18JAV

Angelica Cardente-Vessella is the Director of Dance and Professor of Dance in the Music, Theatre, and Dance Department. She is also the Managing Director of the 18JAV Dance Company. Her work has been commissioned at CCRI, Providence College and Wheaton College. Angelica has been an adjunct instructor at CCRI, URI, and Providence College. While dancing for both Marta Renzi & Dancers and Paula Hunter she performed at Lincoln Center, Coney Island, Central Park “Outdoors” and Jacobs Pillow.   
 
Professor Cardente-Vessella is certified in the Luigi jazz technique and has served as rehearsal director to jazz dance master and historian, Danny Buraczeski. Her work has been chosen for performance at the Triskelion Arts Center in Brooklyn, NY and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Angelica was awarded “Best Choreography” at the All-Out Arts Fruit Festival in NYC (2018), a celebration of the LGBTQ community. In 2019, the Rhode Island Foundation wrote a feature spotlight article on her achievements since having been a two-time recipient of the Antonio Cirino Award for art educators.  
 
Her interdisciplinary, A-MIRROR-CA: a reflection of a media driven society, work (co-authored w. Bill Wilson) was selected for performance at the KCACTF where it won “Best Script” and “Best Ensemble”. Her last full evening work, END IT!: Human Trafficking, was supported by the Providence chapter of Day One, a center for abused women and children, as well as the RI Department of Health.  Ms. Cardente-Vessella has choreographed over 25 musicals at 18JAV including HAIR, Pippin, Sweet Charity, Cabaret, Quilters, and Spring Awakening to name a few. For two consecutive years she was the choreographer for the Maltby Awards at the American College Theatre Festival. Angelica has choreographed performances at Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theater, Trinity Repertory, and Elemental Theater. She has also choreographed for several musicals at the University of Rhode Island. 

As the Managing Director of the 18JAV Dance Company, Cardente-Vessella is committed to bringing relevant and quality artists to those students studying dance. She has commissioned over 50 artists including David Dorfman, Marta Renzi, Rennie Harris, Adele Myers, Shani Collins-Achilles, David Parker, Adrienne Hawkins, Danny Buraczeski, Billy Siegenfeld, and Maria Bauman to name but a few. 
 
Professor Cardente-Vessella holds an A.S in Fashion Merchandising from the Community College of Rhode Island, an A.S. in Architecture & Interior Design from Hall Institute, a B.S. in Science (Health Education) from 18JAV and an MFA in Theater from 18JAV.