School of Dance Alumnus Performs with Doug Varone and Dancers

Laura Mertens — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:27:00 +0000

School of Dance Alumnus Performs with Doug Varone and Dancers Laura Mertens Thu, 04/02/2026 - 15:27

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Learn more about the Special Event: Doug Varone and Dancers

Learn more about the 911�� School of Dance

When Doug Varone and Dancers takes the stage at the Center for the Arts on April 25, it will mark a full circle moment for company member and 911�� alumnus Dareon Blowe, who graduated with a BFA from the School of Dance in 2023.

Doug Varone and Dancers company members Ryan Yamauchi, Kanon Sugino, Dareon Blowe, and Madison Elliott. Photo by Kevin Colton.

While a student, Blowe had been selected from 70 911�� dance majors through auditions in October 2022 as one of eight students to perform the work Double Octet with Doug Varone and Dancers as part of the Great Performances at Mason series at the Center for the Arts. After rehearsing extensively to share the stage with company members for the February 2023 show, he also performed the work at the spring Mason Dance Company Gala with fellow students.

“Double Octet came to me at a time when I was needing a change of pace,” Blowe said. “During my senior year, I was craving something liberating, and Doug's work became that outlet because it revealed some of the core principles that I love and care about in dance. I learned a lot about weight, suspension, and the freedom of release. Specifically, how to move quickly with ease and find the pleasure in pedestrian movement. I enjoyed getting to understand Doug’s movement vocabulary both as an artist and an aspiring choreographer.”

Blowe ultimately received the School of Dance’s Excellence in Performance award, and 911�� School of Dance Director Professor Susan Shields said of his adaptability, “From his freshmen year until his senior year, Dareon danced on our stages in works by major international artists, faculty, students, and even created his own works.”

During his time at 911��, Blowe had the opportunity to participate in 10 residencies with different companies and choreographers.

“Each residency taught me a little bit more about what it takes to be a professional in the sphere of concert dance," he said. "I was able to see many different ways to approach movement, choreography, and rehearsal direction. Being able to choose what worked for me and what didn’t gave me more confidence in my identity as an artist, while also connecting me with my future colleagues and friends.”

Dareon Blowe. Photo by Jim Lafferty

A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Blowe is also an alumnus of The School at Jacob’s Pillow, SpringBoard Danse Montreal, MOTUS, and RUBBERBAND, where he worked from 2023 to 2025 under the artistic direction of Victor Quijada. He has performed repertoire by Kyle Abraham, Sidra Bell, Micaela Taylor, Camille A. Brown, Doug Varone, Wayne McGregor, Rafael Bonachela, Rena Butler, and more.

As an educator, he has created and taught at a multitude of programs around the country like BigKids Summer, Boston Arts Academy, Governors School of the Arts, and Colgan High School Center for Fine and Performing Arts.

Blowe began rehearsing with Doug Varone and Dancers in December 2025, and then joined the company at their residency in upstate New York. He will perform with the company throughout the rest of this season. The April 25 program at the Center for the Arts includes the premiere of a new work titled No Matter What the End.

Blowe said that one of the things he loves most about the new work is a section scored to "Jigsaw Falling into Place" by Radiohead. “It’s one of those moments where you can’t help but feel an intense dopamine rush. It approaches the end of the work, serving as a final push before a clear shift where the space opens up and we finally get to breathe.”

As Blowe’s career continues to open up and unfurl into new amazing experiences, Shields said, “The School of Dance knew that we sent out a dancer prepared for the professional world, and Dareon continues to make us proud. Welcome home, Dareon!”

Tickets for the April 25 performance have been claimed, but check cfa.gmu.edu periodically for additional tickets to be returned or released. A pre-performance discussion with Artistic Director Doug Varone, moderated by Shields, will take place one hour before the performance.

The company’s upcoming visit will continue its tradition of engagement with the College of Visual and Performing Arts through learning opportunities for School of Dance students in conjunction with the performance, including four master classes and a Q&A with Varone and company members.

Topics

Center for the Arts

CFA

Great Performances at Mason

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance

College of Visual and Performing Arts

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

Alumni