Performance Playbill
Beacon Dance
Presents
Moving Bodies/Moving Hearts/Moving Minds III:
An evening of 5 new dances
April 4-6, 2025
The B Complex Gallery
1272 Murphy Avenue SW
Atlanta, GA
Playbill
NABI
Choreographed by Madison Lee
Music by Molly Lewis, HYUKOH (혁오) and 落日飛車 Sunset Rollercoaster, Shin Joong Hyun, Anthony Scott, Seoul Music Ensemble, and Lee Mi Ja
Costumes designed by Madison Lee
Performed by Chi Rung Chan, Hiroko Kelly, Jillian Lee, Kayla Lim, Jacquelyn Pritz and Abigail Yi
* Nabi is the Korean word for butterfly
after it falls/we start anew
choreographed by AK Bayer with collaborator Kiera O’Reilly
music by M83, Jordan Seigel, Max Richter, Gorillaz; audio engineering by Nikolas Parnell
costume design by AK Bayer
performed by Kiera O’Reilly and AK Bayer
pink?
Choreographed by Leah Behm in collaboration with the dancers
Music by Gwen Stefani and Nat King Cole
Costumes designed by Leah Behm in collaboration with dancers
Performed by Chi Rung Chan, Kennedy Kerr, Henry Koskoff, Madison Lee, Merryn McKeough, Mia Shocket, Carly Wynans
15 Minute Intermission
Corpus Elementus
Choreographic Direction by D. Patton White
Music by Enya, Roma Ryan
Costume design by D. Patton White
Video Projection Design by D. Patton White
Performed by Lynn D. Hesse, Susan Keller, Matthew Smith and Alex Spitzer
Disform
Artistic Direction by Ashlee Jo Ramsey-Borunov
Music by Andrew Langdon, Chantress Seba
Creative Collaboration and Performance by Sammy Spriggs, Jodie Jernigan, Emily Hall Utz, Caroline Alcott, Carly Wynans, Leah Behm and Susan Keller
Additional Contributors: Sonya Rio-Glick, Joshua Gilyard
There will be a brief 20 minute facilitated talk back with the choreographers following each performance. We hope that you can stay and discuss these works with the artists.
Choreographed by Madison Lee
Music by Molly Lewis, HYUKOH (혁오) and 落日飛車 Sunset Rollercoaster, Shin Joong Hyun, Anthony Scott, Seoul Music Ensemble, and Lee Mi Ja
Costumes designed by Madison Lee
Performed by Chi Rung Chan, Hiroko Kelly, Jillian Lee, Kayla Lim, Jacquelyn Pritz and Abigail Yi
* Nabi is the Korean word for butterfly
after it falls/we start anew
choreographed by AK Bayer with collaborator Kiera O’Reilly
music by M83, Jordan Seigel, Max Richter, Gorillaz; audio engineering by Nikolas Parnell
costume design by AK Bayer
performed by Kiera O’Reilly and AK Bayer
pink?
Choreographed by Leah Behm in collaboration with the dancers
Music by Gwen Stefani and Nat King Cole
Costumes designed by Leah Behm in collaboration with dancers
Performed by Chi Rung Chan, Kennedy Kerr, Henry Koskoff, Madison Lee, Merryn McKeough, Mia Shocket, Carly Wynans
15 Minute Intermission
Corpus Elementus
Choreographic Direction by D. Patton White
Music by Enya, Roma Ryan
Costume design by D. Patton White
Video Projection Design by D. Patton White
Performed by Lynn D. Hesse, Susan Keller, Matthew Smith and Alex Spitzer
Disform
Artistic Direction by Ashlee Jo Ramsey-Borunov
Music by Andrew Langdon, Chantress Seba
Creative Collaboration and Performance by Sammy Spriggs, Jodie Jernigan, Emily Hall Utz, Caroline Alcott, Carly Wynans, Leah Behm and Susan Keller
Additional Contributors: Sonya Rio-Glick, Joshua Gilyard
There will be a brief 20 minute facilitated talk back with the choreographers following each performance. We hope that you can stay and discuss these works with the artists.
From the Artistic Director:
This is the third year that we have presented a mixed repertory concert of new works that have been commissioned by Beacon Dance by choreographers who are either early in their careers or are making a shift in their work mid-career and embrace art as a tool for social change. The unifying factor remains the focus on social justice and the potential for art to reflect the conditions of our contemporary culture. Each choreographer has asked themselves how they wish to place art making at the center of forging a more just community for all. And each choreographer approaches this work through the lens of their impression of a less than just world.
We are at a crossroads at this time, in this place, and we must rise to the occasion and use our bodies, with energy, to transform our community.
--Patton
This is the third year that we have presented a mixed repertory concert of new works that have been commissioned by Beacon Dance by choreographers who are either early in their careers or are making a shift in their work mid-career and embrace art as a tool for social change. The unifying factor remains the focus on social justice and the potential for art to reflect the conditions of our contemporary culture. Each choreographer has asked themselves how they wish to place art making at the center of forging a more just community for all. And each choreographer approaches this work through the lens of their impression of a less than just world.
We are at a crossroads at this time, in this place, and we must rise to the occasion and use our bodies, with energy, to transform our community.
