Dance for Life (AIM)

The Dance for Life program provides therapeutic and recreational movement opportunities for people with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and their significant others. The program is designed to help patients improve their quality of life through enhanced overall physical well-being, social interaction, creative expression, and targeted improvements in Parkinson’s symptoms including balance, strength, and mobility. The program is led by professional and student dancers from the University of Florida and Shands Arts in Medicine, and combines elements of both modern dance and social dance. Click here for more about Dance For Life.

Dancer & Choreographer

Raised in Tasmania, Australia, Kelly Drummond Cawthon joined the faculty of the University of Florida School of Theatre and Dance in 1999. As an associate professor, she teaches modern dance technique, composition and repertory, collaborates with the Digital Worlds Institute, and is the artistic director of the professional training company, the Florida MOD Project.  Appearing in performances on five continents, in seven nations and most of the 50 states, Cawthon’s professional career spans over two decades in performance, choreography and teaching. She has been honored to work as a performer and rehearsal director for Shapiro & Smith Dance since 1993.  Click here for an expanded biography.

Arts and Health Care

Jill Sonke is Director of the Center for the Arts in Healthcare Research and Education (CAHRE) at the University of Florida, is on the faculty of the School of Theatre and Dance and is Assistant Director and Artist in Residence with Shands Arts in Medicine (AIM). She is active in research, curriculum and program development at UF, serves as president on the Board of Directors of the Society for the Arts in Healthcare, and is a frequent presenter, consultant, and guest artist at universities, conferences, hospitals, and festivals throughout the United States and abroad. Click here for an expanded biography.

Performed LIVE from KOREA by Gayageum Soloist Hyunjin Ma, Dancer Sujeong Oh and Korean Drummer Gicheol Choice, produced by Boncheol Goo

Dancer.Sujeong Oh
Drum.Gicheol Choice
String instrument. Hyunjin Ma

Producer.  Boncheol Goo
Commentator. Daham Park
Camera operator. Joonhyun Lee
Technical Support. Seongtaek Lim

Gigabit Network KREONET is supported by KISTI (Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information).

Praise Dance Ministry

Founded in November 2009 by Mrs. Cynthia Mingo at the Mt. Olive African Methodist Episcopal Church in Gainesville, the “Fullness of Joy” Praise Dance Ministry is a group of adult women who desire to praise God through movement.  The ministry takes its name from Psalm 16:11, which explains that David did not just dance; he danced with all his might because he recognized he was in the presence of the Great I Am and in His presence there is fullness of joy.

The motto for “Fullness of Joy” is: “Through Prayer, Praise, and Practice, we will gain Power, Peace, and Perfection.”  The women of “Fullness of Joy” come together every Tuesday evening to study scriptures from the Bible that inspires them in their dance selections. Each dancer seeks to do the very best possible to that God will be glorified and magnified as His spirit flows and moves through their bodies.

FULLNESS OF JOY dancers are:
Marjorie Belcher, Sylvia Brown, Sharon Causey, Lisa Darling, Willet Gandes, Rosemary Green, Cynthia Mingo,
Ruby Mosley, and Edwina Smith

Pastor – Rev. Mandella P. Smith

and the American Racket Cloggers

American Racket was founded on UF campus in 2002 by then-student Andy Howard, American Racket has a growing global reputation for high energy presentations of what Howard calls “America’s noisiest traditions.”  These energetic young dancers have presented new and traditional styles of American Clogging (originating in Western North Carolina in the early 20th Century) in Brazil, Costa Rica, Canada, and United Kingdom and have also proven to be popular among fans on social media sites (YouTube and Facebook).  Additionally, these veteran performers have shared the stage with entertainers such as Bill Cosby, Sister Hazel, Sugar Ray, Ted Koppel and Jimmy Osmond.

