October 31, 2020
Volume 2 Issue 1
By: Ashley Gibson
In our June 2020 issue of Promenade, we caught up with recent graduates from universities and colleges across the metro Atlanta area to weave together an intricate story of how the COVID-19 pandemic altered the course of these students’ futures. Did you miss this feature? If so, you can still read it here.
Read below to hear what these adaptable and resilient artists have been up to since their summer feature. As these graduates continue to rise to the challenge of a reimagined, crippled industry, they continue to fuel their creativity and artistic expression with determination.
Kristin Jaspers
Credit: Olivia Paige Kelley
“I am working towards finishing up my dual degrees in dance and advertising at the University of Georgia as I am expected to graduate this upcoming December. I am looking forward to teaching a second year at East Athens Educational Dance Center as well as performing in the Young Choreographers Series that will be held virtually this November.”
Claire Peoples
Credit: Heather Larkin
“Since the article was published, I have moved to Boston, Massachusetts as of September 1st. I am a Trainee with Boston Dance Theater for the next year. I am so excited to train alongside the company, learn their repertory, and act as an understudy for their upcoming performances. I’m excited to immerse myself in a new dance environment and learn as much as I can!”
Alyssa Myers
Credit: Brian Wallenberg
“I am currently teaching ballet in the Metro Atlanta area and occasionally assisting in the production of dance videos with a few of my colleagues. I’m also working an internship with a tech company as well as finishing my last year of my IT degree. In my personal life, I have been creating content for my YouTube channel, aiming to create a space for my artistic voice and document the parts of life taken for granted.”
Rebecca Neish
Credit: Melissa Cordona
“These past few months I’ve been able to shoot and edit some dance films for local artists including Patsy Collin’s film, Cairn, for FEMMEFest as well as Laura Briggs’ dance, Sequence of Events, for Mathematics in Motion. Personally, my film, For the Times, [was] shown at the Fall for Fall Dance Festival this September.”
Ashley Gibson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Kennesaw State University. During her time at KSU, she performed with the KSU Dance Company, working with renowned individuals such as Christine Welker and McCree O’Kelley. She is a current faculty member at both Studio Go and the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education. Ashley is also a freelance writer in the Atlanta community and contributes to DIYdancer. When she’s not dancing or teaching, she enjoys hiking and spending time outdoors.
More by Ashley:
Courtney Lewis redefines her self-perception, welcomes future of Atlanta dance
Graduating class of 2020 dances into uncertain future with creativity, poise