--Patton
Technical Staff:
Lighting Design and Board Operator: Noah Hill
Stage Manager and Sound Board Operator: D. Patton White
Tech Crew: Anderson England, Andre Lumpkin, Katherine Martinez, Thales Lathrop, Gamble Everett
Front of House
Welcome Table: Nancy White, Eleanor Brownfield
Concessions: Dana Lupton, Kimberly Merritt
Lighting Design and Board Operator: Noah Hill
Stage Manager and Sound Board Operator: D. Patton White
Tech Crew: Anderson England, Andre Lumpkin, Katherine Martinez, Thales Lathrop, Gamble Everett
Front of House
Welcome Table: Nancy White, Eleanor Brownfield
Concessions: Dana Lupton, Kimberly Merritt
Beacon Dance Board of Directors 2024-2025
Eleanor Brownfield, Lynn Hesse, Susan Keller, Chris McCord, Kimberly Merritt, Jacquelyn Pritz, Ann Ritter, Alex Spitzer, Curtis Tention, D. Patton White
Eleanor Brownfield, Lynn Hesse, Susan Keller, Chris McCord, Kimberly Merritt, Jacquelyn Pritz, Ann Ritter, Alex Spitzer, Curtis Tention, D. Patton White
Artist Biographies
Caroline Alcott (Performer)
Caroline Alcott is a performing artist based in Atlanta Georgia. She earned a BFA in Dance (May 2023) from the University of the Arts located in Philadelphia, PA. In the Fall of 2023, Caroline debuted her choreographic work in Atlanta as a recipient of the Meli Kaye Artist Residency. She has presented her choreography at dance festivals such as the Modern Atlanta Dance Festival (2024) and Fall for Fall (2024). Caroline is a company member Atlanta’s site specific dance company, Bautanzt Here, where she danced most recently on the Atlanta Beltline as a part the company work, Avoiding Highways. In the Summer of 2022, she spent a month in Italy studying and making performance art at the Santa Reparata International School of Art under the direction and guidance of Mara Flamm & Pietro Gagliano. She has experience in photography, film editing, visual arts, costume construction, performance art, and dance. Caroline has performed in works by notable choreographers including Jesse Zaritt, Curt Haworth, Isa Newport, Ashlee Jo Ramsey Borunov, and Nadya Zeitlin.
AK Bayer (Choreographer and Performer)
AK Bayer (they/she) is a multidisciplinary artist, performer and choreographer from Atlanta working to share stories and somatic experiences through a variety of mediums. A lifelong mover and maker, AK draws on their personal experiences and identities as a source of inspiration for their work. They are in their third season as a company member with Full Radius Dance and have had the honor of working with Bautanzt Here, Leo Briggs, Meaghan Novoa, Dani Terrel, Beacon Dance, among others. Recently expanding their creative practice to 3D visual art, AK has been working with found and repurposed objects to create sculptures and installations. Across all mediums, they create from a place of curiosity and play, and with the belief that art is a form of resistance.
Leah Behm (Choreographer and Performer)
Leah Behm (she/her) is a dance artist inspired by the connections and relationships between people and how that can shape the self. While she works as an event professional and bartender, having the opportunity to dance and collaborate with local artists and companies such as EXCAVATE BODY and Beacon Dance is what's truly meaningful to her. As a 2021 graduate from Emory, Leah cherishes being a part of the ever flourishing dance community in ATL and all of the amazing artists and humans she has the pleasure of knowing because of it.
Chi Rung Chan (Performer)
Chi Rung Chan (they/she) is a multicultural artist, dancer, and choreographer from Taipei, Taiwan. In 2024, Chi Rung graduated from Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Movement Studies and received the Pioneer Award for “their distinctive improvisational sensibilities and sophisticated movement interpretation”. Beginning their dance journey as a Ballroom dancer, Chi Rung has since expanded their practice in various styles such as Modern/Contemporary, Hip-Hop and Street Styles, West African Dance, and Ballet. Chi Rung is now based in Atlanta to continue their artistic endeavors, with their most recent involvement as a Meli Kaye Artist in Residence with the Decatur School of Ballet!
Lynn Hesse (Performer)
Lynn Hesse has a background in sacred dance and a lifetime member of the Sacred Dance Guild, SDG. She taught dance through the United Methodist Church’s Jurisdictional Conferences at Young Harris College and facilitated dance for adults and children for over twenty years. Currently, she is on the Beacon Dance Board and a troupe member of The Atlanta SoulPrint InterPlayers and The Dancing Flowers for Peace. She has performed many of her works through FIELD at Emory Schwartz Center and CORE along some performances with the Louise Runyon Dance Company. The dance duet video “Blue Steel” is in The Georgia State University Women’s Archive Section documenting Lynn’s choreography about her non-traditional role as a female police officer and Louise Runyon’s steel worker experiences and poetry. This dance was performed at the Beacon Theatre in Decatur and the 2011 Atlanta Modern Dance Festival.
