Dancers from the Joan Phelps Palladino School of Dance at Dean College performed one of their dance pieces at the American College Dance Festival organization at The Kennedy Center in May 2012.  The piece, choreographed by Assistant Professor of Dance, Gregory King was performed by ten dance majors and was selected from roughly 450 works, encompassing eleven regions across the United States and approximately 300 colleges and universities.

“We were absolutely thrilled with this incredible honor,” says Julianne O’Brien Pedersen, Dean of the Joan Phelps Palladino School of Dance.  “This event is the rose bowl of college dance.  Dean College represented the diversity and excellence of the national college dance world and we were never more proud. In addition to the choreographer and students, accolades go also to the school’s founder and her vision of conservatory level training within a liberal arts curriculum; to the daily commitment of faculty toward that vision; and to the Dean community for their on-going support.”

King’s chosen piece was modern dance and titled “Strange Invisible Perfume.”  It was choreographed in 2010 and is danced by Devon Boucher (Oxford,MA), Ryane Currie (Holdon, MA), Mindy Knyff (Wrentham, MA), Marissa Maffiolini (Southington,CT), Olivia Oro (Melrose, MA), Jeryl Pilapil (Dedham, MA), Dominique Samaroo (Trinidad), Keren Sinai (Framingham, MA), Alex Votta (Greenville, RI), and Megan McQuarrie (Vassalboro, ME). Music is ”Tancas serradas a muru, Osvaldo Golijob Sufi Inca”  by Fun-Da-Mental and costumes by Daniel Kozar.

“I have great pride in seeing these wonderful dancers perform and watching this piece come to life, “says Gregory King.  “To have this chosen and performed at the Kennedy Center was a thrill and I was so excited for our dancers.”

The American College Dance Festival Association presented their national festival at the Kennedy Center for the performing arts in Washington, DC on May 24-27, 2012. The festival showcased thirty dances from throughout the United States that were selected by renowned adjudicators for their outstanding merit in choreography and performance. The Kennedy Center is known as one of the crown jewels in the nation’s performing arts venues. 

For more information, please visit www.acdfa.org or www.dean.edu