The expression and connection that can be experienced through dance is something I am eternally grateful to be able to explore, experience and curate.
Thank you for bringing your open hearts
Open minds
Thank you for your questions and presence
I am better because of you ❤️
@ecudanceprogram@dancecentrekenya
#dance #danceclass #afro #ecu #boltddancer
CONGRATULATIONS DANCE MAJORS ‘26🎓⭐️
We are so proud of each and every single one of you and we cannot wait to see all of the amazing things in store for your future! In the words of our wise professor Tommi Galaska, the road that takes you away is also the road that brings you back home and you are always welcome back!💜💛⭐️🎓
Congrats!
Today is the day! These 8 incredible senior dance majors were so excited to open the Senior Choreography Showcase tonight at 4 pm in the Archie Burnette Studio Theatre! We also have shows tonight at 8 pm, and Sunday at 12 and 4 pm! Admission is $5 cash at the door, first come first serve. Can’t wait to see you all there!⭐️
SENIOR CHOREOGRAPHER HIGHLIGHT ✨STEFANY PANAYIOTOU✨
Stefany, born and raised in Cyprus, is now studying abroad at ECU, majoring in Dance Performance and Choreography and minoring in Business Administration through the Honors College. During her time at ECU, she danced in five mainstage performances, multiple student-led showcases, portrayed Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, modeled for projects, and studied abroad in Amsterdam at Henny Jurriens. Stefany’s dream is to dance professionally and travel the world.🌞
“Yes... I Give In” is a dance piece that explores how speech and movement connect and complement each other, along with other art forms like painting, singing,
tumbling, playing instruments, and film. The piece moves through different relatable ideas that feel like fragments of life; a strange dream that stays with you, thoughts about time and death, human relationships, the meaning behind words, and the question of fate
versus choice. At its core, this piece embraces the idea of learning to be curious, accepting, and appreciative of things as they are, finding presence and freedom in the
unknown. And in the very end, after all the thinking, feeling, and overthinking... the most consistent (slightly unverified) solution turns out to be dance, and a bit of creativity
The showcase is this Saturday, May 2nd at 4 and 8 PM and Sunday, May 3rd at 12 and 4 PM in the Archie Burnette Studio Theatre. Admission is $5 cash at the door, we hope to see you there!
SENIOR CHOREOGRAPHER HIGHLIGHT ✨REAGAN FRAZIER✨
Reagan Frazier is a senior Honors College student pursuing a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography and a minor in Business Administration from Zebulon, NC. Since being at ECU, she has performed in multiple main stage productions, and has also studied dance abroad in Amsterdam, expanding her artistic training. Reagan is also the recipient of an Undergraduate Research Award for her work “Echoes of Patience and Pardon” which explored themes of forgiveness. After graduation, Reagan plans to pursue her master’s degree in Business at North Carolina State University while continuing her professional performance and teaching career.
“They Thought They Knew Me” is an emotionally charged contemporary work that explores the tension between identity and perception. Through four evolving emotional states, the piece traces an internal journey from self-assurance, through uncertainty and confrontation, and ultimately toward peace and acceptance. It reflects the experience of being misunderstood, misrepresented, and judged by narratives formed without truth. At its core, the work examines the weight of living within assumptions created by others, and the resilience it takes to remain grounded in who you are despite them. Moving from bold confidence into emotional unrest and ultimately unapologetic control, the choreography transforms pain into power. More than a response to judgment, this piece is a statement of self-definition. It asks what it means to hold onto your truth when others attempt to define you, and how strength can emerge not through retaliation, but through reclamation.
The showcase is this Saturday, May 2nd at 4 and 8 PM and Sunday, May 3rd at 12 and 4 PM in the Archie Burnette Studio Theatre. Admission is $5 cash at the door, we hope to see you there!
SENIOR CHOREOGRAPHER HIGHLIGHT ✨EMILY SHINGLETON✨
Emily Shingleton, originally from Snow Hill, North Carolina, is a senior at East Carolina University majoring in Dance Performance and Choreography. She has performed at the ECU/Loessin Playhouse and Archie Burnette Studio Theatre as well as created original choreography. After graduation, she plans to pursue a degree in Special Education to share her passion for dance with diverse learners.
