Dancer Profile: Ann Sterling Dale

 "The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing."

 Zephaniah 3:17

Ann Sterling Dale   

Ann Sterling Dale received a B.F.A. in Dance and Choreography from Elon University. She trained at the Ailey School, Steps on Broadway, Parsons Dance, the Jennifer Muller The Works scholarship program, and Arrows International. She has performed in NYC with Bala Sole Dance Company, The Next Stage Project, and Flexicurve. She has a passion for choreography and has shown work in the NYC Young Choreographer’s Festival. She is currently teaching dance in  the Houston area, and she desires to use dance as worship. Ann Sterling is excited to return for her second season with Ad Deum.





Fun Facts:
1. Where are you from? Statesville, NC

2. How many years have you been dancing? Twenty years! 
    
3. Favorite style or styles of dance? JAZZ is my favorite style because I love athletic, strong, fast movement, jumps and turns! I also absolutely love Hip-Hop and African because they have so much rhythm and soul at the core of the styles!! : ) 

4. What made you want to start dancing? Jesus..: ) But really! My mom was a dancer, so she most likely signed me up for dance classes because I was dancing around the house to music. Or why did you start dancing?

5. What dancers or dance companies inspire you? Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, and Parsons Dance

6. Favorite work of Ad Deum? Innocence Not Lost because it is such a powerful and relevant work to the culture today in American and all over the world, and it is a form of intercession for the girls who are being trafficked. 

7. Favorite Performance or Outreach? It was Project Dance Houston last year because I love dancing outside, and my parents were there, and the GLORY of the LORD fell upon that place as we danced and worshipped!

8. Favorite Ad Deum Memory? The day we all dressed up as random characters and did an epic improv dance for Stella's birthday at 8:30 am, and Dan dressed up as Spider Man (full costume), and Andreas was dancing around with a vacuum and a broom, and I was jumping, leaping and bouncing non-stop without warming up and wearing sunglasses of course! 

9. Favorite Food? Raspberries!! They are the perfect mixture of tartness and sweetness!

10. What would you do if you were not a dancer? I would be a fitness instructor and a writer

11. What type of music do you listen to? Worship

12. Random Fact? I play the harp and I like to mimic people : ) AND smiling's my favorite!

"To dance is to live!", "Dance is the hidden language of the soul, of the body", "Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion"

- Martha Graham

Dancer Profile: Tiffany Schrepferman

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
                                                                                               Psalm 37:3-7

Tiffany Schrepferman

Tiffany is currently serving as the Technical Director of Ad Deum Dance Company in addition to performing with the company. After graduating from Belhaven University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, she worked for three summers as the Production Stage Manager of the Reynolds Theater at the American Dance Festival held at Duke University. Tiffany is excited to be a part of the Ad Deum community for her fourth season.

Fun Facts:
1. Nick name? T. Schrep or Schrep

2. Where are you from? Columbus, MS

3. How many years have you been dancing? I've been dancing for as long as I can remember! There are home videos of me at 2-3 years old twirling around in the living room to praise music, but I have officially been training since I was 7.

4. Favorite style or styles of dance? Ballet was my first love because that is what I started with and how I first found my passion for dance, but I love contemporary and modern dance because I feel like it is so real and expressive; very much based in emotion and story that is relevant to the viewer, as well as experiemential for the performer. I also love flamenco and Irish dancing and enjoy performing both.

5. What made you want to start dancing? I have been dancing for as long as I can remember. I feel like that is a very natural part of who I am - I was born for this, and I feel closest to God when I dance. When I saw my first ballet performance by Ballet Magnificat when I was 8 years old, that is when I decided 'I really want to do this, that is who I want to be.' They performed the work "Savior" and even at that young age I remember being struck by the power of the story through movement, and wanting to be a part of it.

6. What dancers or dance companies inspire you? Spencer and Andrea of iMee Dance Company, Dawn Dipple of Revolve Dance Company, NobleMotion Dance Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Ceder Lake Contemporary Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, RUBBERBANDance Group, Eiko & Koma, Vertigo Dance Company, Doug Varone and Dancers, Batsheva Dance Company, Scottish Dance Theatre... I have a long list. = )

7. Favorite work of Ad Deum? Topping the list would be "Propphets" the first piece that I ever saw Ad Deum perform. The Lord used this piece to speak to me very personally and deeply. Then "Innocence Not Lost"- even though it is extremely hard on the body to perform, this piece is a cry and a prayer on behalf of those who have no voice, and I am honored to dance it for them.

8. Favorite Performance or Outreach of the year? Anytime we get to do a Human trafficking benefit concert, or perform in an awareness event. I also really enjoy our Spring Break Intensive/Project Dance Performances.

9. Favorite Ad Deum Memory? Performing "Innocence Not Lost" at a human trafficking benefit concert on my birthday 2 years ago. We were sitting backstage getting ready to go on and we could hear the speaker telling her story before us. She had been a victim of human trafficking and had been rescued. Her story was so moving and I'm pretty sure that all of us were crying backstage, then we went out to dance and I felt like we all connected so much with what we were dancing about, and really interceded on behalf of those girls. After that day, I feel like we really bonded as a group and in mutual purpose, and it shifted the way we connected to each other and danced together from then on in a good way.

10. Favorite Food? AVOCADOS!!! They are just so good! But I also have a weakness for Whole Foods pizza.

11. What would you do if you were not a dancer? I would be a Lighting Designer/Stage Manager, and possibly a Dance Festival Director... things I already do/hope to be someday.

12. What type of music do you listen to? Soundtracks! I just love epic orchestral music... anything from IHOP (International House of Prayer)

13. Random Interesting Fact? I am actually quite good at archery and used to teach it. I can also do a mean turkey call and have been known to hold my own in a conversation with said birds.

"Dance is the Voice of the Soul." - Unknown