Choreography
danah bella

Music Credits
Composed by Steve Reich,
Played by Zane Forshee

Lighting Design
Morgan Embry

Costuming
danah bella

Performers — Thursday, April 3
Marlena Lackey and Kloe Tucker

Performers — Friday, April 4
Savanah Buck and Kara Pawlowski

Choreography
Allison Beaty

Music Credits
Sweatson Klank
Yosi Horikawa
Stardust Vibes

Lighting Design
Morgan Embry

Costume Design
Allison Beaty

Projection Design
Allison Beaty

Performers
Layla El-Khoury, Ellie Garr, Marlena Lackey, Anna Nguyen

This work explores connections between the neurological mechanisms involved in recurring thought patterns and the shifting rhythms and intensifying forces found in nature.

Choreography
Tara Z. Mullins

Music Credits
Michael Dudley

Lighting Design
Morgan Embry

Film
Carol Fountain Nix

Performers
Kara Pawlowski, Kloe Tucker

• This piece was commissioned by Peter Askim for the Raleigh Civic Symphony Orchestra: Hymns of Hope and Healing concert on April 13 at 4 p.m. in Stewart Theatre.

The following inspired the choreography and film of this piece:

…there is yet beauty is meant to serve as a reminder of what we must hold onto in times of despair. This piece had been living in my head for more than a year before putting it to paper. It was in the summer of 2023 when I first had the pleasure of working with Next Festival of Emerging Artists’ director, Peter Askim, that I realized the importance of staying grounded in hope through my artistic practice. Tuesday of our week-long residency for the Amercian Composers Orchestra EarShot readings, I distinctly recall leaving the rehearsal space and walking outside to be greeted by a hazy orange sky, the result of Canadian wildfires from which smoke had traveled hundreds of miles south. It was deeply troubling. I had to fight against my body, my knees weak from what I saw as the harbinger of the climate crisis in an unignorable reality. However, it was in that same moment that I realized where I felt safest was with the musicians and collaborators next to me. The following days were filled with a range of emotions, but ultimately I felt grateful for the opportunity to still make art with people who care. The light ascending motif of the beginning section is meant to evoke the feeling of moving into the sky, like when a bird (or a human in an airplane) arrives at the place where the clourds become “firmanent.” Perhaps it is the calm above the storm(s) below on earth. Then, the mood becomes slightly melancholy as we recognize the ephemeral nature of such beautiful moments. The main theme of the piece is meant to evoke both nostalgia and hope of beauty and love. The solos in viola and cello are reflections on the fragile nature of our well-being as individuals and as a society when faced with the seemingly-integral presence of wars, disasters, corruption, and other things. But it is when we hold onto what things bring us peace, what makes our hearts warm, even if we may not be experiencing them in that moment, that we hopefully gather the strength to move forward, together. For there is yet beauty to behold, community to create, and love to give to our shared place called Earth, as well as to each other. I will always be overwhelmed with gratitude for Peter, the Next Festival of Emerging Artists musicians, and for the American Composers Orchestra (thank you Melissa, Loki, Curtis, and Jordan!) due to their support of the humble musical offering that is this piece. It is only thanks to them that I could communicate this in spirit of finding joy even in what may seem to be a dark time.

Choreography
Kassandra Taylor Newberry

Rehearsal Director
LilyGrace Wolfe

Music Credits
The Books
Blue Man Group
Greatest Sound Effect

Music editing
Kassandra Taylor Newberry

Lighting Design
Morgan Embry

Costuming
Kassandra Taylor Newberry

Performers
Cailee Bennett, Savanah Buck, Layla El-Khoury, Ellie Garr, Marlena Lackey, Rachel Morris, Anna Nguyen, Kara Pawlowski, Kloe Tucker

Choreography
Savanah Buck

Music Credits
Loathe
The War on Drugs
Pink Floyd

Lighting Design
Morgan Embry

Costume Design
Savanah Buck

Performers
Alison Austin, Cailee Bennett, Eleanor Bond, Layla El-Khoury, Marlena Lackey, Margaret Marathe, Abby Mathias, Rachel Morris, Anna Nguyen, Kara Pawlowski, Leah Reinstein, Kloe Tucker

