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Dear Friends,

It is with great pleasure that the Southeastern Professional School of the Arts Foundation presents tonight’s performance, I AM. This program culminates with the talents of numerous artists. We are proud to present a vast array of performances ranging from Classical Ballet, Contemporary, Modern, and Character Techniques. We are so thankful to be surrounded by so many talented artists, but most of all thankful for your support of the Southeastern Professional School of the Arts Foundation. Your support is integral in our endeavor to promote the arts throughout the state of South Carolina.

Southeastern Professional School of the Arts Foundation (SPSA) is an empowerment organization dedicated to providing a disciplined study of high-quality arts particularly to low to moderate income families, at-risk youth, and survivors in the State of South Carolina. In 2009, SPSA was established as a 501C3 nonprofit organization with the Internal Revenue Service based on the needs of its constituents. In order to offer low to moderate income families, at-risk youth, and survivors in the State of South Carolina the highest quality of art instruction, SPSA partners with local art organizations to provide Scholarships, After School Introduction Programs, Group Therapy, Workshops, Seminars, and Annual Performances. All programs are structured to 1) develop an appreciation of the Arts, 2) develop self-expression, 3) improve self-esteem and self-respect, 4) establish work ethic, 5) develop awareness of physical well-being and, 6) develop sensitivity and empathy. SPSA acts as a facilitating organization for coordinating the availability of the Arts in South Carolina. Services and resources are offered FREE for all of our participants through corporate and individual funding.

Thank you for helping us to achieve our goals and bring the arts to the greater Columbia community.

Please enjoy the show.

Sincerely,

Hillary Krieger-Toth

Executive Director

Southeastern School of Ballet’s Story

The Southeastern School of Ballet offers the highest quality of instruction in the various disciplines of ballet while simultaneously promoting cultural diversity in our student body and faculty. A structured and well-disciplined environment is essential in the study of ballet and is a priority to the faculty and staff at the Southeastern School of Ballet. We are committed to providing an environment in which individuality, creative expression, and a deep respect and appreciation for the arts is developed and refined. We seek to instill in every student critical life skills that can be attained through the study of ballet. Development of a strong work ethic, good self-discipline, proper respect for others, and high self-esteem are among those critical life skills.

The Southeastern School of Ballet provides the various techniques and training required for those who wish to experience the art of dance and movement, as well as those wishing to pursue a professional career. A wide variety of classes are offered within the curriculum to develop the student`s abilities as a well-rounded dancer. Instruction in Ballet, Pointe, Variations, Modern, Contemporary, Character, Stretch and Conditioning, and Pilates are provided to students that meet the eligibility requirements according to Southeastern School of Ballet’s syllabi.

To ensure that every student receives the attention and encouragement necessary to achieve success, we limit class sizes in each division. We help our students set and achieve realistic goals. Annual evaluations are conducted, which provide helpful feedback and help determine a student`s placement in the program. Above all, the Southeastern School of Ballet believes that each student's experience in the dance studio will provide the confidence and sense of accomplishment necessary to succeed in all aspects of their daily live

Southeastern Professional School of the Arts Foundation

Board of Directors

Executive Director – Hillary Krieger-Toth

Co-Executive Director & Treasurer – Cary Krieger

Board Member – Gabor Toth

Board Member – Kimberly Walker

Board Member – Jaquelin Bailey

Board Member – Haiqing Kaczkowski

Southeastern School of Ballet, LLC

Faculty

Owner/ Co-Artistic Director– Hillary Krieger-Toth

Owner/ Co-Artistic Director – Gabor Toth

Director of Modern and Contemporary – Terrance Henderson

Open Division Classical Ballet Instructor – Amy Shivar

Modern Instructor – Emily Jordan

Modern Instructor(s) – Tab & Kait

Dietician – Deborah Zippel

Sports Physical Therapist – Dennis Dotson

Guest Faculty – Szabolcs Varga (Former Boston Ballet Soloist)

Guest Faculty – Emily Entingh (Boston Ballet Second Soloist)

Guest Faculty – Petra Conti (International Principal Dancer)

Guest Faculty – Eris Nezha (International Principal Dancer)

A Special Thank You To Our 2023 Fundraiser Committee:

Alice Wofford, Jaquelin Bailey, and Ebony McBride. A special thank you to the Westwood Auditorium crew, Amy Shivar, Lee Price, and the SPSA Board of Directors for their support in making this event possible!

