Performing Arts

Lynne Kurdziel Formato, associate professor of performing arts, choreographed a professional production of "FAME" for Artpark in Lewiston, N.Y. Directed by Randy Kramer, the show featured 11 current students or alumni of Elon's music theatre program, including Raphael Andrews, Maddie Franke, Clark Kinkade, Em Laudeman, Jared Loftin, Guy Mannick, Ben Redding, Sean Ronayne, Leela Rothenberg, Lucy Ann Werner and Tanner Wilson.

Michael-Kennen Miller '08, a graduate of Elon's music theatre program and a former competitive swimmer, diver and state-champion gymnast, was profiled a July 15 Washington Examiner article.

Associate Professor Lynne Kurdziel-Formato spent June 30 through July 5 teaching classes in theatre dance for Dance Masters of America at their National Convention, held in Orlando, Fla.

Associate Professor Lynne Kurdziel-Formato recently returned from Denmark where she directed and choreographed a production of Kander, Ebb and Fosse's CHICAGO for Det Danske Musical Academi in Fredericia, Denmark. She will return during the 2012 Winter Term to direct a professional production of Pasek & Paul's EDGES for the FredericiaTeater.

Matt Shingledecker '08 has been cast as Roger Davis in the Off-Broadway revival of "Rent," which opens Aug. 11 at New World Stages in New York City.

Lauren Kearns, associate professor of dance and head of the dance program at Elon, worked with Emmy-nominated director Douglas Rosenberg and noted dance theorist Ann Dills in selecting American Dance Festival's 16th Annual International Screendance Festival. The three worked together in April viewing over 90 screendance entries submitted from all over the world. You can see the twenty-three screendances they chose this week at Duke University. For dates, times and Duke Campus locations, please visit http://www.americandancefestival.org/projects/screendance.html

Lauren Kearns, Associate Professor of Dance and Head of the Dance Program, was recently selected as the Regional-Director for the American College Dance Festival Association's Mid-Atlantic Region. Kearns attended the national board meeting in Walnut Creek, CA where she completed her first term as a board member. She'll begin her Regional-Director duties October 1, 2011.

An unlikely pairing of disciplines celebrated a semester-long experiment last week that involved students from Performing Arts and Human Service Studies who assumed convincing roles as clients and their counselors.

Thirty-five years ago, before his Broadway career and faculty position at Elon University, Richard Gang was denied the lead role of Don Quixote when a small community theatre in Maine performed "The Man of La Mancha." Now he’ll have his chance. Gang stars this month in the same show at the Open Space Café Theatre in Greensboro, N.C., where eight students in the Department of Performing Arts will join him onstage.