Choreography
Tara Z. Mullins and the dancers

Music Credits
Cristobal Tapia De Veer
Kim Neundorf
Sherman Kelly

Video and Lighting Design
Morgan Embry

Costume Design
Tara Z. Mullins and the dancers

Performers
Cailee Bennett, Layla El-Khoury, Marlena Lackey

Choreography
Alexandra Burchette

Music Credits
naran ratan
Giovanni Venosta
Lynn Avery

Poem and narration
Mary Oliver

Lighting Design
Morgan Embry

Costume Design
Alexandra Burchette

Performers
Savanah Buck, Ellie Garr, Layla El-Khoury, Rachel Morris, Kara Pawlowksi

Choreography
Tracey Durbin

Rehearsal Assistant
Rachel Morris

Music Credits
Bob Dylan (Performed by Keb’Mo’)
Christophe Julien
Rene Aubry

Lighting Design
Morgan Embry

Costume Design
Tracey Durbin

Performers
Savanah Buck, Layla El-Khoury, Athena He-DeMontaron, Ellie Garr, Marlena Lackey, Anna Nguyen, Kara Pawlowski, Kloe Tucker

Active as a composer, conductor and collaborative connector, Dr. Peter Askim is the Artistic Director of The Next Festival of Emerging Artists and the conductor of the Raleigh Civic Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, as well as Director of Orchestral Activities at North Carolina State University. He was previously Music Director and Composer-in-Residence of the Idyllwild Arts Academy Orchestra. He has also been a member of the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra and served on the faculty of the University of Hawaii-Manoa, where he directed the Contemporary Music Ensemble and taught theory and composition.

As a conductor, he has led the American Composers Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony and Vermont Symphony, among others, and is known for innovative programming, championing the work of living composers and his advocacy of underrepresented voices in the concert hall. He has conducted premieres by composers such as Brett Dean, Aaron Jay Kernis, Allison Loggins-Hull, Jessica Meyer, Nico Muhly, Rufus Reid, Christopher Theofanidis, Jeff Scott and Aleksandra Vrebalov, and led the American premiere of Florence Price’s Ethiopia’s Shadow in America. His work was featured on HBO and National Public Radio conducting folk-rock legend Richard Thompson’s soundtrack for The Cold Blue. He has collaborated with such artists as Miranda Cuckson, Matt Haimovitz, Vijay Iyer, Jennifer Koh, Nadia Sirota, Sō Percussion and Jeffrey Zeigler, and the bluegrass band Balsam Range. As a composer, he has been called a “Modern Master” by The Strad and has had commissions and performances from such groups as the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the Honolulu Symphony, the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Cantus Ansambl Zagreb and the American Viola Society.

With the creation of The Next Festival of Emerging Artists, Askim founded a festival dedicated to the next generation of performers, composers and choreographers. Founded in 2013, the Festival encourages young artists, ages 20-30, to focus on artistic development, entrepreneurial career strategies and the music of living composers. The Next Festival Composer and Composer/Choreographer workshops connect early-career performers, composers and choreographers in innovative and highly collaborative laboratory for the creation of new works. The Festival has been awarded grants by the Amphion, ASCAP and BMI foundations, and the Copland Fund for Music. Immediately recognizing the devastation of the COVID pandemic on young artists, he began providing free workshops, masterclasses and resources to support young artists through challenging times beginning in March of 2020. Through the Festival, he has presented over 50 Guest Artists, including Pulitzer, Grammy, and MacArthur award winners.

With the Raleigh Civic Orchestras, Askim has pioneered collaborative, multimedia concert events focused on social and environmental justice and has programmed a newly commissioned world premiere on each concert for the last seven seasons. Themes have included Martin Luther King, Jr.’s North Carolina “I Have A Dream” speech and a work for Virtual Reality and orchestra highlighting the Women’s Suffrage Movement and the Voting Rights Act. During the pandemic, Askim premiered nine new works by composers harnessing latency and technology in innovative approaches to distance collaboration. Under his direction, the orchestras have received multiple grants recognizing diversity in programming, including from New Music USA and the Women’s Philharmonic Association.

