Performance Playbill
Beacon Dance in association with The Decatur Arts Festival
Presents
Breaking New Ground: New Dance
at The Decatur Arts Festival
May 4 & 5, 2024, 4:00 PM
The Old Courthouse on the Square
101 E. Court Square
Decatur, GA
Program
Contribution
Conceived by Priscilla Smith and Ryder Seigle
Movement and Sounds by the ensemble
Performed by Majid Araim, Lucifer Arias, Ryder Seigle and Priscilla Smith
Ryder Seigle, Priscilla Smith, Majid Araim, and Lucifer Arias have been performing together in various combinations for a decade. They incorporate sound, movement, spectacle, text, and concept in live performances that range from pure improvisation and structured/alternatively-scored improv, to fully scored and choreographed works.
Ren
Choreographed by Meg Gourley
Music by Angus Macrae, Led Zeppelin, Stephen Paulus
Performed by Theo Westing, Caroline Spies, Stella Lopez, Kate Heston, Julia Sconyers, Sofia Satterfield,
Sara Villavasso (Saturday Only), Zoe Hebert (Sunday Only), Ruby Butler (Sunday Only), Willa Silvis (Sunday Only)
Decatur City Dance is the resident performing company of Decatur School of Ballet and is in its 70th season of delivering the art and experience of dance to the community. With six performing companies underneath its umbrella, DCD presents accomplished professional and student performers in ballet, modern, jazz, tap and contemporary dance. Meg Gourley grew up dancing at Decatur School of Ballet, later becoming a performing member of the Apprentice Ensemble and the Rug Cutters. After receiving her BFA in Dance performance at the University of Georgia, she returned to the Atlanta area to become a teacher with Decatur School of Ballet, a choreographer for DCD, and as a professional performer with AboutFace, the professional contemporary company of Decatur City Dance. Meg also performs with the widely acclaimed local contemporary company, Kit Modus, as well as a free-lance artist, and in the summer of 2024 will begin her MFA studies in dance at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Hydrostatic (Excerpt)
Choreographic Direction by D. Patton White
Music by Luis Miehlich, State Azure
Costume design by D. Patton White
Performed by Leah Behm, Susan Keller, Onur Topal Sumer, D. Patton White and Carly Wynans
D. Patton White is in his 34th season directing Beacon Dance. Beacon is focused on developing an appreciation for and understanding of contemporary dance. The work of Beacon is informed by the fundamental elements of dance—the body, time, space and energy, as well as the furthering of social justice and the protection of the natural world. Beacon often presents work in unexpected and unusual locations with the intention of altering one’s perception of both the space and of performance.
STEPPING OUT
Choreographed and Performed by: Gloria Blalock-Kitchens
Music by: Jentezen Franklin; Brent Morgan; Amit May Cohen and George Stanley Clinton, Jr.; Diane Eve Warren; Andy Anderson, Blanca Reyes, Jose M Reyes, Tony Battaglia; Patrick Rundblad
Gloria Blalock-Kitchens has been performing for over 20 years. She loves eclectic work that inspires and encourages people to live their best life in peace and freedom. Gloria travels locally and internationally ministering, performing, teaching, training, conducting workshops, and consulting groups and individuals on the artistry of interpretive, creative, expressive dance. She is also heavily involved in volunteering, missions, and the community. She combines her love of dance with her various other professions {Life & Health Insurance Agent, Aerobic Dance & PT Instructor, Counselor and Professional Caregiver}. She is currently organizing her non-profit community resource center.
King Lay Down
Choreographed and Performed by Henry Koskoff and Merryn McKeough
Music by Brian Eno and Clutchy Hopkins
Henry Koskoff is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, and performer. His poetry has been awarded by university contests and published in nationwide literary magazines. In 2023 he graduated from Emory University and received the Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts. Since then, Henry has worked with Atlanta choreographers George Staib, Jacqui Hinkson and Annalee Traylor. This fall he will begin a two-year Poetry MFA at New York University.
Merryn McKeough is an Atlanta-based choreographer and movement artist. An Emory University graduate, Merryn danced with the Emory Dance Company for four years and presented work at ACDA, receiving highest honors in dance and movement studies. In Atlanta, performances and choreography have included Play. Risk. Research., the Center for Puppetry Arts’ XPT, Bautanzt Here at Elevate Atlanta, Dance Canvas, Beacon Dance’s Moving Bodies/Moving Hearts/Moving Minds, and Fall for Fall Dance Festival. Merryn’s choreographic interests lie at the intersection of movement, people, and play.