Jodie Jernigan (Performer)
Jodie Jernigan is an interdisciplinary dance artist based out of Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to being a company dancer with Full Radius Dance and Monica Hogan Dance Works, she also pursues freelance performance and creation opportunities in and around Atlanta. She earned her BA in Dance and English from Brenau University, where she founded and directed the University's annual cross-disciplinary Poetry in Motion Film Festival. Her background in language arts greatly informs the ways in which she explores the communicative and connective properties housed within dance. Jodie has performed locally at the Modern Atlanta Dance Festival, Inman Park Dance Festival, Fall for Fall Dance Festival, and Decatur City Dance's Meli Kaye Artist in Residency Showing, to name a few. Jodie has had the opportunity to produce and present work for the American College Dance Association Festival, Alabama Dance Festival, Fall for Fall Dance Festival, and Dance ATL’s AM Collaborative Program.
Susan Keller (Performer)
Susan Keller: I love to dance. I have danced all of my life in various forms, with joy if not well. I took ballet as a child and modern dance in college. To my delight, I was introduced to Contact Improvisation in my late 20's. I particularly enjoy the creative process of making dances with Beacon Dance. And I am honored to share the stage with so many beautiful, talented, and thinking dancers.
Hiroko Kelly (Performer)
Hiroko Kelly (she/her) is a second generation Japanese American emerging choreographer, moving artist, and researcher, whose work reflects the intangible truth of intergenerational connectivity rooted in Eastern philosophy. In 2017 she received her BA in Dance from Kennesaw State University and in 2023 she received her MA in Urban and Public Affairs from the University of San Francisco. She was a 2024 Dance USA Institute for Leadership Training Mentee and an awarded choreographer for the 2024 Dance Canvas-Atlanta Contemporary Summer Choreographic Residency. She is the Development Coordinator + Community Engagement for DanceATL, facilitating funding and developing programming initiatives. She continuously commits herself to decolonizing movement practices, believing that art is our greatest catalyst for social change.
Kennedy Kerr (Performer)
Kennedy Kerr is a dance artist in Atlanta, GA. She graduated from Emory University in 2023, where she had the opportunity to perform works by George Staib, Julio Medina, and her peers including many of the dancers in this cast. Kennedy is currently a PhD student in biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory, studying how the brain controls balance and gait in unpredictable conditions. She is grateful to be dancing in this piece and be a part of the Atlanta dance community.
Henry Koskoff (Performer)
Henry Koskoff is a writer-performer; a dancer and a poet. He dances in order to have a body without saying anything in particular, and writes in order to say things without having any particular body. He attended Emory University, where he studied Creative Writing and Dance and was awarded the Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts. Since then, he has worked with Atlanta choreographers including George Staib and Annalee Traylor. He currently resides in Brooklyn, where he is pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University.
Jillian Lee (Performer)
Jillian Lee is an undergraduate student at Emory University pursuing a B.A. in Psychology & Dance and Movement Studies with a concentration in Arts Management. She received her training in ballet from Nunnbetter Dance Theatre under the guidance of Leath Nunn, Eleanor D’Antuono, and Kimberly Galberaith in Bergenfield, NJ. As a member of the Emory Dance Company, she has performed in works by George Staib, Annalee Traylor, and Doug Varone and Dancers. In 2024 Jillian served as a Goldstone Fellow at Groove With Me Inc., a dance nonprofit in East Harlem, NY, where she taught ballet and assisted with program coordination. Jillian presented her first choreographic work, “Entranced”, at the March 2025 American Collegiate Dance Association Southeast Conference. She is grateful to have been a part of Madison Lee’s process and is thrilled to perform NABI!
Madison Lee (Choreographer and Performer)
Madison Lee (any pronouns) is a senior at Emory University studying Dance and Marketing. They were awarded the Stipe Fellowship in the Fall of 2023, and are currently conducting research for their honors thesis. Originally from Dallas, Texas, they trained intensively in hip hop and other styles and have performed with the Dallas Cowboys and Royal Caribbean Cruises. Since coming to Atlanta, they have begun training in contemporary and modern techniques and have presented multiple works throughout their time at Emory. They have gotten the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Jacque Pritz, Jacqui Hinkson, Leo Briggs, Julio Medina, George Staib, Annalee Traylor, Xan Burley, and Alex Springer. Currently, Madison is a company member with Catching Mangoes, led by Jacque Pritz, and Excavate Body, led by Jacqui Hinkson.
Kayla Lim (Performer)
Kayla Lim (she/her) is an undergraduate student at Emory University double majoring in Nursing and Dance & Movement Studies. She received her training at Studio Bleu Dance Center in Ashburn, VA under the guidance of Amanda Rambler, Troy Brown, Heidi Moe, Kate Kosinski Kane, Jesse Lloyd, and Bella Pearlman. At Emory, Kayla is currently the president of BlaeZ dance team, captain of Persuasion Dance Crew, and a member of Emory Dance Company. Within the company, she has performed in works created by Angela Harris, George Staib, and Annalee Traylor. Last spring, Kayla had the opportunity to present her first choreographic work, "shutter" at the Emory Dance Company shows.
Merryn McKeough (Performer)
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. As a choreographer and/or performer, Merryn has worked with the Center for Puppetry Arts, Bautanzt Here, Dance Canvas, Beacon Dance, Fall for Fall Dance Festival, the Decatur Arts Festival, Chattanooga Dance Theatre, and The Goat Farm. Informed by work with Musicians & Movers and Atlanta’s vibrant contact improvisation community, Merryn’s approach to movement is rooted in play.
