The RIT/NTID Dance Company Presented: Dances by Dancers
The RIT/NTID Dance Company presented an extraordinary dance concert, Dances by Dancers, from March 18–21, 1999. The production was dedicated to the memory of NTID student Dawan Albritton.
Dances by Dancers was the first full RIT/NTID Dance Company production directed by NTID Performing Arts’ new choreographer and artist-in-residence, Thomas Warfield. Choreographers included Wendy Conway, Camille Dickson-Deane, Meggins Kelly, Angela Laguardia, and Warfield.
The concert featured a dynamic blend of Deaf and hearing dancers performing in a wide range of styles—modern, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, and a piece inspired by traditional Chinese opera. The production included individual performances enhanced by intricate costuming and lighting, designed by Damita Peace and Clifton Taylor, respectively.
Poster for Dances by Dancers: Dedicated to the memory of Dawan Albritton; RIT/NTID Dance Company in Concert; Choreography by Wendy Conway (Company Manager), Camille Dickson-Deane, Angela Laquardia, Meggins Kelly, and Thomas Warfield (Artistic Director); March 18-21, 1999. Cost of tickets for students and senior citizens: $5.00; All others: $7.00
Karen Bonafede
Monkeys: Jenny Beard, Wendy Conway, Brian Marcais
Maidens: Eliza Skinner, Maho Shinagawa, Jamie Sue Hale
Vincent Ferrer
Dancers: Caryn DeSignor, Jolene Dunn, Jennifer Hineline, Maho Shinagawa, Laura Zaccari, Bethany Delman, Jen Engelsman, Jackie Radell, Julie Tabbitas
L to R: Angela Laguardia, Victor Ramos, Carmen King, Jerald Creer, Arnitra Smith, Phil Miller, Rebecca Schoor
Carmen King Jerald Creer Arnitra Smith
Dawan Albritton was a Rochester native and a graduate of the Rochester School for the Deaf. After transferring to NTID from another college, he pursued a degree in applied accounting at RIT. He was a senior at the time of the performance.
Dawan aspired to start his own business. “I want to be my own boss and have more responsibilities and challenges. It makes life interesting,” he once said.
He served as treasurer for his fraternity, Kappa Phi Theta, managing the budget and balance sheets as part of his preparation for a future in business. He was also a passionate advocate for communication access, teaching sign language to his younger hearing siblings so they could communicate with Deaf peers at their schools.
Tragically, on February 12, 1999, Dawan was killed by a drunk driver. His loss was deeply felt by the NTID and Rochester communities.
The Dawan L. Albritton Memorial Award was established in his memory to honor a student whose life reflects the values Dawan embodied—commitment to education, perseverance in the face of challenges, and kindness toward others.
Dawan’s legacy lives on through the lives he touched and through the opportunities made possible by the award bearing his name.
Eliza Skinner, Patrick Harris, Kerstin Gunter
Thomas Warfield and Patrick Graybill
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