Mason dancers stay busy all summer improving their craft

Mason School of dance majors

Top, left to right: Carmella Leilah Taitt (photo by Ramulas Burgess), Sydney Lastorino, Maria Ambrose. Bottom, left to right: Holly Harkins, Maya Fedorenko and Jesse Arnst with Shamel Pitts and Isaiah Cavallero and Lucy Leonard.

Rising sophomore, Carmella Leilah Taitt, is keeping busy this summer dancing in New York City. She has danced with New York Dance Project, Bounce, Zvi at City Center, and will be finishing with Rioult!

While also dancing in New York City all summer, rising senior, Sydney Lastorino, has been teaching Pilates, acting on TV shows, and interning with NYC Dance Arts.

Isaiah Cavallero and Lucy Leonard attended The Washington Ballet Summer Intensive for 5 weeks. They focused on refining their techniques in ballet, contemporary, and flamenco dance.

Our dancers Maya Fedorenko and Jesse Arnst had the opportunity to dance with Shamel Pitts at B12 in Europe! Shamel Pitts began dancing with BJM Danse Montreal and Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Hell’s Kitchen Dance. Shamel continued his career with Batsheva Dance Company for 7 years. He recently received the Princess Grace Award for Choreography 2018.

Kyla Hull spent part of her summer out on the west coast to dance with BODYTRAFFIC at their Summer Intensive!

Julia Norman had the chance to work closely with Yin Yue at the New Dialect intensive in Nashville, Tennessee!

Sophie Amundson a rising Sophomore, is spreading her love and knowledge of Modern dance to kids at Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan for three weeks!

Rising junior, Olivia McCall, is spending her summer at Alonzo King LINES Ballet in San Francisco, California!

Rising Junior, Holly Harkins is spending her summer interning at Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, working on development, archives, and research. She will also be attending Springboard X Summer Intensive.

Rising senior Jovick Pavajeau started his first week at Springboard Danse Montreal. He will be training under dancers who have greatly impacted the dance industry including Bobbi Jene, RUBBERBANDDANCE Group, Johannes Wieland, and VIM VIGOR to name a few. 

Congratulations also go out to the following Mason dance alumni who have secured enviable positions with national Dance companies:

Maria Ambrose made it into the Paul Taylor Dance Company! Head out to see our Maria “Cranberry” if the company performs near you! Learn more.

Marcel Mejia signed a contract with Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal!

Julia Cipriani and Madison Tate Brott had the opportunity to showcase their choreography in New York City at The Next Festival of Emerging Artists.

Kim Davis will be dancing and traveling nationally with DanceWorks Chicago, so keep an eye out for her if they come to a city near you!