MEET MALAYA, THE ASSISTANT CHOREOGRAPHER
Malaya Fluellen, a junior Psychology major at Ithaca College describes the dance: “To me, Flashpoint is a love letter to the human experience. We’re all on this journey through life, trying to figure out who we are, who we love, and how to love them and ourselves. Are we bad people for unintentionally hurting the people we love the most? For doing what’s best for ourselves? Each story throughout the piece parallels the complexity of life, down to the connection shared in passing between two dancers who might not interact again. This dance, along with the cast and crew who put in the work to make it happen, reflects how the ability of dance to transcend language barriers creates a safe space for all to enjoy. I hope everyone can find themselves in this piece the way I have throughout this process. Flashpoint has been the opportunity of a lifetime and I’m so grateful to have had the privilege to create a family with such hardworking and talented people. Thank you to my Flashpoint family, and Thank you, Daniel, for not only being an inspiring mentor but also a dear friend.”

MEET THE CAST
MEET MEGHAN!
MEET TAZ!
MEET JILAYNE!
MEET JACK!
MEET EMILY!
MEET AVA!
MEET JOEY!
MEET ASHLEY!
MEET ELLIOT!
MEET EDEN!
MEET ELI!
MEET ELSA!

MEET MEGHAN!
Flashpoint cast member Meghan Barton, a sophomore Musical Theatre major at Ithaca College, describes the dance: “Flashpoint is a beautiful representation of the intricacies of relationships. Each audience member will see facets of themselves in the characters onstage and the utter beauty and chaos of loving someone else. Love is complicated and Flashpoint could not be a better display of that. “I’m so excited to share this work that we’ve worked so hard to develop as a cast and give it as a gift to our audiences each night. We have put our heart and soul into creating these fully developed, dynamic characters in relation to each other and I can’t wait to share that…It’s been a challenging, but incredibly rewarding process. Daniel’s choreography is very specific and it takes time to put that phrase work into the body. Once I became more comfortable with this movement, it was so exciting to discover the evolution of my character slowly throughout the rehearsal process and share that joy alongside my dance partners.” What’s in your dance bag? “My foam roller is my savior! My other necessities include my water bottle, a notebook, multiple layers of dancewear, and always a Granny Smith green apple…This cast is so special. So many laughs and giggles have been shared throughout this process and I’m so grateful to have worked with this group of beautiful humans.”

MEET TAZ!

Flashpoint cast member Taz Foreman, a Bachelor of Arts Theatre Studies major at Ithaca College, describes the dance: “Flashpoint is unlike any dance I have ever been a part of. It’s so unique and beautiful, that you notice new things every time you watch it. Flashpoint’s themes contain very relatable human experiences that every person watching will feel connected to. The dance concert is so special because it is a biennial show that Ithaca College puts on. The concepts created by the choreographers have such distinctive qualities, that you get to see out of this world original works every time. I’m most looking forward to my parents coming to see the show. My parents have always been very supportive of my dance journey so I’m very excited for them to see me in this main stage show. I feel very proud of my contribution and work. My dance bag essentials are pretty basic. A filled water bottle, my dance clothes, a tennis ball to massage muscles, and dance socks. As a non-performance major, being a part of a piece where I get to share the stage with all performance majors, I feel very honored to be a member of this cast.”

MEET JILAYNE!

Flashpoint cast member Jilayne Kistner, a first-year Musical Theatre major at Ithaca College, talks about the biennial dance concert which opens the week after Thanksgiving: “All three pieces in States of Mind are beautiful commentaries on the overall human experience, and what is so special about Flashpoint is that it dissects the complexities of all kinds of relationships, how they intertwine, and how the dynamics of these relationships can flip on a dime. I am most looking forward to hearing the audiences’ reactions to the piece. This piece is so unique in that every viewer can take away something different. The piece has so many ups and downs, and to see how each audience member is affected by the experience something I am so excited to see. Getting to watch this piece come together has been an absolute dream. The amount of thought, time, and effort that has been put into every moment by the dancers and by Daniel is nothing short of exceptional. I have understudied before, but I haven’t been involved in anything like this before, so I feel that I have learned so much more about staying organized as a performer covering two tracks in a dance style that I was not previously very familiar with. I just feel so grateful to be in the room while this piece was developed and to learn so much from such an incredibly talented creative team and cast. I always have my notebook and pencil for writing down new choreography and other important information. I also bring my water bottle (sometimes an extra one with a Liquid IV in it), and some layers so that I don’t get cold if I have some downtime. Sometimes, if I’m feeling extra sore, I’ll bring my foam roller to roll out my muscles before rehearsal or during breaks. I am just so excited for everyone to see all the hard work that the cast, creative team, and production team have put into this piece and the entire dance concert, it is truly so impressive!”

MEET JACK!

