KEVIN BOSEMAN (Dance) was invited to speak to the seniors in the dance department at California Institute for the Arts about his dance career with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and the Martha Graham Dance Company and his transitions into musical and non-musical theatre.
SAMANTHA PATTERSON (Dance 2012) performed in the gala performance at the American College Dance Festival in Tampa, Fla., representing Winthrop University's Dance Department. Samantha auditioned and was cast in a piece which was performed at the Medal of Honor ceremony that honors five people in South Carolina who have been recognized for their contributions to the arts.
AMANDA PORTER (Dance 2009) graduated Summa Cum Laude from Florida State University with a BFA in dance and a minor in hospitality management. Highlights during her final year in the acclaimed dance program included performances in the graduate thesis concert, Rick McCullough's piece "The Chairman Dances," and Tim Glenn's "Chaconne." Amanda also performed this spring at the American College Dance Festival Association in Tampa, Fla. After graduation, Amanda will direct the dance program at Camp Laurel South in Casco, Maine, before moving to New York City in the fall.
LAUREN MILLER (Dance 2009) is graduating Cum Laude from Columbia College in Columbia, S.C., with a double major BFA in dance choreography and performance and community arts. She had two pieces of choreography in the Columbia College Spring Choreographer's Showcase this spring. Lauren will be attending Texas Women's University in Denton, Texas, to pursue a MFA in dance next fall.
BLAKE ULMER (Dance 2012) will be attending the University of North Carolina in the contemporary dance program next fall.
KATIE JENKINS POTEET (Dance) is completing her first semester as director of the Furman Dance Company. She coordinated the Dance Spectacular in March, at which the FDC performed many genres of dance. Local dance studios performed, as well.
CAITLIN CLARK (Dance) is going to Benin to be a Peace Corps volunteer in the environmental action sector on June 24.
KATE FURMAN (Fine Arts Center 2004 and Rhode Island School of Design MFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing 2012) has been asked to include work in the collaborative exhibition between alumni from Rhode Island School of Design and Monash University in Australia. Her jewelry will be traveling to Australia for the exhibition, entitled "Seams," which is open July 17-Aug. 17, 2013.
The exhibition features 10 alumni from each program as a representative body of the type of work made in their advanced degree programs. The exhibition is meant to emphasize and broaden the discourse around where the boundaries for jewelry lie in 2013.
Keyboard artist and strings chamber music student CAROLINE ROBINSON (Wade Hampton High School 2009) is completing her senior year at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia with a flourish. On April 5-7, Caroline was the soloist with the Kansas City Symphony under the baton of Michael Stern, performing Francis Poulenc's "Concerto for Organ, Timpani and Strings in G Minor." These performances were followed by a solo recital on April 10 on the Casavant organ in Helzberg Hall of the new Kauffman Performing Arts Center. Following a senior recital and graduation from Curtis, Caroline will carry out a Fulbright grant, living and studying in Toulouse, France, for one year, beginning in July.
According to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts website, "the new, multi-venue center for music, opera, theater and dance was designed by Moshe Safdie and opened in Kansas City on Sept. 16, 2011. The Kauffman Center seeks to enrich the lives of all Greater Kansas City residents by presenting vibrant and diverse performances, educational programming and creating a tradition of the performing arts as a catalyst for Kansas City's civic, economic and educational vitality." To showcase the grand Julia Irene Kauffman Casavant organ in Helzberg Hall, the Kansas City Symphony will present four organ recitals hosted by Michael Barone of American Public Media's popular radio program, "Pipedreams." Caroline began her evening with a discussion with Michael Barone followed by a performance of Sowerby's "Pageant," Bach's "Präludium and Fugatum in Organo Pleno a 5 Voci in E-s," Vierne's "Carillon de Westminster" and more.
Caroline garnered glowing reviews from the Kansas City press for her performances with the Kansas City Symphony, including these comments: "Robinson played with verve, virtuosity and drama" (The Kansas City Star) and "... young organist Caroline Robinson was in command of the mighty Casavant" (Don Clark of the Kansas City Symphony Blog).
Caroline is the recipient of a grant from the J. William Fulbright fellowship fund, allowing her to travel to Toulouse, France, to study for one year at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional with renowned concert organist and pedagogue Michel Bouvard. While in France, Caroline will focus on the performance practices of French organ repertoire and strive to better understand how organ-building influenced the repertoire composed in the area. She also hopes to collaborate with other musicians on both organ and harpsichord, travel around southern France as well as Spain, and (of course) eat cassoulet and paté. Caroline's parents, Gary (FAC music faculty member and conductor of the Young Artist Orchestra) and Kathleen (violinist, educator and conductor) will travel to Toulouse in July to assist Caroline as she establishes herself for the coming year.
