in theatre arts studying lighting
design and is very excited to further develop his
eye for design. Michael has always had a huge
passion for lighting and cannot wait to see what
the future holds.
Deck Running Crew
Aryanna Aronson
Francesca Burns
Krystal Collins
Shatara Matis
Lauren Mendelson
Emily Rose
Diana Shepherd
Rhea Speights (Choreographer) is an
interdisciplinary artist, teacher, and performer.
She has presented her choreography across the
southeast as well as in Arizona, Iowa, Illinois,
New York, and Bucaramanga, Colombia, and has
taught as faculty or guest artist at the University of
Alabama, Birmingham-Southern College, Luther
College, and the American Ballet Theatre Summer
Intensive in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Speights’ work
has been supported by the Puffin Foundation and
the National Society of Arts and Letters, and she has
been awarded an Individual Artist Fellowship from
the Alabama State Council on the Arts. Speights
was artistic director of Sanspointe, a modern dance
company in Birmingham, Alabama, from 2011 to
2013.She is currently an MFA candidate in dance at
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Costume Running Crew
Isiah Asplund
Julianna Boylan
Brian Lynch
Lighting Board Operator
Alex Hutton
Follow Spot Operators
Sam Simon
Video Crew
Katie Williams
Momar Ndiaye
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