Dance Students Amadeo and Brown Awarded MANCC Scholarships

Residency Apprentice Yeman Brown rehearses with Reggie Wilson’s Fist and Heel Performance Group (MANCC photo by Chris Cameron)

Two recent students’ experiences with MANCC artists exemplify why the FSU School of Dance is one of the top rated programs in this country.  SOD undergraduate Yeman Brown first met MANCC artist Reggie Wilson at the American Dance Festival last summer.  In advance of his MANCC residency, Wilson reached out to see if Yeman could serve as a ‘Residency Apprentice’ to help learn phrase work alongside the Fist and Heel Performance Group while the company was building their latest project, Moseses, at FSU. 

School of Dance faculty helped make the opportunity possible and subsequently Yeman has been invited by Wilson to join the cast of Moseses which will tour the U.S. and will be presented as a part of BAM’s Next Wave Festival in New York.  Yeman’s scholarship will help offset costs associated with the opportunity. 

Brown described his experience to date as “…absolutely magical. I learned what it took to make the transition from being a student to being a professional.” 

Desiree Amadeo was an intern with MANCC this past year and worked closely with a number of guest choreographers.  Her scholarship will support her participation in the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance Summer Intensive to work alongside 2012 MANCC Media Fellow, Alex Ketley.  Ketley, who also served as guest ballet faculty in Spring 2013, mentored Amadeo in the creation of her latest piece and supported her semester long research project on his award winning work No Hero. 

Amadeo will also participate this fall in the FSU in NYC program where she will intern with MANCC Choreographic Fellow and Seven Days of Opening Nights guest artist Kyle Abraham.