Dancers Headed to Prestigious Washington D.C. Festival

California State University, Fullerton’s Dance Program was one of four Southwest region universities selected to perform at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., following regional dance competitions at the American College Dance Festival Association’s regional festival last week in Scottsdale, Arizona. The national festival is set for June 1-3, 2004.

This prestigious honor was earned by CSUF dancers Sherionne Cassell-Coleman, F. Nicholas Factoran, Tiffany Jones, Courtney Ozovek, Crystal Regueiro and Steven DiSchiavi for their performance of the dance piece CELLS, choreographed by CSUF alumnus Michael Esperanza. Their performance was selected out of 54 different works from more than 30 universities from throughout the Southwest region.

This is the second year in a row that CSUF’s program was chosen to perform at the Regional Gala Concert, but this is a CSUF first for a dance piece to be selected to perform at the Kennedy Center. In addition to this honor, CSUF dance student Stephen DiSchiavi achieved further recognition by receiving the Best Performer Award. Arizona State University, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and Loyola Marymount are the three other universities headed to Washington, D.C., from the Southwest region.

According to CSUF Dance Coordinator Debra Noble, “Our dancers overcame many challenges to bring the power, depth and artistry of the choreography to the audience. They reached beyond themselves to perform with strength and vulnerability. The dancers were able to communicate the layers of the choreography and speak to our humanity. I am extremely proud of all of them,” she added.

The Southwest regional dance professionals who served as adjudicators spoke highly of CSUF’s work and the performers, saying the following:

“Mysteriously dramatic and beautifully danced.” – Stephen Koester, ACDFA adjudicator

“Brilliant performing by entire ensemble. They created a poetic resonance on stage.”
–Doug Elkins, ACDFA adjudicator

“They created a world for me to enter.” –Kevin Wynn, ACDFA adjudicator

The American College Dance Festival Association's primary focus is to support and promote the wealth of talent and creativity that is prominent throughout college and university dance departments. ACDFA's sponsorship of regional and national dance festivals provides the venue for students to engage in three days of workshops, lecture/ demonstrations and master classes taught by instructors from around the region and country. The festivals also provide the unique opportunity for students and faculty to have their dance works adjudicated by a panel of nationally recognized dance professionals in an open and constructive forum. Culminating with the presentation of pieces selected for their exemplary artistic quality, the festivals are the primary means for college and university dance programs to perform outside their own academic setting and be exposed to the diversity of the national college dance world. ACDFA has established nine regions throughout the country for organizational purposes and maintains a strong regional structure through its regional representatives and institutional membership to help facilitate the exchange of information. Colleges and universities may attend any regional festival and may present one or two works for adjudication.

ACDFA also sponsors the National College Dance Festival. A biennial event, the National Festival showcases works selected from each regional festival for presentation at gala concerts at the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater. The 11th annual National College Dance Festival is scheduled for June 2004.