Strive Dance Company

🚨🚨🚨 New Podcast Episode! Listen Here:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3x4tF9WZkRaiLo8dYOvXxM?si=4PXxZiH_QZSWKu2YSDkf4Q&utm_source=copy-link&sci=spotify%3Acard-config%3A3XYVnoMa4Io5RPdFB3P2kK

The Ritual by Strive Dance Company is a celebration of community and what can happen when we come together to face our demons head on.

We each have a darkness looming in our peripherals. Whether it be rage, grief, or despair - ignoring that which weighs us down can be preferable to the reality.

By coming together, we can turn to face our challenges hand in hand. We can scream, grieve, and cry as we need, knowing we are held up by the love around us.

Only once we have acknowledged our pain can we move past it. It will not be easy. We may be pushed and pulled further than we believed we had the strength to endure. But we do endure.

By harnessing the energy and resilience of those we surround ourselves with, we can embrace our insecurities, and emerge from the other side - transformed and alive.

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"The body returns to breath and stillness.
Just as a lake’s ripples cease over time into quiescence,
I am here.
My presence as inevitable as the plodding descent of root into earth.
This ground is sacred.
Sacred for the kinship of hands opening.
For this web of common thread.
For the belonging.
Draw the circle.
Gather.
Witness.
So mote it be."

-Silent Piece, written by Sydney Sutton

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The Ritual
October 16 and 17
Phoenix Theater

Choreographed by Meghan McGillicuddy

Stay tuned for the ticket link 💚

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Meet the Strive Dance Company Season 3 Members!

Ellery Thornton 💚

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Fun Summer Trivia about Ellery:

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:
Cookie Dough

Favorite Summer Beverage:
Strawberry Açai Lemonade

Most Recent Concert:
Chris Stapleton

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Ellery Thornton began dancing at the age of two and entered the competition world at seven. Since then, dance has become a defining part of her life. She currently trains at A-List Dance Center and performs as a member of Charisma, the Carmel High School dance team.

Throughout her training, Ellery has explored a wide range of styles, including ballet, tap, hip hop, contemporary, jazz, and lyrical. While she enjoys the versatility that comes with studying multiple genres, jazz and lyrical remain her favorite styles. Ellery has received numerous awards through competitions with A-List Dance Center, both as a soloist and as part of group performances.

Outside of dance, Ellery volunteers through the National Charity League. Her commitment to serving her community has earned her the Presidential Service Award twice.

Ellery is especially excited to join Strive Dance Company this season. She sees this opportunity as a chance to grow as a dancer, step outside her comfort zone, and explore new styles of movement. She looks forward to challenging herself, building confidence, and learning alongside the other artists in the company.

Meet the Strive Dance Company Season 3 Members!

Claire Underwood 💚

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Fun Summer Trivia about Claire:

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:
Moose Tracks

Favorite Summer Beverage:
Gatorade or Margaritas

Most Recent Concert:
Annabelle Dinda

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Claire Underwood has been dancing for more than ten years, with training and performance experience through Noblesville show choirs and The Moving Company at Indiana University Indianapolis. Her background includes contemporary, modern, and jazz, with particular strengths in contemporary and hip hop.

Over the past four years, Claire has developed a growing passion for choreography. She has choreographed and directed two fusion-style works, as well as her first solo, and she will return to The Moving Company this fall as a resident choreographer. She is especially drawn to the creative process and the opportunity to bring ideas, movement, and storytelling together through dance.

After attending a Strive performance, Claire knew auditioning for the company was an opportunity she wanted to pursue. She is thrilled to join Strive Dance Company for her first season, deepen her training, and become part of something larger than herself. Dance has carried her through many seasons of life, and she is excited to continue creating, growing, and performing alongside the company.

Meet the Strive Dance Company Season 3 Members!

Sydney Sutton 💚

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Fun Summer Trivia about Syd:

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:
Blue Moon

Favorite Summer Beverage:
Coconut La Croix

Most Recent Concert:
Billy Joel

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Sydney has been a mover her whole life, dancing in show choir and theater projects since she was little. She started training in modern and contemporary dance in 2017, where the majority of her focus was on Horton and Graham techniques. Syd brings strength, intention, and artistry to every rehearsal and performance.

In 2019, Sydney began dancing with Create Freedom Arts Projects, where she continued to perform while being a resident choreographer for The Moving Company at IU Indianapolis, continuing to grow as both a performer and creative voice (2023-2026).

