CORE Contemporary and Aerial Dance
CORE 2020 performing members
Olivia Byers, 2022 UGA Bachelor of Arts in Dance
Olivia Byers, a Georgia Native, is currently a second-year student pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree as a Dance Major and Human Development and Family Services minor at the University of Georgia. She has 15 years of versatile training in all forms of dance that has earned her membership with dance company, Axam Dance Theater Experience. She trained with Performers Warehouse, Jimmy Locust, Dawn Axam, Ballet Institute of Atlanta, and Atlanta Ballet. In 2016, she was inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts and honored as a finalist to the Georgia Governor's Honors Program. She received the University Of Georgia Lucy Lampkin Dance Scholarship in 2018 and 2019. Olivia has a growing passion for the aerial arts in lyra, silks, trapeze, and net with training from Matt Gallacher and Akrosphere Aerial and Circus.This is Olivia's third year as a member of CORE Contemporary and Aerial Dance.
Madison Calderwood is a third year Dance and Interior Design double major, from Kingsland, GA. This is her second year in the CORE Contemporary and Aerial Company. She previously studied at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, FL and Lisa Allen’s Dance Works in St. Mary’s, GA. She has performed in many concerts in high school and college, as well as choreographed and performed as a back-up dancer in the Jacksonville Summer Music Fest. She is excited to continue her training to prepare her for her future dance profession.
Baylee Davenport, 2021 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance
Baylee Davenport is a third year BFA dance major at the University of Georgia. Baylee is from Elberton, Georgia. She began training at the age of two in various styles and techniques and has trained in several dance facilities throughout the east coast. While at the University of Georgia thus far, Baylee has trained intensively in contemporary, modern, and ballet. This is her first experience training in aerial dance and participating in CORE: Contemporary and Aerial Dance. Baylee has also appeared in several performances at the University of Georgia as a performer and choreographer, including Young Choreographer Series and Spring Dance Concert. She will to continue her education in dance to, one day, share her passion with others. Baylee Davenport hopes to dance, choreograph, and continue her training in aerial work for many years to come.
Evann Guthrie, 2020 Bachelor of Arts in Dance and AB in Spanish
Evann started her collegiate journey at Kennesaw State University as a dance major but transferred to the University of Georgia her sophomore year. There, she has continued her education in dance as well as Spanish. While at UGA, she has participated in performance opportunities such as Spotlight on the Arts, the Young Choreographers Show and, this year, is excited to participate in CORE Contemporary and Aerial Dance company. After college, it is her hope to continue performing and studying dance abroad. A particular place of interest to her is Israel where some of the most renown contemporary dance companies reside (Batsheva Dance Company and Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company to name a couple). Aside from performing, Evann finds much joy in choreography and creating work through collaboration. She intends to seek out opportunities to choreograph and express herself as an artist.
Brenna Hayes, 2021 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance
Originally from Lawrenceville, Georgia, Brenna received prior dance training at Southern Performing Arts Academy under the direction of Alicia and Brandon Chitwood. With her studio’s ballet company, Southern Ballet Theatre, Brenna performed at Southeastern Regional Ballet Association’s festival from 2013-2018. In 2015 and 2016, she attended Dance Canvas’ summer intensive DC: NEXT. Then in 2018, she worked with Dance Canvas in Angela Harris and Vanessa Zabari’s piece. This past spring, Brenna transferred from Georgia Gwinnett College and is now pursuing her A.B in dance education. She performed in and choreographed for the Young Choreographers Showcase 2019 and is a first year CORE Contemporary and Aerial Dance Company member. Brenna loves teaching as well as performing and is excited to be growing as a dancer through aerial dance.
Kristin Jaspers, 2020 UGA Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, Bachelor of Arts in Advertising, and Minor in Business
Kristin is from Long Island, New York and began her training at Platinum Performance Dance Academy. She will graduate in December 2020 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance as well as a Bachelors of Arts in Advertising and a minor in Business. Post graduation, she hopes to be in a professional Contemporary company after moving back to New York while also pursuing a career in the Advertising industry. She has performed in the Young Choreographer’s Series: Senior Exit Concert the past four years as well as Spring Dance Concert 2017 and 2019. Kristin was also a member of CORE during the 2017-2018 season. This upcoming Spring, she will return to CORE and Spring Dance Concert for both their 2019-2020 seasons. Kristin is really grateful and excited for the opportunity to be returning to CORE and is looking forward to growing as an artist this year.
Madeleine Johnson, 2022 Bachelor of Fine Arts and AB Consumer Journalism
Madeleine Johnson is a current sophomore at the University of Georgia, double majoring in Dance and Consumer Journalism. Growing up in Newnan, Georgia, Madeleine received her training from various studios in the southern Atlanta area, Kyle Kahn Studios and Southern Arc Dance Center to name a few. She has previously performed in both the Young Choreographers Series and Spring Dance Concert in her time at UGA. Madeleine is so excited for her first year in CORE Contemporary and Aerial Dance Company. She strives to continue to cultivate her art and grow in her aerial experience this year.
