Photo courtesy of Ella Wilson ’16
Student dancers from the Scripps Dance program achieved regional and national recognition for their choreography and performances among 47 works presented at the American College Dance Conference—Baja Regional held at California State University, Los Angeles, on March 16–19. Scripps Dance entered two works, both of which were selected for performance at the culminating Gala event, considered the highest honor of the 32-college regional dance conference. The dancers, whose work was judged on artistic and technical merit, are students at Scripps, Pitzer, and Pomona Colleges.
Solo dancer and choreographer Stella Hoft (Pitzer ’16) was selected as an alternate for invitation to perform at the 2016 National College Dance Festival in June at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
“Both of Scripps’ entries were selected for the Gala event: not only is that unusual, but of all the works presented to blind adjudication, only three choreographed by undergraduate students made it to the Gala,” said Ronnie Brosterman, professor of dance and chair of the Scripps College Dance Department. Brosterman noted that the recognition is all the more significant because many of the presenting colleges have conservatory-style graduate programs and faculty or guest artists choreographed the majority of works presented.
“We couldn’t be more proud that our students were recognized for their intelligent and original choreographic voices and for their embodied performances,” added Brosterman.
Student choreographers were Ella Wilson ’16, who presented her trio Être // ˆtre, danced by Alexis Boone ’16, Jacci Yin ’16, and Willa Hevly (Pomona ’17); and Stella Hoft (PI ’16), who performed her solo a self portrait dedicated to Einstein.