May 4, 2017
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Division of Culture and History selected two scholarship winners for the 2017 West Virginia State Dance Festival. The recipient of the Friends of West Virginia Culture and History scholarship is Maegan Casimir, and the recipient of the Jerry Rose Scholarship of Excellence is Gillian Wanosky. Both award winners performed solo pieces during the evening performances at the dance festival.
The 2017 State Dance Festival took place Friday, April 28 through Sunday, April 30, and showcased the talents of West Virginia dancers who come to the Culture Center at the State Capitol Complex in Charleston each spring to perform and take classes from nationally acclaimed dance instructors. This marked the event’s 35th year. The festival’s evening performances were Friday and Saturday.
Maegan Casimir is a 15-year old freshman at Spring Mills High School in Martinsburg, W.Va., and has attended the State Dance Festival for the past four years. She performs with Rhythm ‘n Motion dance studio and is a member of Turning Pointe Ballet Company. Maegan performed her solo, which she also choreographed, titled “Cataclysm” during the performance Friday evening.
Gillian Wanosky is a senior at Parkersburg South High School and was born and raised in Parkersburg, W.Va. Gillian dances with Performing Arts Connection and Education (PACE) and has attended the State Dance Festival for six years. She will attend West Virginia University in the fall. Gillian performed her solo piece, “Raein,” for Saturday evening’s performance.
For more information, contact Caryn Gresham, deputy commissioner of the division, at 304-558-0220 or Caryn.S.Gresham@wv.gov.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the Office of Secretary of Education and the Arts with Gayle Manchin, cabinet secretary. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
MEDIA NOTE: Cutlines for attached photographs:
Photo 1 – Jerry Rose Scholarship of Excellence winner, Gillian Wanosky, during her solo performance, “Raein.” Photo courtesy of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.
Photo 2 - Jerry Rose Scholarship of Excellence winner, Gillian Wanosky, during her solo performance, “Raein.” Photo courtesy of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.
Photo 3 – West Virginia Culture and History Scholarship winner, Maegan Casimir, during her solo performance, “Cataclysm.” Photo courtesy of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.
Photo 4 - West Virginia Culture and History Scholarship winner, Maegan Casimir, during her solo performance, “Cataclysm.” Photo courtesy of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.
-30-