Flashpoint cast member Jack Kalish-Demaris, a sophomore Musical Theatre major at Ithaca College, describes the dance: “Flashpoint truly had something for everyone to connect with. I’ve had a difficult time connecting to art in the current state of our world, and this piece has reminded me how grounding and reflective art can be – the characters in this piece are so human, and we can all relate to the different elements of the humanity performed. I’m excited for the dialogue that will come out of this piece. There are so many plot lines, overlapping relationships, and themes of the human experience that make it interesting and complicated. Dancing in this process was an opportunity I would not trade for anything else! I have found more range as a dancer, and it has helped me find story through dance for the first time.” What’s in Jack’s dance bag? “I bring my water 🙂 that’s all I need!”

MEET EMILY!

Flashpoint cast member Emily Marx, a first-year Musical Theatre major at Ithaca College, describes Flashpoint. “It is a heartbreaking, heartwarming show that speaks to so many raw and messy parts of human connection. I think everyone will be able to see some version of themselves in every story told throughout the piece. I am most looking forward to being able to see all of the cast’s incredibly hard work come to fruition on opening night. The development of this piece has been so fulfilling to watch in real-time as discoveries and breakthroughs were made. This piece has required me to view my movement from a completely new perspective, where I’ve had to explore how physicalized motifs and the piece’s precise vernacular of expression lives through me as an individual. I have learned so much about the weight of simplicity and intentionality within every movement–regardless of the “impressiveness” of the move or trick. Learning to swing has been a beautiful challenge for me, and for that I am very grateful.” What’s in Emily’s dance bag? “Tiger’s balm, my lacrosse balls, foam roller, notebook and pencil, water, a snack, and layers!”

MEET AVA!
Flashpoint cast member Ava Young, a first-year Musical Theatre major at Ithaca College, describes Flashpoint. ”I think it makes you think. Watching the piece come together it has made me look at things in my own life a little differently. It’s beautiful watching the story through the dancers and how expressive and detailed they are throughout the entire piece. This is definitely not a piece I would be okay missing. I am so excited for people to see what we have been working on for the last two months. So much work and dedication has gone into this piece, and it’s something that I think people need to see. I have the pleasure of understudying two great people in Flashpoint. I have never been in a dance concert or understudied anyone. This has been a great experience learning how to be a swing and understudy, which has always been a skill I have wanted to master. The piece is forcing me to look closely at the details and why certain movements in the piece are being done to help tell the story and the relationships to each character. I have watched the dancers create their stories from the beginning and it is so much fun getting to see them come to life through Flashpoint.” What’s in Ava’s dance bag? “My roller, stretch band, snacks, my water, and my headphones!”

MEET JOEY!

Flashpoint cast member Joey Gallegos, a first-year Musical Theatre major at Ithaca College, describes Flashpoint. “Flashpoint is an embodied human experience. It’s a spectacle that dissects the complex emotion of love and all its dimensions. We explore the intricacies and occasional spontaneity of how love takes control of us and influences our decisions. My hope is that the audience will leave the Hoerner with a deeper understanding of their relationships and a new perspective on love. I am most looking forward to my family coming to Ithaca to watch me in my first collegiate performance! My family have always been my biggest supporters, and sharing with them this tender story and the hard work the entire cast and creative team has put into this piece will be very special for them. Coming into this project, I have always viewed myself as more of a mover and someone who loves to dance, and after taking on Flashpoint, I feel this and more. In this piece, our dance is especially a conduit for the story at large, and I feel the liberty to take the dance and extend the movement to what serves the story best rather than what may look the best. A flashpoint is not categorized by one thing, nor is this dance; there is a balance of beautiful and coarse moments, and playing with all these different facets in my movement to tell this story has been a challenge and something I’m eager to explore every day. My super dance bag is very minimal as I only bring my iPad for notes and my water bottle, but as of recently I now have tape and bandages for my feet, whenever I get cuts.”

MEET ASHLEY!

Flashpoint cast member Ashley Doyle, a sophomore Musical Theatre major at Ithaca College shares: “I think every single audience member will relate to something in Flashpoint. It explores the complexities and complications of relationships and the rollercoasters of human connection. It is relatable, gut wrenching, and a beautiful enactment of all types of relationships that encapsulate themes of love, trust, connection, forgiveness, curiosity, but also betrayal, jealousy, chaos, and instability. I am really excited for audiences to connect to the story and see all of our hard work. Daniel’s choreography is so captivating and we’ve all worked so hard to dig into to our characters and the relationships with one another, so I’m super excited to get to share that with other people! I am so grateful to have been a part of this process. I have learned so much about myself as a dancer and artist and I also have loads of fun. Flashpoint is unlike anything I have ever been a part of– it’s helped me explore the art of storytelling and character development through movement. Within the process, we also got to have a lot of our own input and make our own character inferences which allowed a collaborative process. The choreography was sometimes difficult to understand cognitively and physically but after time sitting with it and practicing I was able to take more risks and move deeper within the bounds of the choreography. Because Flashpoint’s choreography is so detailed and specific, I always bring my dance journal with me to rehearsal where I write challenging choreography patterns down, counts, notes, character development, discoveries, etc. I also always have my water bottle and lots layers of clothing/dance wear!”

