The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC) user facility operated by Michigan State University with financial support from and furthering the mission of the DOE-SC Office of Nuclear Physics. FRIB enables scientists to make discoveries with rare isotopes that will positively impact humankind. FRIB aims to share the excitement of nuclear science with everyone through innovative and multi-disciplinary collaborations that engage learners of all ages and backgrounds.

Welcome to Of Equal Place: Isotopes in Motion, a 60-minute multi-media performance commissioned by the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). On stage and on video, you will see professional dancers from Dance Exchange and dance partners, scientists, and community youth performers. This dance work delves into some of the research being done at FRIB while exploring themes that resonate in both nuclear physics and dance: stability and instability, measurement, acceleration, fragmentation, and navigating mystery. Additionally, the performance investigates the contributions of women and people of color in science through a cast diverse in age, race, and cultural backgrounds. We hope this work will engage audiences who might be new to watching dance and/or new to thinking about physics. As you watch, resist the temptation to feel like you are not "getting it." Watching a dance is a creative process, much like the creative process of scientific research. You set up an experiment. You observe. From those observations, you collect data. Then, there's the key process of interpreting the data in a way that makes sense to you. Notice what you connect to, what meaning you are making, and let your own discoveries unfold. Then repeat this process. We invite you to revel in your own discoveries, to lean into curiosities. We hope the resources in the study guide and the opportunities on this campus will serve to launch you further into your understanding and curiosity of new areas for future research and creativity.

Dance Exchange\

Fueled by generosity and curiosity, Dance Exchange expands who gets to dance, where dance happens, what dance is about, and why dance matters. Dance Exchange collaborates across generations, disciplines, and communities to channel the power of dancemaking as a means for dialogue, a source of critical reflection, and a creative engine for thought and action. Founded in 1976 by Liz Lerman and under the artistic leadership of Cassie Meador since 2011, Dance Exchange is a non-profit dance organization based in Takoma Park, Maryland.

Much of Dance Exchange’s work across our 46-year history has focused on the intersection of art and science, leading to collaborations with scientists and educators in the fields of biology, physics, ecology, genetics, and more. In addition to FRIB, we’ve partnered with leading science organizations such as NASA, the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN), and more. By cultivating a sense of wonder, inquiry, and discovery in the dances we make and the workshops we lead, we celebrate the important role of both dance and science in moving us toward a deeper understanding of our world.

What inspires and fuels our work at Dance Exchange?

• Connecting across generations and communities.
• Making art at the intersection of social relevance and community participation.
• Deepening our relationships with scientists, educators, farmers, forestry specialists, creative aging experts, nonprofit and municipal leaders, independent artists, and families.
• Growing partnerships with schools, universities, cultural institutions, traditional and non-traditional performing venues, and members of the philanthropic community.

Our work at the intersection of art and science offers an invitation to move as a way to notice our world, and to notice as a way to move our world. Discover ways you can move with us at danceexchange.org.

Keith Thompson (he/him) (Creative Director) danced for the Trisha Brown Dance Company from 1992-2001, served as Trisha's rehearsal assistant from 1998-2001, and currently performs with and is rehearsal director for Liz Lerman. He has taught master classes globally, and his company, danceTactics Performance Group, has been featured at Montpellier International Dance Festival, Dixon Place NYC, Triskelion Art Center, Edinburgh International Fringe Festival, Theater X (Tokyo), and Taliesin West. Keith is associate professor and director of the dance department at Arizona State University, where he is also the inaugural faculty fellow at the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy.

Ami Dowden-Fant (she/her) (Director of Creative Engagement) of Richmond, VA, is the thriving owner/director of River City Dance & Performing Arts Theatre. She has worked with a variety of artists such as Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Robert Battle, and Liz Lerman. She has been awarded the Outstanding Choreographer, Performer Award (VA), and Style Weekly's Best Performing Arts Lessons (VA). Her work has been presented in the National American College Dance Festival (NYC) and Philadelphia Fringe Festival (PA). In 2009, she began her partnership with Dance Exchange, performing and leading workshops at Wesleyan University (MA), Department of Education (DC), and Belhaven University (MS). She was commissioned to choreograph for the William Penn School District (PA), Neighborhood Playhouse (NYC), and the Center of the Arts (VA). Ami Dowden-Fant is instilled with the gift to educate and inspire all willing movers of the many wonders of dance!

