Student dancers highlighted at recent conference; Samantha Kenney's work selected

Professor Samantha Kenney. Below, John Crampton, Joseph Corallo, and Jackie Rosenthal perform at the Gala Conference. “To be selected for an ACDF Gala is no small feat for any school at any time. It’s certainly something that all of the participating universities hope for, but that very few achieve in any given year. That this recognition comes at a very early stage in our development as a program makes it all the more meaningful. I am immensely proud of the work that our students have done, and hope that all of our students will see their success as an inspiration, as proof of what we can accomplish here at SUNY Fredonia.” --Sam Kenney

Eight student dancers from SUNY Fredonia’s Department of Theatre and Dance had the distinction and honor of being invited to perform in the Gala Conference of the national regional conference of the American College Dance Festival Association held at Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA, recently. The dancers performed a work choreographed by Professor Samantha Kenney.

This year’s conference, which was a whirlwind four-day extravaganza of classes, workshops, panels and performances, was attended by nearly 500 students, teachers, choreographers and musicians from 39 colleges and universities from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, and Wisconsin.

The event culminated in the gala concert, which featured the best 10 works submitted to the judges,  a panel of nationally recognized dance professionals.

For the first time, SUNY Fredonia was honored by inclusion in the conference’s Gala Concert, Professor Kenney said. The dancers were Joseph Corallo (sophomore Dance major), John Crampton (senior Acting/Dance major), Owen Hughes (senior Dance/Music Education major), Jacqueline Rosenthal (senior Musical Theatre major/Dance minor), and Julie Schillaci (senior Musical Theatre/Dance major).

Fredonia dancers took the stage at Mercyhurst’s Mary D’Angelo Center for the Performing Arts to dance Professor Kenney’s work, "90% Metaphor."  The dance, set to Buffalo native Ani DiFranco’s poem "Self-Evident," was costumed by Fredonia alumnus Christopher Thielking and lit by Professor Todd Proffitt. 

Created in 2008 for the dance ensemble, "90% Metaphor" was hailed by conference adjudicators Gail Benedict, Leslie Jane Pessemier, and Thomas DeFranz as “controversial,” “powerful,” “thought-provoking,” and “ skillfully and meticulously designed.” The adjudicators also praised the performance of Fredonia’s dancers, noting their physical energy, technical skill, and commitment to and passion for the work.

Professor Kenney states: “To be selected for an ACDF Gala is no small feat for any school at any time. It’s certainly something that all of the participating universities hope for, but that very few achieve in any given year. That this recognition comes at a very early stage in our development as a program makes it all the more meaningful. I am immensely proud of the work that our students have done, and hope that all of our students will see their success as an inspiration, as proof of what we can accomplish here at SUNY Fredonia.”

Additional Fredonia contributions to the festival included several classes taught by Professor Kenney, Professor Helen Myers and Angelika Summerton, as well as the presentation of Ms. Summerton’s classical pas de deux “Intermezzo,” danced by Christina Tucker (senior Dance major) and Joseph Corallo at the conference’s student informal concert.