Come celebrate the 25th anniversary of Trillium Performing Youth at the Reunion Showcase Apr. 8 and 9 at the Historic Lewis Theatre. Established as The Performance Group in 1997 by Beth White, TPY has provided free performances for public and private schools, residential homes for elderly, and regional festivals annually.
Present Artistic Director Carli Mareneck comments, “TPY is a unique program for teenagers that uses dance as a platform to build discipline, trust and expansive expression and offers opportunities to work with professional choreographers from around the country.” Trillium Performing Arts provides support and scholarships for the program.
The Reunion Showcase will feature dances performed by current TPY members as well as four TPY alumni that have pursued dance as a profession. Alum Faith Levine joined the first TPY at age 15, and with support from Beth White became the youngest choreographer to adjudicate for the WV Dance Festival. She helped direct both TPY and the Alderson Dance Ensemble founded by Adrienne Biesemeyer. After earning her BFA from University of Utah she taught at Portland State University. She now teaches at her own Pilates Studio in Charlottesville and choreographs at colleges regionally. She will perform a new solo in the Reunion Showcase.
Laura Gorsuch also joined TPY at its inception in 1997. She went on to major in dance at Radford University and is now a counselor and dance teacher at St. Catherines in Richmond. In addition, Laura co-directs RADAR. The Company was recently honored as the 2021 Best Professional Dance Company by the Richmond Dance Awards. Known for creating full length, conceptually driven concerts, the company also provides quality training to young dancers. RADAR will share 3 beautiful works from their repertoire.
Alum Ross Honaker began dancing with TPY in 2008 and earned his BFA at VCU. He then danced in NYC where he was privileged to perform with Doug Varone and Dancers at BAM, VIVO Ballet and Arch 8 in Amsterdam. This year he has enriched TPY as a teacher and choreographer and will perform a new solo in April. Ross is a licensed massage therapist and recently opened Valley Health Massage in Lewisburg.
Cyan Maroney danced with both TPY and Alderson Dance Ensemble before earning her dance degree at Connecticut College. She went on to perform professionally with WV Dance Company and Theater WV. Although Cyan is no longer with us we still treasure her and she will be remembered through a short film during the concert.
The Showcase will conclude with a dance by Shannon Hummel, director of CORA Dance. Former TPY members are invited to join on stage during the final dance.
Shows will be Friday, Apr. 8, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Apr. 9, at 1 p.m. For more information call 304-645-3003.
This program is presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.
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