Clarence Brooks (he/they) (Dance Exchange Partnering Artist), Florida Atlantic University associate professor/director of dance, is a guest artist with Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble, David Parker and The Bang Group, and their own company, FAU Repertory Dance Theatre Ensemble. Brooks can be seen in the video documentary The World of Alwin Nikolais and their essay "Dancing with the Issues" was published in One Teacher in 10 (Alyson Books). The recipient of several fellowships and awards, Brooks holds an MFA (University of Washington), four certifications, and sits on the boards of danceTactics, Natural Movers Foundation, Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble, Miami Dance Futures, Humphrey Foundation, and several university committees.

Shawn Brush (he/him) (Dance Exchange Partnering Artist) is a NY-based dancer and choreographer. He dances for danceTactics Performance Group (where he is also assistant to the artistic director), Falcon Dance, and is currently on project with Dance Exchange. Shawn has previously danced for Maya Orchin, Laura Peterson Choreography, Stefanie Nelson, The New Collectives, Meagan Woods company, and Hillary Pearson. Shawn's own choreography, under Brush/McGrath (works) with his partner and wife, Molly McGrath, has been presented at Judson Memorial Church, Triskelion Arts, Dixon Place, and Raritan Valley Community College. He is also a teaching artist and has taught at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, Raritan Valley Community College, and public schools across New Jersey. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Dance from Mason Gross School of the Arts in 2015.

Brit Falcon (she/her) (Dance Exchange Partnering Artist) is a performer, choreographer/maker, bodyworker, and educator. She has had the pleasure of performing with William Evans, Kista Tucker Dance, Inc., Steeledance, Bryan Baira, Donnell Oakley, Renegade Performance Group, Keith Johnson & Adriane Fang, Kendra Portier, and David Dorfman Dance. She has taught at numerous universities and festivals nationally and internationally, sharing her research in the intersections of dance performance, wellness, science, and ecology. Brit holds a BFA from The College at Brockport and is currently an MFA candidate in dance at the University of Maryland. She is the artistic director of Falcon Dance.

Esther Geiger (she/her) (Dance Exchange Partnering Artist) is interested in how things connect, and in finding connections by looking for essence. Links along her movement journey include modern dance (with a German Expressionist twist), Iyengar yoga, structured improvisation (mentored by master Richard Bull), and the Laban/Bartenieff Movement System (LBMS). Esther taught at Dance Exchange under Liz Lerman in the 1970s-80s and reconnected with the DX community in the 2000s. She is a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) and has applied that work to playground design, movement education, unschooling, personnel management, and audio description. She has taught in LBMS certification programs in the U.S. and Israel.

Liv Schaffer (she/her) (Dance Exchange Partnering Artist) is a Bay Area artist and educator with a focus on intergenerational practice at the intersection of dance and social impact sectors. She holds a degree from Alonzo King's LINES Ballet BFA Program at Dominican University of California and has performed with AXIS Dance Company, DanceWorks Chicago, Robert Moses' Kin, and Dance Exchange. Liv is a community engagement artist with Jacob's Pillow and on faculty at the University of San Francisco's Performing Arts & Social Justice department, where she directs the Dance Generators, an intergenerational dance company. Liv's choreography has been presented by Jacob's Pillow Inside/Out, ODC State of Play Festival, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival/RAWDance SF, The Big Muddy Dance Company, and Western Michigan University.

Acknowledgements
Dance Exchange is grateful for the support from the National Endowment for the Arts for Of Equal Place: Isotopes in Motion. Additional major funders that support Dance Exchange's programming include the Montgomery County Maryland Government and the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Maryland State Arts Council, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts, the City of Takoma Park, the USDA Forest Service, and the National Park Service.

