Excerpts from "The Cost," performed during DCDC2's In Freedom concert last weekend. I loved performing this work with @sean_fergie18 and @chelsea.kathryn_ !
Choreography by Shonna Hickman-Matlock
Music: Vocalise by Sergei Rachmaninoff
@daytoncontemporarydancecompany
Learning and teaching. Sharing and accepting. Facing fears and making promises. So blessed to have attended another beautiful open exchange in Panama with @movementexchange , this time as an alumni leader ❤️
Four months until I get to marry my best friend. You are my rock, and I choose to love you all of my days.
Thank you @sweetoliveweddings for the beautiful engagement photos ♥️
Escape from the winter cold and melt into Cozy Contemporary. Set to soothing holiday tunes, this open-level adult class is all about finding comfort through motion. Perfect for releasing holiday stress or shaking off the winter blues, we'll blend mindfulness, contemporary dance technique, and gentle improvisation to help you reconnect with your body. Put on some comfy layers and cozy socks, and come with an open heart. You'll leave ready to fully embrace the spirit of the season!
Graphic Design @nesstaruona
Welcoming Company Artist Mandi Weitz! Mandi is a dance performer, creator, and educator from Dayton, Ohio. She has performed professional works for Whirlwind Dance Company, Resilience Dance Company, St. Louis Contemporary Dance Festival, Ohio Dance Festival, and Heroes Rise. She held a position with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company 2 in their 2023-2024 season, where she performed works by Shonna Hickman-Mattlock, Kevin Ward, Crystal Michelle Perkins, Countess Winfrey, and others. Mandi graduated early from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) in December 2023 with her BFA in dance and a minor in dietetics. She trained with Dayton Ballet as a second company member from 2014-2020, performing several professional roles under Karen Russo Burke. Mandi has taught for Dayton Live Creative Academy, Dayton Ballet, and Mutual Dance Theater. She has also choreographed several concert works as well as musical theater productions all over Ohio. Mandi has attended American Dance Festival’s Summer Dance Intensive as a scholarship recipient, Cincinnati Ballet’s Collegiate Intensive, Summer and Winter Traction at Attack Theater, GagaLab Winter Intensive in New York City, and Mutual Dance Theater's Adult Intensive. She also traveled to Panama City, Panama, as a dance diplomat in 2022 and again as an alumni leader in 2024 with Movement Exchange, a non-profit organization that provides arts education to underserved communities nationally and internationally. Mandi enjoys exploration, collaboration, and storytelling as important parts of the choreographic process. She believes in a holistic approach to dance, pursuing proficiency in a variety of dance styles and putting equal emphasis on individual artistic expression. She is recently engaged and excited to be getting married this summer. She is excited to be joining Pack Dance for her first season where she is choreographing for IRL. Her piece "Painkiller" invites audiences to contemplate the impact of social media on mental health and relationships.
Catch her adult Contemporary class on Tuesdays NOON - 1:15p.m. or enroll your child in one of her many youth and teen-aged classes at Pack Dance!
Please read to the end ♥️
As many of you know, I recently joined the professional company at Pack Dance as a performing artist. In addition to this role, I also teach weekly youth classes and adult community classes. This studio is unlike any I have taught at before--it truly embraces its mission to make dance accessible to all. Classes are available for any age and any skill level beginner to professional. The flexible dress code helps encourage body positivity for students, which is often an issue in the dance world. We also offer a huge number of need-based scholarships and host community events that promote connection and healing. Pack provides a dance home for many who feel they don't belong anywhere else. It is a wonderful environment that I am blessed to be a part of.
Unfortunately, the recent dissolution of National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grants has caused serious issues for artists and dance organizations nationally, including Pack Dance. If you would like to support this wonderful 501(c)3 nonprofit, we would greatly appreciate any donations you can spare, which can be made at packdance.org/donate. Any little bit helps so much with paying the many expenses that come with keeping a studio running. Thank you all for continuing to follow and support me on my dance journey 🥰
I'm excited to officially announce that I will be joining Pack Dance as a company artist for their 2025-2026 season in St. Louis, MO! I will be performing and teaching throughout the year, as well as choreographing a piece for their spring dance concert, IRL. Thank you to everyone for continuing to follow and support me through this crazy journey!
@packdancestl
