Horowitz Center Playbills and Programs
HCC Dance Company Concert
Artistic Director Elizabeth Higgins
March 6 and 7 at 7 p.m. and March 8 at 3 p.m.
Smith Theatre
PRODUCTION TEAM
Artistic Director: Elizabeth Higgins
Assistant Artistic Director and Company Manager: Miguel Ledesma
Stage Manager: Tarythe Albrecht
Light and Projection Design: Peter Leibold VI
Costume Design: Lucy Wakeland Haag
Wardrobe Design: Kate Twilley
Sound Coordinator and Board Operator: Alex Armbruster
Production Manager: A. Lorraine Robinson
HCC DANCE COMPANY 2026
Anna Baumert, CJ Fonmboh, Cara Caitlin Kerrebrock, Cyrus Hallingquest, Eli Singhal, Emily Drechsler, Emily Joy Fuller, Glory John, Haylee Simmons, Jorden Ayana Dawson, Julianne Rohner-Preston, Lauren Stevens, Mia Oliver, and Paula Quinteros
PROGRAM
Slideshow Celebrating the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center’s
20th Anniversary Season
Conception: Janelle Broderick and Elizabeth Higgins
Editing: Darion Smith
Sound Engineering: Alex Armbruster
Narration: Janelle Broderick
Special thanks to Sarah English for her contributions
Winding Winds
Choreography: Alvin Mayes
Performers: Emily Drechsler, Cyrus Hallinquest, Mia Oliver and Julianne Rohner-Preston
Understudy: Eli Singhal
Music: Alvin Mayes
Midnight Logic and Echoes of the Beat
Choreography: Gabriel Mata in collaboration with the dancers
Performers: Jorden Ayana Dawson, Emily Joy Fuller, Glory John, Mia Oliver, Julianne Rohner-Preston and Paula Quinteros
Music: Daniel Wohl, Chic, Cerrone, Midnight Magic, Kool & The Gang, Ottawan, Dohi Moon, and Midland
Choreographer’s Note:
Midnight Logic and Echoes of the Beat draws from a personal study of disco and social dance culture, while gently questioning common ideas of what disco is expected to feel like. Rather than leaning fully into celebration or spectacle, the work pauses, shifts, and reroutes energy, allowing movement to be disrupted and reshaped over time. The choreography honors the marginalized communities that gave rise to disco by acknowledging its complexity—its intimacy, restraint, and quiet resilience. Through this approach, Midnight Logic and Echoes of the Beat offers a space for reflection, asking viewers to reconsider how rhythm, history, and presence can exist beyond expectation.
Near Pressure
Choreography: Elizabeth Higgins
Rehearsal Assistant: Emily Joy Fuller
Performers: Emily Drechsler and Haylee Simmons
Understudies: Jorden Dawson and Emily Joy Fuller
Music: "All Blues" by Miles Davis featuring John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley and Bill Evans
INTERMISSION
Moving Forward
Choreography: Miguel Ledesma
Performers: Anna Baumert, CJ Fonmboh, Cyrus Hallingquest, Eli Singhal, Haylee Simmons and Lauren Stevens
Music: "Adversary" by Christina Vantzou and "Colors" by AVAION
Choreographer’s Note:
“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
The Tango Visitor
Choreography: Darion Smith
Performers: Emily Joy Fuller, Glory John, Julianne Rohner-Preston and Mia Oliver
Understudy: Anna Baumert
Music: Excerpts from "The Summoning of the Kraken" by Murcof & Philippe Petit, "Oblivion" by Astor Piazzolla, and "Hernando's Hideaway" by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross
Missy Misdemeanor
Choreography: Niyah Lashae
Performers: Jorden Dawson, Emily Joy Fuller, Cara Kerrebrock, Paula Quinteros, Haylee Simmons, and Lauren Stevens
Understudy: Eli Singhal
Music: "Missy Misdemeanor" Mix by Missy Elliott
Company Bow
Staged by Elizabeth Higgins in collaboration with the HCC Dance Company Dancers
Performers: HCC Dance Company 2026
Music: "Paris City Jazz" by Bellaire
DIRECTOR AND CHOREOGRAPHER BIOS
Elizabeth Higgins (Artistic Director and Choreographer) has been a creative artist and educator for over 30 years. She serves as Professor and Coordinator of Dance at Howard Community College (HCC) and Artistic Director of the HCC Dance Company. Her choreography has been presented throughout the US and in South America. She received the Turner Choreography Award and the New Moves NY State Choreography Award while based in the NY area. Locally, she was awarded the Mark Ryder Original Choreography Award by the Howard County Arts Council and the Maryland State Arts Council Creativity Grant.