Kiera O’Reilly (Performer)
Kiera O’Reilly (they/he/she) is a dance artist and licensed massage therapist in Atlanta, GA. They hold a BFA in contemporary dance from UNC School of the Arts, and graduated from Georgia Massage School in 2024. Along with massage therapy and dance, Kiera loves to play with their two cats, and to be with friends and family. They are honored to be a part of Moving Bodies/Moving Hearts/Moving Minds III in community with such talented and creative artists.
Jacquelyn (Jacque) Pritz (Performer)
Jacquelyn (Jacque) Pritz is a local dance artist, freelance project manager, and Senior Program Coordinator at Emory College of Arts & Sciences. A 2nd generation Filipino-American woman, Jacque’s research surrounds culture and identity, art activism, ancestral relationships and engaging with community through the spirit of kapwa. She launched Catching Mangoes Dance with the goal to uplift hyphenated American stories with audiences. You can learn more about Jacque at www.jpritzdance.com and @jpritz.dance and @catchingmangoesdance on Instagram.
Ashlee Ramsey-Borunov (Choreographer)
Grounded in the perspective that dance-making lives in the primal, physical, emotional and spiritual consciousness of all humans, Ms. Ramsey-Borunov’s artistic focus centers on collaboration, community participation and making dance available as a creative practice for all people. Her work can be described as simultaneously playful and confrontational, resisting dominant ideological aesthetics, activist in nature, and often community inclusive. Ms. Ramsey-Borunov has shown work, performed or taught in North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, Arizona, Austria, the U.K. and India. Her experience as an educator includes dance and yoga courses at Elon University, Wake Forest University, Winthrop University, and Salem College, and she holds a teacher certification with DanceAbility International. Ms. Ramsey has been published in the international academic periodical, Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices (2011) and has presented work or research at the NDEO National Conference, The Fifth Annual Somatic Dance Conference and Performance Festival, and Elon University’s Intersect Diversity and Leadership Conference. Ms. Ramsey-Borunov is a former company member with Full Radius Dance. Currently she performs with Beacon Dance and teaches for Core Dance.
Mia Shocket (performer)
Mia Shocket is a dance artist based in Atlanta, GA. She graduated from Emory University in 2024 with degrees in Dance and Movement Studies, as well as Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology. Her choreographic and performance thesis in dance received the highest honors. During her time at Emory, Mia had the opportunity to perform in works by Julio Medina, George Staib, Annalee Traylor, Greg Catellier, and her peers. She is currently a company member of staibdance, where she works with George Staib and Sarah Hillmer, as well as VIA UNI, where she works with Xavier Lewis and Mary Beth Stinson.
Matthew Smith (Performer)
Having started his dance career with Full Radius Dance in 2018 as an apprentice and joining as a company member in 2019 Matthew Smith is happy to continue performing with Beacon Dance.
Alex Spitzer (Performer)
Alex Spitzer is a professional choreographer and dancer in Atlanta. Currently he dances with Beacon Dance since 2014 and Secretary on their Board of Directors. He is also on the Board of Directors, President’s Advisory Committee, and co-chair for the Performing Arts Council for the National Dance Society. He was Artistic Director of the Spitzer Dance Company from 1992-2014. Alex has danced with Infinity Dance Theater in New York City and Duende Dance Theater in Atlanta. In 1999 he received his B.A. in Dance from Texas Woman's University. He studied dance at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and while there his work was presented in the American College Dance Festival Gala Concert in San Marcos, Texas. Alex has studied in modern, ballet, jazz, and integrated dance techniques.
Sammy Spriggs (Performer)
Sammy Spriggs (she/they) is an Atlanta based independent dance artist. Their choreographic work has been presented in Chicago, New York, Dallas, and Atlanta. She has presented research at the Society of Dance History Scholars/Congress on Research and Dance joint conference. Their choreography and teaching work emphasizes the intersections between performing arts and social justice. She believes that dance and arts education cultivates strength, confidence, empathy and provides the tools necessary to be a good human. Sammy is on faculty at Dance Foundry in Scottdale, GA, where she teaches Adult Ballet, and Modern Technique and Creative Movement to some very talented young movers. They are also the Chairperson for Bautanzt Here’s Board of Directors.
Emily Hall Utz (performer)
Emily Hall Utz has been dancing since the age of 6, with a particular passion for modern dance. They continued to develop their craft throughout their college years, becoming an important member of Studio Dance Theatre, the Agnes Scott dance company. During their senior year, Emily had the opportunity to perform in two powerful works, Spring Forward and Visibly Caged; Becoming Untamed, both choreographed by the talented Bridget Roosa.
After graduation, Emily has continued to pursue their love for movement and collaboration, most notably dancing in The Abduction Project, choreographed by Leo Briggs. They also had the privilege of performing in the first rendition of Disform, choreographed by Ashlee Jo Ramsey-Borunov. With a deep love for modern and contemporary dance, Emily is thrilled to bring their unique movement style to every performance they join. Committed to challenging and breaking down stereotypical norms of what dance "ought to look like," Emily sees dance as a form of freedom and self-expression.