Dance Exchange extends a special thanks to Liz Lerman and the creative team and collaborators on The Matter of Origins, Dance Exchange staff and board of directors, Women and Minorities in the Physical Sciences (WaMPS), Bert Goldstein, Eric Olmscheid and the Wharton Center for the Performing Arts, Clara Martinez, the Lansing School District, Missy Lilje, Rachel Miller, Happendance, and Zach Constan and Artemis Spyrou and the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams.

Dance Exchange

Liz Lerman, Founder
Cassie Meador, Executive Artistic Director
Silvia Roberts, Executive Managing Director
Stephen Clapp, Director of Racial Equity & Creative Producer
Selena Figgins, Community and Creative Hub Manager

Dance Exchange Board of Directors

Deborah Riley, Chairperson
Eleanor Kerlow, Vice Chairperson
Luisa Aviles
Imani Lewis Glasspiegel
Martha Head
Soneela Nankani
John Urciolo

Dance Exchange Design Team

Simone Baskerville, Production Manager
Erin Donohue, Project Manager
Brendan McCall, Project Manager
Dante Fields, Stage Manager
Annie Choudhury, Assistant Stage Manager
Matthew Nielson, Sound Design
Peter Leibold, Lighting Design
Chris Ignacio, Projections / Media Design
Erin Pleake, Projections / Media Design
Sara Moore, Costume / Wardrobe

Dance Exchange would like to acknowledge the additional members of the design team from the original production of Of Equal Place: Isotopes In Motion.

Kelly Colburn, Original Projection/Media Design
Devin Kinch, Projection/Media Design
Jeanette Christenson, Original Costume Design
Channing Tucker, Costume Design
Darron L. West, Original Sound Design for Marie Curie and Genesis sections
Sam Horning, Project Management

All Of The Above Hip Hop Academy is a nonprofit organization made up of artists, educators, and advocates that mentor youth, support artistic expression, and serve communities as a Hip Hop cultural resource for the purpose of youth development.

Greater Lansing Ballet Company has been presenting quality dance productions with professional and pre-professional dancers for more than 30 years. As the area's premier pre-professional ballet institution, the Greater Lansing Ballet Company (GLBC) brings this stunning art form to venues throughout Mid-Michigan. A nonprofit organization, GLBC's tradition of strong technical foundations in multiple dance idioms paired with pursuit of continued artistic growth through engaging, high-level choreography extends to young people a unique opportunity to learn and perform classical and contemporary ballet in an extraordinary professional environment.

Happendance's mission is to make dance accessible to all and to foster support for the performing arts through three core programs:

1. The Happendance Professional Company: founded in 1976, it is the longest-running professional contemporary dance company in Michigan.

2. The Happendance School: offers both recreational and intensive training in various dance styles, along with a need-based scholarship program to support access to dance education.

3. The Happendance Education Exchange: an outreach program that brings dance residencies and performances into PreK-12 public schools and after-school programs.

Together, these programs embody Happendance's commitment to enriching lives through dance, fostering creativity, and building community connections across all ages, and backgrounds.

The Lansing Everett High School Dance Company program has served as a dance hub for students in the Lansing School District for generations. Celebrating 50 years, Everett Dance has left a lasting impact on Lansing students and the Greater Lansing community.

All of the Above Hip Hop Academy

Tabor Vits lives in Lansing, Michigan and works as a bboy ("breakdancer"), teaching artist, and nonprofit fundraiser. He is a part of 99stylez Crew, All of the Above Hip Hop Academy, and the World Serpent collective. 

Lansing Everett High School

Clara Martinez is the Dance Director at Everett High School in the Lansing School District. She is a proud union member and advocates for students and educators in the Lansing Schools Education Association. She is a Board Member for All Of The Above Hip Hop Academy, and is an appointed Commissioner by Lansing City Council to the City of Lansing Arts & Culture Commission to represent the 1st Ward. Clara received her Master of Social Work in Organization & Community Leadership from Michigan State University, and her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from The Ohio State University. 

