Photos: Inside New Vision Dance Co.'s RETROSPECTIVE III

New Vision Dance Company, one of central Ohio's leading concert dance companies, celebrated 15 years of bringing dance to the community. This non-profit dance ensemble, best known for its versatility in style and community engagement, was established for those who seek ways to continue growing in their life-long passion of dance. For the past 15 years, the company has brought performers of various ages and backgrounds together to celebrate this passion all thanks to Founder and Artistic Director Melissa Gould.

Melissa Gould has led a devoted life in the arts both through her time as a professional dancer in such places as Las Vegas, Japan, and South Korea and beyond by inspiring new generations in their pursuit of the arts. Gould, looking for new ways to offer her support to the next generation of dancers, set out to create New Vision Dance Co. She founded the company in 2006 in Seattle, Washington. Then in 2013, Gould relocated to Columbus, Ohio. Since then, she has cultivated the group to become a staple presence in the Columbus arts community. In response to the success of her 15-year venture with New Vision, Gould said, "I am thrilled to have a talented and dedicated company of dancers and Board of Directors. Together we have so much to look forward to including the launch of next year's inaugural New Albany Dance Festival."

The members of New Vision Dance Co. shares Gould's goal in spreading the love of dance. The ensemble headlines multiple shows a year to engage with the people of the Greater Columbus community. The company also provides the next generation's artists with opportunities to grow in the arts through the implementation of their children's dance workshops. The company members are overjoyed to be celebrating New Vision's 15th anniversary this year. Dancing on stage to celebrate this achievement is even more sweet after the pandemic year where performances were few and far between.

The celebratory season ended this October with their show Retrospective III - 15 Years of Dance. This show took the audience through time as the company recreated past favorites from their 15 years of performances. The show starred the members of New Vision Dance Co. and showcased a variety of dance such as jazz, contemporary, musical theatre, tap, hip hop, ballroom, and more. The shows were presented on October 16th and 17th at the McCoy Center for the Performing Arts in New Albany, Ohio.

New Vision Dance Company Members: Ally Farrell, Alyssa Fickert, Annie Ratanapan, Arnav Nawani, Ashley Dabe, Betsy Oellerman, Caitlin Gregory, Carter Minor, Charlotte Rutherford, Ciana Petrullo, Clara Love, Cody Law, Dani Siefker, Dominic Catrone, Gabby Bailey, Haley Herbst, Janaya Davis, Jennifer Myers, Jessica Gould, Joe Gould, Jonathan Hill, Kayla Taylor, Lauren Seger, Lexi Daniels, Mackenzie Hanna, Matthew Bowman, Michael Musarra, Olivia Crawford, Olivia Gassman, Rachel Cory, and Sally Squires.

"Retrospective III" featured several local dance companies and guest artists. Featured performers were The cast of New Albany High School's "The Little Mermaid", Fall Workshop Student Guest Artists, Levi Li, Cultivate Dance Project, Shauna Marie, Jaisel Cherry, Expedition Dance, Emily Baird, Tyler Ring & Alexandre Marr, Logan Melick, and Lorelei Roeger.

Check out the first look below!

Photo Credit: Jerri Shafer