Allison Beaty is a dance artist, educator, choreographer, and researcher holding an MFA in Dance (Choreography) from the University of North Carolina Greensboro and a BA in Dance from Texas Tech University. Allison has performed, taught, and choreographed professionally throughout Texas and North Carolina. She was a performing company member and choreographer with Flatlands Dance Theatre, where she also served as the founding Company Council President. In addition, she has performed in works by renowned choreographers such as Renay Aumiller, B.J. Sullivan, Janet Lilly, Ali Duffy, Brooklyn Draper, Amanda Jackson, Trent D. Williams, Sarah Wildes Arnett, and Nicole Wesley, among many others. Allison is currently an Assistant Teaching Professor at North Carolina State University, having previously taught at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, University of Central Missouri, Austin Community College, and Texas Tech University. Her teaching and choreographic style is greatly informed by Safety Release Technique, somatic practice, and her love for psychology, anatomy, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Allison is also immersed in creative and scholarly research at the intersection of artmaking, pedagogical practice, and scientific inquiry. Her choreographic work focuses on interdisciplinary collaboration with other art mediums in the exploration of scientific phenomena from the disciplines of psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Her choreography has been presented at the Wicklow ScreenDance Laboratory (Ireland), the Jacksonville Dance Film Festival (Florida), the International ScreenDance Festival (Iowa; Mexico), the 16th Annual Modern Dance Festival at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (Texas), the American College Dance Association Southcentral Conference (Texas), and FilmFest by Rogue Dancer, among numerous other concerts and festivals. In addition, Allison’s research on collaborative choreographic practices and shared ownership in dance is published in Research in Dance Education and has been presented at NDEO National Conferences. She remains committed to this research trajectory, seeking to redefine traditional hierarchical power structures and foster a sense of community and shared ownership in her choreographic work and teaching. Alongside her creative and pedagogical practice, Allison is also engaged in quantitative research in psychology examining memory mechanisms for dance expertise.

danah bella is the founding chair of the Dance Department at the Peabody Conservatory. Since its launch in 2018, bella has led the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance program with an intentional focus on interdisciplinary studies, social justice, and a wide variety of movement, performance, and choreography opportunities for every student. She has worked in higher education since 2002, teaching modern technique, dance theory, and history.

In addition to her role at the Peabody Conservatory, bella has served as an artist-in-residence and taught workshops at festivals and universities throughout the United States and abroad, including Pro Danza Italia, Bates Dance Festival, Monterey Dance Fest, the American College Dance Association’s Regional and National Conferences, Western Michigan University, University of Virginia, Oklahoma Contemporary Dance Festival, Santa Barbara City College, and Goose Route Dance Festival.

An award-winning choreographer, she is the artistic director of d a n a h b e l l a DanceWorks, a modern dance company focused on reclaiming evocative movement as social practice, and a founding member of Colectivo Caliban, an artist collective that transgresses disciplinary borders through sound and movement. bella has performed and presented her work throughout the country including the Cool New York Festival in New York, the United States Asian American Festival in San Francisco, the Bates Dance Festival in Maine, the American College Dance Association’s National Dance Festival at the Kennedy Center, ReVIEWING Black Mountain College international conference in Asheville, N.C., as well as in Mexico and Italy.

bella is also a dance film artist whose work has been screened at the Utah Dance Film Festival, Women in Leadership Dance Conference, Dance Camera North, and International Fine Arts Film Festival.bella has received many accolades for her arts and education work, including most recently the Baltimore Sun‘s 25 Women to Watch (2018), Maryland State Dance Educator of the Year Postsecondary Education (2021), and Musical America‘s Top 30 Professionals of the Year (2022). She holds an MFA in performance from The Ohio State University and a BA in Dance from the University of California in Santa Barbara.

Savanah Buck is an undergraduate student majoring in biochemistry with a minor in Dance Performance and Choreography. This is her third year as a member of the State Dance Company, although she has been dancing for many years. Savanah was a recipient of the 2023 Creative Artist Award in dance for her work titled Could you hold the line? This is her first independent choreographic work, which takes the audience on a journey through the memory, reality, and dreams of a person who has just lost the comfort of a codependent relationship. This work was selected to attend the ACDA’s Mid-Atlantic Conference, where it was further selected to be performed in the Gala concert, representing NC State.

Alexandra Burchette (she/her) is a movement artist and arts facilitator based in Durham, NC. She began her pre-professional training at North Carolina Governor’s School and North Carolina State University. She later returned to her alma mater as the Program Assistant for the Dance Program (2018-2022) and the Artistic Director of Panoramic Dance Project (2022-2023). 

