SJRCC PRESS RELEASE August 2007 Universal dancer makes a permanent stop at FloArts St. Johns River Community College welcomes instructor Freddick Bratcher to Florida School of the Arts. From his premiere with the San Francisco Opera Ballet to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York, Bratcher brings the college nearly 40 years of expertise in choreography, teaching and performing in the world of dance. SJRCC President Robert L. McLendon Jr. said Bratcher is in a league of his own. "I know of no finer modern dancer in the South," McLendon said. "He has performed around the world and we are so very fortunate that he is now teaching our dancers at FloArts." Bratcher joins us from the New World School of the Arts in Miami where he was a professor of dance and a charter member since 1987. His extensive career in choreography, teaching and dancing has taken him to Tokyo, Bogota, California and throughout the state of Florida - including a guest stop at FloArts in the 1990s. He also founded in 1980 the Freddick Bratcher and Company Contemporary Dance Theater that remains in operation today. Bratcher earned his bachelor's degree in dance from Florida International University and his bachelor's degree in fine art in dance from the University of Florida. He has performed with famed dance companies such as the Martha Graham Dance Company and Donald McKayle's Inner City Repertory Dance Company in Los Angeles. FloArts dance students will study jazz, modern dance, composition and improvisation under Bratcher in preparation for their dance degrees and the two dance concerts performed each year. Dean of FloArts Dr. Gary Piazza said Bratcher fits in beautifully with the students, faculty and the staff. "It is a great joy to have Freddick here with us. He is a master teacher and an equally pleasant and interesting colleague to interact and work with," Piazza said. "I look forward to viewing Freddick's masterful choreography." FloArts is located on the Palatka Campus of St. Johns River Community College and is Florida's first state-supported professional arts school. Approximately 150 students attend FloArts each year; students are recruited from across the state, the southeast region and New York City. Admission is based on audition and portfolio review. For more information, call 386-312-4300. Photo courtesy of Jerry Hinkle. Freddick Bratcher poses with the Freddick Bratcher and Company Contemporary Dance Theater - Bratcher's dance company based in Miami that is still performing today. Return to SJRCC home page. Return to FloArts home page.