Richmond, VA — VCUarts Department of Dance + Choreography is excited to announce the Fall 2025 senior capstone performance, Frequency-Resonance. Frequency-Resonance will be performed on Friday, November 21st and Saturday, November 22nd at 7:30 pm in the Grace Street Theatre. The performance will feature works choreographed by Josie Bennett, Mari Defazio-Rio, Adriana Denenberg, Elle Hardesty, Casey Morse, Shauna Paddyfote, and Z. Vonne Walker.
EVENT DETAILS:
The event will be held at the Grace Street Theater – 934 W Grace St, Richmond, VA 23220 on Friday, November 21st at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, November 22nd at 7:30 p.m.
Pricing: $5 vcu student, $14 general admission
To stay up to date on the performance, please visit our website or follow us on social media for behind the scenes content instagram.com/vcuartsdance
THE WORKS:
In the Absence of Knowing, created by Josie Bennett, was inspired by the prevailing expectations about femininity which she has researched to offer a deconstruction of these concepts. In this work, Bennett offers an exploration into the traditional, accepted ideas and experiences of femininity to present an alternative perspective on how removing these concepts can add another perspective of authenticity through movement.
Teach the New Old, Teach the Old New created by Mariella De Fazio-Rio was inspired by her love of childhood and the way children express an abundance of joy and curiosity. Using seven dancers, DeFazio-Rio explores the idea of expressing the child within. In the process of this work, she has the dancers simulate the harsh realities of life through the lens and mindset of ease like a child. Here, she aims to demonstrate that you can choose how you face life regardless of external factors.
L’Art du Cœur, choreographed by Adriana Denenberg, celebrates individuality and creative expression, blending inspiration from her passion for fashion and art through a mix of classical and abstract movement. Drawing from her own journey, Denenberg invites each dancer in the cast to bring their personal stories from their hearts to the stage. Through a rich emotional landscape of powerful expressions, the work reimagines the connections between dance, fashion, and art, while highlighting the beauty of each unique journey.
a light too bright to keep, created by Elle Hardesty explores the process of uncovering the hidden “jewels” – those unique, creative gifts often concealed by fear or insecurity – within us and bringing them forward. Through the versatility of movement and storytelling, Hardesty and seven dancers explore the moments of discovery, hesitancy, courage, and the breakthroughs that artists face. At its core, this work celebrates the journey of embracing and sharing one’s creative gifts and inner magic with the world.
Amid life’s ebbs and flows, Casey Morse has found dance to be a grounding force. For Morse, movement becomes the language that words cannot convey, and a channel to navigate discomfort, fear, and uncertainty. Her new work, Only for a Moment, is an exploration of being present through motion, reflecting on how we cope, grow, and find stability in times of flux.
get over your ego, created by Shauna Paddyfote, is inspired by psychologist Carl Jung’s “theory of the psyche.” This work draws attention to the layered complexity of our inner worlds. Aiming to move past ego in the pursuit of our authentic self, get over your ego explores the shifting boundaries between the parts of ourselves we reveal and the parts we keep concealed, questioning how these layers shape the identities we present to the world.
Conditioning: The Body’s Voice, created by Z. Vonne Walker explores the high-power synergy between artistry and athleticism. Why keep dancers in a box? This work illustrates how dancers embody physical intensity through technical skill, heightened bodily awareness, and rigorous training. Relying on bodily strength, mobility, kinesthetic awareness, and rhythm, Walker shows how dance is equivalent to and even surpasses the athleticism of traditional sports to demonstrate that not the body makes the sport, not the ball.
