INTER VALS INTER VALS
Choreographed by Jungeun Kim in collaboration with the artists
Dancers: Aruzhan Akhmadiyeva, Lexi Brenner, Raine Crowe, Isabella Dattilo, Summer Dilworth, Piper Filiault, Katerina Gutierrez, Sara Kocinsky, Taylor Mann, Tara McHale, Ela Nawab, Georgia Parsons, Raleigh Phillips, Marissa Powell, Sasha Sapon, Samantha Sienkiewicz, Emily Uhler
Costumes: Mae Merkle
Lighting: J. Dominic Chacon
Rehearsal support: Sydney Donovan, Arabia Richardson
Sound Design: Jungeun Kim
Fix You
Choreographed by Alexa Steele
Music: Bovine Mindstate by Country Blues, MinaeMinae by Urmünder, Sō Percussion, Kelly Watkins, Olivier Tarpaga by Fēfē: II. Pas à pas
Dancers: Grace Angyelof, Ruby Fain, Piper Filiault, Neghisti Ghebremedhin, Sara Kocinsky, Rachel Lee, Ellie Matus, Tara McHale, Molly Reilly, Isabella Repetto, Marianna Solares Midence, Madeleine Yurchuk
Music: Sparks by Coldplay, Fix You by Coldplay
Costumes: Kelly Myers
Lighting: J. Dominic Chacon
Your Greed Sickens Me
Choreographed by Marissa Powell
Dancers: Aruzhan Akhmadiyeva, Grace Angyelof, Anna Cham, Joey Cody, Raine Crowe, Mary Grace Dempsey, Niyah Gantt-Brooks, Neghisti Ghebremedhin, Paige Gibson, Sophie Jarger, Eva Krewson, Rachel Lee, Sage Lee-Boone, Taylor Mann, Isabella Repetto, Samantha Sienkiewicz, Alexa Steele, Lyutfiya Yussupova
Music: Under The Mask by Infinity Frequencies, For Days by Melvitto and AYOMIPO, The Lobotomy by Maebi, and ATM by Don Toliver
Text By: Marissa Powell
Costumes: Aliyah Primich
Lighting: J. Dominic Chacon
bite the hand
Choreographed by Sara Kocinsky
Dancers: Leta Armstrong, Mayrav Bader, Lexi Brenner, Isabella Dattilo, Summer Dilworth, Piper Filiault, Paige Gibson, Eva Krewson, Ela Nawab, Georgia Parsons, Leyla Ponce, Marissa Powell, Madison Simoes, Alexa Steele, Rebecca Wolin
Understudy: Isabelle Levin
Music: The Shrine/An Argument by Fleet Foxes
Costumes: Faith Roberson
Lighting: J. Dominic Chacon
Dinner Party
INTERMISS I ON INTERMISS I ON
Choreographed by Britt Whitmoyer Fishel, in collaboration with the artists
Dancers: Isabella Dattilo, Erin Ford, Katerina Gutierrez, Kaya Hawthorne, Eva Krewson, Ellie Matus, Emma Polyak
Music: Summer Overture, The Beginning of the End, Ghosts of a Future Lost by Clint Mansell and Kronos Quartet
Costumes: Kelly Myers
Lighting: J. Dominic Chacon
Keepers of The Gate
Choreographed by Julian Everett-Blair Darden in collaboration with the artists
Dancers: Mayrav Bader, Summer Dilworth, Ruby Fain, Jordyn Jones, Sara Kocinsky, Georgia Parsons, Molly Reilly, Sasha Sapon, Marianna Solares Midence, Rebecca Wolin
Music: Emotional Ambient Instrumental by William Walker, Heaven by Tierra Whack
Costumes: Becky Wetzel
Lighting: J. Dominic Chacon
Ready?
