May 3, 2019
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History selected three scholarship winners for the 2019 West Virginia State Dance Festival. The recipient of the Friends of West Virginia Culture and History scholarship is Emily Cobb, the recipient of the Jerry Rose Scholarship of Excellence is Autumn Wolfe and the recipient of the Lorraine Graves Scholarship is Sidonie Ann Taylor. Award winners performed solo pieces during the evening performances at the dance festival.
The 2019 State Dance Festival took place Friday, April 26 through Sunday, April 28, 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 37th year. The festival’s evening performances were Friday and Saturday.
Emily Cobb is 14-years old and dances with the Shepherdstown School of Dance. This is her second year participating in the West Virginia Dance Festival. She performed her solo piece, "La Esmeralda,” for Saturday evening’s performance.
Autumn Wolfe is a 14-year-old student at Morgantown High School and a three-year member of the Morgantown Ballet Company. She began dancing at the age of two and has been studying ballet, jazz, modern and contemporary dance at Morgantown Dance Studio where she also is a student assistant in the Foundations Program. She performed her solo piece, Effervesent, for Friday evening’s performance.
Sidonie Ann Taylor is a 16-year-old sophomore from Charleston. Sidonie, known by her friends and family as ‘Sida,’ has been dancing at January’s Academy of Arts since she was five years old. She performed her solo piece, “Tranquillité,” for Friday evening’s performance.
For more information, contact Bethany Cline, deputy curator of the department, at (304) 558-0220 or Bethany.K.Cline@wv.gov.
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MEDIA NOTE:
Photo 1 – West Virginia Culture and History Scholarship winner, Emily Cobb, during her solo performance, “La Esmeralda.” Photo courtesy of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History.
Photo 2 - Jerry Rose Scholarship of Excellence winner, Autumn Wolfe, during her solo performance, “Effervesent.” Photo courtesy of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History.
Photo 3 – The Lorraine Graves Scholarship winner, Sidonie Ann Taylor, during her solo performance, “Tranquillité.” Photo courtesy of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History.