Gianna Allen is a sophomore at Everett High School and is a member of the Everett Sr. Dance Company, Everett Student Council, and Everett Varsity Cheer. She has been dancing for over a decade, and has been in numerous productions with her studio Patsy Watsons, as well as with Dwight Rich School of the Arts and Everett Dance. Gianna has taken classes at Broadway Dance Center and Ailey Extension in New York City as part of the Everett Dance 50th Anniversary and inaugural NYC Dance Trip. Gianna plans to pursue dance in college and in her career path. 

Jahaziel “Naomi” Briones Villarreal is a senior at Everett High School and is a member of the Everett Sr. Dance Company and Everett Student Council. She has choreographed and performed in several student pieces at Everett Dance, as well as played as a Varsity athlete in multiple sports also. Naomi has taken classes at Broadway Dance Center and Ailey Extension in New York City as part of the Everett Dance 50th Anniversary and inaugural NYC Dance Trip.  Naomi plans to pursue design in college and always keep dancing in her life along the way.

Aracelli Reyes is a junior at Everett High School and is a Dance Captain of the Everett Sr. Dance Company, and an Everett Varsity Volleyball Player and Cheerleader. She has been in numerous productions with Dwight Rich School of the Arts and Everett Dance. Aracelli has taken classes at Broadway Dance Center and Ailey Extension in New York City as part of the Everett Dance 50th Anniversary and inaugural NYC Dance Trip. Aracelli plans to pursue nursing in college and always keep dancing in her life along the way.

Dennison Tran is a senior at Everett High School and is a member of the Everett Sr. Dance Company and Everett Student Council. Dennison has fully thrown himself into studying dance, beginning in Dance 2 at Everett earlier this year, to auditioning for Dance Company, to now being a Company Member and performing in this production. Dennison is dual enrolled at Lansing Community College and multiple Advanced Placement classes at Everett, and plans to pursue a career in medicine, and of course keep dancing.

Greater Lansing Ballet Company

Anastasia Babayan is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer at Greater Lansing Academy of Dance and Greater Lansing Ballet Company. Currently a senior at MSU studying kinesiology, she is excited to be a part of this amazing project that brings both art and science together.

Serena Lotreck is a recent PhD graduate from the Department of Plant Biology at MSU. While in Lansing, Serena danced with the Greater Lansing Ballet Company’s Collegiate (now Young Adult) Company in The Nutcracker and The Little Mermaid. She is excited to be back at MSU participating in a science outreach event that combines her interests in dance and science! 

Jim McEwan is Artistic Director of the Greater Lansing Ballet Company and Director/Instructor for the Greater Lansing Academy of Dance. He is an established choreographer, teacher, and dancer who is always excited to find new collaborative ways to bring his passion for dance to the larger community.

Paulina Rivet has been a dancer for as long as she can remember. She began her serious training with Greater Lansing Academy of Dance in 2016 and performed various shows as a member of the Greater Lansing Ballet Company. Today she is in the Alma College Dance Program and teaches ballet at the Academy of Performing Arts.

Happendance

Chloe Gonzales is a dancer, teacher, choreographer, and director based in the Lansing area. She currently dances for the Happendance Professional Company and is Artistic Director and founding member of the (re)spire dance collective.

Bridget Vander Hoff holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Oakland University. In addition to Happendance, she performs with Greater Lansing Ballet Company, Elements, and Dance Uprising, and is the Executive Secretary for Michigan Dance Council. This is her second time performing in Of Equal Place, and she has enjoyed the ongoing experience of watching the piece continue to grow.

FRIB Dancers

Hannah Berg is a nuclear astrophysicist, with a passion for outreach and accessibility in science. In her spare time, she likes puzzles, dance, boxing, and crafting, whether it be knitting, ceramics, painting, or other media. Dance has always been important to her, and she is excited to combine nuclear physics and dance.

Zach Constan earned his Bachelor’s Degree in physics (1995) from Albion College, studied psychoacoustics for his Ph.D. in physics (2002) at Michigan State University, taught college astronomy for three years, and served as a church Youth Director. Now, as FRIB Outreach Coordinator, he gets to tell everyone about the exciting developments in nuclear science at MSU’s Facility for Rare Isotope Beams.

