It is with great enthusiasm that I nominate Kyle Halford, a senior in the undergraduate program at the University of Arizona School of Dance, for the 2020-21 Creative Achievement Award. As one of our most dynamic, accomplished and talented dancers to attend our BFA program in recent memory, I am delighted to share with you some highlights of his accomplishments.

Kyle’s great promise for a future in the professional dance world was recognized early on. His ability to perform versatile styles and techniques landed him the starring role as ‘Billy’ in the hit musical Billy Elliott for the Drury Lane Theater in Illinois a few years prior to attending the University of Arizona. His ability to perform both tap and classical ballet techniques at a professional level while still at a young age, equally along with the techniques of jazz, modern and contemporary movement, are part of what made Kyle a highly sought-after recruit for our program. The other parts we were quick to discover: His devotion to dance, drive, artistic sensibilities, choreographic capability, responsible nature and exceptional work ethic; not to mention his friendly and outgoing disposition.

As an undergraduate, Kyle’s performance experience contains a list of master works and notable pieces of choreography by top-ranking internationally and nationally recognized choreographers. Some highlights include his casting in the soloist role of  ‘Phlegmatic’ in The Four Temperaments by George Balanchine, a role that requires a display of both great artistic maturity and technical control; and in Unicorn, an 8-minute solo by the late choreographer, David Berkey. He has been a featured dancer in master works Megalopolis by Larry Keigwin, and Sentinel, also by Berkey, as well as in a running list of diverse faculty pieces by Tamara Dyke-Compton and Christopher Compton (Broadway Jazz), Michael Williams (Jazz and Tap), Pablo Rodarte (Flamenco), Amy Ernst (Modern) and seven of my own works spanning the genres of jazz, modern and contemporary dance. Kyle is a favorite performer amongst his peers as well, also having been featured in over fifteen pieces for  student-choreographed ‘Student Spotlight’ performances.

Other important achievements for Kyle include his receiving of the Maria C. Mendel Memorial Scholarship (for excellence in ballet) in 2019 and three Medici Scholar Awards in 2018, 2019 and 2020. He was recognized for holding the Highest Academic Distinction for his Freshman and Sophomore years and has made the “Dean’s List with Distinction” for 5 semesters. He is an active member of the School of Dance’s community outside of the studio, putting his Minor in Business Administration to use in the position of Treasurer for the Dance Collective for both his Junior and Senior years.

Kyle Halford is a creativity-fueled dance student whom is also extremely hard working. He sets high standards for himself and continually seeks opportunity to further his vast capabilities. I have enjoyed getting to know him as a person and as an incredibly gifted artist. Kyle is most-certain to be a shining light in the performing arts upon his graduation. I am confident that you couldn’t find a more deserving candidate for the Creative Achievement Award.

Sincerely,
Autumn Eckman
Assistant Professor of Dance

It is a distinct pleasure to recommend Wing Nok “Kaissy” Yau as recipient of the the 2020 Undergraduate Creative Achievement Award. She is an award-winning flute performance major and UA Honors Scholar whose studies are underwritten by her International Excellence Tuition Scholarship. Her inexhaustible work ethic is evidenced by her success as a performer, maintenance of a 4.0 GPA, impact as a volunteer and instructor of the New Horizons Band, and leadership as the president of the College of Fine Arts Ambassadors and Honors College Partnership through Honors Mentor.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has postponed Ms. Yau’s solo concerto performances with the White Mountain Symphony Orchestra and UA Wind Ensemble, Kaissy has recognized that earning market share will arise through recording and disseminating her media. She has created recordings showcasing not only her musical performance prowess but her musical production acumen as a composer, arranger, engineer, and producer. Specifically, the repertoire and manner that she has marketed these recordings have created appealing content to engage isolated clientele. Maximizing on the need for social isolation, she has arranged and recorded her avant garde/beatbox version of Maurice Ravel’s Bolero to include a combination of live and sampled instrumentalists. She has masterfully utilized a digital audio workstation for recording and expanding the flute repertoire via her website and social media. Her project is a didactic tool for students in the Fred Fox School of Music as an example of virtual/live performance solutions. This can be a template for all burgeoning musicians including both performers and composers to use as a strategy to showcase their talents. She capably used these skills to the benefit of the Fred Fox School of Music in creating media for the #KeepMakingMusicAtArizona campaign.

Kaissy’s achievements continue an arc she began as a young performer and athlete. She completed all ABRSM grade level exams and was principal flute of the German Swiss Philharmonic Orchestra and International Concert Orchestra of Hong Kong prior to attending UA. She is one of the most enthusiastic and prolific students I have had the privilege of teaching over the past 27 years. It is with great pleasure that I strongly recommend Kaissy be awarded the honor of the 2020 Undergraduate Creative Achievement Award as I am certain that she will to succeed well beyond our institution.

Sincerely,
Brian A. Luce
Professor, Flute Performance

The Film and Television faculty is pleased to nominate B.F.A. senior Matthew Potwardowski for this year’s Undergraduate Creative Achievement Award. There are many excellent students in the FTV program, but Matt’s artistic talents, and the rigor and thoroughness with which he approaches his work mark him as a very special student indeed. 

In my Directing for the Screen course Matt produced a video assignment which is a testament to Matt’s command of the craft of filmmaking. Matt wrote and directed an original scene, “I’d Love to Change the World” about a woman’s desire to pursue ventriloquism and how her puppet, Chester, comes between her boyfriend and her. The witty dialog and commitment by his actors had me laughing out loud. Despite the absurdity of the situation, what comes through is a tenderness between the couple who seem to be only capable of communicating through “the third wheel,” and which seems to speak to the difficulty of modern relationships.

