Europe Dance Mission 2018

Time and location:

Tue 07/17/2018 midnight - Sun 08/12/2018 11:59 p.m.
Europe
Europe

Faculty:

Randall Flinn

Founder / Artistic Director

Randall Flinn is the Founder/Artistic Director of Ad Deum Dance Company based in Houston, Texas. The company, now in their twenty-fifth performance season, maintains an active touring schedule nationally and globally. The mission of the company is to artistically serve humanity at its deepest need for beauty, hope and compassion. Mr. Flinn has also served as a modern/contemporary dance educator on the faculty and guest teaching staff of Houston Ballet, Cirque Du Soleil, Hong Kong Ballet, Guangzhou Modern Dance Company in China, City Contemporary Dance Company – Hong Kong, Houston’s Society For The Performing Arts, The American College Dance Festival, Adjunct Professor for Belhaven University, Friends University, University of Houston, Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, The Alvin Ailey Educational Outreach Program, The Project Dance Foundation, The University of The Nations, Creative Arts Europe, Palm Beach Atlantic University, and Houston’s High School For The Performing And Visual Arts.

Flinn’s choreographic credits span an extensive thirty-five-year array of creating work for professional dance companies and dance festivals worldwide. His choreography has been commissioned and performed for The International Dance Salad Festival, Dance Gallery Festival New York, Texas Weekend For Contemporary Dance, Bailando Dance Festival, Dance Houston, East Meets West, Artists For Hope, The C.S. Lewis Foundation Oxbridge Conference, Project Dance Foundation in Paris, London, Sydney and NYC, The Ministry of Culture in Guadalajara,Mexico, Laois Dance Platform in Ireland, The French Consulate Of Houston and by invitation of the Princess of Malaysia.

Mr. Flinn began his early dance studies in his hometown of Houston, training in ballet, modern, jazz and tap at Houston Ballet Academy, Dance Arts Unlimited, Discovery Dance Group and later in New York at Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham School and studies with The Jose Limon Company. His modern classes emphasize the principles of Graham, Limon and Horton techniques. He is also a master Pilates Rehab Conditioning Specialist and served for twenty years as Core Conditioning and Joint Mobility Specialist at FIT Athletic Club in Houston, Texas.

Mr. Flinn believes that dance can inspire and transform people, communities and nations. It is with this mission and belief that he has traveled for many years as a visionary, pioneer and ambassador of dance to many nations.

Stella Almblade

Ad Deum Guest Artist

Stella has a B.F.A. in Dance, University of Arizona. Stella has performed with companies both nationally and overseas, including 9 months in Spain where she also taught English, as well as dancing with Arrows International in Costa Rica and China.

Meggie Belisle

Company Collective Artist

Meggie Belisle began her dance training at Suzanne’s School of Dance in College Station, Texas. She has danced with Ingredients Dance Company in Texas (2008-2010), Arise Dance Company in the The Netherlands and England (2012), Roxey Ballet in New Jersey (2013-2014). From 2014-2017 she freelanced in New York with various companies and projects. Meggie has also choreographed for and performed in the music videos Trace the Lines by Lizi Bailey and Summertime Anytime by Dannah. Other choreographic credits include works for Talitha Dance Company and You Are Conference in Texas (2008-current), Freedom Benefit Concerts in Texas (2009), Arise Dance Company European Tour throughout the The Netherlands and England (2012), HATCH showcase in New York (2016), Amalgamate Artist Series in New York (2016), and more.

Meggie graduated from Belhaven University with a BFA in modern dance in 2013. In 2016, Meggie founded the KDA Pre-Professional program in Poughkeepsie, NY and was the program’s director for the 2016-2017 season.

Grace Sutherland

Ad Deum 2 Principal Dancer

Grace Sutherland was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri where she began her dance training at Dramatic Truth School of the Arts. She trained there from the age of 4 to 17 and graduated from the school, as well as apprenticed with the company for one year. Grace has also trained at Kansas City Ballet and performed with Open Sky Arts Collective. Currently, Grace is dancing with Ad Deum 2 and teaching dance in various schools in Houston. She is excited and expectant to see what God will do in this next season!

Simon Zinabu Costello

Ad Deum Guest Artist

Simon Zinabu Costello trained at the Southhold Dance Theatre in Indiana, where he danced Hillarion in Giselle, Franz in Coppelia, Cavalier in Nutcracker and Prince Desire in Sleeping Beauty. While there, he received a full-ride summer scholarship that allowed him to study with several companies, including American Ballet Theatre, School of American Ballet and the Colorado Ballet. In 2015-16, Simon studied at Palucca in Dresden, Germany, which is connected to the Sempreopera Company. He has worked with Erica Fiscbach, Mathew West, Jock Soto and Carlos Acosta to name a few. He recently placed first in Pas de Deux at the Youth American Grand Prix competition. With the Colorado Ballet, he has performed in the Nutcracker and Firebird.