Alexandra has been greatly influenced by the teachings of Andrea Woods Valdés, Paul Matteson, Tracey Durbin, Gerri Houlihan, and others. Her own teaching now explores the mind-body connection and how to deepen sensation through movement. You can find her teaching at the American Dance Festival on the weekends.

Alexandra has performed for artists including Craig Quintero, Monica Bill Barnes, and Mark Haim in historic local venues including Duke Chapel, the Hayti Heritage Center, and Reynolds Industries Theatre. Alexandra joined Durham-based dance company KT Collective in 2020 with whom she continues to perform and serve as the company’s Rehearsal Assistant under the direction of Kristin Taylor Duncan. 

Alexandra believes that the body has an astounding capacity for knowledge, communication, and sensation. She continues to practice ways of facilitating art-making and bringing others into the magic of performance.

Michael R. Dudley Jr. is a trumpet player, composer, producer, educator, and photographer based in the historic neighborhood of Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, New York.

With more than a decade of professional experience as a musician, Michael has played at venues around the world in addition to iconic New York City locations such as Carnegie Hall, Birdland Jazz Club, and Dizzy’s Club. They have made recent musical appearances with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Christian McBride Big Band, Derrick Hodge’s Color of Noize Orchestra, Ryan Truesdell’s Gil Evans Project, and Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society. Michael’s performances as a fellow with the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra allowed them to share the stage with John Williams and Quincy Jones, among other amazing artists. More recent performances have included the 2024 Big Ears and North Sea Jazz Festivals with Secret Society, Maria Schneider Orchestra’s 30th Anniversary Tour, the 2023 Breaking Barriers Festival @ Ravinia, and the 2022 Newport Jazz Festival with the Maria Schneider Orchestra as well as with their own group (featuring Eliza Salem and Robert Papacica).

Michael can be heard as a lead trumpet player on multiple GRAMMY®-winning recordings by the John Daversa Big Band and Brian Lynch Big Band in addition to their self-produced single (“Another Star”) featuring vocalist Makayla Forgione and saxophonist Melvin Butler, having recorded with numerous groups while completing their graduate studies at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music.

As a composer and arranger, Michael has studied with Maria Schneider, Miho Hazama, Gary Lindsay, Noam Wiesenberg, and Stephen Guerra, having recently earned ISJAC and ASCAP Foundation awards for their piece “Overture to The Before And After Times.” In 2024 Michael participated in the Orchestra of St. Luke’s DeGaetano Composition Institute, being mentored by acclaimed composer Augusta Read Thomas with a culminating premiere by the GRAMMY®-winning chamber orchestra at New York’s own DiMenna Center for Classical Music. They also have collaborated with artists such as Donny McCaslin, and Michael’s compositions and orchestrations have been performed by the Sphinx Virtuosi, Chicago Sinfonietta, Charlotte Symphony, Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, Next Festival of Emerging Artists, New Canon Chamber Collective, and Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, with more premieres scheduled soon.Michael also values work as an educator, having served as the Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music from 2021-2024, in addition to giving masterclasses across the country. Michael was also recently brought on staff as an instructor and recording engineer at the JAS Academy in Aspen, Colorado alongside Christian McBride, Etienne Charles, Shelly Berg, Brian Lynch, and Chuck Bergeron after first participating as a student in 2019.

Tracey Durbin moved to Durham from Portland, Oregon where she was an integral part of the Portland dance scene for over 25 years.  Tracey trained under Eugene Louis Faccuito “Luigi” one of the most famous international jazz teachers of his generation. The Luigi technique and philosophy of fluid movement, expression , community and individuality became the foundation of her teaching. Tracey currently teaches and choreographs at NC State, North Carolina Central University, Ninth  St. Dance, American Dance Festival, and continues with her zoom classes.

Morgan Embry is a production designer, creative director, and dancer currently based in Los Angeles, California. She received her BA in Dance from The University of Alabama and her MFA in Lighting Design from the University of California, Irvine. She designs for dance and theatre, acting as resident lighting designer for Willing Kompany and Festival Ballet Theatre, and projection designer for CounterBalance Theatre. She is also a production designer for live music; Vance Joy, Bryce Vine, Beabadoobee, Ashnikko, and SWISS being among the list of wonderful collaborators she gets to regularly create with. Morgan is excited for this opportunity to collaborate with fellow artists and creators.