D. Patton White (Choreographer)
D. Patton White has worked as a dancer and choreographer since 1982, for the stage, site-specific work, and dance for the camera. As Artistic/Administrative Director of Beacon Dance since 1990, he has sought innovative ways to bring art to the public, including site works throughout DeKalb County parks and nature centers, the High Museum of Art, in the former Sears building in Atlanta, in Freedom Park, at the Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center, the B Complex in southwest Atlanta, the Emory University Campus, and on the Atlanta BeltLine. White was the Company Manager of Core Dance from 2008-2019, and currently teaches part time at Emory University. He has been an artist in residence at UNLV, Rice University, and Emory University, and has conducted numerous community residencies and his work has been funded by the NEA, South Arts, GCA, Florida Council on Arts & Culture, among others. He has been a member of Alternate ROOTS since 1997.
Carly Wynans (Performer)
Carly Wynans (she/they/he) is an Atlanta-based performer who had her choreographic debut in Beacon Dance's Moving Bodies/Moving Hearts/Moving Minds in 2023. A graduate of Emory University with degrees in Dance and Movement Studies and Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, Carly has performed in works by Corian Ellisor, Atarius Armstrong, D. Patton White, Leo Briggs, Gregory Catellier, and Jacque Pritz. Carly was honored to be Bates Dance Festival's 2023 Box Office Fellow, and she recently acted as the Stage Manager for Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre's Out of the Box II and Duality.
Abigail Yi (Performer)
Abigail Yi (she/her) is a senior at Emory University, double majoring in Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology and Dance & Movement Studies. She trained at Dance Dimensions in New Milford, NJ, under Annette Merlini, Allison Sale, Tommy Scrivens, Lisa Minery, Danielle Coleman, and Marinda Davis. At Emory, Abigail is the captain of Persuasion Dance Crew, Emory’s Women+ Hip-Hop team, and an active member of Emory Dance Company. She has performed in works by Angela Harris, Tara Shepard Myers, George Staib, Annalee Traylor, and Doug Varone and participated in Emory’s Candler Concert Series during the Doug Varone & Dancers residency this past fall. Abigail is a recipient of the Emory Friends of Dance Mini-Grant, which supported her attendance at the Doug Varone & Dancers Winter Intensive at The Juilliard School this past January, as well as the Emory Dance Scholarship for the 2024-2025 academic year. Post-graduation, she will attend Rutgers University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program while continuing to dance and teach.
Caroline Alcott (Performer)
Caroline Alcott is a performing artist based in Atlanta Georgia. She earned a BFA in Dance (May 2023) from the University of the Arts located in Philadelphia, PA. In the Fall of 2023, Caroline debuted her choreographic work in Atlanta as a recipient of the Meli Kaye Artist Residency. She has presented her choreography at dance festivals such as the Modern Atlanta Dance Festival (2024) and Fall for Fall (2024). Caroline is a company member Atlanta’s site specific dance company, Bautanzt Here, where she danced most recently on the Atlanta Beltline as a part the company work, Avoiding Highways. In the Summer of 2022, she spent a month in Italy studying and making performance art at the Santa Reparata International School of Art under the direction and guidance of Mara Flamm & Pietro Gagliano. She has experience in photography, film editing, visual arts, costume construction, performance art, and dance. Caroline has performed in works by notable choreographers including Jesse Zaritt, Curt Haworth, Isa Newport, Ashlee Jo Ramsey Borunov, and Nadya Zeitlin.
AK Bayer (Choreographer and Performer)
AK Bayer (they/she) is a multidisciplinary artist, performer and choreographer from Atlanta working to share stories and somatic experiences through a variety of mediums. A lifelong mover and maker, AK draws on their personal experiences and identities as a source of inspiration for their work. They are in their third season as a company member with Full Radius Dance and have had the honor of working with Bautanzt Here, Leo Briggs, Meaghan Novoa, Dani Terrel, Beacon Dance, among others. Recently expanding their creative practice to 3D visual art, AK has been working with found and repurposed objects to create sculptures and installations. Across all mediums, they create from a place of curiosity and play, and with the belief that art is a form of resistance.
Leah Behm (Choreographer and Performer)
Leah Behm (she/her) is a dance artist inspired by the connections and relationships between people and how that can shape the self. While she works as an event professional and bartender, having the opportunity to dance and collaborate with local artists and companies such as EXCAVATE BODY and Beacon Dance is what's truly meaningful to her. As a 2021 graduate from Emory, Leah cherishes being a part of the ever flourishing dance community in ATL and all of the amazing artists and humans she has the pleasure of knowing because of it.
Chi Rung Chan (Performer)
Chi Rung Chan (they/she) is a multicultural artist, dancer, and choreographer from Taipei, Taiwan. In 2024, Chi Rung graduated from Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Movement Studies and received the Pioneer Award for “their distinctive improvisational sensibilities and sophisticated movement interpretation”. Beginning their dance journey as a Ballroom dancer, Chi Rung has since expanded their practice in various styles such as Modern/Contemporary, Hip-Hop and Street Styles, West African Dance, and Ballet. Chi Rung is now based in Atlanta to continue their artistic endeavors, with their most recent involvement as a Meli Kaye Artist in Residence with the Decatur School of Ballet!
