FSCJ Partners with Jacksonville Dance Theatre to Present SHAPE/SHIFT 2025: Summer Dance Intensive

Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) and Jacksonville Dance Theatre (JDT) are proud to announce the return of the acclaimed summer intensive program by JDT, SHAPE/SHIFT 2025. Professional and pre-professional dancers ages 16 and up are invited to join FSCJ Professor of Dance and JDT Artistic Director Rebecca R. Levy, resident choreographers, company dancers and special guest instructors for a transformative week of contemporary modern dance from July 28-August 1, 2025, at FSCJ South Campus. Registration is now open, with limited spaces available; early registration is strongly encouraged.

This immersive five-day program offers dancers the opportunity to deepen their practice through contemporary and modern techniques while exploring composition, improvisation and choreography. The experience culminates in a professionally staged public performance on the evening of August 1 at the FSCJ Nathan H. Wilson Center for the Arts mainstage, showcasing work created during the week.

“SHAPE/SHIFT represents FSCJ’s and JDT’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of dance artists,” said Professor Levy. “This intensive creates a space where dancers can challenge themselves technically while developing their unique artistic voices in a supportive and collaborative environment.”

To register, visit jacksonvilledancetheatre.org/workshops-classes/. The deadline to register is June 15.

WHEN:                       July 28-August 1, 2025, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Daily
The public performance will take place during the evening of Friday, August 1.

WHERE:                     FSCJ South Campus 11901 Beach Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32246

COST:                         $550 per participant

The 2025 intensive features an exceptional faculty, including:

• Rebecca R. Levy – Choreographer, performer and educator at FSCJ. Levy co-founded Jacksonville Dance Theatre in 2012 and serves as Artistic Director, crafting dances, staging performances and fostering new talents. She is going into her 15^th year as Director and Professor of Dance at FSCJ. Her critically acclaimed choreographic works have graced festivals, films, concerts and events worldwide.
• Eboné C. Amos – Assistant Professor of African American Studies in the Theatre and Dance Department at Austin Peay State University. Amos is a graduate from a highly competitive MFA dance program at Florida State University and has been staging works of dance in and around the Southern United States since 2010.
• Winter Bosanko – Educator, dance artist and somatic practitioner with over a decade of dance education experience for students of all ages. Bosanko has been teaching at FSCJ for three years and holds an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she was awarded the Advanced Opportunity Program Fellowship and was a JDT company dancer for seven seasons before becoming Company Manager in 2022.  
• Susan Dodge – Former Paul Taylor Dance Company member, choreographer, educator and founder of the Amelia Island Dance Festival. She has choreographed musicals including Fiddler on the Roof, Xanadu, The Drowsy Chaperone and Matilda, and made her directorial debut with First Date in June 2024.
• Jessica Plonka – Jacksonville native and company artist with JDT since 2021. Plonka is a James Madison University graduate with dual degrees in dance and kinesiology. She serves on the dance faculty at LaVilla School of the Arts and Debbie’s Dance Company, specializing in modern, contemporary, jazz and competition dance.
• Emily Poli – Florida-born company artist and Jacksonville University graduate with a BFA and a minor in kinesiology. Poli’s professional experience includes contracts with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble (Cleo II), Hannah Kahn Dance Company and Wonderbound in Denver, CO, before returning to Jacksonville where she performs with JDT while teaching at several local dance studios.
• Kristen Sholes Sullivan – JDT’s Associate Artistic Director, choreographer, and dance educator with over 20 years of experience and an MFA from Florida State University. She danced professionally with Surfscape Contemporary Dance Theatre from 2005-14 and has performed internationally at theatres and festivals across Europe. Sullivan’s choreography has also been featured in festivals across the US.

“I am heavily inspired by the experiences I gained from this intensive,” said a past participant. “It has motivated me to dance more and more. It has validated me as a dancer. It has reminded me that dancers come from many different backgrounds and all of their experiences and truths as a dancer are valid and valuable! This intensive has also allowed me to express and celebrate my vulnerability, which is something I hope to continue to do every day.”