September 19 & 20, 2024, at 7:30 pm
Thalian Hall Main Stage
310 Chestnut Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
Tickets are $28 general admission; $25 for seniors, students, military, & children under 12, plus taxes and fees. Please contact the Thalian Hall Box Office online or at 910.632.2285 for ticket reservations.
Forward Motion Dance Company presents a breathtaking and innovative dance event with their annual performance, Cape Fear Arts in Motion: Mystical, Classical and Reflective. This performance unites dancers and choreographers with musical and visual artists to bring the art form of modern, contemporary, classical and jazz dance to the beautiful and historic Thalian Hall main stage for a varied and collaborative event that showcases the talents of Choreographer Tracey Varga. Presented are new dance performances along with re-creations of works from the past, with a film by Patrick Ogelvie, vivid screens by local set designer Randy Davis, live music composed and performed by local musician Cole Marquis, and an exquisite classical piece from local guest choreographer and dancer Emily Lawler.
Premiere performances are works set to music by Swiss Harpist Andreas Vollenweider with a dreamy, surreal feel, and an upbeat dance to a music mix of female jazz greats Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, edited by audio/video engineer Patrick Ogelvie.
Presented is a dance performed at the 2024 Wilmington Dance Festival, created for Forward Motion core dancers and set to music by local musician and composer Cole Marquis. Cole is featured on guitar with Mary Gheen on flute, and they will perform live onstage with the dancers.
Returning to the stage is “Surmount” which premiered in 2015 with music by Peter Gabriel, film by filmmaker Patrick Ogelvie and recreated this year with seven dancers. “Reflections”, from 2023, is set to music by Andrew Young and danced by Forward Motion core dancers Kara Abbott, Savannah Brooks and Nicole Dalier. Vivid onstage screens created by set designer Randy Davis come alive with two new additions and new dance choreographed to a duet by Yo-Yo Ma and Andrew Bird.
Forward Motion Dance Company is delighted to have Emily Lawler as guest choreographer. Emily, a local dancer and choreographer, created a new classical piece with music composed in 1905 by Claude Debussy and she will join six other dancers onstage for this lovely creation.
An original and new high energy dance features teen dancers from local studios including The Dance Element, DREAMS and Studio 23 and is set to techno music by English music producer and mixer Paul Oakenfold. The teen dancers this year are Mya Newton, Hannah Price, Kate Spivey and Sasha White.
Forward Motion Dance Company core dancers are Kara Abbott, Savannah Brooks, Nicole Dalier, Trilby Shier, Becky Spivey and Susan Turner. Guest dancers are Amanda Brown, Kimberly Brumsey, Katie Crosby, Sarah Deming, James DeVita, Lorena Holliday, Wells Jackson, Stephanie Stone, Linda Ann Webb and Vanessa Welch.
In a show not to be missed, come be astounded by an inspired evening of music, film, and modern, contemporary, classical and jazz dance that Cape Fear Arts in Motion brings to the beautiful and historic Thalian Hall main stage.
Forward Motion Dance Company with founder, director and choreographer Tracey Varga is a Wilmington, NC, based non-profit 501(c)(3) dance organization whose mission is to provide local and regional communities with quality modern contemporary dance and education in the art of dance, as well as enhance the local arts community by providing performance opportunities for area dancers and performance artists. FMD is an all-volunteer organization proudly supported by local, state and national grants, and community sponsors. For more information please visit our Facebook page or www.forwardmotiondance.org.
Guest Choreographer Emily Lawler:
Emily Lawler cultivated her dance training through years of dancing in Wilmington and spent her summers in New York City. As a full-time trainee at the Joffrey Ballet School in 2018, she performed soloist roles, laying a strong foundation for her professional career, which included classical and contemporary performance, dance work for film/TV, and a touring show. Recently, Emily has delved into choreography and is thoroughly enjoying the creative process. She is thrilled to be the guest choreographer for Forward Motion’s annual show.
Musical entertainment is by singer and songwriter Ava Johnson from Wilmington, NC. She performs throughout eastern North Carolina and recently was in France at several clubs on Jazz Row (Rue des Lombards) in Paris and in the Bordeaux region. Ava grew up training in voice and piano and began releasing her own music in 2018. Her influences include Nina Simone, Norah Jones, Adele, Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse, Rufus Wainwright and Rhiannon Giddens.
Join Forward Motion Dance at The Penthouse where the sunset views are spectacular! 
Forward Motion Dance and the Wilmington dance community mourn the tragic and unexpected loss of company dancer Jenn Vahamikos on January 18, 2024. Jenn was a shining light who brought her special talents, care and dedication to every dance creation. Jenn will be forever in our hearts and missed by all who knew her. We are devastated by our loss, yet know her spirit lives on with us dancing, shining, laughing, and smiling.
We have a new date!! 