Guest Artists

Brooklyn Mack of Elgin, South Carolina, is an International Principal Guest Artist, most recently dancing with English National Ballet. He began his dance training at age 12 with the Pavlovich Dance School under Radenko Pavlovich and Milena Leben before receiving a scholarship to study at the Kirov Academy of Ballet. While at the Kirov he trained primarily under the auspices of Anatoli Kucheruk and Vladimir Djouloukhadze. After graduating from Kirov, Mr. Mack then apprenticed with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago and later joined American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company. Mr. Mack spent three seasons as a principal dancer with Orlando Ballet before becoming principal dancer of The Washington Ballet where he danced for 9 seasons. Mr. Mack has danced a wide array of choreography, spanning many different styles between classical, neoclassical, contemporary, abstract, and modern works throughout his career.

Some of his notable awards include the Senior Silver Medal at the 2006 Jackson International Ballet Competition in Mississippi; the 2007 Princess Grace Fellowship Award; The Senior Silver Medal at the 2009 Helsinki IBC; the Marius Liepa Prize at the 2011 Boston IBC; the Silver Medal at the 2011 Korean International Dance Competition; the Gold Medal at the 2012 Boston International Ballet Competition; winner of the 2012 Istanbul Grand Prix; and the gold medal at the 2012 International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria.Mr. Mack has also been featured on ABC, NBC, NPR, Ebony Magazine, listed in the Grio’s Top 100 (2014), and was named as a top “25 [dancers] to watch” by Dance Magazine (2012).Mr. Mack is highly in demand as a guest Principal dancer the world over. In 2016, Mr. Mack made his debut on three of the world's greatest stages; at Covent Garden's largest theater; the London Coliseum, The historic Bolshoi in Moscow, as well as the illustrious and historic Paris Opera ballet's Palais Garnier stage. In 2017, Mr. Mack debuted in the Republic of Georgia at the Tbilisi Opera House. In 2018, Mr. Mack made his debut in the role of Solor during his debut on the Ukrainian National Opera's stage with the Ukrainian National Ballet in La Bayadere. In June of 2019 Mr. Mack made his debut on the Metropolitan Opera House Stage at Lincoln Center, NYC as a Principal Guest Artist with American Ballet Theatre. Most recently, Mr Mack was Principal Guest Artist with English National Ballet for half of their 2019-2020 season, dancing various works in their repertoire including Ben in Wheeldon's Cinderella, Prince in Wayne Eagling's Nutcracker, William Forsythe's Playlist, excerpts of Coppelia and Etudes, as well as reprising his leading roles in Le Corsaire.

Szabolcs (Sabi) Varga received his training at the Hungarian Dance Academy in Budapest, Hungary. In 1997 he was named "Best Young Dancer" at the International Rudolf Nureyev Competition. Upon graduation he joined Alberta Ballet under the direction of Mikko Nissinen. There he performed principal roles in works by George Balanchine, Helgi Tomasson, and Christopher Wheeldon. In 2002 Nissinen invited Varga to join Boston Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet. He was promoted to second soloist in 2004 and to soloist in 2006. His repertoire with the Company includes Mikko Nissinen's Swan Lake (von Rothbart) and The Nutcracker (all principal male roles), Rudi van Dantzig's Romeo and Juliet (Romeo), Rudolf Nureyev's Don Quixote (Espada), Val Caniparoli's Lady of the Camellias (Gustave), Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, and Lambarena, Marius Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty, John Cranko's The Taming of the Shrew (Lucentio), Jorma Elo's Plan to B, Carmen (Escamillo), In on Blue, Le Sacre du Printemps, George Balanchine's Duo Concertant and Serenade, Helen Pickett's Etesian, Lucinda Childs' Ten Part Suite, Mark Morris' Up and Down, David Dawson's The Grey Area, James Kudelka's Cinderella, Sir Frederick Ashton's La Fille mal gardée, and Jiří Kylián's Sarabande, No More Play, Petite Mort, Sechs Tanze, Symphony of Psalms, and Bella Figura, Onegin from John Crancko's Onegin, Armand from Val Caniparoli's Lady Of The Cammellias. Varga retired from Boston Ballet in 2017 and now enjoys teaching collaborating with schools around the nation as well as dancing occasionally, most recently doing Drosselmeyer in Tony Williams's Urban Nutcracker.