Choreographed by Floyd McLean Jr
Ellen Forman Memorial Award Winner
Dancers: Anna Cham, Mary Grace Dempsey, Erin Ford, Niyah Gantt-Brooks, Madison Handfinger, Kaya Hawthorne, Jordyn Jones, Ellie Matus, Emma Polyak, Molly Reilly, Sasha Sapon, Madison Simoes, Rebecca Wolin, Madeleine Yurchuk
Music: Music by Boris Dlugosch
Costumes: Becky Wetzel
Lighting: J. Dominic Chacon
Music mixed by Floyd McLean Jr
Choreographic Collaborator: Nathan McNatt Jr.
Britt Whitmoyer Fishel choreographer, screendance artist, educator, author, and scholar whose work explores the relationship between the ephemeral nature of live performance and the permanence of dance in digital spaces. Her research engages feminist frameworks, gender equity, access, and community, examining how dance can foster more inclusive and intersectional dialogue. Fishel is the artistic director of Britt Fishel & Artists, a collaborative nonprofit contemporary dance company presenting both live performance and dance film in Philadelphia and beyond. Through creative research and performance, the company works to democratize conversations around identity, politics, and the human experience. She is also the director and curator of the Opine Dance Film Festival, an annual international screendance festival now in its 11th season. Fishel holds a BFA from East Carolina University and an MFA in Dance (Screendance) from the University of Michigan. Her work has toured extensively across the U.S. and internationally and has been featured in numerous film festivals and gallery exhibitions. In 2021, Fishel and Britt Fishel & Artists received the “Lorenzo il Magnifico” International Award for Performance from the Florence Biennale. She is the author of The Screendance Practitioner’s Workbook and serves as Co-Chair of the Dance Studies Association’s Dance and Technology Working Group. Fishel is Drexel Dance Ensemble and FreshDance Ensemble Director, as well as a full-time faculty member in the Dance Program at Drexel University.
Sydney Donovan (Assistant Director) (She/Her) is a Philadelphia-based performer, choreographer, educator, and mystic whose work bridges contemporary performance, ritual, and embodied healing. She earned her BFA in Dance from the University of the Arts in 2019. Following graduation, Donovan was rehearsal director for Bobbi Jene Smith, Annie Rigney, and Paul Matteson, later returning to UArts as a guest choreographer, premiering Thy Spirit like Thy Flesh (2023). A frequent performer with Opera Philadelphia, Donovan appeared in The Listeners (2024), choreographed by Raja Feather Kelly, Il Viaggio a Reims (2025), and EITCHTERLING’s collaboration with Anthony Roth Costanzo (2025). Her additional performance credits include works by Paul Matteson, Lilach Orenstein (featured in Dance Magazine), and Zoe Scofield, including a Princess Grace Award–winning work and a recent collaboration with Xiu Xiu. Since 2024 she has been a collaborator with BF & Artist. Donovan has performed in both the Philadelphia and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals with choreographers David Gorden, Susan Marshall, Hillary Pearson, Wally Carbonell, and Britt Fishel. As a 2022 Artist in Residence at MOtiVE Brooklyn, she developed her solo The Many in One are Mingled. She later premiered TRINE (2024), launching her company, OmenThrice, which recently held residence at Philly PACK where Jack|Jill & the Hill (2026) premiered. Her interdisciplinary work includes film and movement direction, with credits spanning performance and collaborative film projects. Donovan currently serves as dance professor and Assistant Ensemble Director at Drexel University, where she restaged and reworked Thy Flesh like Thy Spirit (2025) and premiered Portal to Self (2026).
educator, and collaborator born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. She holds an MFA in Dance (2022) and a BFA in Dance (2019, cum laude) from the University of the Arts (UArts). Throughout her undergraduate studies, Arabia was featured in solo performances in works by renowned choreographers including Tommie-Waheed Evans, Meredith Rainey, Jimena Paz, and Marguerite Hemmings.After graduation, Arabia served as the administrative assistant to Gaynell Sherrod, then interim executive director of Philadanco. Her leadership in rehearsal settings includes roles as rehearsal director for Juel D. Lane, rehearsal assistant to Kim Bears-Bailey, and rehearsal director to Marguerite Hemmings. She has also contributed creatively as a co-choreographer with Wayne St. David and as a creative associate for the School of Dance at UArts.In 2023, Arabia was awarded the Creative Research & Innovation grant in recognition of her commitment to the intersections of performance, pedagogy, and social engagement. Currently based in Philadelphia, Arabia is an Adjunct Professor at Temple University, a Teaching Artist at The Rock School, and the Assistant Director for the Drexel Dance Ensemble. Her work continues to explore dance as a tool for dialogue, resistance, and community building.
