Salem College Dance Studies will be performing and teaching at this year’s American College Dance Conference at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. The conference begins Sunday and continues until Wednesday.

Dance Studies Chair Heidi Echols said she is very proud to have such great representation from both faculty members who are teaching and students who are performing this year.

“This all came about when I started taking students 14 years ago to this conference,” she said.

ACDA regional conferences provide the opportunity for students and faculty to have their dance works adjudicated by a panel of nationally recognized dance professionals in an open and constructive forum, ACDA Mid-Atlantic South Conference Coordinator Lea Marshall said.

Marshall described this year’s conference as “an engaging celebration of dance in higher education with a wide variety of master classes, scholarly research presentations, opportunities for student and faculty exchanges in and out of the studio, adjudication and informal concerts, feedback sessions, a Gala Concert, and a presentation of guest artist Helen Simoneau Danse,” of Winston-Salem.

Additionally, special faculty workshops have been planned, and Salem will have faculty members directing performances and teaching workshops this year, including:

• Shawn Bowman-Hicks—Franklin Method
• Raina Lucas—Beyond the Steps: Ballet and Beyond the Beat: Contemporary Dance
• Rose Sunila—Cappoeria Angola
• Heidi Echols—Faculty Director, Lighting Design, Technical Director, Stage Management for all dances

In addition to the faculty workshops, Salem dance students will also be performing during the conference. The pieces being performed this year were choreographed by Shea Bove, Claire Ketner (Senior Dance Major) and guest artist Renay Aumiller. 

Student performers include:

• Mary Katherine Conaway
• Shea Bove
• Claire Ketner
• Rebecca Omonde
• An-Ra Moore
• Sophie Shelton
• Anna Mason Moore

Students attending include:

• Mallory Hartman
• Emily Conley
• Jeniffer Padilla