Dance students chosen to perform at National dance festival June 5

Seven dancers from the University of South Carolina are scheduled to perform Alan Hineline’s ballet, “Twist,” at the National American College Dance Festival June 4 - 6 in New York City.

The South Carolina ensemble will perform on June 5 in the Miller Theatre at Columbia University, which is hosting the festival. The seven will perform two movements of Hineline’s modern ballet, with choreography by Stacey Calvert, instructor of ballet at the university.

“This would not have happened without Stacey Calvert, from gaining access to this amazing piece to accomplishing such a great honor though this competition,” said Susan Anderson, director of dance. “We’ve reached an achievement that now puts us in a position of national prominence after only three years of having a dance major.”

The South Carolina ensemble was one of three selected to perform at nationals from the American College Dance Festival Southeast Regional Conference at the University of Florida March 8 – 11. More than 400 competed at the American College Dance Festival’s 10 regional conferences, with only 29 earning performances at the national festival.

The participating students are Ryan Thomas, Bonnie Boiter-Jolley, Lindsay Shatzer, Carolyn Bolton, Olivia Anderson, Ben Hankinson and McCree O’Kelley.

Boiter-Jolley, a rising junior from Chapin, is nominated for the ACDFA/Dance Magazine Award for Outstanding Student Performer. Each regional conference nominates one dancer for the prestigious award. The 10 regional nominees then compete for the award at the national festival. The winning student receives a $1,000 award.

For more information about the USC Dance Program visit http://www.cas.sc.edu/dance/. For more information about the ACDFA, visit http://www.acdfa.org/.