Emily’s piece explores the evolution of jazz dance through ensemble, small group, and solo work. It highlights the progression of jazz dance across different eras, showcasing how the style has transformed over time. Through movement vocabulary representative of each period, shifts in tone and performance quality, and changes in lighting, the work will illustrate the
transitions between historical eras and emphasize the artistic development of jazz dance. The goal of this piece is to leave the audience with a fun dance that makes them want to join in.
The showcase is this Saturday, May 2nd at 4 and 8 PM and Sunday, May 3rd at 12 and 4 PM in the Archie Burnette Studio Theatre. Admission is $5 cash at the door, we hope to see you there!
SENIOR CHOREOGRAPHER HIGHLIGHT ✨JURNEE FREEMAN✨
Jurnee Freeman is a senior Dance major at East Carolina University, concentrating in Performance and Choreography. A Durham, North Carolina native, she has performed in ECU/Loessin Playhouse productions of Swing! and Once on This Island, and in Fall and Spring Dance concerts from 2023–2025. She serves as Co-President of the Hip Hop/Commercial Dance Club and plans to pursue a professional dance career.
“It All Started With Love” is a vibrant, story-driven piece that explores the evolving stages of relationships through five distinct connections. Each chapter captures a different emotional landscape, from the excitement of new beginnings to the tension, growth, and vulnerability that come with truly knowing someone.
At its core, the work challenges the idea of love as effortless or perfect. Instead, it reveals love as an intentional, daily choice, one that requires presence, patience, and commitment even when things aren’t easy. Through an upbeat and engaging narrative, the piece invites the audience to reflect on the beauty and complexity of choosing someone over and over again.
More than just a story, this performance is a personal expression of what drives me: the belief that love, in all its forms, is the most powerful and meaningful force in life.
The showcase is this Saturday, May 2nd at 4 and 8 PM and Sunday, May 3rd at 12 and 4 PM in the Archie Burnette Studio Theatre. Admission is $5 cash at the door, we hope to see you there!
SENIOR CHOREOGRAPHER HIGHLIGHT ✨MACKALYN WILLIAMS✨
Mackalyn Williams is originally from Newport News, Virginia, and is a senior at ECU studying Dance Performance and Choreography with an Entrepreneurship Certificate. She has performed in dance works at the ECU/Loessin Playhouse and Archie Burnette Studio Theatre choreographed by faculty and students alike, as well as choreographing her own dance works. Mackalyn plans to further her dance career in the professional world after college.
“The cracks of my creation” is about finding yourself through all of your life experiences. We come into this world un molded and vulnerable and then we obtain these experiences that can shape us. We have the decision to let these experiences control who we are or if you wanna make something better of ourselves. This piece is a journey of life and how we want to present ourselves, who we want to be, and what we wanna do for our future. Make the decision and see who you might become.
The showcase is this Saturday, May 2nd at 4 and 8 PM and Sunday, May 3rd at 12 and 4 PM in the Archie Burnette Studio Theatre. Admission is $5 cash at the door, we hope to see you there!
SENIOR CHOREOGRAPHER HIGHLIGHT ✨LEXI SONNENDECKER✨
Lexi Sonnendecker is originally from Fuquay-Varina, NC and is earning her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography with a minor in Business Administration. Since being at ECU, she has been cast in multiple performances and mainstage shows, and was honored to have completed a two-week residency in France after being invited by Loose Kanon Dance Company! Lexi served as Co-President of the Hip Hop and Commercial Dance Club and a member of East Carolina Dance Association. In addition to dancing, Lexi holds Group Fitness Certifications from ACE, IFTA, Les Mills, and ICG. Upon graduation, Lexi plans to enter the commercial industry to continue dancing, modeling, teaching, and coaching.
“Aren’t We All?” is a piece centered on the seven deadly sins, exploring the human tendency to judge others. Too often, we are quick to point out the faults and failures of those around us without first confronting our own. There has only ever been one perfect person to walk this earth, and the reality is that we are all imperfect people navigating a broken world. We are all in need of grace, forgiveness, love, mercy, and empathy- and ultimately, of God. It is our responsibility to remember that and extend to others the same grace we have first been given.