Abby Toll (Producer & Stage Manager) is a graduate of Drexel University with a Bachelor of Science in Entertainment and Arts Management. Since graduating in 2018, she has worked as a freelance Stage Manager and Arts Administrator in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. She has worked for Delaware Shakespeare, Inus Nua, Azuka, and many more. When not working in the arts, Abby is a preschool teacher, working with kids ages 3-5. She loves introducing the magic of the arts to young minds.
Lexi DiFilippo (Producer) is a Philadelphia-based dance artist and stage production professional working across performance and live dance events. She trained at the High School of Creative and Performing Arts and earned her BFA in Dance Performance from Chapman University. She has performed across Los Angeles, New York, and Las Vegas, and with Britt Fishel & Artists on national and international stages, including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Scotland), L’Académie du Climat and Espace Canopy Galerie (France), and the Florence Biennale (Italy). In production, she worked in Italy with World Dance Movement as an assistant director and has stage managed Groove Competition and Convention on national tours. She has also worked front of house for productions by Jacob Jonas The Company, Backhausdance, FringeArts, and others.
J. Dominic Chacon (Lighting Designer) is a Lighting Designer and Production Manager based in Philadelphia. He has been working in Philadelphia since he arrived here in 2002 from the University of Iowa. Taking a small break to get his MFA from Temple University he has been involved in many projects around the East Coast. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Drexel University and the Lighting Coordinator for the Lang Performing Arts Center at Swarthmore College.In Philly he has designed for Walnut Street Theatre, Azuka, People’s Light and many more. Outside of Philly his work has been seen at Capital Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, Bowery Street Theatre and Long Wharf Theatre. He is dedicated to making theatre a collaboration as well as a learning experience. In addition to his theatre work he is very passionate about his civic duties volunteering for Planned Parenthood, The Trevor Project, and the ACLU. Some of his favorite collaborations have been Peter and the Starcatcher (Walnut Street Theatre), Nes Quitez Pas (Opera Company Philadelphia as an ALD), Blood Wedding (PAC), Dido+ (Curtis Opera). To find out more check out his website domchacon.com
(Costume Designer and Costume Shop Manager)
The Taming!, (Ursinus College), (Azuka Theater), (Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists), Abridged, Measure for Measure Costume Shop Manager at Drexel University. MA -Villanova University.
Japan, a multi-disciplinary artist who has been working professionally with many theater companies and artists in the Philadelphia area. Design credit: Percy Jackson the Lightening Thief, Songs for the New World Death of a Driver, 72 Miles to Go..., Man of God
Chris Totora (Production Manager and Scenic and Prop Designer) Christopher Totora is the Technical Director/ Production Manager for the Mandell Theater. Outside of Drexel, Chris is a freelance Musician, Designer, Director, Performer and Technician. He holds a BA in Theatre and a MA in Arts Administration from Rowan University
Mae Merkle (Costume Designer) is a Philadelphia based costume designer and wardrobe technician, and they are so honored by the opportunity to join the Drexel Dance Ensemble for the Winter Concert, their first after graduating from Drexel University in 2025. Mae has a degree in costume design and they have had the privilege of working with many theaters and companies in the Philadelphia area, including People’s Light, Theater Horizon, Relic Theatre Company, Power Street, Arden Theater Company, and more. In addition to work in theater, Mae has a background in costuming independent film, music videos, and performance art.
