2025 Variance: a BFA Dance Concert

Varianceis the 10th annual presentation of choreography by BFA Candidates Elise Conlay, Precious Ellis, Brian Helm, Indigo Jacobs, Trinity Massey, and Nathan Waters and esteemed Guest Artist Nina McNeely.
 

The evening includes collaborations with composers from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music (BCCM) and is a diverse collection of choreography examining topics from interpersonal connection to critiques of systemic racism and capitalism to the work of navigating the unexpected. Join us! <
 

The Department of Dance is thrilled to welcome Choreographer and Creative Director Nina McNeely to work with our BFA students this semester. Known for her bold visuals and provocative creative vision, she has choreographed extensively for stage and TV, working with artists from Rihanna to Björk. McNeely has created a powerful, ethereal, and highly dramatic opener for Variance. With music from Marina Herlop and set design by Stephanie Losleben, Beneath the Veil of Ember and Bone is a meditation on aging and the feminine condition where what hides survives, what endures transforms, and what binds cannot be seen.
 

Insight into Madness is a duet choreographed by Brian Helm and performed by Helm and Xene Sommers. This duet showcases two characters who have found themselves in an unknown world that draws them in and tests their sanity. Through abstraction, repetition, acrobatics, and partnering, Insight into Madness blurs the line of bond between these two figures. Will their journey end in escape or entrapment? Music editing and collaborative sound design with Don Nichols and costume design by Brooke Grayton. 
 

Indigo Jacobs’ Unraveled explores concepts of both individual and collective voice—how bodies navigate and redefine space. Drawing inspiration from artists and themes of the Harlem Renaissance, Unraveled features symbols of mental and physical restriction through the inventive use of props and costume elements. Collaboration with the dancers was essential in pushing against perceived limitation and embracing individual freedom through creative exploration. At times, the power of an artist lies in stepping into the spotlight and challenging a system that seeks to confine you. The music, created in collaboration by Jacobs and Don Nichols, fuses modern intensity with classic jazz by blending “Never Catch Me” by Flying Lotus and Kendrick Lamar with Duke Ellington’s “Sentimental Mood”. 
 

Under the Placemat, choreographed by Precious Ellis, is a conceptual exploration that reveals the hidden narratives of BIPOC communities navigating a world shaped by systemic beliefs. Through movement, sound, and a massive cloth installation, this work will explore the weight of stereotypes, protection, and existence. It is both a mirror and a meditation, inviting audiences to reflect on what is seen, what is hidden, and what remains unspoken. Under the Placemat is not designed for comfort. Will our story be deemed acceptable for a stage? Music composition by Deanna Watkins, Ronny "Cash" Jones, spoken word by Amari Rathers, mixing by Don Nichols, and set design by Stephanie Losleben.
 

Elise Conlay’s Fidgetis a movement-based study of energy expression and physical discomfort. The piece builds upon these themes, playing with bodily tension and release, using gesture, movement exploration, and inanimate objects to blur the lines of self-definition. The music is a collaborative composition from CSULB Bob Cole Conservatory of Music students Mia Grajales and Myles Gutierrez.<
 

Choreographed by Nathan Waters, Fish Fight examines the morality and inescapable nature of competition. Fish Fight explores how competition manifests in biological, evolutionary, economic, and social structures through the use of dynamic partner choreography. Set to his own original electronic sound score, Waters creates a sense of unease as the performers attempt to secure their only source of sustenance: the fish. Who will come out on top? Are there truly any winners in a system driven by competition? 
 

In & then what from Trinity Massey, navigates a world of uncertainty, repetition, vulnerability, and the balance between expectation and reality. What happens when the expected is no longer here? When we can no longer rely on it? In collaboration with the dancers and BCCM composer Mia Grajales, Massey investigates the fragile balance between control and surrender, the discomfort of unpredictability, and the resilience required to continue on. & then what is not just about uncertainty, but the process of moving through it. The work does not promise any answers but instead lingers in the in-between where transformation can begin.  
 

Following Thursday’s performance there will be a short Q+A session with the choreographers moderated by Concert Director Rebecca Lemme. This is an opportunity for audience members to get more perspective on each artists’ approach and process. Students especially are encouraged to stay and engage in this discussion. Saturday’s matinée will be preceded by a community college engagement event; interested dance departments should contact Rebecca Lemme for details.  
 

Be sure to check out the lobby displays for each student choreographer to gain further insight into the work. And don’t miss a special live event in the lobby at intermission.
 

Technical Coordinator Stephanie Losleben; Lighting Designer Stacy Fireheart; Costume Design Supervisor and Shop Manager Kelsey Vidic; Technology and Media Advisor Gregory R.R. Crosby; and Music Director Don Nichols all offer crucial contributions in their collaborations and consultations with each choreographer.