Berea College Dance Programs

Our current student dance programs assistant Mikaela Otte (in the second, fourth, and sixth pictures) is graduating this Sunday! Congratulations to her! Now we’d like to introduce our new dance programs assistant: India Allar (pictured in the first, third, and fifth pictures)
Below are some facts about India!
Majors: philosophy and theatre
Minor: broadcast journalism
Year: second year
Classification: junior
Dance groups: AIMM, BMED
She choreographed the dance piece “Chicago” for Kinetics 2022 and co-choreographed “This Is Me” with Nashwa Cahill for Kinetics 2022
Hobbies: hiking, reading
Fun fact: She was a mime for 6 years

A message from Mikaela: “I have had the pleasure of being the dance programs assistant for the past five semesters and I am so glad to pass it on to someone as wonderful as India! Thank you to Stephanie Woodie and Nashwa Cahill for everything the past several years!"

Photo credits: Crystal Wylie and Christopher Rice Berea College

India Allar
Mikaela Otte

“This Is Me” -Kinetic Expressions 2022
Choreographer: Nashwa Cahill Nashwa Cahill and India Allar
Music: "This Is Me" by Keala Settle
Dancers: All dancers including Nashwa Cahill, Roy Scudder-Davis, and Stephanie Woodie
Choreographer Comments: The choreographers were inspired by the following quote: “Life is about celebrating uniqueness, diversity, and then bringing it all together like the varied colors of the rainbow, different yet connected” - H.L. Balcomb

All Photo Credits to Berea College Berea College Photography, Crystal Wylie, and Christopher Rice

“Milonga de Amor”-Kinetic Expressions 2022

Choreographer: Nashwa Cahill Nashwa Cahill
Music: "Santa Maria (Del Buen Ayre)" by Gotan Project
Dancers: Valeria Bellido Campos, Kaela Davis, Mikaela Otte, Jimmy Rajeh, Jasmine Reitze, Erika Warren
Choreographer Comments: Gotan Project weaved together a new genre of traditional Tango and modern pop into a piece of exciting electronic dance music that traveled the world. The song is reminiscent of a distant time and the movement doesn’t necessarily follow certain dance traditions or rules. It is an intuition and the feeling of what the next move might be, just like in Tango, or like a traveler wandering through the streets of Buenos Aires.

All Photo Credits to Berea College Berea College Photography, Crystal Wylie, and Christopher Rice

(You will see photos from all pieces from Kinetics 2022 throughout this weeks’ posts)

“Hope is Not Lost” -Kinetic Expressions 2022
Choreographer: Juliana Lang
Music: “Carry You” by Ruelle (feat. Fleurie)
Soloist: Juliana Lang

All Photo Credits to Berea College Berea College Photography, Crystal Wylie, and Christopher Rice

(You will see photos from all pieces from Kinetics 2022 throughout this weeks’ posts)

“A Revealing Juxtaposition”-Kinetic Expressions 2022
Choreographers: Stephanie Woodie and Dancers
Music: "I am not a woman, I'm a god (Instrumental)" by Halsey
"Sublime" by Tim Schaufert, Shwin
Dancers: India Allar, Autumn Harvey, Juliana Lang, Mikaela Otte, Kate Poltoratska, Jimmy Rajeh, Kazia Turner, Cecelia Van Laningham
Choreograper Comments: Each dancer contributed a movement phrase to this dance, in response to reflecting on how they have been impacted by living in a pandemic. Living in a pandemic has revealed vulnerabilities and taught us about the value of life. Will we go back to “normal” when the pandemic is over, or, will we be changed forever?

All Photo Credits to Berea College Berea College Photography, Crystal Wylie, and Christopher Rice

(You will see photos from all pieces from Kinetics 2022 throughout this weeks’ posts)

“Untethered”- Kinetic Expressions 2022
Choreographer: Elizabeth Ronilo
Music: "Fantasy" by Vixx
Dancers: Jeriel Byron-Dixon, Carolina Castillo-Ibarra, Autumn Harvey, Megan McEahern, Kyleah Parr, Jimmy Rajeh
Choreographer Comments: My piece is best described with the quote: "The great art of life is sensation, to feel that we exist, even in pain." - Lord Byron. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for each of the dancers in this piece. It could not have been created without them and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity I had to work with each one of them.

All Photo Credits to Berea College Berea College Photography, Crystal Wylie, and Christopher Rice

(You will see photos from all pieces from Kinetics 2022 throughout this weeks’ posts)

“Hip-Hop: Now and Then”- Kinetic Expressions 2022
Choreographer: Rinat Nailev
Music: “King Kunta” by Kendrick Lamar, “Indigo” by 88rising & Niki, “Woman” by Doja Cat, “Might Be” by Denise Chaila, “Dancina” by Yemi Alade, “Gangster” by Labrinth, “Murder She Wrote (Remix)” by Cometazine & Tay K, “Get Dark” by New Mem
Dancers: India Allar, Kaela Davis, Caoimhe Kenny, Cecelia Van Laningham, Rinat Nailev, Ugo Onwuka, Jasmine Reitze
Choreographer Comments: The piece shows how hip-hop unites people of all dances, both in old school and new school styles!