Lynn Hesse (Performer)
Lynn Hesse has a background in sacred dance and a lifetime member of the Sacred Dance Guild, SDG. She taught dance through the United Methodist Church’s Jurisdictional Conferences at Young Harris College and facilitated dance for adults and children for over twenty years. Currently, she is on the Beacon Dance Board and a troupe member of The Atlanta SoulPrint InterPlayers and The Dancing Flowers for Peace. She has performed many of her works through FIELD at Emory Schwartz Center and CORE along some performances with the Louise Runyon Dance Company. The dance duet video “Blue Steel” is in The Georgia State University Women’s Archive Section documenting Lynn’s choreography about her non-traditional role as a female police officer and Louise Runyon’s steel worker experiences and poetry. This dance was performed at the Beacon Theatre in Decatur and the 2011 Atlanta Modern Dance Festival.
Jodie Jernigan (Performer)
Jodie Jernigan is an interdisciplinary dance artist based out of Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to being a company dancer with Full Radius Dance and Monica Hogan Dance Works, she also pursues freelance performance and creation opportunities in and around Atlanta. She earned her BA in Dance and English from Brenau University, where she founded and directed the University's annual cross-disciplinary Poetry in Motion Film Festival. Her background in language arts greatly informs the ways in which she explores the communicative and connective properties housed within dance. Jodie has performed locally at the Modern Atlanta Dance Festival, Inman Park Dance Festival, Fall for Fall Dance Festival, and Decatur City Dance's Meli Kaye Artist in Residency Showing, to name a few. Jodie has had the opportunity to produce and present work for the American College Dance Association Festival, Alabama Dance Festival, Fall for Fall Dance Festival, and Dance ATL’s AM Collaborative Program.
Susan Keller (Performer)
Susan Keller: I love to dance. I have danced all of my life in various forms, with joy if not well. I took ballet as a child and modern dance in college. To my delight, I was introduced to Contact Improvisation in my late 20's. I particularly enjoy the creative process of making dances with Beacon Dance. And I am honored to share the stage with so many beautiful, talented, and thinking dancers.
Hiroko Kelly (Performer)
Hiroko Kelly (she/her) is a second generation Japanese American emerging choreographer, moving artist, and researcher, whose work reflects the intangible truth of intergenerational connectivity rooted in Eastern philosophy. In 2017 she received her BA in Dance from Kennesaw State University and in 2023 she received her MA in Urban and Public Affairs from the University of San Francisco. She was a 2024 Dance USA Institute for Leadership Training Mentee and an awarded choreographer for the 2024 Dance Canvas-Atlanta Contemporary Summer Choreographic Residency. She is the Development Coordinator + Community Engagement for DanceATL, facilitating funding and developing programming initiatives. She continuously commits herself to decolonizing movement practices, believing that art is our greatest catalyst for social change.
Kennedy Kerr (Performer)
Kennedy Kerr is a dance artist in Atlanta, GA. She graduated from Emory University in 2023, where she had the opportunity to perform works by George Staib, Julio Medina, and her peers including many of the dancers in this cast. Kennedy is currently a PhD student in biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory, studying how the brain controls balance and gait in unpredictable conditions. She is grateful to be dancing in this piece and be a part of the Atlanta dance community.
Henry Koskoff (Performer)
Henry Koskoff is a writer-performer; a dancer and a poet. He dances in order to have a body without saying anything in particular, and writes in order to say things without having any particular body. He attended Emory University, where he studied Creative Writing and Dance and was awarded the Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts. Since then, he has worked with Atlanta choreographers including George Staib and Annalee Traylor. He currently resides in Brooklyn, where he is pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University.
Jillian Lee (Performer)
Jillian Lee is an undergraduate student at Emory University pursuing a B.A. in Psychology & Dance and Movement Studies with a concentration in Arts Management. She received her training in ballet from Nunnbetter Dance Theatre under the guidance of Leath Nunn, Eleanor D’Antuono, and Kimberly Galberaith in Bergenfield, NJ. As a member of the Emory Dance Company, she has performed in works by George Staib, Annalee Traylor, and Doug Varone and Dancers. In 2024 Jillian served as a Goldstone Fellow at Groove With Me Inc., a dance nonprofit in East Harlem, NY, where she taught ballet and assisted with program coordination. Jillian presented her first choreographic work, “Entranced”, at the March 2025 American Collegiate Dance Association Southeast Conference. She is grateful to have been a part of Madison Lee’s process and is thrilled to perform NABI!
Madison Lee (Choreographer and Performer)
Madison Lee (any pronouns) is a senior at Emory University studying Dance and Marketing. They were awarded the Stipe Fellowship in the Fall of 2023, and are currently conducting research for their honors thesis. Originally from Dallas, Texas, they trained intensively in hip hop and other styles and have performed with the Dallas Cowboys and Royal Caribbean Cruises. Since coming to Atlanta, they have begun training in contemporary and modern techniques and have presented multiple works throughout their time at Emory. They have gotten the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Jacque Pritz, Jacqui Hinkson, Leo Briggs, Julio Medina, George Staib, Annalee Traylor, Xan Burley, and Alex Springer. Currently, Madison is a company member with Catching Mangoes, led by Jacque Pritz, and Excavate Body, led by Jacqui Hinkson.