Kelly Myers (Costume Designer) is happy to be back for another dance concert with Drexel. Costume Design work: The Real Thing, The Wanderers, Comedy of Errors, Tartuffe, The Lifespan of a Fact, A Man for All Seasons, The last Match (Lantern Theater Co), Macbeth, The Chairs, The Wizard of Oz(Quintessence Theater Group), The Mountaintop, The Butterfingers Angel (Uptown! Knauer PAC), A little Night Music (Pittsburgh Opera Theatre), The Farnsworth Invention, Saving the World (Throughline Theatre Co), Deepchurch Hollow (Edinburgh Festival Fringe). She has also designed for Rutgers University-Camden, and Upper Darby Summerstage. Other costume work: Costume Supervisor (Lantern Theater Co), Draper (Walnut Street Theatre), Asst Costume Designer (American Players Theatre), Crafts Artisan (Opera Theatre of St. Louis). Training: MFA in Costume Design at Ohio University, BA in Theatre at Slippery Rock University
Becky Wetzel (Costume Designer) is a multi-talented visual and fiber artist based in Philadelphia, Pa. She received her BA and MFA from Temple University, as well as an AFA in painting from Montgomery County Community College. Her most recent past productions have been She Kills Monsters with Drexel University, Young Frankenstein at Media Theater, and Ragtime at Candlelight. She wishes to thank the cast and the production team for their joy, collaboration, and hard work.
Julian Darden (Choreographer)
pursuing a minor in Merchandising. She is so excited to be back and costuming for DDE again! Aliyah has had a great time working together with Marissa to bring her vision to life in Your Greed Sickens Me.
Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. As a teaching artist, he has worked with the youth of Philadelphia in association with the Lenfest Center, The Village of Arts and Humanities and presently, The Philadelphia Ballet. He teaches Umfundalai, a contemporary African dance technique, at Temple University and taught various adult classes in Center City at Urban Movement Arts and Range of Motion Philly (2018-2023). Standing on the shoulders of his mentors Oluko C. Kemal Nance and his Mwalimu Monique Newton Walker, Darden received his professional teaching certification of the Umfundalai dance technique in February 2021. As a performing artist, Darden performed with D2D: Dare to Dance Co., Kariamu & Company:Traditions, and the Nance Dance Collective. He performed at New Freedom Theatre in “The Ballad of Trayvon Martin” (2016) and had his choreography featured in the productions of “Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope” (2016) and “Black Nativity” (2016), shared the stage with the Stella Maris Dance Ensemble in Kingston, Jamaica (2017-2019) and participated in the Philadelphia Fringe Arts Festival in 2016, 2017, and 2019. Darden had the privilege to work as an assistant choreographer and be featured in Saleka Shyamalan’s music video “Clarity” (2020), Kingsley Ibeneche’s music video “So Kind” (2021) and Tierra Whack’s music video “27 Club” (2024).
Jungeun Kim (Choreographer) is an interdisciplinary dance artist, educator and restorative practitioner based in Philadelphia. She works with both mediums of dance, digital media such as video, moving images and animation to create live performance, experimental video, animation works and participatory events. Her art practice embraces and integrates many disciplines, nurturing relationships between individuals as well as the social connection within communities while expanding ways of communication. Her dance and video work has been presented around the U.S., Europe and Asia. As an educator, she has taught extensively, from a community center for refugees and immigrants, to dance festivals, to institutions of higher education. She hails from Seoul, South Korea.
Sara Kocinsky (Choreographer) is a junior Dance major at Drexel University (Class of 2027). She began dancing at age three and trained at Rockwell Dance Center, where she was a member of the pre-professional Modern and Hip-Hop companies, as well as at the American Academy of Ballet and the School of Creative and Performing Arts in NYC. Her work spans performance, choreography, and leadership. Sara is currently completing a co-op with Britt Fishel & Artists (BF&A) and serves as Secretary of Drexel’s chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts. Her choreography centers storytelling, embodiment, and emotional complexity.
originally from East Orange NJ, is a graduate of Point Park University where he received his BFA in Dance. While enrolled, he was a recipient of the Don Craig scholarship and has danced for many choreographers and found his love for choreography! His dance training includes Sharron Millers Academy for the Performing Arts, The Dance Theater of Harlem, Ballet Hispanico, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Dallas Black Dance Theatre. After graduation, he began his first season with Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s DBDT: Encore! Under the direction of Nycole Ray. Throughout his career, he was been given many choreographic opportunities which has helped him continue to develop his voice as an artist. He is currently a company artist with PHILADANCO! The Philadelphia Dance Company under the direction of Joan Myers Brown, Kim BearsBailey and Tommie-Waheed Evans.
