University Dance Company performance will feature Kansas City Aerial Arts

LAWRENCE — In the University Dance Company Spring Concert, students and choreographers examine the ideas of world-building, connection and suspense through the artform. The 2024 repertoire concert will feature ballet, contemporary, hip hop and jazz dance styles.

Special guest Kansas City Aerial Arts will have patrons on the edge of their seats with a high-flying hybrid aerial/dance work, choreographed and directed by Meghan Spencer. Faculty choreographers Maya Tillman-Rayton, Claire Buss and Ashley Brittingham will be featured, along with a piece by recent KU dance graduate Olivia Pennell. Additionally, the Jayhawk Tap Co will present two works. More than 50 students will perform, with many more assisting behind the scenes. 

The concert is 7:30 p.m. April 5-6 and 2:30 p.m. April 7 at in the Crafton-Preyer Theatre at Murphy Hall. Tickets are available for purchase at the performance website or by calling 785-864-3982, or in person at the box office in Murphy Hall Additionally, the April 5 and 7 performances will be available via livestream.  

“This concert is certainly a highlight of the spring term in the Department of Theatre & Dance and highly anticipated by our greater dance ‘family.’ We invite those who are new to attending live dance performances to check us out,” said Tillman-Rayton, University Dance Company Concert producer and KU lecturer. “This semester’s concert carries on our commitment to producing forward-thinking works and to providing pre-professional performance opportunities for Jayhawks.” 

Kansas City Aerial Arts is an aerial arts education and entertainment company that nurtures a sense of empowerment and wonder through aerial arts since 2013. Its mission is to make the joy of the circus accessible to everyone. Spencer, KC Aerial Arts’ education director and performer, has created, choreographed and directed the piece "Life Like Water" for the UDC concert. The company’s participation is made possible in part by the Janet Hamburg Visiting Artist Fund. 

About the choreographers

Brittingham is a full-time lecturer and interim co-director of dance in the Department. As a professional dancer, she has performed a wide variety of classical and contemporary principal roles by the world's leading choreographers. For the past four years, she has set her original choreographic work for the University Dance Company. 

Tillman-Rayton is in her seventh year teaching hip hop technique and second year as a full-time lecturer. She is interim co-director of dance for the department. Most recently, she directed and choreographed "Wonka’s Chocolate Factory," a multi-genre dance production at the Lawrence Arts Center. She debuted her work, titled "Stingy Lulu’s Jumping Juke Joint," at the 2023 KC Fringe Festival.
 
Buss is originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, and graduated from KU with degrees in dance and physical education. She’s worked with Tristian Griffin Dance Company, House of Dragons and Liat Roth in City in Motions Modern Night. She has taught modern and hip hop at KU for a year.
 
Pennell is a Chicago-based dancer and choreographer. Currently, she is a trainee with Chicago Repertory Ballet and the administrative coordinator of Giordano Dance Chicago. In 2023, Pennell from KU with dual degrees in dance and communications. 

Production team and performers

Professional design team members are Kelly Vogel, associate teaching professor and head of scenography, as scenic designer, and Ann Sitzman, technical coordinator and multi-term lecturer, as lighting designer. Josh Gilpin, an MFA student in scenography,  is the costume designer. Professional freelancer and recent graduate Kalen Stockton is the guest stage manager. Her participation in the UDC Spring Concert is made possible in part by the John M. and Frances R.B. Peterson Visiting Artist Fund.   

Student dancers are Storm Alicie, junior in applied behavioral science from Liberty, Missouri; McKenna Bizal, junior in psychology and dance from Overland Park; Morgan Blanton, junior in dance from Wichita; Abby Boyd, freshman in dance and psychology from Topeka; Rylee Brown, student in business marketing and strategic communications from Houston; Hope Casner, senior in dance and exercise science from Argonia; Alexandria Demps, junior in dance from Kansas City, Missouri; Olivia Dondzila, freshman in strategic communications from DeSoto; Sofia Dunkelberger, freshman in dance from Wichita; Cassidy Dunn, sophomore in pre-nursing from Lawrence; Sydney Ebner, senior in dance; Grace Epperly, junior in biology from Olathe; Madeline Evenson, freshman in astronomy from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota; Mia Godinez, junior in journalism from Chanute; Sophia Harrison, sophomore in dance from Topeka; Cooper Holmes, sophomore in theatre performance from Overland Park; Brooke Howard, senior in English from Overland Park; Kayla Howard, freshman in biochemistry from Leland, North Carolina; Alex Hunt, student in dance and mechanical engineering from Farmington, Minnesota; Jaydn Kaufman, sophomore in business from Iola; Cullen Krishna, junior in dance and ecology from Bellevue, Nebraska; Lucie Lane, junior in education from Overland Park; Jazmyne Le, junior in strategic communications from Wichita; Abigail Lorenz, sophomore in exercise science from Schaumburg, Illinois; Breck Luedke, freshman in dance; Esther McBride, sophomore in dance from Alameda, California; Mara McKelvey, freshman in environmental studies from Limuru, Kenya; Mahika Meesa, sophomore in political science from Overland Park; Savannah Meier, sophomore in multimedia journalism from Tampa, Florida; Audrey Merckling, junior in film & media studies from Lenexa; Cailan Niswonger, senior in dance from Flower Mound, Texas; Sarah Perez, freshman in psychology from Wichita; Dylan Pope, freshman from Naperville, Illinois; Mallory Price, sophomore in dance and journalism from Leavenworth; Natalie Remack, freshman in behavioral neuroscience from Keller, Texas; Paul Ruf, sophomore in biochemistry from Overland Park; Eliana Rundus, sophomore in dance; Madi Seelye, sophomore in dance from Lawrence; Katie Seminoff, junior in biology from Wichita; Emily Shaw, freshman in architecture from Hutchinson; Molly Shaw, senior in journalism from Hutchinson; Anna Shelton, junior in dance from Hesston; Lindsay Skinner, senior in dance from Des Moines, Iowa; Sloane Smith, sophomore in dance and exercise science from Littleton, Colorado; Claire Sprute, freshman in chemical engineering from Eden Prairie, Minnesota; Quinn Stahly, freshman from Topeka; Nikolette Treadwell, junior in dance from Wichita; Joslyn Vetock, sophomore in dance from Omaha, Nebraska; Elizabeth Wellman, sophomore in dance from Lawrence; and Rizzy Xiong, a sophomore in education and psychology from Shanghai, China.
 

The University Dance Company concerts are funded in part by KU Student Senate. The University Dance Company is a production wing of the University of Kansas’ Department of Theatre & Dance.