Aviva Kasowski, PhD English and Creative Writing
Aviva Kasowski, third-year graduate student in the English and Creative Writing PhD program at University of Georgia. Previously, Aviva lived in New York City where she practiced aerial arts at Om Factory. An accomplished writer and poet, her work has appeared in Ninth Letter, Spillway Magazine, and other publications, and her poem “Five Mutations” was performed as an interpretive dance piece at the UGA Spotlight on the Arts. In her spare time she practices silks at Canopy Studio. This is her third year in CORE and she looks forward to working with new apparatuses and collaborating with talented dancers.
Rachel Kelley, 2020 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and AB in Cognitive Science
Rachel is a senior from Duluth, GA where she trained and performed with Dance Arts Centre Performing Arts Company. At UGA, she has performed in the Spring Dance Concert in 2017 and 2019. She has also been in the Young Choreographer’s Series student concert the past two years and just recently debuted her Senior Exit piece “Meta” which brought together her love for dance and the mind. This past summer she worked as an arts administration intern for Joffrey South and spent most of July in Sorrento, Italy training and performing with Atlanta’s STAIBdance. She trained with CORE Contemporary and Aerial Dance during the 2017-2018 season and is excited to return to CORE and perform during the 2019-2020 season! She will graduate this May with her BFA in Dance as well as her AB in Cognitive Science.
Claire Korfas, 2021 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and AB Human Development and Family Science
Claire Korfas is currently a third year Human Development and Family Science & Dance Double at the University of Georgia. She received her dance training at Dan and Company Studios in Dunwoody, Georgia,under the direction of Dan and Tina Youmans. Throughout her time at UGA, Claire has performed in the Young Choreographers Series as a dancer and choreographer, and Spring Dance Concert. This is Claire’s first year in CORE Concert Dance Company, and she is looking forward to growing as a dancer and an artist this year.
Alex Ozbilen, 2020 Bachelor of Science in Supply Chain Management and International Business
Originally from Newnan, GA, Alex is a senior at the University of Georgia. Her major is Supply Chain Management with a co major in international business. This is her fourth year participating in aerial dance with CORE. She has a background in gymnastics, cheerleading, and pole vaulting. She started gymnastics when she was three years old, and stopped when she was in level nine at the age of sixteen. She then moved on to competitive cheerleading for two different teams, and took up pole vaulting during her senior year. Her previous experience with these sports has been a great aid in participating in CORE, and she is looking forward to another exciting year of performing in an aerial dance production.
Regan Sadowski, 2020 Bachelor of Arts in Dance
Regan Sadowski, a first-year student at UGA and in CORE, has begun pursuing her BA in Dance. She is originally from Savannah, Georgia, where she danced for 14 years. Regan attended high school at Savannah Arts Academy as a dance major, where she was trained by Julian and Cristin Jernigan. While attending the school, she was in 12 different productions, notably as a stepsister in Cinderella, Sarah Sanderson in Hocus Pocus and Velma Kelly in Chicago. Though she has not yet been on stage at UGA, nor has trained in aerial dance previously, she is ecstatic to have the opportunity to perform, and is excited to continue pursuing dance at UGA.
Audrey Snow, 2022 UGA Bachelor of Arts in Dance
Audrey Snow, originally from Tifton, Georgia is currently a second-year student pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree as a Dance Major at the University of Georgia. Audrey has been dancing for around 15 years. She received her training such as modern, jazz, ballet, and tap at Carolyn Ellis School of Dance in South Georgia. She was a member of Dance FX’s Hip Hop company, Sweet Dreams in 2019, and performed in Spotlight of the Arts in 2018. She has also completed the Radio City Rockettes Summer Intensive in 2018 and 2019. This is her first year as a CORE Concert Contemporary and Aerial Company member. She is honored to be a part of this company and is looking forward to her future as an artist.
Grace Weigel, 2022 Bachelors of Arts in Dance and Bachelors of Landscape Architecture
Grace Weigel is a sophomore dance and landscape architecture major and is thrilled to be in her second year as a member of CORE Contemporary and Aerial Dance. She started her dance training at North Atlanta Dance Academy and the Still Pointe Studios, attending summer intensives at the Atlanta Ballet, Joffrey Ballet School in NYC, Staibdance Atlanta Workshop, and Dance Canvas’ DC Next. Grace also danced for four years in her high school program at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School. She has performed with Bluebird Uncaged in Uncaged Christmas and Sterling’s Path, and interned for DC Next 2019. Grace performed in the Young Choreographers’ Series 2018 and 2019 and Spring Dance Concert 2019. She hopes to one day dance and choreograph professionally, but for now she thanks God for the gift of every day that she can find joy and inspiration through dance.