Kayla Lim (Performer)
Kayla Lim (she/her) is an undergraduate student at Emory University double majoring in Nursing and Dance & Movement Studies. She received her training at Studio Bleu Dance Center in Ashburn, VA under the guidance of Amanda Rambler, Troy Brown, Heidi Moe, Kate Kosinski Kane, Jesse Lloyd, and Bella Pearlman. At Emory, Kayla is currently the president of BlaeZ dance team, captain of Persuasion Dance Crew, and a member of Emory Dance Company. Within the company, she has performed in works created by Angela Harris, George Staib, and Annalee Traylor. Last spring, Kayla had the opportunity to present her first choreographic work, "shutter" at the Emory Dance Company shows.
Merryn McKeough (Performer)
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. As a choreographer and/or performer, Merryn has worked with the Center for Puppetry Arts, Bautanzt Here, Dance Canvas, Beacon Dance, Fall for Fall Dance Festival, the Decatur Arts Festival, Chattanooga Dance Theatre, and The Goat Farm. Informed by work with Musicians & Movers and Atlanta’s vibrant contact improvisation community, Merryn’s approach to movement is rooted in play.
Kiera O’Reilly (Performer)
Kiera O’Reilly (they/he/she) is a dance artist and licensed massage therapist in Atlanta, GA. They hold a BFA in contemporary dance from UNC School of the Arts, and graduated from Georgia Massage School in 2024. Along with massage therapy and dance, Kiera loves to play with their two cats, and to be with friends and family. They are honored to be a part of Moving Bodies/Moving Hearts/Moving Minds III in community with such talented and creative artists.
Jacquelyn (Jacque) Pritz (Performer)
Jacquelyn (Jacque) Pritz is a local dance artist, freelance project manager, and Senior Program Coordinator at Emory College of Arts & Sciences. A 2nd generation Filipino-American woman, Jacque’s research surrounds culture and identity, art activism, ancestral relationships and engaging with community through the spirit of kapwa. She launched Catching Mangoes Dance with the goal to uplift hyphenated American stories with audiences. You can learn more about Jacque at www.jpritzdance.com and @jpritz.dance and @catchingmangoesdance on Instagram.
Ashlee Ramsey-Borunov (Choreographer)
Grounded in the perspective that dance-making lives in the primal, physical, emotional and spiritual consciousness of all humans, Ms. Ramsey-Borunov’s artistic focus centers on collaboration, community participation and making dance available as a creative practice for all people. Her work can be described as simultaneously playful and confrontational, resisting dominant ideological aesthetics, activist in nature, and often community inclusive. Ms. Ramsey-Borunov has shown work, performed or taught in North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, Arizona, Austria, the U.K. and India. Her experience as an educator includes dance and yoga courses at Elon University, Wake Forest University, Winthrop University, and Salem College, and she holds a teacher certification with DanceAbility International. Ms. Ramsey has been published in the international academic periodical, Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices (2011) and has presented work or research at the NDEO National Conference, The Fifth Annual Somatic Dance Conference and Performance Festival, and Elon University’s Intersect Diversity and Leadership Conference. Ms. Ramsey-Borunov is a former company member with Full Radius Dance. Currently she performs with Beacon Dance and teaches for Core Dance.
Mia Shocket (performer)
Mia Shocket is a dance artist based in Atlanta, GA. She graduated from Emory University in 2024 with degrees in Dance and Movement Studies, as well as Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology. Her choreographic and performance thesis in dance received the highest honors. During her time at Emory, Mia had the opportunity to perform in works by Julio Medina, George Staib, Annalee Traylor, Greg Catellier, and her peers. She is currently a company member of staibdance, where she works with George Staib and Sarah Hillmer, as well as VIA UNI, where she works with Xavier Lewis and Mary Beth Stinson.
Matthew Smith (Performer)
Having started his dance career with Full Radius Dance in 2018 as an apprentice and joining as a company member in 2019 Matthew Smith is happy to continue performing with Beacon Dance.
Alex Spitzer (Performer)
Alex Spitzer is a professional choreographer and dancer in Atlanta. Currently he dances with Beacon Dance since 2014 and Secretary on their Board of Directors. He is also on the Board of Directors, President’s Advisory Committee, and co-chair for the Performing Arts Council for the National Dance Society. He was Artistic Director of the Spitzer Dance Company from 1992-2014. Alex has danced with Infinity Dance Theater in New York City and Duende Dance Theater in Atlanta. In 1999 he received his B.A. in Dance from Texas Woman's University. He studied dance at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and while there his work was presented in the American College Dance Festival Gala Concert in San Marcos, Texas. Alex has studied in modern, ballet, jazz, and integrated dance techniques.
Sammy Spriggs (Performer)
Sammy Spriggs (she/they) is an Atlanta based independent dance artist. Their choreographic work has been presented in Chicago, New York, Dallas, and Atlanta. She has presented research at the Society of Dance History Scholars/Congress on Research and Dance joint conference. Their choreography and teaching work emphasizes the intersections between performing arts and social justice. She believes that dance and arts education cultivates strength, confidence, empathy and provides the tools necessary to be a good human. Sammy is on faculty at Dance Foundry in Scottdale, GA, where she teaches Adult Ballet, and Modern Technique and Creative Movement to some very talented young movers. They are also the Chairperson for Bautanzt Here’s Board of Directors.
Emily Hall Utz (performer)
Emily Hall Utz has been dancing since the age of 6, with a particular passion for modern dance. They continued to develop their craft throughout their college years, becoming an important member of Studio Dance Theatre, the Agnes Scott dance company. During their senior year, Emily had the opportunity to perform in two powerful works, Spring Forward and Visibly Caged; Becoming Untamed, both choreographed by the talented Bridget Roosa.
