FALL SHOWCASE | SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 7PM
ARTISTIC DIRECTION: Christal Wagner & Gina Laurenzi
LIGHTING DESIGN: Colin Gawronski
Danceworks Intergenerational Performance Company (DIPC):
Performers: Bob Balderson, Tia Budyak, Julie Borouchoff, Tracey Gessner, Katrina Hjelmgren, Tom Hjelmgren, Jeanne Kollmeyer, Judy Zoelzer Levine, Rae Bu Luck, Takarah Meyer, Mary Ann Mitchell, Annie Wegner LeFort
Thank you for attending the first DIPC Showcase! Your support is greatly appreciated and we are delighted to share our work with you. We do hope you enjoy this evening’s work as much as we enjoyed making it together.
Thank you to sponsorships from the CAMPAC, the Milwaukee Arts Board, The Wisconsin Arts Board, and generous funding from the United Performing Arts Fund.
Program
Day in the Park
Music: Sounds of Nature
Choreography: Gina Laurenzi in collaboration with the performers
Performers: DIPC
I’ll Allow it to Echo Through Me
Music: Ivan Trevino, Nathan Matthews, Meydän
Choreography: Christal Wagner in collaboration with the performers
Performers: Bob Balderson, Katrina Hjelmgren, Tom Hjelmgren, Jeanne Kollmeyer, Judy Zoelzer Levine, Takarah Meyer, Mary Ann Mitchell, Annie Wegner LeFort
87 (redux)
Music: Caural
Choreography: Tom Hjelmgren
Traveler: Tom Hjelmgren
The Countess: Katrina Hjelmgren
This Imperfect Dance
Music: Declan J. Donovan
Choreography: Annie Wegner LeFort
Performers: Bob Balderson, Katrina Hjelmgren, Tom Hjelmgren, Judy Zoelzer Levine, Annie Wegner LeFort *Note: The poem at the end, “This Imperfect Dance”, is from Jeff Foster
The Invitation
Music: Henry Purcell
Choreography: Gina Laurenzi in collaboration with the performers
Performers: Bob Balderson, Tia Budyak, Julie Borouchoff, Tracey Gessner, Katrina Hjelmgren, Tom Hjelmgren, Jeanne Kollmeyer, Judy Zoelzer Levine, Takarah Meyer, Mary Ann Mitchell, Annie Wegner LeFort
Soon…
Music: Jóhann Jóhannsson
Choreography: Gina Laurenzi
Performers: DIPC, featuring Katrina Hjelmgren
Let’s Go
Music: Club des Belugas
A structured improvisation
Performers: DIPC
About DIPC
Danceworks Intergenerational Performance Company (DIPC), formerly 50+ Performance Workshop, is a company of community dancers with a desire to explore movement and performance. The current group is made up of participants spanning several generations and a shared passion for movement. The ensemble explores dance-making, improvisation and performance concepts led by Studio Manager and DPMKE company member, Gina Laurenzi. Dances are performed in concert collaborations with resident dance companies, Danceworks Performance MKE and Danceworks Youth Performance Company.
MEET THE ARTISTS OF DIPC
BOB BALDERSON
Bob Balderson has been taking classes at Danceworks for over 20 years. He has been in four DANCEWORKS ON TAP shows, including two solos and two duets with Lamont Johnson.
TIA BUDYAK
Tia Budyak had grown up surrounded by a household filled with singers, instrumentalists and artists that carried throughout her life in different ways. She has always loved dancing since they were in middle school, but never had an opportunity to pursue dance until her freshman year of high school when she joined her school’s dance club, “F-Steps.” They gained experience in learning, teaching, and performing by being in that club and they loved every second of it. That was when dance had become an even bigger passion in her life.
Danceworks is the first studio they had gone to for further dance experience and she’s enjoyed every second of her time in this community. She has taken hip-hop, ballet, contemporary, K-pop, and a couple musical theater and jazz classes during her time here at Danceworks.
They’ve been at Danceworks since March of 2024 and have performed in “Rhythmworks” with the jazz and K-pop groups. She is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of DIPC as the youngest member and is excited to see what the future entails in her journey with dance!
JULIE BOROUCHOFF
Julie Borouchoff was born and raised on the farmland of Jefferson County, Wisconsin. Her first dance experience was her German Grandpa teaching her to dance the polka when she was 5 years old. Julie loved to polka, yet she yearned for other dance experiences. She attended Marquette University and graduated with a Theatre/Dance degree. Tap dancing became her favorite dance style. In the 1990’s she discovered DANCEWORKS Milwaukee. So many wonderful teachers and different styles of dance. Julie found a place as an assistant with the MAD HOT RHYTHM program. Her participation with DIPC has been a life changing experience and has helped to ease her back into movement and dance after a spinal cord injury.
TRACEY GESSNER
Tracey is excited to be returning to performing again after a long hiatus. She completed a BA in dance at Columbia College Chicago, but since then life has taken her in a different direction. Previously a stay-at-home-mom to two amazing (now fully grown) children, she is now enjoying her rediscovery of dance at Danceworks and DIPC.
