by Kevin Warner
Students and faculty from App State's Department of Theatre and Dance will attend the Southeast Regional American College Dance Association Conference (ACDA) at Brenau University, February 26 - March 1, 2026. The conference aims to recognize and encourage excellence in performance and choreography, and expose students in a non-competitive way to the diversity of the national college dance world.
photo by Emily Suit
App State's entry in the conference's choreography adjudication is senior Louise Fullwood's "Contention / Undressed / Post Pleasure," originally choreographed and performed in spring 2025. It features four dancers, Bailey Culler, Hailey Whitehead, Elana Wulkan, and Fullwood, who move and interact in lighting designed by student Hadley Brickman to evoke the daylight cycle.
About her process, Fullwood states, "I wanted to create a piece about bodies and the natural body language, poses, positions, and movements you perform as you become closer to another person. As a trans woman, my body is a statement no matter how I look, dress, or present myself, and that affects how I move throughout the world. I want to use the natural movement I've observed with my friends and others to show the progression of becoming comfortable in one's body to find connections with others."
Louise and the dancers are being joined at the Conference by Assistant Professors Sam Stone and Chris Yon. Yon says, "I am excited for our students to witness and be inspired by other student choreographers from other schools, and for those people to see the work of our students. It is a unique opportunity to be in dialogue with other makers, thinkers, and practitioners who will shape the future of the dance field."
photo by Emily Suite
While attending the conference, Stone is convening a panel of professional dancers to share their freelance dance experiences in cities across the US, and she will teach a modern dance master class focused on efficient and safe routes for moving in and out of the floor.
Media Contact
For media inquiries, please contact Kevin Warner, warnerks@appstate.edu, or P.J. Wirchansky, CFAA Communication Director, wirchanskypj@appstate.edu.
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About the Department of Theatre and Dance
One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Theatre and Dance's mission is to facilitate transformative experiences for students and the public, which cultivate compassionate, creative, and collaborative communities through theatre and dance. The department also offers coursework for integrated learning through the arts to the general university student population. Its dynamic co-curricular production program provides exemplary theatre and dance experiences to departmental students, the university community, and the region. www.theatreanddance.appstate.edu.
About the College of Fine and Applied Arts
Appalachian State University's College of Fine and Applied Arts is a dynamic and innovative group of seven academic departments, bringing together a variety of perspectives, experiences, and real-world education to provide unique opportunities for student success. The college has more than 3,500 undergraduate and graduate majors. Its departments are Applied Design, Art, Communication, Military Science and Leadership, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, and Theatre and Dance.
About Appalachian State University
As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,798 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio, and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
Theatre and Dance Logo
Theatre and Dance Logo