Prof. Alyssa Gaiser does research in radiochemistry. Her research focus is on promethium fundamental chemistry for nuclear battery applications, in addition to radium chemistry for medical applications.

DESIGNER BIOS

Peter Burns – Assistant Sound Designer
Peter is a sound designer, composer, and mixer with experience in theatre, film, and concerts. Some of his previous works include serving as the mixer for the Cantico concert at the Glimmerglass Festival, featuring Natalie Merchant and Anthony Ross Costanzo; sound designer for A Little Night Music at Carnegie Mellon University; associate sound designer for Godspell at Flint Repertory Theatre; and associate sound designer for AutoCorrect Thinks I’m Dead at Gallaudet University.

Sara Delaney – Costume Designer
Sara Delaney is a Washington, DC based Costume Designer who has worked for the James River Shakespeare Company, Berkeley Plantation, and freelances her historical reproduction work. A graduate from Christopher Newport University, Sara has done research reconstructing garments and is passionate about research being combined with the performing arts.

Peter Leibold – Lighting Designer
Peter Leibold VI (Lighting Designer) is a lighting designer based in New York City. His work includes shows at The Kennedy Center, Signature Theatre, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Andy’s Summer Playhouse, The Spoleto Festival, The Geffen Stayhouse, Annapolis Opera Company, Orange Grove Dance, and many more. See more of his work at www.peterleibold.com

Erin Pleake – Projection Designer
Erin Pleake is a projection designer, programmer, and content creator based in Chicago. Erin’s theatre credits include projection design for ¡Bernarda! (Teatro Vista/Steppenwolf Theatre), Once (Writers Theatre), the Jeff Award winning Chagall in School (Grippo Stage Company), The Writer (Steep Theatre), Heathers the Musical (Moraine Valley Theatre), Elevator Girl (Vanguard Arts Collective), and co-design for The Lady from the Sea (Court Theatre). Assistant and associate projection design includes, Toni Stone (Goodman Theatre), Relentless (Timeline Theatre Company/Goodman Theatre), The Christians (Steppenwolf Theatre), Holiday Inn (Drury Lane Theatre), Kinky Boots, The Secret of My Success, and Elf the Musical (Paramount Theatre).

Matt Nielson – Sound Designer
Based in the Washington, DC Area, Matthew M. Nielson is a producer, composer, songwriter, sound designer, recording engineer, audio post-production engineer, and orchestrater for Film, TV, Theater, Radio, Web, and Music. Nielson credits include The Public Theater, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Portland Center Stage, Baltimore Center Stage, Kennedy Center, the National Gallery of Art, and many others.

PRODUCTION BIOS

Simone Baskerville – Production Manager
Simone Baskerville is a Production Manager, AEA Stage Manager, and TV/Film Producer. A graduate of Howard University's Theatre Arts department, she holds her Masters’ degree in Interdisciplinary Arts Performance, from Columbia College Chicago. Simone’s stage and production Management credits include: The Kennedy Center, Mosaic Theater Company of DC, Step Afrika!, True Colors Theater Company, The New Victory Theater, and Shakespeare Theater Company. Simone’s screen credits include: Grammy nominated ‘Kings from Queens: The Run DMC Story’ (Peacock); Dance Moms…A New Era (A+E Network), A Kismet Holiday (BET), and The Black Godfather of Scuba (Tribeca Film Festival winner).

Dante Fields – Production Stage Manager
Dante Fields (he/him) is a Stage Manager, Theater Technician and Designer with a focus on developing and producing new works in theater and dance. He is a member of Actor’s Equity Association and has stage managed productions at the Hangar Theater, Baltimore Center Stage, the Everyman, Shakespeare Theatre Company, and Round House among others. He holds a B.A. in Theater Design and Production from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and currently serves as Technical Program Manager with the National Center for Choreography (NCCAkron).

Annie Choudhury – Assistant Stage Manager