Cast

Dance Selections

Act I

I Gotcha

Music: I Gotcha – Liza Minnelli

Choreographer: Terrance Henderson

Dancers: Mei Mei McArtor, Mackenzie Walker, Ava Sullivan

Dreamscapes

Music: Meteor Shower and Fireflies – Owl City

Choreographer: Amy Shivar

Dancers: Lydia Herden, Makenzie Goodwin, Jazmia Baker, Mallory Goodwin, Kacey Peterkin, Sophie Hays

Forest Fire

Music: I Need a Forest Fire - James Blake & Bonlver

Choreographers: Tab & Kait

Dancers: Ella McFarland, Eliza Blackwell, Ava Sullivan, Joanna Kinney, Maggie Lampl, Mackenzie Walker, Rebecca LaSalle, Mei Mei McArtor, Nekya Perry, Becca Golliher

Possibilities

Music: Possibilities – Lykke Li

Choreographer: Emily Jordan

Dancers: Olivia Wofford, Grace Bailey, Ellie Bailey, Leighton Ford, Alexandra Ricks, Camilla Pugh, Lydia Herden, Makenzie Goodwin, Jazmia Baker

Singularity

Music: Hien – Punnany Massif

Choreographer: Gabor Toth

Dancers: Mei Mei McArtor, Nekya Perry, Maggie Lampl, Becca Golliher, Joanna Kinney, Ava Sullivan, Eliza Blackwell, Mackenzie Walker,

Ella McFarland, Rebecca LaSalle

Dance Selections

Act II

Sleeping Beauty Excerpts

Fairy Entrance

Choreography & Staged By: Hillary Krieger-Toth

Composer: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Dancers: Nekya Perry, Maggie Lampl, Becca Golliher, Joanna Kinney, Ava Sullivan, Eliza Blackwell, Mackenzie Walker, Ella McFarland, Rebecca LaSalle, Grace Bailey

Fairy of the Crystal Fountain Variation

Staged By: Hillary Krieger-Toth

Composer: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Dancer: Maggie Lampl

Finger Fairy Variation

Staged By: Hillary Krieger-Toth

Composer: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Dancer: Ella McFarland

Jewels Silver & Gold Variation

Staged By: Hillary Krieger-Toth

Composer: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Dancers: Grace Bailey & Rebecca LaSalle

Diamond Fairy Variation

Staged By: Hillary Krieger-Toth

Composer: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Dancer: Joanna Kinney

Little Red Riding Hood

Staged By: Gabor Toth

Composer: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Dancers: Olivia Wofford & Ivan Aguayo

Canary Fairy Variation

Staged By: Hillary Krieger-Toth

Composer: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Dancer: Nekya Perry

The Vision Scene

Choreographer: Gabor Toth

Composer: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Dancers: Leighton Ford, Alexandra Ricks, Ellie Bailey, Camilla Pugh, Zhane Goodwin,

Marcayla Jenkins, Iriana Peterson, Khalia Pimentel, Tegan Ratcliff

Fairy of the Woodland Glade Variation

Staged By: Hillary Krieger-Toth

Composer: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Dancer: Eliza Blackwell

Generosity Fairy Variation

Staged By: Hillary Krieger-Toth

Composer: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Dancer: Becca Golliher

The Bluebird and Princess Florine Pas De Deux

Staged By: Gabor Toth

Composer: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Dancers: Mackenzie Walker & Sabi Varga

Princess Florine Variation

Staged By: Hillary Krieger-Toth

Composer: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Dancer: Mackenzie Walker

Lilac Fairy Variation

Staged By: Hillary Krieger-Toth

Composer: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Dancer: Ava Sullivan

Aurora Wedding Grand Pas De Deux

Staged By: Gabor Toth

Composer: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Dancers: Mei Mei McArtor & Brooklyn Mack

Princess Aurora Wedding Variation

Staged By: Hillary Krieger-Toth

Composer: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Dancer: Mei Mei McArtor

SOUTHEASTERN SCHOOL OF BALLET

COLUMBIA'S PREMIER BALLET SCHOOL

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