The showcase is this Saturday, May 2nd at 4 and 8 PM and Sunday, May 3rd at 12 and 4 PM in the Archie Burnette Studio Theatre. Admission is $5 cash at the door, we hope to see you there!
SENIOR CHOREOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHT ✨ALEXIA TORMEY✨
Alexia Tormey is a senior from New York pursuing a BFA in Dance: Performance and Choreography with a minor in Costume Design. She has designed and operated lights for Studio Theater productions, performed in ECU Main stage shows, and costume designed for Spring Dance 2025. She received an Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Award for her choreographic work “With Absent Insight”, which explores body image issues in dancers. Alexia is also the President of the East Carolina Dance Association as well as member of NHSDA. Alexia has also studied abroad in Kenya, broadening her global perspective on movement and performance and will return to Kenya in the Summer of 2026. In addition to her creative work, she has served as a teaching assistant for numerous ballet and other classes at ECU. After graduation, Alexia plans to earn a master’s degree and teach dance in higher education.
“The Journey of a Fool” invites the audience to embark on a journey of self-discovery. Using a table as a physical anchor to the present moment, this groovy theatrical contemporary work traces the path of the Major Arcana Tarot through both personal experience and the shared journeys of its dancers. Divided into four sections, the piece explores innocence and limitless potential, the shaping of identity through strength and responsibility, the fracture of longing and loss, and ultimately, transformation and renewal. Rather than following a single Fool, the work honors each individual as the center of their own story. Through moments of intimacy, tension, and release, the choreography reflects the search for belonging and meaning. “The Journey of a Fool” invites the audience to reflect on their own cycles of growth, the connections that ground them, and the beauty of becoming whole.
The showcase is this Saturday, May 2nd at 4 and 8 PM and Sunday, May 3rd at 12 and 4 PM in the Archie Burnette Studio Theatre. Admission is $5 cash at the door, we hope to see you there!
SENIOR CHOREOGRAPHER HIGHLIGHT ✨ASHLEY FLOYD✨
Ashley Floyd, from Charlotte, NC, trained at ECU’s Dance Program and Ballet Hispánico’s Pre-Professional Summer Intensive. She has a 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Certification and is pursuing an Entrepreneurship Certificate. Ashley has performed as the “Coffee Girl” in A Christmas Chor(us) in the Fall Senior Choreography and danced in the student choreographer’s piece The Core of Our Womanhood: Persephone’s Story in Once Upon A Dance. After graduation, she plans to teach dance and yoga, assist costume designers, and launch a dancewear business.
“Granny’s Gamble” is a vibrant work that traces her Granny’s dazzling life with Pawpaw, where love, laughter, and late-night Las Vegas adventures unfold with burlesque glamour, swing, and Elvis-inspired movement. From the moment Pawpaw met Granny at a charming dance, to sassy memories with her ballerina friend Barbara, and Granny’s idol of Elvis Presley’s legendary stage presence, this piece brings electrifying energy to the stage and captures a spirit of bold self-expression. Culminating in a dreamlike duet, this piece celebrates a woman who lived unapologetically, inspiring Ashley to embrace life with the same radiant confidence and flair.
The showcase is this Saturday, May 2nd at 4 and 8 PM and Sunday, May 3rd at 12 and 4 PM in the Archie Burnette Studio Theatre. Admission is $5 cash at the door, we hope to see you there!
🌟SENIOR CHOREOGRAPHY SHOWCASE🌟
This weekend come support 8 of our incredible senior dance majors as they present their capstone choreography projects. Over the past 4 years they have each developed their own unique choreographic style and they are so excited to share their final works! Props and other multimedia aspects turn these senior choreographies into a whole world. This isn’t just a performance, it’s the show you don’t want to miss.
The showcase is this Saturday, May 2nd at 4 and 8 PM and Sunday, May 3rd at 12 and 4 PM in the Archie Burnette Studio Theatre. Admission is $5 cash at the door, we hope to see you there!
Music: Rhythm Surge by Infraction Music
Videographers: ECU Dance Program Junior Interns
Video Editor: Ashley Floyd
*I do not own the rights to this music*
