B.F.A. Senior Dance Concert / Student Dance Festival

OLIVIA HULSEY, BFA Dance Performance, is a third-year member of the Kent Dance Ensemble (KDE), the university’s pre-professonal dance company. During her tenure at Kent, she has performed in numerous faculty, student, and guest artist dance works. This past summer, as a member of KDE, she studied abroad in a three-week dance intensive in Florence, Italy at the 2017 OpenFLR International Choreographic Summer Intensive. Olivia serves as one of the Event Coordinators of the Student Dance Education Organization-Kent State Chapter and is an active member in Kent’s Theatre and Dance honors fraternity Alpha Psi Omega-Beta Psi Cast. A highlight of her time at Kent was performing with KDE at the Dance Showcase at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio. Olivia has been recognized by the university for her academic achievements including making the Dean’s List and receiving the financial University Award each semester. Upon graduation, Olivia plans to pursue a professional performing career in a new city. 

HALLE SPERO, BFA Dance Performance, served as an apprentice in the 2016-17 Kent Dance Ensemble (KDE), the university’s pre-professional dance company. As a member of KDE, she studied abroad in Florence, Italy at the 2017 OpenFLR International Choreographic Summer Intensive.  In 2015 and 2016, she interned and performed with the Cleveland-based professional dance company, Antaeus Dance under the artistic direction of Joan Meggitt. Halle is Vice President of both the Student Dance Education Organization-Kent State Chapter and Alpha Psi Omega-Beta Psi Cast. She has been honored with School of Theatre and Dance awards including the 2017 Lucy E. Stillings Memorial Scholarship for creative work and outstanding service, the 2017 Xavier Atienza Scholarship, and the 2015 and 2016 Dance Division Outstanding Service Award. Her dance background consists of jazz, ballet, tap, lyrical/contemporary, modern, hip hop, pointe, and musical theatre. Prior to her dance training at Kent, she was a member and leader of the Jordan Center Dance pre-professional competition team where she had opportunities to travel and work with renowned dancers and choreographers across the U.S. as well as serve as a mentor to young dancers. Halle’s career goals include performing commercially in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, or Florida.

MORGAN WALKER, BFA Dance Performance, is a senior at Kent State University, a third-year member of the Kent Dance Ensemble (KDE), Historian of the Student Dance Education Organization-Kent State Chapter, and a member of Alpha Psi Omega-Beta Psi Cast. In fall 2017, she served as Assistant Artistic Director for the fall faculty concert, Dance ’17: Mosaic. During her studies at Kent, she has performed in numerous faculty and student choreographed concerts. Morgan has participated in the American College Dance Association (ACDA) conference performing in guest artist and student pieces and was chosen by the faculty to present her original solo work for the ACDA 2017 adjudication concert. She will again represent Kent at the ACDA 2018 conference with her original BFA work entitled Oxygen. Morgan was the recipient of the School of Theatre and Dance/Dance Scholarship and the Dance Divison Emerging Artist Award. In summer 2017, Morgan traveled to Florence, Italy to attend the OpenFLR International Choreographic Summer Intensive where she was honored with the Barcelona International Dance Exchange Scholarship. She also received a full scholarship to attend the Jon Lehrer Dance Intensive in Buffalo, NY. Upon graduation, Morgan plans to dance professionally, earn her MFA in Dance, and eventually own a dance school and company. 

LAURA WESTER, BFA Dance Performance, is a senior from Brookfield, Wisconsin. She is a second-year member of the Kent Dance Ensemble (KDE) and was appointed the KDE Student Artistic Director for the 2017-18 season. While at Kent, she has performed in numerous faculty and student choreographed concerts. Laura studied abroad in Bangkok, Thailand as a founding member of East Meets West and participated in a three-week intensive in Florence, Italy at the OpenFLR International Choreographic Summer Intensive. A highlight of her undergraduate studies at Kent was presenting research at the 2016 National Dance Education Organization Conference in Alexandria, Virginia. This year, Laura was selected as a student representative for the Dean’s College of the Arts Student Advisory Council. She also serves as Secretary of the School of Theatre and Dance honors fraternity Alpha Psi Omega-Beta Psi Cast and Treasurer for the Student Dance Education Organization-Kent State Chapter. Laura has been the recipient of the School of Theatre and Dance 2016 Lucy E. Stillings Scholarship Award and the 2017 Samuel Stillings Memorial Scholarship Award. In recognition of her academic achievements and commitment to education, she  has received university awards from the Center of Student Involvement, including Student Leader of the Year 2016-17 and the 2016 Distinguished Greek Leader of the Year. Upon graduation, Laura plans to pursue a professional career in Higher Education Administration.