Tracey is also an avid long distance runner, having completed over 50 marathons and ultramarathons. You could say movement has always played an important part in her life! She would like to thank Danceworks for the opportunity to perform on stage again for the first time in over 20 years.
KATRINA HJELMGREN
Katrina Hjelmgren has been dancing most of her life and has performed in many types of performances over the years, many of which have been with or through Danceworks. In most of these performances, Katrina has performed alongside her father, Tom Hjelmgren, including a duet they choreographed together. She has also performed at the Renaissance Faire through the Guilde of St. George (The Queen’s Court) and has been in many performances of The Nutcracker and Carmina Burana through her previous studio. She is also very interested in photography and manipulating images through photoshop.
TOM C. HJELMGREN
“Danceworks is an enchanted place. I’ve learned so much from the incredibly talented, kind, and passionate artists that teach here. I’ve also had the unparalleled pleasure of seeing my wife Janice and our two daughters study and perform here.
Dance is movement. Movement is life. As days pass these moments of momentum become more precious. The opportunity to move with these young dancers, strong and focused and seemingly immortal is a gift. An elixir that imbues us, albeit fleetingly, with that same sense of abandon. Of freedom. Of flight.” – Tom C. Hjelmgren
JEANNE KOLLEMEYER
Jeanne Kollmeyer has always had a strong desire to dance, but the opportunity wasn’t there for her. After watching a group of women perform in her daughter’s recital, she decided to start taking tap lessons. Thus, began her now 28 year dance journey.
Jeanne has been taking tap and ballet classes at Danceworks for over 10 years, and she is thrilled to be a member of the Intergenerational Performance Company. Jeanne has also assisted in the Mad Hot Rhythm program and performed in Danceworks on Tap several years ago. When she’s not dancing, she loves teaching visual arts, painting with acrylics and enjoying city life.
JUDY ZOELZER LEVINE
Judy Zoelzer Levine started dancing in college which led to a BFA degree. She has not stopped dancing, continuing to study ballet and yoga. She has performed with Danceworks in assorted productions since 2017.
RAE BU LUCK
Rae Bu Luck (THEY/SHE) is delighted to join DIPC for the Autumn 2024 showcase. They hold a BFA from UWM where they studied Visual Art, Dance and Art History. Rae has been creating and performing in the world of arts since childhood. As an adult, she has performed in theatre, dance, modeling and music shows. Some notable works that they enjoyed most include dancing and acting with The Quasimondo Physical Theatre in both NYC and Milwaukee, Kathryn Caesar’s “Emily” and Selena Milewski’s “The Dance of Moon and Buckets” in MKE Fringe, various short films and music videos directed by Jacyln Poeshel, and most recently performing in Danceworks “Ignite” (hip-hop solo) and “Rhythmworks (kpop & jazz groups).” Rae is currently editing her band, Duzt’s (pronounced dust) first music video which she wrote, choreographed and directed, to be released in 2025. Her band has also composed music for 53212 presents and has performed worldwide in Thailand, India, Cambodia and more. In November, Rae will continue their studies in dance, music, yoga and foreign languages in her 4th world tour lasting 5 months. Rae is honored to have gained valuable teaching and dance skills through working with Danceworks in MadHot, Generations and weekly classes which she carries with her into her work as a 500-hr Certified Yoga Teacher and multi-faced human, these past 9 years.
MARY ANN MITCHELL
For five decades, Mary Ann Mitchell lived her passion as a psychotherapist using words in the art of therapy. Her only dance experience had been in the Latin dance world with her husband.
Now a community of dancers has carried her into her seventh decade. Instead of words, Mary Ann is living in an exciting community where expression and communication is through movement. Being a member of DIPC since it’s inception with Dani Kuepper has even given her the opportunity to perform.
Mary Ann would like to thank her dear dancing comrades and Dani, Kim, Christal, and Gina for leading the group on.
TAKARAH MEYER
As a Lawrence university’s Girl choir alumni, Takarah has always had a passion and love for the arts beginning at a young age. Takarah has transitioned to focus on her dance journey, and can’t wait to see what’s in the store for the future.
ANNIE WEGNER LeFORT
Annie Wegner LeFort is the founder of EatMoveMKE, a company that promotes mindful eating, daily movement practice, and community building in our city. She has been teaching yoga for 5+ years and dancing in Milwaukee since 2018 with Panadanza’s student dance company and since 2022 with DIPC. Annie has been performing with Samba da Vida MKE since 2019. She has performed with the Community Spirit Choir lead by Kiran “Q the Sun” Vedula, participated in Pina Bausch’s The Nelken-Line: MKE, “Gendhing in the Garden” at Lynden Sculpture Garden. She has trained with Capoeira Nago and practices with Acroyoga Milwaukee. Annie believes that there is a dancer in everyone if they give themselves permission to explore and play.