Marissa Powell (Choreographer) is a Senior Dance Major on the Custom Design Track with a concentration in choreography. Originally from Meadville, Pennsylvania, Marissa began dancing when she was just three years old, and found her love for making dances throughout her childhood. Marissa was a competitive dancer for eleven years at her home dance studio, Allegro Dance Arts, and was also a part of the Oil Region Ballet Company for seven years. At age sixteen, Marissa began teaching contemporary and hip-hop dance classes at her home studio, finding both herself, and her dream, to become a professional choreographer and dance educator in her adult life. In her time at Drexel, Marissa has set three works on the Drexel Dance Ensemble, presented adjudicated work at the American College Dance Festival (2026) at Seton Hill University, studied abroad at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London, England, completed a six-month internship at Brickhouse NYC, and is currently earning her 450-hour Pilates Training Certification from the Drexel Pilates Training Program. Her lively and diverse experiences have brought Marissa to look at the dance industry from many different angles, and through several different lenses. She is more than honored to be closing out her senior year at Drexel as a performer and choreographer dancing with her incredibly inspiring peers. Marissa will be graduating in June of 2026 with a Bachelor of Science in Dance with a minor in Somatics.
Alexa Steele (Choreographer) is setting her first piece for the dance ensemble. She is a third-year student at Drexel University, majoring in Business Analytics, with a lifelong passion for dance. Raised in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. areas, she was immersed in a wide range of dance styles from an early age. Before attending Drexel, she trained and competed with multiple dance teams, shaping both her technique and artistic voice. For the past three years, she has served as a competition choreographer for B.Funk Dance Company in Ellicott City, Maryland. Her work centers on narrative-driven choreography, where she weaves together the diverse styles she has studied. She strives to create spaces where dancers can connect, express, and bring meaningful stories to life.
UR ENSEMBLE UR ENSEMBLE
Aruzhan Akhmadiyeva Marketing
Grace Angyelof Human Development & Counseling
Leta Armstrong Film & Television
Mayrav Bader Dance Education
Lexi Brenner Criminology & Justice Studies
Anna Cham Political Science and Law
Joey Cody Psychology
Raine Crowe Graphic Design
Isabella Dattilo Dance, PT
Mary Grace Dempsey Education
Summer Dilworth Dance
Ruby Fain Dance, PT
Piper Filiault Dance
Erin Ford Graphic Design
Niyah Gantt-Brooks Entertainment & Arts Management
Neghisti Ghebremedhin Business and Economics
Paige Gibson Human Development and Counseling
Katerina Gutierrez Dance
Madison Handfinger Health Science
Kaya Hawthorne Dance
Sophie Jarger Nursing
Jordyn Jones Materials Science and Engineering
Sara Kocinsky Dance
Eva Krewson Dance
UR ENSEMBLE UR ENSEMBLE
Digital Media & Virtual Production
Ellie Matus Dance
Tara McHale Biological Sciences
Ela Nawab Dance, English
Georgia Parsons Dance
Raleigh Phillips Dance, Movement Therapy and Counseling
Emma Polyak English
Leyla Ponce Health Sciences
Marissa Powell Dance
Molly Reilly Dance, PT
Isabella Repetto Biomedical Engineering
Sasha Sapon Biology
Allie Scicchitano Dance, Movement Therapy
Samantha Sienkiewicz Dance
Madison Simoes Architectural Engineering
Samantha Singley Computer Engineering
Marianna Solares Midence Architectural Engineering
Alexa Steele Business Analytics
Emily Uhler Dance, Movement Therapy and Counseling
Rebecca Wolin Dance, Movement Therapy
Madeleine Yurchuk Film and Television
Lyutfiya Yussupova Computer science
ENSEMBLE STAFF