Elizabeth performed nationally and internationally with Murray Louis and Nikolais Dance, Dance Compass, the Brian Brooks Moving Company, Soundance Repertory Company, Mark Jarecke Dance, Pick of the Crop Dance and The Don Redlich Dance Company. She received her MFA in Dance from Florida State University as a University Fellow and her BFA in Dance from Rutgers University as a Garden State Scholar. Her teaching credits include roles as Assistant Professor of Dance Composition at Marymount Manhattan College and Adjunct Professor at Manhattanville College. In addition, she taught at Columbia University, Florida State University, Peridance, the Spence School and was a teaching artist in residence for the NYC Ballet Education Program for six years. Elizabeth has served on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Dance Education Association and Kinetics Dance, and is a founding member of the Nikolais Legacy Committee. She was granted a sabbatical from HCC Fall 2024 during which she completed research in Dance and Disability. She has worked collaboratively with Extreme Lengths Productions on their Kinematic/Kinesthetic Project and their production of Over/Under presented at the Voxel in Baltimore. She is grateful to be collaborating with this talented group of artists and students to present this production.
Miguel Ledesma (Asst. Artistic Director/Company Manager and Choreographer) is a dance artist from Maryland, whose professional journey in the world of dance is marked by excellence and a profound commitment to the arts. His foundational education began with an Associate of Arts in Dance from Howard Community College, obtained in 2017, a steppingstone that set the stage for his remarkable career. Building on this strong foundation, he pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Dance from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, graduating in 2019. Further enriching his academic and professional pursuits, Miguel completed his Master of Fine Arts at Hollins University. During his time there, he served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, a role in which he excelled and refined his pedagogical skills as well as participated in Hollins International Gathering in Berlin, Germany. Miguel's performance career is distinguished by his collaborations with several prominent dance companies. He has had the honor of performing with notable ensembles such as the Baltimore Dance Project, Kinetics Dance Theatre, Misako Ballet Company, and Connect the Dots Dance Company. His versatility and passion for contemporary dance are evident in the diverse repertories he has embraced, including works from the Eric Hampton Foundation and the Paul Taylor American Modern Dance Company. Miguel has been an integral part of the Titans of Dance Convention since its inception in 2012. Initially joining as a travelling Pro-Force Dance Assistant, he has since evolved his role to become one of the Lead Operations Technicians. In addition to his performance and operational contributions to the dance community, Miguel has expanded his professional repertoire through involvement in high-profile projects with global brands such as Adidas, USDA, USA Today/Gannet Co., and The D.C. Bridal Show. These collaborations highlight his capacity to merge dance with broader cultural and commercial contexts, as well as his ability to adapt to varied creative environments. Currently, Ledesma imparts his extensive knowledge and experience to aspiring dancers in his role as a Full-Time Professor at Coppin State University and as an Adjunct Professor at Howard Community College. His educational endeavors are complemented by over 18 years of teaching and choreographic experience across the DMV area. Miguel’s professional journey is a testament to his dedication to the arts and education. His multifaceted career as a performer, educator, and leader within the dance community reflects his unwavering commitment to the development and proliferation of dance as both an artistic and educational discipline.
Niyah Lashae (Choreographer)was born and raised in the DMV area. Niyah has been dancing since she could walk. She began her athletic journey as a competitive figure skater before discovering her true passion for dance at the age of 14. After graduating high school, she joined the teaching staff at B. Funk Dance Studio, where she continues to teach, inspire, and mentor dancers today.
Beyond the classroom, Niyah has performed professionally in the commercial dance industry and continues to expand her career as both a performer and choreographer. With her sights set on choreographing at the mainstream level, she remains dedicated to growing her artistry and sharing her love of dance throughout the DMV and beyond.
Gabriel Mata (pronounced: gah-bryehl mah-tah/Choreographer) is a Mexican American dance choreographer, educator, and performer based in Washington DC. He is the director of the Latinx Movement Festival in Washington DC. His dance performance work, motion memoirs and teaching of contemporary sabor, focus on queerness, immigration, Latinidad / brownness, and community based movement forms.
Mata's dance works have been performed in California, New York, Minnesota, North Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas, New Jersey, Washington DC, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. His work has been presented at Stanford University, San José State University, Georgian Court University, Howard Community College, and American University. His dances have been commissioned by David Herrera Performance Company, Jane Franklin Dance, Atlas Performing Arts Center, Dance Loft on 14, sjDANCEco, Charlotte Dance Festival, the Minnesota Fringe Festival, the Festival of Latin American Contemporary Choreographers - SF, Dance Place, Silicon Valley Pride, the Hispanic National Bar Association, Latino/a/x Contemporary Dance Festival, and Corazón Folklórico DC.
Alvin Mayes (Choreographer) has created more than 150 dances in the DMV. He has had the honor of taking students, faculty and alumni to Ecuador, England, Mexico, Japan and Cuba. A number of his works have been performed in the American College Dance Association (ACDA), The Choreographers Showcase, and Baltimore Dance Invitational at the Baltimore Theater Project.
In 2013, his I Wake Up Dreaming, accompanied by a cappella ensemble Not What You Think, was created as a dance response to the University of Maryland campus wide Dr. Ysaye Barnwell's FORTUNE’S BONES PROJECT and was performed for the opening ceremonies of the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corp. Alvin’s honors include the 2025 University System of Maryland Board of Regents Faculty Award which is the highest honor presented by the board to exemplary faculty members, and the 2023 Living Legacy Award from the Maryland Dance Education Association.