Matt’s teachers hold him in high regard and concur that he is an extraordinary student. Associate Professor Jacob Bricca has had Matt in three courses. He said, “In Documentary History Matt’s ability to express himself through the written word was unmatched; he received the highest grade in the class on both of the two essays, and his creativity in applying concepts presented in class was breathtaking. In Fundamentals of Editing, Matt made bold choices in all of his editing assignments, solving problems in unique ways. Now that I am working with him in Senior Capstone I see the full range of his creativity via the original script for his thesis film, Lucid Dreamers. The writing is dark and brooding and full of atmosphere, but also crystal clear in its depiction of the lead character: a young man engaged in tragic self-deception as he encounters the disturbing maladies of an old friend that he let down at a crucial moment long ago.” 

Matt was selected by the FTV Internship Committee for a competitive internship with LA-based Voltage Pictures, which has produced and financed films like The Hurt Locker and Dallas Buyers Club. Matt received this coveted internship because of his excellent script coverage skills and thoughtful responses during his interview. At Voltage Pictures Matt’s supervisor quickly recognized his leadership skills and he was assigned to oversee a group of interns on a project updating a database. Matt learned to use soft skills in delegating tasks to other interns, as well as further honed his skills in script coverage.

Hanson FilmTV Director Vicky Westover, who helped place Matt at the internship, said, “Matt applies himself to every professional development opportunity with seriousness, gratitude, courage, and an openness to learning and critique. Wherever Matt goes next, he is sure to excel creatively and professionally.”

It is worth noting that Matt is extraordinarily professional and generous in his comportment. He steps up to help faculty and his classmates. Matt has a 3.9 GPA and is the recipient of the Erik Anderson Scholarship which is awarded to students who excel in editing. He also works in production at AZPM. 

The Film & Television faculty are extremely lucky and proud to have Matt in our program. We believe he has a wonderfully bright future and are honored to nominate him for the Creative Achievement Award.

On behalf of the FTV Program Faculty, please accept this nomination.

Yuri Makino,
Associate Director, Film & TV program
School of Theatre, Film & Television

On Behalf of the Design and Technology Faculty, it is with great enthusiasm that I nominate Rebekah Clark for the Graduate Student Creative Achievement Award for this coming October’s convocation. Rebekah is a third year MFA candidate focusing in Scenic Design, who has always impressed with her artistic abilities that are rooted in passion, exploration and theory.

In her time at UArizona and the School of Theatre, Film, and Television, Rebekah has worked on a total of 7 productions for the Arizona Repertory Theatre Company as a Scenic Designer, Assistant Scenic Designer, Assistant Projections Designer, Paint Charge, and Scenic Artist. Most Scenic Design graduate students have completed 4 or 5 shows by the time they reach the beginning of their third year. Rebekah has attacked each of these processes with an incredible passion to not only grow as an artist but as an artistic voice on the leadership team guiding the production. With each project, Rebekah’s process has included a dedication to visual storytelling that has been unrivaled in our graduate program. Her attention to the details of the script, its dramaturgy, and the nuance of space have made her not only an invaluable part of our Scenic Design program, but has lead her to opportunities to succeed on larger projects.

In Rebekah’s second year, she became an integral part of a collaboration with the Arizona Simulation Technology and Education Center (ASTEC). I was asked to design a series of Escape Rooms for the medical school to use in their training as part of the new Health and Sciences Innovation Building. As my Associate Designer on the project, Rebekah took the artistic lead on designing and shaping the Victorian Asylum Escape Room. Rebekah was able to shape an incredibly detailed and visually stunning interactive exhibit, and she engage Dr. Hamilton, the head of the project, like a seasoned professional. She talked with him about the goals of the design and how they benefited the medical students who would eventually inhabit the space. Rebekah was then able to collaborate with a professional 3D modeler that we brought in to work on the project, guiding him through the design to ensure that the renderings illustrated the details and goals of the design.

Over the last two years Rebekah has also moved beyond the College and University to shine on National creative projects. In the summer of 2019, Rebekah has served as my Assistant Designer at Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre. Rebekah’s passion and artistic voice made her a large part of the success of that season. She was an incredible collaborator on the indoor shows she assisted on and on her design for the touring production of Romeo and Juliet. Rebekah with limited resources, was able to create one of the most sophisticated and elegant designs that the touring production has ever seen. The artistic staff and collective are still talking about how successful the design was and how it helped bring the touring production to a new level aesthetically.

Lastly, Rebekah showed how her passions and talents are relevant to the conversation happening on the international Stage. In her first year, Rebekah teamed up with Tori Mays, a 3^rd year MFA candidate, and Ryan Moore a 2^nd year MFA candidate to work on the Common Design Project for the Prague Quadrennial. The Prague Quadrennial is an international design conference that happens every 4 years in Prague hosted by the Czech Republic. The Project centered around the play Ubu Roi by Alfred Jarry. Rebekah took the lead on putting together the submission materials and organizing all of the incredible work that they had worked on over the course of 3 months. In total, the Prague Quadrennial received 60 entries from across the globe, and twelve projects were selected to travel to present their work at the PQ. Tori, Ryan, and Rebekah’s work was one of the twelve selected (1 of 3 selected from the United States.)

As a student, professional and artist, Rebekah has demonstrated a love of learning, art, design, and a level of commitment that will make her successful not only in theatre, but also in life. I hope that you will consider her for the Graduate Student Creative Achievement Award for October Convocation. I cannot think of any student better suited for this recognition.

Yours Truly,
Joe C. Klug
Assistant Professor of Scenic Design
School of Theatre, Film, and Television
University of Arizona