LYSAYA (love yourself as you are)
Choreographer: Frank Chaves
Performers: Sam Kendziora, Dwayne Scheuneman
Lighting Design: Joe Smith
Costume Design: REVolutions Dance
Music: Mark Dacingers
Frank Chaves
Frank Chaves is a Cuban American choreographer and former Artistic Director of River North Dance Chicago, where he led the company for twenty-three years before retiring in 2015. Known for musicality and emotional intensity, his work is rooted in a deep relationship to music and a highly collaborative studio process that centers the full humanity of the dancers he creates with. As a performer, he danced with companies including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Ballet Hispánico, and Giordano Dance Chicago, and he has received honors such as the Ruth Page Dance Achievement Award, the Choo-San Goh Award for Choreography, and being named “Chicagoan of the Year in Dance” by the Chicago Tribune. Frank lives with syringomyelia, a degenerative spinal cord disease, and now creates from a wheelchair. His imagination, artistry, and commitment to pushing boundaries continue to shape new work and restagings across genres.
Sam Kandziora
Sam Kedziora began her training as a competitive dancer, a foundation that led her to earn a BFA in Modern Dance Studies with a minor in Psychology from the University of South Florida. She has trained in ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, Gaga, Pom, heels, and more. After graduating in 2022, she continued her studies abroad before moving to Chicago to perform and train with Solarium Dance Company and Trifecta Dance Collective. While in Chicago, she began her yoga certification and expanded her practice through a wide range of teachers and styles. Sam has also traveled to Paris, Berlin, Helsinki, Kraków, Amsterdam, and Northern Israel to further her artistic development. She is now based in Tampa Bay, dancing with projectALCHEMY and REVolutions Dance Company, and remains committed to exploring and growing in her artistry both locally and internationally.
Dwayne Scheuneman
Dwayne began his professional dance career in 2002 with Asher Dance Eclectic in Tampa. In 2005, he co-founded REVolutions Dance, where he serves as Artistic Director and company dancer. Under his leadership, REVolutions has built a strong national and international presence, touring in Russia, Italy, China, and Palestine, among others. From 2015–2019, Dwayne performed with AXIS Dance Company in San Francisco, one of the world’s leading physically integrated dance companies, touring nationally, performing and leading residencies in more than fifty U.S. cities. He has also appeared as a guest artist with companies in Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, and Miami. REVolutions recently celebrated its 20th anniversary season. This marks Dwayne’s fourth appearance at Beacon Dance festival,
