Program
It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)
Choreographed By: Francesca Mancuso
Song: It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)
Cast: Francesca Mancuso (@frenchiemancuso) Lexis Danca (@lexisdanca) Gabriella Enriquez (@gabriellaoenriquez) Clarisse Austin (@clarisse.austin)
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Program Note: Interior: a 1940’s jazz club. Filled with smoke so thick you can only see the ends of cigarettes and ladies’ red lipstick. As the band begins to play, an infectious display of jazz dancing begins…
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Steppin' Out With My Baby
Choreographed By: Victoria Casillo
Song: Steppin' Out With My Baby - Arrangement by Mo Yeh
Cast: Cayel Tregeagle (@cayelhartwell) Daryn Diaz (@darynvictoria)
Piano: Dionne Hendricks (@dionnedoesmuisc)
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Program Note: “Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.”
-Anais Nin
Special thanks to Patrick O’Neil, Sam Davis, Jeff Whiting, Rob Ashford and David Chase at The Time Step Symposium, where this piece was originally developed.
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Les loups
Choreographed By: Whitney G-Bowley (@hotnhyphenated)
Associate Choreographer: Gable Couch (@gablecouch)
Song: "Les loups" & “Winter’s Child” by Camille
Cast: Cate Benioff (@catebenioff) Gable Couch (@gablecouch) Lisa Finegold (@goldenfin) Sarah Rehm (@sarahrehm) Kira Stone (@kiras44) Yasmyn Sumiyoshi (@yasmynwhodances) Ari Glauser (@aristari)
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Program Note: This is a first glimpse into a new piece exploring connections found throughout time & across cultures between femme energy and wild nature. In our story, we follow a group of special beings that can vacillate between embodying goddesses of the hunt and mystical wolves. Feels like a good time to howl -- feel free to join us.
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Like We Were Kids
Choreographed By: Jasmine Canziani
Song: Good Life by Sammy Rae and The Friends
Cast: Mallory Nolting (@mallory_dana_) Allison Blanchard (@_oop2) Ruby Calamia (@rubycalamia)
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Program Note: This is a jazzy, contemporary-groove piece created in joyful collaboration with my dancers. Drawing from Goat Island’s “impossible task,” we created a movement vocabulary that sparked character, narrative, and a playful environment of creative possibility. Dance is fun, and I hope this piece projects that.
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Say that again?
Choreographed By: Olivia Passarelli & Daniel Rocha
Song: Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor by Gustav Mahler, performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Cast: Olivia Passarelli (@olivia_passarelli) Daniel Rocha (@danny_rocha_)
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Hot Enough For You
Choreographed By: Jill Gittleman (@gittlegram)
Song: “Hot Enough For You” from The Act Starring Liza Minnelli–Kander & Ebb
Cast: Courtney Echols (@courtney.echols) Mallory Davis (@mmallorydavis) Lydia Guerra (@_swanbones)
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Caged
Choreographed By: Elena Sundick
Song: “We Insist” by Zoe Keating
Cast: Elena Sundick (@elenasundick) Casie McManus (@casiemcmanus) Lorena Jaramillo (@lorejrm)
Sofi Ameglio (@sofiameglio) Marie Pedraza (@mariepedraza7)
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Program Note: The cast of dancers are all teaching artists who work with older adults. “Caged” is dedicated to the older adults who do not let age define them but rather embrace newfound layers of who they are through movement.
“Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” —Betty Friedan
All’s Fair in Love and War
Choreographed By: Lyric Ikeomu @lyriclouleaps
Song: “The Heartburn Song” by Lawrence
Cast: Mia Felton (@mia_felton) Oakley Thatcher (@oakleythacker)
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Program Note: The objective of the game is to win all of the cards. The deck is divided evenly among the players. In unison, each player reveals the top card of their deck - this is a “battle” - and the player with the highest card takes both. If the cards are the same rank, a “war” is declared. The game ends when one player has all the cards.