Tara Z. Mullins is a Teaching Professor in the department, where she directs the State Dance Company, teaches courses, facilitates the Master Class Series, and creates interdisciplinary projects. She also founded the Lunchbox Series, a virtual lunchtime conversation that uses dance and the arts as a springboard to delve into pertinent topics such as Arts and Public Health, Affirmative Action and the Arts, the Critical Response Process, and the intersection of STEM with dance. While at NC State, Tara produced Operation Breadbasket, a mixed-media modern dance honoring the civil rights movement, which was featured on WUNC’s The State of Things. She also created Against the Railing, a digital platform and mixed-media dance piece that tells the immigration stories of the NC State community. Her screendance Gull, in collaboration with renowned filmmaker Doug Kass, was screened at 16 international film festivals. Before working at NC State, Tara developed the education and service-based Z Mullins Dance Company. The company founded and facilitated such events as the Virginia Dance Symposium, which brought together high school dancers and professors from dance programs, and the Summer Dance Intensive, a ten-day program for high school and college dancers. She also planned and directed many community projects, such as Fitness, Food and FUN, a nutrition and fitness program for fifth-grade girls, and the Big Gig, a free youth arts festival in Miami. Tara has a B.A. in dance from James Madison University and an M.F.A. in dance from Arizona State University, where she received the Faculty Women’s Association Distinguished Master Degree Candidate Award for her work developing arts programs for homeless youth, as well as the inaugural Herberger College of Fine Arts Fellowship.

Kassandra Taylor Newberry is an Atlanta-based choreographer whose concert and theatrical work has been performed throughout the United States, Canada, Austria, Chile, Germany, and Italy. Dance Informa describes her unique choreography as “blend[ing] undeniable technique and form with sharp, decisive steps.” Mrs. Newberry’s work has been honored as a eleven-time recipient of RDA’s “National Choreographic Recognition: Best Choreography” Award, four-time recipient of Project Tier’s Outstanding Choreography Award, the National Choreography Intensive’s “Choreography Connection” Award, Youth American Grand Prix’s “Outstanding Choreographer”, and the Monticello Choreography Award. Multiple works have been selected to be performed at The Kennedy Center as a part of the national American College Dance Festival as well as the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS. She has had work commissioned by Point Park University, CONCEPTS Choreographic Showcase (Winston-Salem), State Street Ballet (Santa Barbara), NC State Dance Program, Southeast Alabama Dance Company, and other regional ballet companies. In 2012, she was commissioned to create a dance flash mob on 2,000 dancers which was performed in Montreal, Canada.

Mrs. Newberry danced professionally as a founding company member with Winston Salem Festival Ballet, Dance Theatre of Pittsburgh as well as Pillow Project Dance Theatre. Upon graduating magna cum laude with a BFA in Dance from Point Park University, Mrs. Newberry joined the trainee ensemble at Alonzo King’s LINES Contemporary Ballet in San Francisco before becoming ballet mistress for the Salt Lake Ballet Conservatory, the High Point Ballet, and Winston Salem Festival Dance Center. She has taught at numerous summer programs including Alonzo King’s LINES summer intensive, Commercial Dance Intensive, and the National Choreographic Intensive where she was also the Assistant Director of Operations. In 2013, Mrs. Newberry was named the Assistant Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer for Roswell Dance Theater in Atlanta, where she resides with her husband and kids.

Carol Fountain Nix directs the overall mission and vision of The Crafts Center. She received her MA from the NC State College of Design and eventually taught there as the Associate Professor of the Practice. Carol has an extensive background as an entrepreneur and retail product designer, having owned her own business for over 20 years. Carol is a practicing artist, calligrapher and mixed media painter who teaches classes in calligraphy and lettering arts at The Center and internationally.

LilyGrace Wolfe is a 2022 NC State graduate and current Department of Performing Arts and Technology employee. As a student at NC State, she received the 2022 NC State Performing Artist Award for her work as a member of the State Dance Company. She has since returned with her fellow company alumnae to perform Amy Love Beasley’s work in the 2023 and 2024 NC State Dance Faculty Concerts.

As a young dancer, LilyGrace had the joy of training under Kassandra Taylor Newberry. It has been a true privilege to assist the State Dance Company in bringing Newberry’s piece, There It Is, to the stage. She’s extremely grateful to Kassandra, the State Dance Company, and her colleague, Tara Z. Mullins, for the full-circle experience.