For Sydney, dance has been truly life-shaping — introducing her to some of the most important people in her life and helping her become the person she was always meant to be. She is thrilled to be dancing with Strive Dance Company this season and can’t wait to build new connections, create unforgettable memories with the team, and continue strengthening her artistry while helping bring Meghan McGillicuddy’s visions to life on stage.

Meet the Strive Dance Company Season 3 Members!

Maven Stasila 💚

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Fun Summer Trivia about Maven:

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:
Cake Batter

Favorite Summer Beverage:
Iced Coffee

Most Recent Concert:
Dashboard Confessional

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Maven is entering her fourteenth year of dance training at Wishes Dance Studio, where she studies ballet, jazz, tap, modern, contemporary, and pointe. Her broad technical foundation has shaped her into a passionate and versatile performer, with particular strengths in lyrical, jazz, and musical theatre.

At just sixteen years old, Maven is the youngest member of Strive Dance Company. She has earned high scores at multiple dance competitions while balancing an intensive schedule of approximately thirty hours of dance each week. She is also a member of the National Honor Society, reflecting her dedication to maintaining academic excellence alongside her artistic commitments.

Maven draws much of her inspiration from attending live music, dance, and theatre performances throughout the Indianapolis area. She is especially passionate about making dance more accessible and enjoys researching the benefits dance can provide to the neurodivergent community, drawing from her own perspective as a neurodivergent dancer.

Maven is grateful to return to Strive Dance Company and is excited to perform meaningful choreography alongside an incredible community of artists.

Meet the Strive Dance Company Season 3 Members!

Taylor Shelton 💚

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Fun Summer Trivia about Taylor:

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:
Espresso or Chocolate

Favorite Summer Beverage:
Coconut Cream Dr. Pepper or Coconut Chai

Most Recent Concert:
Conan Gray

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Taylor Shelton has been dancing for thirteen years and brings joy, heart, and a genuine love of performance to the stage. She trained at Wilkerson Dance Studio, where she studied ballet, tap, jazz, modern, contemporary, and hip hop and performed as a member of the WDS competition squad. Her well rounded training has helped shape her into a versatile and expressive dancer, with particular strengths in musical theatre, hip hop, and jazz.

Much of Taylor’s performance experience also comes from musical theatre and show choir. She frequently participates in community theatre and loves combining movement, acting, and storytelling to create memorable characters onstage. Taylor brings that theatrical background into every Strive performance and hopes to pursue acting professionally in the future.

Taylor has been part of Strive Dance Company since its debut performance in 2024. Being part of the company is an experience her younger self would be incredibly proud of, and she is thrilled to return for her third season alongside some of her favorite people. Taylor cannot wait to get back to work and discover everything Season 3 has in store for her and the rest of the company.

Meet the Strive Dance Company Season 3 Members!

Lydia Shannon 💚

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Fun Summer Trivia about Lydia:

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor:
Vanilla Bean

Favorite Summer Beverage:
Dutch Bros Sherbet Rebel

Most Recent Concert:
Alkaline Trio

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Lydia has been dancing for nine years and brings a strong technical foundation, musicality, and curiosity to her work as a performer and emerging choreographer. From 2016–2022, she trained with the pre-professional company at Leap of Faith Dance Company in Westerville, Ohio, studying contemporary, ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, tap, and hip hop under Kelley Haney and Jill Storey.

In 2026, Lydia graduated from Anderson University’s Dance Program, where she expanded her technique and performance range through training in release technique, Horton technique, ballet, tap, musical theatre, jazz, and improvisation. During her time at Anderson, she studied under Christine Colquitt-Thacker, Erich Yetter, Doug King, Debra Silveus, and Jennifer Thiemet.

Lydia also performed works by acclaimed guest choreographers, including Nicole Clarke-Springer of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Stuart Lewis of Dance Kaleidoscope, and Randall Flinn of Ad Deum Dance Company. In recognition of her dedication and artistry, she received Anderson University’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance awards for Excellence in Ballet and Recognition in Tap.

A self proclaimed history and music lover, Lydia enjoys bringing her passions together by exploring the histories of dance and music and drawing inspiration from both in her choreographic work. She is thrilled to return to Strive Dance Company for her third season, where she looks forward to continuing to grow as a performer and strengthening her connection to the Indianapolis dance community.