Belicia is a graduate of the University of Missouri – St. Louis with a degree in Dance. In 2012, she served as an apprentice with MADCO and in 2013 became a company member. Working in the studio setting from a young age, Belicia enjoys teaching modern, jazz, ballet, tap and gymnastics to students in the St. Louis area. She has also been on faculty as a dance instructor for UMSL.

MADCO has recently lost both its Artistic Director and Managing Director.  “While the loss of the Artistic Director and the Managing Director both have a big impact on the company, the Board of Directors has been very impressed with the way Belicia has stepped up and is the logical person to assume this role. The Board has the utmost confidence in her, and is excited about the future of the Modern American Dance Company,” says Board President Ken Tucker.

Belicia has graciously accepted her new role, saying, “I am honored to be given this opportunity. After being with this company for ten seasons my passion and love for MADCO have only grown. I look forward to what the future brings me and this amazing company!”

Along with Belicia, MADO continues to have Darrell Hyche II serving as the Education Director, a position he has served in since last year.

Darrell is from Kansas City, MO, received his BFA in Dance Performance and his BS in Psychology from Missouri State University in Springfield. While there, he was a member of the university’s touring performance group, The Inertia Dance Company. He was also a two-year scholarship student at the American Dance Festival. Since then, he has performed with the Springfield Ballet and the Ashleyliane Dance Company. He joined MADCO in 2014

MADCO Mission Continues

The mission of the Modern American Dance Company has not changed.  It continues to be: MADCO (Modern American Dance Company) entertains, educates and collaborates through innovative dance experiences. Their next performance is PNC ARTS ALIVE PRESENTS: RESILIENCE at Lindenwood’s J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts –  Emerson Black Box Theater. 

• Preview Performance: March 26th – 7:30 PM
• Sensory Friendly Performance: March  28th – 2 PM
• Evening Performances: March 27th & 28th – 8 PM

RESILIENCE aims to create trauma-informed arts programming to battle adversity through movement in St. Louis city and surrounding counties with education, community outreach, and mainstage performances. In collaboration with St. Louis nonprofit Hope Creates, the Salvation Army, and the Center for Trauma Recovery at UMSL, RESILIENCE will take the people of St. Louis on a restorative path from trauma to healing through stories of survivors.

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In collaboration with St. Louis nonprofit Hope Creates, the Salvation Army, and the Center for Trauma Recovery at UMSL, RESILIENCE will take the people of St. Louis on a restorative path from trauma to healing through stories of survivors.

PNC Arts Alive is a multi-year initiative of the PNC Foundation that challenges visual and performing arts organizations to put forth their best, most original thinking to expand audience participation and engagement.

“Through PNC Arts Alive we have a long history of providing grants to organizations that strengthen and enrich the lives of our residents,” said Michael Scully, PNC regional president for St. Louis. “We understand that a rich arts community is a significant driver of our economic success, providing employment, boosting tourism and making the region attractive for businesses, residents, and visitors.”

Contributing Choreographers

This performance will showcase four new works by choreographers Carl Flink, Lindsay Hawkins, Natalie Williams, and RAWdance.

In his piece, Riding the Maelstrom, choreographer Carl Flink draws upon personal experience as a caregiver of a parent going through chemo and radiation therapies and has collaborated on other cancer research. This rich background has led him to create a dance work that seeks to capture the essence of individuals experiencing the rollercoaster ride of cancer treatments.

Lindsay Hawkins created the piece, titled CORA, which draws on her experience with incredibly resilient women and families dealing with pregnancy loss. She uses the inspiration she receives from these individuals in sharing their stories of grief and moving forward after suffering through the heartbreaking loss. CORA is named in honor of the daughter of two of Hawkins’ friends who died at birth.

Natalie Williams’ piece, A Magnificent Grey, captures the various ways humans experience grief. The movement is a physical interpretation of an emotional response that one endures when an unexpected life change occurs. This work is heavily based on the capacity to accept supportive relationships, develop trust, and find the strength to recover quickly from difficulties.

RAWdance Vibrating with tension, and filled with luscious dancing, Art is a Guarantee of Sanity was choreographed by RAWdance’s Co-Artistic Directors, Ryan T. Smith and Wendy Rein, for MADCO. The work was originally commissioned by Dance St. Louis as part of its New Dance Horizons program in 2017. Driven by the theme of that year’s programming, “women who inspire,” Rein and Smith delved into the works of two women artists, author Susannah Cahalan and visual artist Louise Bourgeois, both of whom used their art to traverse challenging, traumatic periods of their lives.

Performances

Training by dance movement therapist Elise Ringenberg will further develop the program through a trauma-informed lens. This new curriculum will be developed and brought to the Ritenour School District thanks to funding by PNC Arts Alive. PNC Arts Alive presents MADCO: RESILIENCE at Lindenwood’s J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts, Emerson Black Box Theater located at 2300 West Clay Street, St. Charles, MO. Performances are available to the public March 26 – 28, 2020.

A preview performance at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 26, highlights excerpts from the production. To better serve people with disabilities, MADCO proudly offers a sensory-friendly performance at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 28. Modifications in light and sound will create a supportive and welcoming environment. Audience members will be invited to dance alongside MADCO artists after the show, as well as move and talk during the performance.

Tickets to PNC Arts Alive presents MADCO: RESILIENCE are on sale now. Tickets are available at the Scheidegger Center Box Office on the campus of Lindenwood University or online at www.madcodance.com.

ABOUT PNC FOUNDATION

The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence.  The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through Grow Up Great, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.

ABOUT MADCO

MADCO provides community inspired, innovative dance experiences through collaborations that provide a pathway for self-discovery, social connections, and excellent entertainment for audience members, students, teachers, presenters, and corporate clients. More information is available at www.madcodance.com or @madcodance on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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MADCO (Modern American Dance Company) has partnered with SLAD (St. Louis Academy of Dance) to help foster the love of dance in the St. Louis community for future generations.

As MADCO transitions to a new home, SLAD is opening its doors, offering space for MADCO to rehearse. In return, MADCO offers enriching mentorship and performance experiences for SLAD’s young dancers, including performances in MADCO2’s Fall Concert October 19th & 20th.

Working together, the two entities will provide collaborative dance experiences, pathways for self-discovery, and community connections between professional dancers and the next generation. 

“Fostering love and appreciation for dance through innovative education and performance experiences comes as easily as breathing for both organizations. Whether it’s to inspire a young dancer or build a stronger community, we both want to make the world a better place through dance,” said Emilee Morton, MADCO Managing Director.

Both partners are excited about the possibilities as this new community grows and opportunities arise from this joint venture.

MADCO Has Been Providing Innovative Dance Experiences for 43 Years!

As the longest-running professional dance company in St. Louis, MADCO has been moving audiences – and serving our greater community – for more than 40 years. Through performances that are informative, inspiring and collaborative at every turn, MADCO challenges audiences to Dare! Dance! Discover! For more information, visit www.madcodance.com or follow @madcodance on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Founded over 30 Years Ago, SLAD Offers Dance Instruction in 3 Studios

St. Louis Academy of Dance provides top of the line education in the art of dance in 3 beautiful state-of-the-art studios. Personal, hands-on instruction, classic to contemporary disciplines for ages 3 to adult, with performance opportunities for ALL! For more information, visit www.stlouisdance.com or follow @stlacademyofdance on Facebook and Instagram.

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