Cailee Bennett is a junior majoring in psychology. In addition to psychology, she plans to start the Art + Design program in the upcoming fall semester. This is her first year as a member of the State Dance Company. Cailee has enjoyed getting to know her teammates while furthering her knowledge of dance and expression. She feels grateful for the program and community, as it has provided a supportive transition during her time at State. 

Savanah Buck is a senior from New Bern, North Carolina majoring in Biochemistry. This is her third year as a member of the State Dance Company. She has trained in a multitude of styles for over 15 years. Her favorites include jazz, contemporary, and improv. When she is not working as an assistant in one of State’s biochemistry labs she enjoys choreographing, reading, making art, and thrifting.

Layla El-Khoury is a PhD candidate finishing her PhD in biological engineering with a minor in water resources. She received her B.S. and M.S. in Biological Engineering from NC State. She has been dancing since she was three years old and started teaching and choreographing in 2016. Through SDC, she has had the opportunity to explore and share how to use dance to share research, making it more accessible and engaging.

Athena He-DeMontaron is a graduate student studying Poultry Science with a concentration in Animal Welfare. She received her B. S. in Animal Science in 2023 from NC State. From the age of five she has been involved in various dance forms such as Traditional Chinese Dance, Modern, Ballet, and Graham as well as Circus Arts and Figure Skating.

Ellie Garr is a sophomore studying mathematics with a minor in computer programming. She has been dancing since she was three years old, training in many styles—her favorites include contemporary, jazz, and tap. This is Ellie’s first year in the company, and she has had a wonderful time meeting new people and embracing new opportunities. She is beyond grateful and excited for what the future holds with the company.

Marlena Lackey is a sophomore majoring in zoology. This is her first official year in the company though she was in a couple student choreographed pieces last year. She has trained in multiple different styles of dance since the age of 3 with her favorites including contemporary, tap, and improv. She is very grateful to be a part of a wonderful company and eager for what the future holds.

Rachel Morris is a graduate student studying Microbial Biotechnology with a minor in dance. She has been dancing since she was 4 years old, and participated in competition dance throughout middle and high school. Her favorite styles of dance include ballet, jazz, and modern. This is her fifth year in the company, and she is grateful and excited to get to continue exploring new dance styles and choreography with the company this year.

Anna Nguyen is a freshman majoring in Computer Science. This is her first year in the State Dance Company. She has been dancing since the age of 5 with her favorite styles being ballet, jazz, and contemporary. She is grateful for the opportunities in the company and is excited to further her knowledge of dance in the coming years.

Kara Pawlowski is a senior working towards a bachelors of science in biochemistry. She has been dancing since the age of 12 and joined the State Dance Company her freshman year of college. She is grateful for all she has learned through the company and is excited for the semesters to come.

Kloe Tucker is a senior at NC State with a major in Fashion Textile Management and a concentration in Fashion Development. She has been dancing since she was 3 and is a third-year member of the State Dance Company. She also holds the title of Co-Editor in Chief on PLATFORM magazine.

Alison Austin is a sophomore engineering major from outside of Charlotte. In addition to dancing in Disguised as Enchantment, she is a member of the Panoramic Dance Project.

Eleanor Bond is a junior studying Communication with minors in Psychology and Criminology. She has grown up dancing, training in various styles such as contemporary, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, and tap. She is also currently a part of Fusion Dance Crew. Outside of dance, Eleanor enjoys art, music, and taking care of animals. She is happy to be able to perform with such a talented group of dancers.

Margaret Marathe is a freshman majoring in environmental engineering. She has been dancing since the age of 3 and is trained in a variety of styles such as ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, musical theatre, and more. She is a member of the Panoramic Dance Project, an academic dance club at NC State. Outside of school and dance, she loves to read, listen to music, and go to the gym.

Abby Mathias is a sophomore in chemical engineering. She has been dancing since the age of 3. She loves all styles of dance, but her favorites are contemporary and jazz. When she is not working in the lab or at dance class, she enjoys working out, cooking, and spending time outside. She is grateful to connect and celebrate the art of dance with such a talented group of people.

Lee Reinstein is a sophomore majoring in Environmental Sciences and minoring in Applied Ecology and Dance. She has been dancing since age 3, and favors modern styles. Some of her interests outside of dance include ceramics, plants, and crafting. She has learned so much the past two years in the NCSU dance program, and is excited to keep taking classes and performing.