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As One
Choreographed By: Danielle Diniz
Song: Akhnaten: Scene 1: Funeral of Amenhotep III
Cast: Carmela Arcidi (@carmelaarcidi) Mallory Nolting (@mallory_dana_) Kaitlin Niewoehner (@kneversettles)
Megan Holeman (@_meganholeman) Ari Glauser (@ari_stari) Leah Suskind (@leahsuskind) Emily Masia (@emilymasia)
Payge Lecackes (@thatdancerpayge) Jaclyn Birkner (@jaclynleighb)
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Rockman
Choreographed By: Lilli Jacobs
Song: “ROCKMAN” by Mk.gee
Cast: Mattie Walker (@mattie_walkerr) Lilli Jacobs (@lillijacobs) Kyra Sorce (@malibu_chicken)
Thomas Ruhala (@truhala) Ryan Vogt (@ryan.vogt)
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Program Note: “You can laugh it off, but you started a war”
Inspired by Mk.Gee’s evocative soundscape and the movement styles of Cole and Fosse, Rockman embodies the waves of tension and lasting transformation that come from the relationships we have and the internal fires they can start inside ourselves. Choosing whether to keep a lid on these feelings, wrestle with them, or learn how to soften & dance with them is at the heart of this work.
Special thanks to Mattie Walker, my collaborator and friend.
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Be My Baby
Choreographed By: Michael Dikegoros (@m_dikegoros)
Song: Be My Baby
Cast: Francesca Mancuso (@frenchiemancuso) Ronnie S. Bowman Jr Brady Miller (@itsbradymiller)
Savannah Cooper (@savvy_sc) Nick Cunha (@nicholasanthonycunha) Chadwick Balen (@chadwickbalen)
Lexis Danca (@lexisdanca)
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Program Note: New York City, present day. Two strangers meet on their morning commute.
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Ripple from a Stone
Choreographed By: Myles Tracy (Final duet choreographed by Audrey Allen & Myles Tracy)
Song: “Speak to Me” Pink Floyd “Weak Spot” FKA Twigs “Gymnopédie No. 1” Erik Satie
Cast: Myles Tracy (@mylestracy) Audrey Allen (@audreyyallenn) Aubry Mason (@aubrymason)
Eliza Summerhays (@elixza) Sarah Mack (@sarahh.mackk) Kyla Balser (@kyla.balser) Daryn Diaz (@darynvictoria)
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Program Note: This piece is an exploration of how we navigate conflict inside of a group dynamic. Sometimes the desire to leave can be strong, and even if you do leave, there is no guarantee life will be better outside.
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PfknR
Choreographed By: Alexa Racioppi (@alexaracioppi)
Song: Compilation of the following songs:
NUEVAYoL -Bad Bunny
CAFé CON RON -Bad Bunny
LA MuDANZA - Bad Bunny
Cast: Rachel Josefina (@rachel.josefina) Kyle de la Cruz Laing (@kylelaing) Diego Guevara (@diego.guev)
Stefanie Renee Salyers (@stefaniereneesalyers) Gabriella Ottersberg Enriquez (@gabriellaoenriquez)
Program Note:
PfknR (Premier Performance)
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PfknR is both a celebration and a reclamation. This piece is rooted in the rich soil of Puerto Rico’s history and culture, while also being a deeply personal exploration of my own Puerto Rican identity.
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At the heart of this work lies Bomba, one of Puerto Rico’s oldest musical and dance traditions. Originating in the 17th century among the island’s African-descended communities, Bomba was not just a dance, it was a form of resistance, community, and expression. Traditionally, Bomba is an improvised dialogue between dancer and drummer: the dancer challenges, the drummer responds. It is alive, spontaneous, and deeply emotional.
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In creating PfknR, I’ve woven the improvisational spirit and movement vocabulary of Bomba into my own choreographic language. This fusion allowed me to honor the form’s ancestral roots while giving voice to my personal narrative—how I carry my heritage in my body, how I’ve struggled with it, and how I celebrate it.
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-Alexa Racioppi
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Performed by a fully Latine cast
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