Fredonia students performed faculty member Parisha Rajbhandari’s piece “I am (and Beyond)” at the recent American College Dance Association’s Northeast Conference.
SUNY Fredonia’s Dance program was in the spotlight at the recent American College Dance Association’s Northeast Conference.
Fredonia was represented by 19 students along with faculty members Angela DiFiore, Parisha Rajbhandari and Briana Blair Kelly. The conference took place from Feb. 27 to March 3 at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA, with 31 schools in attendance.
The Fredonia students performed in the conference’s adjudicated concert, presenting Rajbhandari’s work “I am (and Beyond),” and “The World Left With You” choreographed by student Mackenzie Phelps, a B.F.A. Dance and B.A. Psychology major.
Rajbhandari’s piece was also selected via the audience’s “People’s Choice” vote for an encore performance that closed the event.
Rajbhandari described her dance as “rooted in the cyclical nature of connection, and community.”
“Some thoughts and questions I had throughout the process of making this work were: we are not alone, even in physical isolation. We carry memories, ancestors, lands, energies, and much more,” she said. “How do our bodies move through these unseen forces? How do we move amongst each other, fully seeing our individual complexities.”
“I am (and Beyond)” made its debut in November 2025 on campus as part of the Merrins Fall Chamber Concert in the Department of Theatre and Dance’s New Works Series.
Performing Rajbhandari’s piece at the conference were Fredonia students Otoha Asami, Tessa Bonnano, Connor Carpenter, Genevieve Griffin, Dana MacQueen, Alaya Moore, Isabel Pino Luz, Ava Sargente, Sim Smith and Rhea Zelaya.
Ms. Phelps, who serves as president of Fredonia’s student dance company Orchesis, said “The World Left With You” came from a very personal place.
“I lost someone in my life to suicide, and that experience shifted how I see everything. It made me realize just how fragile and fleeting life can truly be,” she said. “In creating this piece, I was drawn to the quiet, often invisible battles people carry within themselves, and also to the ripple effect that loss leaves behind in the lives of those who love them. This work lives in that space. The space between what is felt but not always spoken, and what remains after someone is gone.”
The piece was performed at the conference by Valentina Duic, Jordan Koelemeyer, Dana MacQueen, Genni Griffin, Iris Condon, Lily Parzymieso and Sarah Howard.
“Their willingness to step into such a vulnerable space made this process incredibly meaningful,” Phelps said. “It was truly an honor and a privilege to create this work with them and to share it on that stage.”
In addition to the performances, the conference provided the students with the opportunity to take classes with faculty from universities across the country, make new connections, and strengthen their skills as artists.
Ms. DiFiore said the Fredonia students also participated in the student social events and attended all four adjudicated concerts and the encore concert.
“Bri, Parisha and I all taught classes at the conference,” DiFiore said. “I participated in a peer review process both inviting a colleague from another institution to review my work/teaching as well as serving as a reviewer for another artist/dance educator.”
In addition, Ms. Kelly and DiFiore performed in a faculty choreographic piece that was created and performed during the conference by Peter DiMuro.
“It was a fantastic experience,” DiFiore said.
Founded in 1973, the American College Dance Association is dedicated to supporting excellence in dance education as part of higher education. Its programs are designed to bring dancers from diverse backgrounds together in an environment that fosters growth, experimentation, and connection.
