Dale Merrill, Dean of the College of Performing Arts, served on a panel of judges for the 15 th Annual Choreography Festival in Palm Desert, CA. The panel included legendary dancers Donald McKayle, Jodie Gates and Larry Billman and pioneering talent agent Julie McDonald. The festival highlights new and exciting choreography, offers cash
Alicia Guy, associate professor of dance, was selected to judge the Los Angeles Clippers Spirit professional NBA dance team auditions. The highly selective panel of judges included Diane Bonds, choreographer for the LA Laker Girls; John Peters, choreographer for numerous NBA and NFL professional dance teams; LA radio host Brian Sieman; and the LA Clippers
Students of the College of Performing Arts will be traveling the country as well as honing their skills on the Chapman campus in January 2013. The New York Theatre Tour will allow theatre students to analyze the interconnectedness of local and global influences within the New York theatre community, as
This year’s Fall Dance Concert will include a new piece choreographed by Holly Johnston, the artistic director of LEDGES AND BONES, a contemporary dance company working in both Los Angeles and San Francisco. LEDGES AND BONES promotes cultural consciousness, open dialogue, and social justice through live performances, education, and other public forums. Ms.
Backhausdance, the acclaimed Orange-County based modern dance company led by instructor of dance and alumna Jennifer Backhaus (’94), will receive the Arts OC “Outstanding Arts Organization” award at their annual arts awards on September 18. At the forefront of Southern California contemporary dance, this company is now in its 10th year and
The Chapman University College of Performing Arts is working in collaboration with the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP) to administer a one-of-a-kind survey that explores the lives of arts alumni nationwide. This fall, all performing arts graduates of Chapman University will receive an email invitation to participate in the SNAAP online survey. By verifying
Internationally acclaimed choreographer, teacher and dancer Mark Haim will be setting his piece “Setting and Clearings” on our dance majors for the Fall Dance Concert November 28-December 1, 2012. Mr. Haim has created new works for many dance companies, including the Nederlands Dans Theater, Ballet Frankfurt, the Joffrey II Dancers and Ballet Pacifica. He has
Robin Kish, assistant professor of dance, co-chaired the program committee this summer for the 30th anniversary of the “Medical Problems of Performing Artists” symposium in Snowmass, Colorado. This international symposium had a record number of attendees, with presenters from all over the world. Honorees for this year included Jacques d’Amboise (a dancer with
The Chapman University Tap Ensemble (CUTE) and adjunct instructor of dance Brandee Lara took part in the week-long 10th Annual LA Tap Fest, held at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles August 6-11. CUTE was invited to perform in the 10th Anniversary All-Star LA Tap Fest Concert, starring Jason Samuels Smith, Chloe
Dale A. Merrill, Dean of the College of Performing Arts, was invited to serve as a guest instructor at a summer dance workshop for young dancers in Great Falls, Montana. This program attracted students from all over the state and featured other guest artists Cheryl Johnson of SUNY Brockport and Jay Goodlett, formerly of the