After graduation, Emily has continued to pursue their love for movement and collaboration, most notably dancing in The Abduction Project, choreographed by Leo Briggs. They also had the privilege of performing in the first rendition of Disform, choreographed by Ashlee Jo Ramsey-Borunov. With a deep love for modern and contemporary dance, Emily is thrilled to bring their unique movement style to every performance they join. Committed to challenging and breaking down stereotypical norms of what dance "ought to look like," Emily sees dance as a form of freedom and self-expression.
D. Patton White (Choreographer)
D. Patton White has worked as a dancer and choreographer since 1982, for the stage, site-specific work, and dance for the camera. As Artistic/Administrative Director of Beacon Dance since 1990, he has sought innovative ways to bring art to the public, including site works throughout DeKalb County parks and nature centers, the High Museum of Art, in the former Sears building in Atlanta, in Freedom Park, at the Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center, the B Complex in southwest Atlanta, the Emory University Campus, and on the Atlanta BeltLine. White was the Company Manager of Core Dance from 2008-2019, and currently teaches part time at Emory University. He has been an artist in residence at UNLV, Rice University, and Emory University, and has conducted numerous community residencies and his work has been funded by the NEA, South Arts, GCA, Florida Council on Arts & Culture, among others. He has been a member of Alternate ROOTS since 1997.
Carly Wynans (Performer)
Carly Wynans (she/they/he) is an Atlanta-based performer who had her choreographic debut in Beacon Dance's Moving Bodies/Moving Hearts/Moving Minds in 2023. A graduate of Emory University with degrees in Dance and Movement Studies and Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, Carly has performed in works by Corian Ellisor, Atarius Armstrong, D. Patton White, Leo Briggs, Gregory Catellier, and Jacque Pritz. Carly was honored to be Bates Dance Festival's 2023 Box Office Fellow, and she recently acted as the Stage Manager for Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre's Out of the Box II and Duality.
Abigail Yi (Performer)
Abigail Yi (she/her) is a senior at Emory University, double majoring in Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology and Dance & Movement Studies. She trained at Dance Dimensions in New Milford, NJ, under Annette Merlini, Allison Sale, Tommy Scrivens, Lisa Minery, Danielle Coleman, and Marinda Davis. At Emory, Abigail is the captain of Persuasion Dance Crew, Emory’s Women+ Hip-Hop team, and an active member of Emory Dance Company. She has performed in works by Angela Harris, Tara Shepard Myers, George Staib, Annalee Traylor, and Doug Varone and participated in Emory’s Candler Concert Series during the Doug Varone & Dancers residency this past fall. Abigail is a recipient of the Emory Friends of Dance Mini-Grant, which supported her attendance at the Doug Varone & Dancers Winter Intensive at The Juilliard School this past January, as well as the Emory Dance Scholarship for the 2024-2025 academic year. Post-graduation, she will attend Rutgers University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program while continuing to dance and teach.
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, 2024 and April 3, 2025. We sincerely regret any omissions.
Russell Berry, Eleanor Brownfield, Carol Calvert, Derek Causey, Pauline Rose Clance, Trisha Clymore, Lisa Cottrell, Mary Locke Crofts, John and Martha England , Walter Evans, Anderson England, Rebecca England, Hans Friedrichsen, Lynn D. Hesse, Randy L. Hiers, Susan Keller, Dana Lupton, Bonnie Macdonald, Sybil McWilliams, Kimberly Merritt, Marsha Mitchiner, Kristin O'Neal and Gregory Catellier, Susan Rawlston, Elaine Roberts, Rose Shields, Maxine and Franklin Smith in honor of Matthew Smith, Alex Spitzer, Cyndy Vaughan, Andy Weiskoff, Nancy White, D. Patton White
We also acknowledge that every artist and member of our technical crew for this production has contributed of their time that is above and beyond the amount of their financial compensation for this production.
This program is supported in part by the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Fulton County Arts & Culture, Alternate ROOTS, the Mellon Foundation, the Ford Foundation and by 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, 2024 and April 3, 2025. We sincerely regret any omissions.
Russell Berry, Eleanor Brownfield, Carol Calvert, Derek Causey, Pauline Rose Clance, Trisha Clymore, Lisa Cottrell, Mary Locke Crofts, John and Martha England , Walter Evans, Anderson England, Rebecca England, Hans Friedrichsen, Lynn D. Hesse, Randy L. Hiers, Susan Keller, Dana Lupton, Bonnie Macdonald, Sybil McWilliams, Kimberly Merritt, Marsha Mitchiner, Kristin O'Neal and Gregory Catellier, Susan Rawlston, Elaine Roberts, Rose Shields, Maxine and Franklin Smith in honor of Matthew Smith, Alex Spitzer, Cyndy Vaughan, Andy Weiskoff, Nancy White, D. Patton White
We also acknowledge that every artist and member of our technical crew for this production has contributed of their time that is above and beyond the amount of their financial compensation for this production.
This program is supported in part by the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Fulton County Arts & Culture, Alternate ROOTS, the Mellon Foundation, the Ford Foundation and by 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.