Perform with the An Triur band

Inisheer Irish Dance Company began rehearsing in March, 2003, and has been practicing, perfecting and expanding their performances ever since.   The goal of Inisheer Irish Dance Company is to share the depth and diversity of Irish dancing, which includes both “Sean nos” (Old Style) and “Nua nos” (New Style) traditions.  The Company has seen dancers come and go over the years, but it is always open to people of all ages who are willing to work hard and enjoy good “craic” (fun).  We are currently made up of six very experienced and dedicated dancers who can perform a dazzling array of Irish dance styles and traditions.

From the beginning, the group decided to create a show that did not attempt to duplicate “Riverdance,” but to develop a unique performance and experience for audiences, which sometimes includes them in the dancing!  Inisheer dances to live music to create a distinctive performance.  Currently the band “An Triur” is collaborating with the Inisheer Dancers.  “An Triur” means “Three people” in Irish Gaelic – those three lads are John Maze, Mick Richmond and Larre Reeves – all renowned and well-respected Irish musicians, who have taught and performed all over the U.S.

Piper Call is the founder of, and director/choreographer for Inisheer.  Inisheer is the name of the smallest of the Aran Islands off the coast of County Clare in Ireland.

Perform Bharatanatyam Classical Indian dance

Hailed as a prodigy at six, Swati Mahalaxmi, is today one of the most creative and outstanding exponents of Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Odissi, the three popular classical Indian dance styles. Mahalaxmi’s amazing creativity, born out of deep devotion and intensive research-based knowledge, embraces all aspects of music and dance. With a master’s degree in Ancient Indian History and Culture, Swati Mahalaxmi is a unique amalgam of talents. She is a composer in Sanskrit, a musicologist and an accomplished artist of both the Carnatic and Hindustani schools of music as well.

Nandhini Giri, Mahalaxmi’s student, is being trained in Bharatanatyam. Within a short period of time Nandhini has been able to grasp the intricacies of this ancient dance tradition. Nandhini has a master’s degree from UF and works at Digital Worlds Institute as the digital media engineer.

Mohini Murti, also a student of Swathi Mahalaxmi, is being trained in Odissi. Mohini performed an invocatory dance in the Odissi style with Dharma playing the Mridhanga.

Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest Indian Classical dance forms that originated in Tamil Nadu. It traces its theory, technique and grammar to Bharata’s Natya Shastra which is also known as the fifth Veda. Bharatanatyam evolved into one of the most eloquent, grand and graceful classical dance styles steeped in spiritual fervor and devotion. Bharatanatyam is usually accompanied by the Carnatic classical genre of music. It draws inspirations from the sculptures of the ancient temple of Bhrihadeeshwara and Chidambaram where the famous Karnas (or the key transitional movements that punctuate in various compositions in Bharatanatyam), described in the Natya Shastra, are carved in stone.

And the LVTV House Band

Scott Wilson is a Gerhard Baier Trumpet Artist, founder of the on-line Jazz Education Store and Assistant Professor in Jazz at the University of Florida.  Wilson has diverse international performance credits and has served as Musical Director for Universal Studios Japan, consultant for Limelite Productions in Singapore, staff composer for Grand Link World in Qingdao, China, consultant for Walt Disney’s Magic Music Days jazz workshops and has been a featured jazz trumpet soloist for Tokyo Disney Sea and Universal Studios Japan.  Click here for an expanded biography.

Brazilian Guitarist

Dr. Welson Tremura permanently joined the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Florida in 2002 as a musician and educator who is well-versed in Brazilian Jazz, classical, and vocal music as well as traditional European classical forms.  Tremura has released two feature recordings and has participated on recordings with renowned musical artists in Brazil as well as in the United States.  He has performed extensively throughout Brazil, North America, and Europe including the International Double Reed Convention, Festival de Inverno, the Nashville Opry Theatre Christmas Concert with Barbara Mandrel, and the American Cancer Society Benefit Concert with Bernadette Peters.  For an expanded biography, click here.