Dance BFA Capstone 2021
Join us for the BFA in Dance concert! We're hosting a special Zoom "Watch Party" to hear stories and anecdotes from the choreographers and dancers as we all watch the show together! BFA students will show their original choreography pieces and Capstone solos.
Each student selects a professional choreographer to work with for their Capstone solo: this year's guest artist roster includes: Kate Weare, Claire Westby, Caili Quan, and Mina Weider.
Caili Quan, Choreographer
Caili Quan was raised on Guam, trained in New York, and was a dancer with BalletX from 2013-2020. In 2020, Caili virtually choreographed dance films for BalletX (Love Letter), Owen/Cox Dance Group, and UC Santa Barbara in addition to choreographing and editing 100 Days, a virtual commission for The Guggenheim’s Works & Process. She served as an Artistic Partnership Initiative Fellow and Toulmin Creator at The Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU. She has also choreographed for Columbia Ballet Collaborative, konverjdans, DanceWorks Chicago’s ChoreoLab, CelloPointe, and St. Paul’s School. While with BalletX, she performed new works by Matthew Neenan, Nicolo Fonte, Gabrielle Lamb, Penny Saunders, Trey McIntyre, as well as danced at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Vail Dance Festival, Central Park SummerStage, Belgrade Dance Festival, the Joyce Theater, and DEMO by Damian Woetzel at the Kennedy Center. Her duet Fancy Me was performed at the Vail Dance Festival in 2018. Caili was an Adjunct Instructor of Ballet at DeSales University in Fall 2020. With the help of Elliot deBruyn and Nathaniel Brown, she created Mahålang, a short documentary that wove familial conversations of her Chamorro Filipino upbringing on Guam with scenes from Love Letter. Mahålang was accepted into the Center of Asian American Media Festival (CAAMFest 2021).
Hannah Fredrikson, Dancer
Hannah Fredrikson was born and raised in Puyallup, WA, where she trained at The Dance Academy of Puyallup in jazz, ballet, lyrical, hip-hop, and contemporary. She will be graduating from Western Washington University in June 2021 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance and a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology. Upon graduation, Hannah will be attending Eastern Washington University to pursue a doctorate degree in physical therapy. Hannah's long-term goal is to combine her passions for the body and dance by becoming a physical therapist for dancers, and, of course, continuing her dance career. At Western, Hannah has choreographed pieces for Winter Dances, Cabaret, and this upcoming BFA Capstone Concert. Between Winter Dances, Spring Dances, Graffiti Dance, Cabaret, and BFA Capstone, she has performed in 20 pieces during her time at Western, 5 of which were choreographed by guest artists. Hannah has also worked as the dance costume liaison for the past three years at Western, coordinating the costuming of the dance shows. She has also worked as a costume designer during her time.
Allison Hargett, Dancer
Allison Hargett trained at Melanie’s Dance Unlimited starting at the age of three. She will be graduating Western Washington University in June 2021 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Minor in Psychology. In Allison’s four years at Western, she was cast in five student pieces, four faculty pieces, and two guest artist pieces choreographed by Liz Gerring and Noelle Price. She was also performed in three pieces in Graffiti Dance Theater 2019. Allison applied for an Undergraduate Research Grant for her BFA Capstone Concert solo and received full funding to collaborate with Claire Westby. After graduation she plans to audition for Bellingham Repertory Dance to continue training and performing.
Claire Westby, Choreographer
Claire Westby is originally from Minnesota and now resides in Brooklyn. She holds a BFA in Dance from Tisch School of the Arts NYU and also studied at Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance (SEAD). Westby is an adjunct faculty member at Tisch School of the Arts NYU and has also taught dance at Columbia College Chicago, Gibney Dance, Mark Morris Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, Western Washington University, and Jacob's Pillow. Claire is a Rehearsal Assistant and Dancer in Liz Gerring Dance Company. She played the role of Red Queen in Third Rail’s production of Then She Fell. Westby has also performed in, and helped create original roles in works by Gwen Welliver, Benjamin Kimitch, John Jasperse, Cherylyn Lavagnino, RoseAnne Spradlin and Helen Simoneau. These days, besides teaching and rehearsing, Claire regularly performs virtually in ‘Sonic Gatherings’ under the direction of Brandon Collwes.
Mina Weider, Choreographer
Mina Weider (Norwegian/Canadian) is an Oslo-based dancer and choreographer that works creatively and performatively in her own and others’ projects. She has a somatic approach to movement and works with dance in relation to its surroundings and context. Weider received a bachelor's degree in jazz dance with a teaching endorsement from Norges Dansehøyskole in 2015 and a master’s in dance from Kunsthøyskolen i Oslo in 2017.
Chloe Munkelien, Dancer
Chloe Munkelien grew up in Western Washington and discovered her love for movement at Tacoma School of the Arts. She will be graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Arts in English in June 2021. At Western, she has been a part a number of works created by students, faculty, and guest artists alike, on top of choreographing pieces of her own. In order to complete this project, she received an undergraduate research grant, which gave her full funding. After receiving her degrees, she plans to take a gap year at Trøndertun Folkehøgskole before pursuing a career filled with dancing and creating dance.
Camille Dale, Dancer
Camille Dale trained in ballet at Washington Contemporary Ballet in Tacoma when she was a child. She will be graduating at Western Washington University in June 2021 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. At her time at Western Camille was casted in 3 guest artists pieces choreographed by Leslie Kraus, Anya Cloud, and Liz Gerring. Camille received full funding after applying for an Undergraduate Research Grant for her BFA capstone solo. After graduation Camille is going to finish massage therapy school and is looking into physical therapy and dance therapy programs and to continue to dance where the wind takes her.
Kate Weare, Choreographer
Kate Weare is a preeminent American choreographer whose dances seek to merge the mind and the gut through the power and persuasiveness of the moving body. Raised by artists in Oakland, California, Weare draws on visual art, language, poetry, contemporary music, psychology and nature in creating her work. She founded Kate Weare Company in New York in 2005 as a vehicle for her choreographic research, while continuing to make commissions for companies around the world. Weare’s recent awards include: NC Arts Council Fellowship 2018, The Aninstantia Foundation Fellowship 2017, The DANCEworks Residency Award 2017, White Bird’s Barney Choreographic Prize 2015; The Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship Award 2014; Inaugural BAM Fisher Artist-in-Residency and Commission Award 2013; Inaugural Evelyn Sharp Summer Artist-in-Residency Award at CalArts 2014; The Joyce Theater Mellon Foundation Award 2016, 2014, 2011; and The Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship 2009. Weare’s 2013 debut in BAM’s Next Wave Festival led to her Company’s 10th Anniversary Season at BAM Fisher as part of the BAM/DeVos PDP. Recent teaching includes: Guest Faculty at Princeton University; Artistic Residencies at The Juilliard School, NYU/Tisch School of the Arts and Virginia Commonwealth University. Weare is currently Resident Choreographer with ODC in San Francisco. To be in touch: Kateweare.com
Disability Accommodations
For disability accommodations, please contact the department presenting the event. Disability access information is available online at Parking Services, and further resources can be found by contacting Western's Disability Access Center.