Shift (Sunday Only)
Choreographed and performed by: Heidi Baila
Music by: Radio Laria and Drumspyder
Heidi Baila identifies as a transcultural fusionist blending dance styles from across the SWANAHT (Southwest Asian, North African, Hellenic and Turkish) regions, her western technical dance training and her Afro-Cuban heritage. www.HeidiBaila.com
Life Cycle Part VI: Reflections (Sunday Only)
Choreography, Music, Costume Design by Majid Araim
Performed by Luciana Arias and Majid Araim
Majid Araim is an Iraqi-American multi-instrumentalist, composer, educator, curator, visual artist, researcher and a fixture of the Atlanta improvisation and new music communities. Majid's prolific work as a composer focuses on resonance and dynamics, experimental approaches, and is oriented towards the natural world and fantasy realms. In 2023 Majid was a recent recipient of PREMIER Artist Residency at Georgia Tech School of Music for Whispers of Night’s work with geofons, specialized contact mics for use in ground mediums, exploring communication through filtration of our natural environment; and individual artist awards from Fulton County and Creative Capital to produce an new opera. Majid holds degrees in Music Composition and Jazz Studies from Georgia Southern University, and since 2013 has presented over 110 concerts as curator of the Magic Lantern series. In addition to their creative work as a musician, they are a dedicated parent, horticulturist, and animal lover.
Contribution
Conceived by Priscilla Smith and Ryder Seigle
Movement and Sounds by the ensemble
Performed by Majid Araim, Lucifer Arias, Ryder Seigle and Priscilla Smith
Ryder Seigle, Priscilla Smith, Majid Araim, and Lucifer Arias have been performing together in various combinations for a decade. They incorporate sound, movement, spectacle, text, and concept in live performances that range from pure improvisation and structured/alternatively-scored improv, to fully scored and choreographed works.
Ren
Choreographed by Meg Gourley
Music by Angus Macrae, Led Zeppelin, Stephen Paulus
Performed by Theo Westing, Caroline Spies, Stella Lopez, Kate Heston, Julia Sconyers, Sofia Satterfield,
Sara Villavasso (Saturday Only), Zoe Hebert (Sunday Only), Ruby Butler (Sunday Only), Willa Silvis (Sunday Only)
Decatur City Dance is the resident performing company of Decatur School of Ballet and is in its 70th season of delivering the art and experience of dance to the community. With six performing companies underneath its umbrella, DCD presents accomplished professional and student performers in ballet, modern, jazz, tap and contemporary dance. Meg Gourley grew up dancing at Decatur School of Ballet, later becoming a performing member of the Apprentice Ensemble and the Rug Cutters. After receiving her BFA in Dance performance at the University of Georgia, she returned to the Atlanta area to become a teacher with Decatur School of Ballet, a choreographer for DCD, and as a professional performer with AboutFace, the professional contemporary company of Decatur City Dance. Meg also performs with the widely acclaimed local contemporary company, Kit Modus, as well as a free-lance artist, and in the summer of 2024 will begin her MFA studies in dance at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Hydrostatic (Excerpt)
Choreographic Direction by D. Patton White
Music by Luis Miehlich, State Azure
Costume design by D. Patton White
Performed by Leah Behm, Susan Keller, Onur Topal Sumer, D. Patton White and Carly Wynans
D. Patton White is in his 34th season directing Beacon Dance. Beacon is focused on developing an appreciation for and understanding of contemporary dance. The work of Beacon is informed by the fundamental elements of dance—the body, time, space and energy, as well as the furthering of social justice and the protection of the natural world. Beacon often presents work in unexpected and unusual locations with the intention of altering one’s perception of both the space and of performance.
STEPPING OUT
Choreographed and Performed by: Gloria Blalock-Kitchens
Music by: Jentezen Franklin; Brent Morgan; Amit May Cohen and George Stanley Clinton, Jr.; Diane Eve Warren; Andy Anderson, Blanca Reyes, Jose M Reyes, Tony Battaglia; Patrick Rundblad
Gloria Blalock-Kitchens has been performing for over 20 years. She loves eclectic work that inspires and encourages people to live their best life in peace and freedom. Gloria travels locally and internationally ministering, performing, teaching, training, conducting workshops, and consulting groups and individuals on the artistry of interpretive, creative, expressive dance. She is also heavily involved in volunteering, missions, and the community. She combines her love of dance with her various other professions {Life & Health Insurance Agent, Aerobic Dance & PT Instructor, Counselor and Professional Caregiver}. She is currently organizing her non-profit community resource center.