MEET ELLIOT!
Flashpoint cast member Elliot Lee-O’Halloran, a first-year Musical Theatre major at Ithaca College, describes the dance. “Flashpoint is a beautifully raw and emotional story about relationships and how they fluctuate over time. I believe that dance is a language that is able to communicate a depth of emotions, and seeing these relationships being portrayed through movement will allow the audience to connect deeply to the themes of love, tension, and conflict, which are present in this piece. One of my favorite things about this piece is how it can be interpreted in so many different ways. I am most excited to share this piece with audiences and hear what they experience as an audience member, and how that may be different from what I experience as a dancer performing on stage. This piece has challenged me as a dancer in many ways. Earlier in the process, I found myself feeling overwhelmed with all of the new information I was learning because I was not used to having so much detailed choreography to think about, and the style of the dance itself was relatively new to me. I learned how to be more efficient during rehearsals by taking notes and actively learning and listening so I could slowly start getting the dance comfortable in my body. Throughout this process, I have also learned how best to take care of myself as the piece is over thirty five minutes long which definitely requires a certain level of endurance and preparation. My dance bag essentials include a foam roller, socks, a headband, my notebook, a full water bottle, and I always try to sneak in a Reese’s big cup from the vending machine. It is such a privilege to be part of this piece and I feel so lucky to be working alongside such creative and beautiful human beings. Daniel’s work is truly genius and I can’t wait to share it with everyone!”

MEET EDEN!
Flashpoint cast member Eden Seskin, a junior Musical Theatre major at Ithaca College, describes the dance: “Flashpoint is so easy to connect to. There is no protagonist or antagonist, but rather a collection of normal people experiencing the ebb and flow of relationships. It’s refreshing and real. The dance concert is a truly unique piece of theater, with obvious passion behind every aspect of it. I’m looking forward to hearing people’s interpretations of the dance. Each moment can mean so many different things and interpretations will be influenced by people’s own life experiences. I am continuing to make new discoveries about the story every time we do it. I’m so excited to share this beautiful piece and perform for my parents for the first time in a while! This has been such a unique process to apply my training to and has opened up so many doors for me as a performer. Every night I bring water (of course), my small foam roller, extra hair ties/clips, lip balm, perfume, hand sanitizer, and SNACKS. I almost always have a bag of apple slices that my cast mates like to steal. Daniel shared a Balanchine quote with me early on in the process that really struck me. “There’s no mother in law in dance”. We learn to be so specific with our character, but inevitably have to understand that there’s only so much we can convey, especially through dance, using no words. This doesn’t diminish any of the background and story we create. It only opens us up to a world of possibilities within our work.”

MEET ELI!
Flashpoint cast member Elijah Hillman, a sophomore Musical Theatre major at Ithaca College, describes the dance: “Flashpoint is so much more than just a “dance.” It’s a physical manifestation of the inexplainable and ever complex relationships we humans experience within a community. A suspended eye contact with someone across the room, watching a lover fall into the arms of another, or even finding connection in places we didn’t think to look. People need people, we are social creatures! Flashpoint shows how different relationships intertwine to create something that can only be described as beautiful. There is a relationship within the piece for anyone and everyone to connect to. I’m most looking forward to seeing how an audience responds to the material that we’ve been working on slowly for the past two months. Being a part of it and never having seen the dance, I imagine the perspective of an audience member will be interesting to digest. It has been one of the most physically freeing yet engaging experiences of my life. I view my body so differently compared to three months ago. My body is my instrument, and this process has showed me the my physical “range” could be expanded. From spending time perfecting jump sequences to thinking about how an emotional connection influences physical movement, I feel as though I consider so much more in the work. My art has become more thoughtful due to this process. It also has challenged my idea of what being strong is. I frequent the gym for lifting weights and I run regularly, but that could be choked up to merely conditioning for this dance. The piece requires strength in ways I’ve never been before. It has definitely been a process getting my body use to these challenges! I bring my water bottle, some tape and bandages (provided by Daniel of course haha) some mints (we work in very close proximity with each other, right after dinner too), aquaphor, and a lacrosse ball to roll out those tough to reach places!”

MEET ELSA!
Flashpoint cast member Elsa Thompson, a sophomore Musical Theatre major at Ithaca College: “I would recommend seeing Flashpoint to ANYONE no matter what stage of life they are in because I believe everyone will find a bit of themselves in this piece. I am greatly looking forward to sharing this work. This ensemble is such a beautiful group of people and performers. I am so proud of everyone of us and can’t wait for people to be immersed in our work. I have had the loveliest experience working on this project. I am so grateful to work with a choreographer I look up to so much and this process has been like nothing else I’ve been a part of. It has been led by collaboration, play and critical thinking. I have learned so much about myself as an actor, dancer and person because of the safe and creative environment that has been fostered in our rehearsals. Ohhh my lord my dance bag is a MESS. I have many pairs of dance shoes, socks, warm ups, tiger balm, icy hot, mints, Aquaphor and sometimes a massage gun and foam roller. I ALWAYS have my note book and pen.”