Darion Smith (Choreographer) is a dance artist and educator. He is the artistic director and cofounder of Jansuphere Dance Company (JDC). Smith’s choreographic works have been presented throughout the United States and in Spain and Mexico. Smith blends dance genres, incorporates visual art, interactive set designs and life size props to create his work. He’s dedicated to his vision for JDC, since its founding in 2007, as a platform for collaborative exploration, providing opportunities for professional dancers, and community engagement through performances and workshops. In 2024, Smith was awarded an IAM Creativity grant from Howard County Arts Council and the Maryland State Arts Council. Smith is an Associate Professor of Dance at the Howard Community College in Columbia, MD and Coordinator of the Boys' Dance Program at Peabody Preparatory Dance in Baltimore, MD.
Smith graduated from Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany, and studied ballet at the Bolshoi Academy in Moscow. He started his professional career with the State Street Ballet and went on to dance with Dance Theatre of Harlem's Dancing Through Barriers Ensemble, the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Buglisi Dance Theatre, New York Theater Ballet, and other companies. While at Dance Theatre of Harlem, he taught in their education and community outreach programs.
PRODUCTION TEAM BIOS
Tarythe Albrecht (Stage Manager) is thrilled to return to HCC for her 8th show here! She graduated from the University of Maryland, summa cum laude in 2010. Since then she has spent her time freelancing in DC (stage managing both in the performing arts and corporate worlds) and trying to keep up with her 13-year-old and twin 5-year-olds (all boys!). Select stage management credits: Lounge Regime: 100 Years of Ambient Music and Of Land and Sea (Kennedy Center); Foolish Fairytales (Faction of Fools); Zaubernacht and Mahagonny: Songspiel at UMD's Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, where she has also done Noises Off and many, many dance shows. Tarythe has also worked for Project ChArma, Orange Grove Dance, UpRooted Dance, Dana Tai Soon Burgess, Maida Withers, Happenstance Theatre, and Round House Theatre, among others.
Alex Armbruster (Sound Coordinator/Board Op) is a percussionist, audio engineer, and music teacher born and raised in Baltimore, MD. Alex recently joined HCC Dance as an Adjunct Professor, Audio Coordinator, and Accompanist for Modern Dance classes. They also teach 4th-8th grade Band at Hampstead Hill Academy, and private drum lessons at Peabody Prep and Patterson Park Academy of Music. Alex graduated from UMBC with a B.A. in Jazz Studies and a B.A. in Global Studies. They are thrilled to be working on their first production here at HCC!
Lucy Wakeland Haag (Costume Design) has been working in costumes and wigs in the Baltimore/DC area since relocating from south Mississippi 10 years ago. She has designed at REPstage, the Folger Shakespeare Library, DC Shakespeare Theatre, and Annapolis Classic Theatre. She has assisted with costumes at Arena Stage, Baltimore’s Centerstage, etc. She has designed dance costumes for Extreme Lengths Productions in DC and she’s happy to be returning to HCC for her third dance concert. She currently works at Everyman Theatre as the Head of Wigs and Wardrobe.
Peter Leibold VI (Light/Projection Design) is an international lighting and projection designer based in Washington, DC. He has designed for theatre, dance, opera, and live music, with recent credits including The Kennedy Center, Signature Theatre, Round House Theatre, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Andy’s Summer Playhouse, and the Spoleto Festival USA. Peter received the New Hampshire Theatre Alliance Award for Best Lighting for his collaboration with Orange Grove Dance and was a finalist for Live Design’s Design Achievement Awards. He holds an MFA in Lighting Design from the University of Maryland and is a member of United Scenic Artists Local USA 829.
A. Lorraine Robinson (Production Manager) is an award-winning theatre director, producer, and community arts educator. She’s previously worked at Arena Stage, Dallas Theater Center, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, and ran her own theatre company, MuseFire Productions. Lorraine has a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre & Psychology from St. Mary’s College of MD, where she’s been an adjunct instructor and guest director. Lorraine holds a Master’s Degree in Theatre from Brown University. She is thrilled to be in residence at the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center supporting HCC Dance shows.
HCC DANCE PROGRAM
Bill Gillett, Chair, Performing Arts
Eilzabeth Higgins, Coordinator and Professor of Dance
Darion Smith, Associate Professor, Dance
HOROWITZ CENTER STAFF
Janelle Broderick - Horowitz Center Director
Jessica Chaney - Content Coordinator
John Elder - Technical Director
A. Lorraine Robinson - Production Manager
Darius McKeiver - Business Associate
Linwood Milan – Technical Coordinator
Eric Moore - Production Electrician
Mark Smedley - Associate Technical Director
Julie Via - Audience Services Manager
Bill Watson – Gallery Manager and Curator
SPECIAL THANKS
This performance is made possible through generous support from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Howard County Arts Council.
