Peace Center Announces Partnership With Fine Arts Center

To deepen the partnership between the two organizations, four weeklong artist residencies for Fine Arts students have been announced. Each week will serve the shared goal of the two organizations of fostering young talent, and the future of the performing arts industry.

"At the Peace Center we firmly believe in inspiring the next generation for greatness. As such, we've identified the Fine Arts Center as a key strategic partner toward achieving this goal. A first of its kind, this program will provide students with exposure and instruction from world-class artists and significantly enhance their confidence and achievement as young artist. We are grateful for the generosity of the upstate community to be able to fund these residencies", says Megan Riegel, Peace Center President & CEO

"A strong partnership between the performing arts high school and the performing arts center are key to the pre-professional education of the students. The Fine Arts Center is extremely grateful to the Peace Center for their generosity and support of our educational programs", says Vee Popat, FAC Director.

During the month of October each residency will provide students with instruction and mentorship from world-class artists in dance, jazz and classical music. All four weeks will culminate in demonstrations and performances at the Peace Center by world-class talent including:

Christopher L. Huggins Residency

Renowned artist and international choreographer, Christopher Huggins will spend a week preparing advanced and pre-professional dance students for the rigor of college and conservatory dance programs. Students will be taken through various movements aimed at raising the caliber of their artistry and will work alongside Huggins in developing an original piece for the 2022 National High School Dance Festival. This residency will include a private demonstration for Fine Arts Center students and families.

A former member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Huggins works in Europe, Japan, the Caribbean, and throughout the U.S. as a dancer, teacher, and choreographer.

Born in Boston, Huggins trained under Andrea Herbert-Major, Danny Sloan, and Martha Gray. He attended State University of New York at Purchase and The Juilliard School and was a scholarship student at The Ailey School.

Huggins is a 2002 and 2008 recipient of the Alvin Ailey Award for Best Choreography from the Black Theater Alliance in Chicago for Enemy Behind the Gates and Pyrokinesis, respectively, and has also worked on several projects for Disney in Orlando, Florida. He was a silver medalist for the 4th International Contemporary Dance Competition in Seoul, Korea. In addition to commissions for Ailey II and The Ailey School, he has also set works on universities and high schools throughout the U.S. Anointed is Mr. Huggins' first ballet for the Company.

The Regions Residency & Performance

Individual musicianship and mentoring will guide instruction for FAC jazz studies students. Students will have one-on-one instruction with renowned musicians to further develop skills in improvisation and explore academic and professional paths as jazz musicians. Additionally, students will learn the value of fostering life-long musical relationships as a way navigating their careers.

The Regions is a new band formed by old friends who first met at the University of Miami where they studied under Professor Emeritus of Jazz Studies Ron Miller. The Regions is made up of core members Steve Rucker, Jon Gilutin, Steve Watson and Jeff Carswell, along with John Lovell and David Fernandez.

After being thrilled with the results of recording a few songs together, the group decided to record a tribute honoring the man who brought them so much inspiration years ago. Their debut album features Miller's original compositions in a new, reimagined format with exciting arrangements, world-class musicianship, and groove.

The Regions performance is open to the public and will take place Friday, October 29, 2021, 8:00pm at Genevieve's Theatre Lounge. Tickets are $45 and are available now.

Callisto Quartet Residency & Performance

Callisto Quartet will guide the learning of FAC, Greenville County Youth Symphony and ARMES students as a way of engaging the broader Greenville community. The two-week long residency will feature rigorous instructional activities including individualized coaching, guided rehearsals, Chamber Music Studio Classes and open Callisto Quartet rehearsals. As a result, students will foster musical collaboration, while raising their level of individual artist achievement.

Callisto Quartet brings together four dedicated and passionate musicians who share a love for chamber music and a desire for excellence. Since their formation in 2016 at the Cleveland Institute of Music, they have been praised for their "intensity and bravado" and the cohesion and intonation one might expect from an ensemble twice their age".

Grand prize winners of the 2018 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and Second Prize Winners of the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition, the group quickly garnered top prizes in nearly every major international chamber music competition and praise from audiences across North America and Europe. The Callisto Quartet has also taken home prizes from the Bordeaux (2019), Melbourne (2018) and Wigmore Hall (2018) competitions.

The Callisto Quartet performance is open to the public and will take place on Wednesday, March 9, 2022, 7:30pm at Genevieve's Theatre Lounge. Tickets are $35 and are available now.

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