All Photo Credits to Berea College Berea College Photography, Crystal Wylie, and Christopher Rice

(You will see photos from all pieces from Kinetics 2022 throughout this weeks’ posts)

“Fight For Tomorrow”- Kinetic Expressions 2022 Choreographer: Kyleah Parr
Music: "Kingdom Dance" by Alan Menken
"Survivor" by 2WEI and Edda Hayes
Dancers: Jordan Berry, Carolina Castillo-Ibarra, Cecelia Van Laningham, Kyleah Parr, Kate Poltoratska, Elizabeth Ronilo
Choreographer Comments: Things do not always go as planned because the future can be so unclear. All we can do is make decisions based on what is right in front of us. Live in the present moment and make the best decisions for yourself. Fight for your tomorrow, no one else’s.

All Photo Credits to Berea College Berea College Photography, Crystal Wylie, and Christopher Rice

(You will see photos from all pieces from Kinetics 2022 throughout this weeks’ posts)

“Chicago” -Kinetic Expressions 2022
Choreographer: India Allar
Music: "Chicago" by Sufjan Stevens
Dancers: Jeriel Byron-Dixon, Kyleah Parr, Lihuen (Olivia) Rousseaux, Kazia Turner, Erika Warren
Choreographer Comments: I originally choreographed this routine during a really hard time in my life. I was struggling with where my place was in the world and unhappy with everything I was doing. I never got to see the routine finished because I dropped everything in a fit of exhaustion just to have some time for myself. In a way, I left my old insecurities behind and became more comfortable in my skin, just like the dancers do in this routine. I’m happy that I get to see it come to life. It’s a nice homage to the life I left behind and a refreshing memory to take with me into the future.

All Photo Credits to Berea College Photography, Crystal Wylie, and Christopher Rice

(You will see photos from all pieces from Kinetics 2022 throughout this week and next weeks’ posts)

“Ode to the Past, Ode to the Future”- Kinetic Expressions 2022
Choreographer: Cameron Stites-Stevens with the inspiration of the featured dancers
Music: "Bad Liar" by Imagine Dragons
Dancers: Jordan Berry, Valeria Bellido Campos, Carolina Castillo-Ibarra, Autumn Harvey, Ania McDougal, Ugo Onwuka, Lihuen (Olivia) Rousseaux, Erika Warren
Choreographer Comments: This Kinetics piece communicates a story. It may be a familiar narrative for those who have encountered a failed relationship with a lover or a friend. As you watch this dance, you will see two people who try their best to love each other while battling the complexities of their emotions and identities. The dancers you see in red, blue, and yellow signify the feelings of these lovers, reflecting their passion, sadness, and happiness, respectively. As you watch the story evolve, notice how the lovers engage with their feelings and how their emotions influence their decision-making. Moreover, as you observe this piece, it is intended that you take away at least two messages. First, relationships can often resemble a chaotic dance of identity negotiation, and secondly, love, whether conditional or unconditional, is far more colorful than black and white.

All Photo Credits to Berea College Berea College Photography, Crystal Wylie, and Christopher Rice

(You will see photos from all pieces from Kinetics 2022 throughout this week and next weeks’ posts)

“Scarlet Serenade”- Kinetic Expressions 2022
Choreographer: Juliana Lang
Music: "The Scarlet Serenade" written and played by Mark Allison
Dancers: Jimmy Rajeh and Jasmine Reitze
Choreographer Comments: Two come together in passion, however, the relationship quickly turns venomous and manipulative. They soon struggle to maintain a healthy romance in this dark commentary on toxic relationships where the two would rather be miserable together, than happy alone.

All Photo Credits to Berea College Berea College Photography, Crystal Wylie, and Christopher Rice

(You will see photos from all pieces from Kinetics 2022 throughout this weeks’ posts)

“Whistling Vivaldi”- Kinetic Expressions 2022
Choreographer: Roy Scudder-Davis
Music: "Takin' It To The Streets" by The Doobie Brothers and James Taylor "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" by The Hollies
Dancers: India Allar, Valeria Bellido Campos, Maria Hernandez Diaz, Ugo Onwuka
Cameo: Roy Scudder-Davis reading Excerpt from “Love Is Not All” (Sonnet # # #) from Collected Poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Choreographer Comments: The name of this dance was taken from the title of a book by Claude M. Steele which addresses “How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do.”

All Photo Credits to Berea College Photography, Crystal Wylie, and Christopher Rice

(You will see photos from all pieces from Kinetics 2022 throughout this weeks’ posts)