PRESS RELEASE: APRIL 2, 2025

FloArts presents An Evening of Dance: Reflect

FloArts dance majors Kaylee Cravey, Ian Leduc, Ciara McCarthy, Makari Nealy, and Caleb Urbistondo.

Florida School of the Arts presents “An Evening of Dance: Reflect.” The show runs April 11-13, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with 2:30 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday on the main stage theatre at the St. Johns River State College Palatka Campus. Admission is $10. Tickets can be purchased online in advance or at the box office one hour before showtime.

This contemporary dance concert explores the choreographers’ internal reflections through the lens of the physical form - both metaphorically and spatially.

The show features a collection of dance styles from five choreographers: Directors and dance faculty, Jessica Mayhew-Borrero and Andrea Montez; and three distinguished guest artists Dion Pratt Jr. (FloArts Alumni), Peter Kalivas (Sean Curran Company, PGK Project), and Xan Burley (Doug Varone and Dancers, Assistant Professor at the University of Florida).

Mayhew and Montez collaborated to create "Mosaic Sheen," a piece that features the entire cast and is best described as a fleeting movement collage. “While different sections unfold, there are momentary movement reflections that occur from one side of the stage to the other, creating a brief unison just long enough to capture,” Montez said.

Additional pieces include Mayhew’s "An Ode to Us," a reflection on the journey of our past, present, and future selves. It invites us to pause and acknowledge that every challenge and triumph has shaped who we are today. “By embracing the lessons of the past, we can fully appreciate our growth and envision a future beyond what we once thought possible,” Mayhew said. “In moments of reflection—sitting with both the love and loss we have experienced—we honor what was, rather than dwelling on what could have been. Through this, we find the strength to move forward with confidence, stepping into the unknown with our heads held high.”

"Pull," by Montez, explores the physical experience of an individual negotiating the tension between external forces pulling them and their own internal draw. “This work is a personal investigation into what it feels like to be pulled in different directions, highlighting the interruptions that moments of stillness or suspension can create, inviting brief moments of reflection,” Montez said. “Throughout the process, I worked closely with the dancers to explore their own physical sensations of being pulled from one thing to the next, as well as the moments of resolution that hold personal meaning for them.”

Dancers include: Alexis Brockway, Kaylee Cravey, Peyton Goetz, Jalen Hardy, Cassidy Heath, Ian Leduc, Farentino Lennox, Ciara McCarthy, Makari Nealy, Caleb Urbistondo and Naomi Williams.

Florida School of the Arts, serving the entire state of Florida, is part of the academic and administrative structure of SJR State and awards associate degrees in acting, dance performance, musical theater, stage management, theater technology, graphic design/new media and studio art. For more information, call (386) 312-4300 or visit floarts.org.