King Lay Down
Choreographed and Performed by Henry Koskoff and Merryn McKeough
Music by Brian Eno and Clutchy Hopkins
Henry Koskoff is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, and performer. His poetry has been awarded by university contests and published in nationwide literary magazines. In 2023 he graduated from Emory University and received the Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts. Since then, Henry has worked with Atlanta choreographers George Staib, Jacqui Hinkson and Annalee Traylor. This fall he will begin a two-year Poetry MFA at New York University.
Merryn McKeough is an Atlanta-based choreographer and movement artist. An Emory University graduate, Merryn danced with the Emory Dance Company for four years and presented work at ACDA, receiving highest honors in dance and movement studies. In Atlanta, performances and choreography have included Play. Risk. Research., the Center for Puppetry Arts’ XPT, Bautanzt Here at Elevate Atlanta, Dance Canvas, Beacon Dance’s Moving Bodies/Moving Hearts/Moving Minds, and Fall for Fall Dance Festival. Merryn’s choreographic interests lie at the intersection of movement, people, and play.
Shift (Sunday Only)
Choreographed and performed by: Heidi Baila
Music by: Radio Laria and Drumspyder
Heidi Baila identifies as a transcultural fusionist blending dance styles from across the SWANAHT (Southwest Asian, North African, Hellenic and Turkish) regions, her western technical dance training and her Afro-Cuban heritage. www.HeidiBaila.com
Life Cycle Part VI: Reflections (Sunday Only)
Choreography, Music, Costume Design by Majid Araim
Performed by Luciana Arias and Majid Araim
Majid Araim is an Iraqi-American multi-instrumentalist, composer, educator, curator, visual artist, researcher and a fixture of the Atlanta improvisation and new music communities. Majid's prolific work as a composer focuses on resonance and dynamics, experimental approaches, and is oriented towards the natural world and fantasy realms. In 2023 Majid was a recent recipient of PREMIER Artist Residency at Georgia Tech School of Music for Whispers of Night’s work with geofons, specialized contact mics for use in ground mediums, exploring communication through filtration of our natural environment; and individual artist awards from Fulton County and Creative Capital to produce an new opera. Majid holds degrees in Music Composition and Jazz Studies from Georgia Southern University, and since 2013 has presented over 110 concerts as curator of the Magic Lantern series. In addition to their creative work as a musician, they are a dedicated parent, horticulturist, and animal lover.
With Deepest Gratitude!
Our performances this weekend have been made possible by the generosity of our individual donors as well as several public funding agencies. Listing represents gifts made between July 1, 2023 and May 3, 2024. We sincerely regret any omissions.
Christopher McCord, Jean Heinrich, Susan Keller, Tina Cox, Kristin O’Neal, Lori and Mark Teague, Lynn Farmer, Andy Weiskoff, Kimberly Merritt, Ted Pettus, Cyndy Vaughn, Shannon Turner, David Mendoza, Carol Sandiford, Jeff Mather, Leon Clymore, John and Martha England, Susan Sunay, Trisha Clymore, Bailey Barash, Elizabeth Geiger, Karen Hammeras Zfaty, Celeste Miller, Rebecca England, Nancy White, Douglas Scott, Jennifer Scully-Thurston, D. Patton White, James Waters, Joe Follman, Lynn Hesse, Ann Ritter, Terry White, Gregory Pierce, Kathie de Nobriga, William Kinsey, Rose Shields, Maureen McKeough in honor of Merryn McKeough, Lisha Perini
This program is supported in part by The Decatur Arts Alliance and the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. Georgia Council for the Arts also receives support from its partner agency – the National Endowment for the Arts
Our performances this weekend have been made possible by the generosity of our individual donors as well as several public funding agencies. Listing represents gifts made between July 1, 2023 and May 3, 2024. We sincerely regret any omissions.
Christopher McCord, Jean Heinrich, Susan Keller, Tina Cox, Kristin O’Neal, Lori and Mark Teague, Lynn Farmer, Andy Weiskoff, Kimberly Merritt, Ted Pettus, Cyndy Vaughn, Shannon Turner, David Mendoza, Carol Sandiford, Jeff Mather, Leon Clymore, John and Martha England, Susan Sunay, Trisha Clymore, Bailey Barash, Elizabeth Geiger, Karen Hammeras Zfaty, Celeste Miller, Rebecca England, Nancy White, Douglas Scott, Jennifer Scully-Thurston, D. Patton White, James Waters, Joe Follman, Lynn Hesse, Ann Ritter, Terry White, Gregory Pierce, Kathie de Nobriga, William Kinsey, Rose Shields, Maureen McKeough in honor of Merryn McKeough, Lisha Perini
This program is supported in part by The Decatur Arts Alliance and the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. Georgia Council for the Arts also receives support from its partner agency – the National Endowment for the Arts