bloom and residue
presented by projectALCHEMY, St. Petersburg’s most innovative dance company and artist Rebekah Lazaridis.
art: Rebekah Lazaridis
photography: Sarah Hamilton
Redefining cycles of renewal through interactive design and performance, bloom, and residue marries dance with visual art, exploring themes of change, transformation, and new life with new eyes.
From Alexander Jones:
Five years ago around this time, I had an idea to make magic. five years ago around this time, I had an idea to work with a group of people to make something beautiful in the space. five years ago Rebekah Lazaridis and I created bloom and residue and what I did not know was that this would be a process that would change my life. This work is a cycle. This work is transformation. This work is evolving. Bloom and residue have changed the way that I make dance and also how I look at art tonight I invite you to come with an open heart through the forest into the clearing and gaze into the beyond, I invite you to make magic with us, enjoy bloom and residue.
the creatives behind bloom and residue
alexander jones - founder. executive artist director
Alexander Jones, founder and executive artistic director of the downtown St. Pete international nonprofit dance+ company projectALCHEMY, is a graduate of University of South Florida, recent MFA graduate Hollins University studying dance. Jones received training from the LINES Ballet BFA Program under direction of Marina Hotchkiss. He has had the opportunity to work with Alonzo King, Bill T. Jones in Serenade/The Proposition, and Doug Varone in The Rite of Spring. He has performed in Tunisia, Africa with the University of South Florida on behalf of the American Embassy and the Tunisian Dance Federation. A native Floridian, Jones is a proud member of the Actor’s Equity Association and current performer at Walt Disney World in stage shows such as Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas, Dream Along with Mickey, Beauty and the Beast Live On Stage . He is an alumnus of ArchCore40 in NYC and works closely with choreographer Jennifer Archibald as her choreographer assistant in the Florida Dance Festival. In 2012, he choreographed and directed his first evening length work entitled First You, Then The Rest at the Studio@620 in St. Petersburg, FL. In the Spring of 2013, Jones joined Yow Dance Company and had the honor of choreographing works for the company for both Spring Into Dance and the Orlando International Fringe Festival. Later that Fall, he returned to the Studio@620 to premiere his second evening-length work, Contact. Jones participated in Project GenYes! at the Studio@620 made possible by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation premiering his third evening-length work, Uncovered: Power of the Being at the Studio@620. In 2016, Jones became the Artistic Director of Collective Soles Dance making it his mission to connect the Tampa Bay area through collaboration. The following year Alex was one of the resident choreographers at the Florida Dance Festival where he premiered his latest work behind the Front. Jones is on faculty as an adjunct professor at the University of Tampa teaching techniques classes that help students prepare for both concert and commercial stages. Community and collaboration are at the forefront of Jones’s dance works with the company, as well as in and around St. Pete. He serves as the Dance Artists in Residence at the Studio@620, assisting in dance programming alongside Bob Devin Jones.
rebekah lazaridis
Rebekah Lazaridis is a multidisciplinary artist behind bloom and residue. Having an extensive background in professional theater as a scenic artist, Rebekah’s work has included large scale installations, immersive art experiences, theatrical design, illustration and mural work. Currently she creates architectural renderings of homes and nostalgic spaces and is the artist behind @homeillustrations. You can find her work atwww.rebekahlaz.com.
the performing artists
kirsten standridge - rehearsal director (since 2018)
Originally from Lakeland, Florida, Kirsten Standridge’s training began at the age of six at a local studio called Highlands School for Dance under the instruction of Hayley Amis Stewart. On top of taking classes at the studio, she had also been accepted to dance at a local arts High School named Harrison School for The Arts where she had the opportunity to learn from Susan Olsen, Gloria Haigler, and Shelley Bourgeois. After graduating from Harrison, she was accepted to the dance program at The University of South Florida. While attending USF, she had been given the privilege to perform in the works of many professors and guest choreographers such as Bliss Kholmyer, Paula Nunez, Michael Foley, Yaniv Abraham with Batcheva dance company, and Alonzo King with Lines Ballet. She went on to begin her professional career with Collective Soles Dance Company in Tampa and is now a company member with projectALCHEMY working with founder/artistic director Alex Jones. Kirsten is excited to have the opportunity to continue working with Alex and looks forward to continuing her training with the company.
heidi brewer (since 2018)
Heidi Brewer, born + raised in the Pacific Northwest and a University of Washington alum, has worked as a dance artist in Seattle, New York City, Los Angeles and St. Petersburg since 2001. Her own work has been shown in LA, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, Florida. She founded the LAYERS platform in LA to produce 3 workshops between 2017-2018 and teaches dance classes in St. Pete as well as for the Sarasota Ballet. She is a Certified Pilates teacher through the Kane School & kinected in NYC, where she also works as the Communications Director. Heidi is a Pilates Instructor & Kane School teacher trainer at Body Center St. Pete, running the certification program there since 2021. She is working with choreographer Jeanine Durning on a piece with Clare Croft, Pamela Pietro, Andee Scott and Mary Williford-Shade, and performs regularly with projectALCHEMY in St. Petersburg. She and her husband Will are proud cat parents to Penny.
talia demps (since 2022)
Talia Demps, originally from Davenport, Florida, began her dance training in 6th grade at Davenport School of the Arts. She continued her training through high school, attending The Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts in Lakeland, Florida. In spring of 2022, Talia graduated from the Univeristy of South Florida, earning a BFA in Dance Performance. While attending USF Talia represented its dance program at the American College Dance Association, as a performer in a Michael Foley work. She also had the opportunity to perform in various guest choreographer works including Charles Anderson, Eric Wagner, Joshua Peugh, and Alex Jones; as well as the privilege of performing a solo work choreographed by the late Talley Beatty, under the direction of John Parks. She has made several of her own works exploring movement through the medium of film. Talia is excited to be working with Alex Jones again and is grateful for the opportunity to begin her professional career as a member of projectALCHEMY.
jonah perez-lopez (since 2023)
Jonah Perez-Lopez is a mover above all else. He has a passion for choreography and is inspired by nature and neglected aspects of life. As a graduate from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, he is most interested in the experimental, modern, and contemporary styles of dance. He is constantly being inspired from works overseas and makes it his mission to bring that side of dance to the states in his own way of movement.
a special thank you to everyone behind the “curtain;” technical production/support Marcus Wehby, Bob Devin Jones, Erica Sutherland and the team at TheStudio@620, company managers Sarah Hamilton and Emily Curry, and costume extraordinaire Iky Standridge
a special thank you to Skylar Jay and Steve Standridge
support the artists
for more information about artist Rebekah Lazaridis, please visit http://www.rebekahlaz.com
bloom and residue - tote
in honor of bringing bloom and residue back in a new light from its original concept in 2019, we are excited to offer a new item in our bonfire.com storefront. CHECK IT OUT HERE
*all proceeds will go back to the artists
OUR MISSION TO CREATE AND CULTIVATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DANCE ARTISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT.