About:
The Company | The Dancers

History

Founded in the summer of 1989 by Amanda Cantrell Roche, Lee Anne (Allen) Carmack, and Don Sullivan, Blue Moves began as a creative outlet for three Middle Tennessee State University students who were seeking a more cohesive, modern-focused dance experience than available through the university at the time. With the support of now-retired MTSU dance professor, Anne Holland Cole, and the addition of three more members, the group began Sunday rehearsals at Studio V on the square in Murfreesboro.

Years later, the company continues to evolve. Much of Blue Moves' longevity can be credited to fact that there is no single artistic director or so-called leader. The company has always been very democratic in its decision-making process. All members are expected to dance immediately and encouraged to choreograph one year after joining the company. With the exception of a few core cohorts, the company routinely modifies its membership and is continually re-inventing itself. This approach provides not only new choreographic visions for the audience, but also new voices and perspectives in the company, thus keeping both the performances and the rehearsals fresh.

Blue Moves Modern Dance Company has performed several full-length productions at MTSU's Tucker and Wright Theatres and the Murfreesboro/Rutherford County Center for the Arts, as well as producing shows at Montgomery Bell Academy, Manchester's Parnassus Theatre, the Darkhorse Theatre and at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Johnson Theatre as part of Nashville's Summer Light celebration. They have also performed at TPAC's Jackson Hall in collaboration with Nashville choreographer Rossi Turner, at MTSU's Murphy Center with the Tennessee Philharmonic Orchestra, and at Vanderbilt's Langford Auditorium in the opening ceremony of the national student activists' C.O.O.L. Conference. The company was selected to perform at the Gaylord Entertainment Center during the after-hours party for Nashville Cares' annual Artrageous fund raiser. Recently, Blue Moves appeared at Vanderbilt's Ingram Hall in conjunction with the production, "Tsunami Echoes, Katrina Cries." They also enjoy performing in non-traditional venues, such as Murfreesboro's Wallstreet bar, the lawn in front of MTSU's Art Barn and at the Asheville Fringe Festival. Company members have often appeared with vaudeville art rock band Juan Prophet Organization.

Blue Moves Modern Dance Company is a troupe of close-knit performers who sincerely enjoy dancing, making art and each other. Through the art form they love, the dancers strive to entertain as well as to stir and inform audiences, exploring themes as varied as dancing laundry and the loss of humanity in the modern world. They have grown to appreciate the company's diverse dynamic and have learned to wrangle it into something vibrant (or controversial, or eye-opening, or simply beautiful). Blue Moves is known for its diverse, sometimes quirky and often theatrical choreography. The company is non-profit, strictly volunteer and rehearses Sunday afternoons. Auditions are held as needed. Warm ups are often open to dancers interested in learning more about the company and possibly becoming a member.

The Dancers
[listed alphabetically]

Angela Armstrong graduated from MTSU in 1994 with a B.B.A. Degree in Finance, then in 1999, received her M.S. Degree from MTSU with emphasis in Health and Physical Education. She has been teaching dance at MTSU since 1997, during which time she also served as Director of the MTSU Performing Arts Company. Angela has performed with Blue Moves Modern Dance Company since 1990 and has choreographed for it's performances along with choreographing for other events including shows for the MTSU Performing Arts Company and Senior Company, the Miss MTSU Pageant, and community events including the "Teens Against Tobacco Use" Health Workshop.

Lee Anne (Allen) Carmack is a co-founder, contributing choreographer, and still-dancing member of Blue Moves Modern Dance Company. After completing a master's degree in English literature and an exhausting career in corporate America, she now happily spends her time as a wife, mother and volunteer. She is extremely happy in her marriage and blessed to be the parent of four unique individuals that she lovingly calls Doug, Sweetie, Goosey and Tail.

Amanda Cantrell-Roche is a co-founder of Blue Moves and has remained a member for more than 15 years. In that time she has choreographed and danced her way through life's milestones, including her marriage, the birth of two children, career changes, many periods of happiness and some of loss. She has studied modern dance under several instructors, including four years' study with Rebecca Gose, formerly of Garth Fagan Dance, and three years under the internationally-acclaimed choreographer Sonje Mayo. Her choreography tends towards subjects dear to her heart, such as motherhood and human rights issues, though she has been known to choreograph dances which are totally whimsical and frivolous. Amanda works as a Teaching Artist for TPAC's aesthetic education program, ArtSmart.

Holly Cannon-Hesse has been a member of Blue Moves for nearly ten years. She has been active in the performing arts since high school, including acting and singing. She studied performing arts at MTSU in the Speech and Theater department with an emphasis in education, where she decided dance was her life. She has taught tap, ballet, tumbling, African, and creative movement, mostly to children, for the past seven years. Her teaching positions have included the Murfreesboro Extended School Program, Rocky Hill School of the Arts in Knoxville, and has owned and operated her own studio, "The Right Moves" in Smithville, TN. Holly currently works for the program Kidskills in Nashville, TN and sings and performs with a local music group. She believes that children are the key to our future, that it is important to tap into their creativity and develop their basic motor skills, and that the right classroom experience can impact their lives positively into adulthood.

Laura Filtness is a Professional Counseling graduate student at Middle Tennessee, where she also received her B.S. in Physical Education/Dance. She is certified in Pilates, Yoga, and group exercise. Laura has been fortunate to attend such conferences as the MTSU Summer Dance Intensive, the Black College Dance Exchange, and the Horton Intensive in Daytona Florida. She was also blessed with the opportunity of being a past president and senior company member of the MTSU Performing Arts Company. When she is not dancing she is spending time with her two rambunctious cats- Sprigg and Fidget.