Kevyn Ryan Butler

Main Company Guest Artist

Born in Oakland, CA, Kevyn was introduced to the performing arts when he attended Delta Academy for the Performing Arts and Deer Valley High School. But it was in his senior year when Kevyn began formal dance training at the Oakland School for the Arts (OSA) with an emphasis in Dance. Once there, Kevyn received training in Ballet and Modern under the direction of Reginald Ray-Savage. Upon graduation from OSA he auditioned and was offered dance scholarships to schools such as Alonzo King Lines Ballet Program at Dominican University of California, the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and The University of Arizona. Butler decided to attend The University of Arizona where he studied various styles of Ballet, Modern and Jazz technique. He completed four years of his Bachelors and moved to New York City in 2016. Soon after, Kevyn joined Ronald K. Brown Evidence, a Dance Company in Brooklyn, New York where he performed works such as Grace and Four Corners. It was during his time in New York where Kevyn encountered the Holy Spirit, became a believer and a follower of Jesus Christ.

After his time in New York, Kevyn travelled to teach and perform through Missions work with the Ad Deum Dance Company in France, Switzerland, Bulgaria and the Netherlands. Kevyn’s resume consists of performances at the 2015 Jose Limon Dance Festival, Project Dance Houston and Project Dance Paris. He has guested with the Ad Deum Dance Company, Störling Dance Theater, Oakland Ballet, the Tucson Regional Ballet, Ballet North Texas, Contemporary Ballet Dallas, Festival Ballet of North Texas and worked with choreographers such as Reginald Ray-Savage (Savage Jazz Dance Company), Robert Garland (Dance Theater of Harlem), Daniel Agami (Ate 9 Dance Company), Guy Shomroni and Yaniv Abraham (Batsheva Dance Company). In 2019 Kevyn moved to Dallas, TX to dance with Zion Dance Project where he is currently a company member for his second season. He is an active Dance Instructor in with Texas Ballet Theater Professional Training Program and Booker T. Washington Magnet School for the Performing and Visual Arts. in Oakland, CA, Kevyn was introduced to the performing arts when he attended Delta Academy for the Performing Arts and Deer Valley High School. But it was in his senior year when Kevyn began formal dance training at the Oakland School for the Arts (OSA) with an emphasis in Dance. Once there, Kevyn received training in Ballet and Modern under the direction of Reginald Ray-Savage. Upon graduation from OSA he auditioned and was offered dance scholarships to schools such as Alonzo King Lines Ballet Program at Dominican University of California, the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and The University of Arizona. Butler decided to attend The University of Arizona where he studied various styles of Ballet, Modern and Jazz technique. He completed four years of his Bachelors and moved to New York City in 2016. Soon after, Kevyn joined Ronald K. Brown Evidence, a Dance Company in Brooklyn, New York where he performed works such as Grace and Four Corners. It was during his time in New York where Kevyn encountered the Holy Spirit, became a believer and a follower of Jesus Christ.

DANCERS BRING BEAUTY, HOPE & ARTISTIC & SPIRITUAL BLESSING TO EUROPE!

Six Members of Ad Deum Dance Company, Stella Almblade, Meggie Pinones Belisle, Grace Sutherland, Lysion Vieira, Simon Zinabu Costello, Kevyn Ryan Butler and myself will be embarking on a Summer European Mission Through Dance. We will begin our travels in mid July and remain until mid August. Our planned starting point is The Netherlands where we will conduct a 3 day Dance Intensive and performance.

Next we travel to Paris, France to participate in Project Dance Paris, an outreach to the city. We then travel to Sofia, Bulgaria with Life Camp Sofia - an arts camp for Bulgarian youth. We will complete our time in Biel, Switzerland where we help conduct a one week summer dance Intensive hosted by Youth With A Mission.

So, why call this a mission through dance?

The members of Ad Deum and I believe in and are fully committed to the life-giving and redemptive virtues of the art of dance. We believe that artistry soaked in the pure essence of spiritual and redemptive caregiving can transform individuals and nations alike. We have witnessed this truth for many years as we have traveled to many continents.

We are volunteering and giving as well of our own resources in time, talent and finances to make this possible. However, we sincerely have need of financial assistance to provide the remaining funding still needed.

If you'd like to help and be a part by contributing to this mission, we would be so blessed by any and all assistance. We need to raise $4000.00 to supplement all needed travel and accommodation expenses. Every donation helps meet this goal!

Tax Deductible Contributions to Ad Deum can be made through our PayPal donations link or checks can be mailed to P.O. Box 271481 Houston, Texas 77277.

Link: https://danceaddeum.com/contribute/