Our History
{254}DANCEFEST was founded in 2012 under the wing of Cultural Arts of Waco, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Its founder, Brooke Schlecte, envisioned a festival where dance would be celebrated alongside music and visual arts—a true weekend of performing arts for the community.
The very first {254} took place at the Waco Convention Center, with performances staged on a simple padded Marley floor surrounded by black draped walls. From those grassroots beginnings, the festival has grown into a professionally produced event, thanks in large part to a strong partnership with McLennan Community College. This growth reflects both a commitment to artistic excellence and a dedication to shaping the future of dance in Central Texas.
From the start, {254}DANCEFEST has emphasized community connection. Classes, workshops, and choreography exchanges have brought together dancers and studios from across the region, sparking collaboration and inspiring the creation of many unique and beautiful works.
Today, as the festival continues to expand its reach—bringing professional dancers and choreographers to Waco—it remains firmly rooted in its original mission: to foster creativity, provide opportunities, and celebrate the joy of dance within the wider Waco community.
Our Vision
Our vision is to bring professional and pre-professional contemporary dance to Central Texas, creating opportunities for audiences to experience innovative performance, choreography, and collaboration beyond the scope of popular culture. We are dedicated to fostering artistry that both challenges the boundaries of contemporary dance and honors its rich traditions.
FESTIVAL DIRECTOR
Hannah Ernest Requa is a dancer, teacher, choreographer, and producer. In 2023, she became the Director of {254}DANCEFEST, a regional contemporary dance festival in Waco, TX. She has served as a guest lecturer at Texas Christian University, a guest choreographer at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, a master teacher at the Bailando International Dance Festival, and an adjunct faculty member at Baylor University. She was also on faculty at Joy's School of Dance, where she continues to collaborate with students on projects such as choreographing for the Waco Children’s Symphony Performance and facilitating {254}NextGen.
Originally from Fort Collins, CO, Hannah began her training at Canyon Concert Ballet before earning her BFA in Ballet and Modern Dance from TCU. She continued her studies with the Paul Taylor Dance Company and on scholarship at the Lou Conte Dance Studio. Hannah performed for two seasons with Bruce Wood Dance and later joined Corpus Christi Ballet as a principal soloist, dancing featured roles including the Snow Queen and Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker, Moyna and the Peasant Pas de Deux in Giselle, and Princess Florine and the Songbird Fairy in Sleeping Beauty.
As a freelance artist, she has performed extensively across the United States and in France. She is currently a company member of Ad Deum Dance Company in Houston and Ventana Ballet in Austin. Hannah now lives in Waco, TX, with her husband and their two children.
Support {254}
Donations can be made under the WCAF via givebutter
All donations are tax deductible.
Production:
Stage Manager: Sarah Matzke
Sound Engineer: Melissa Lohr
Lighting designer and Engineer: Riley Lohr
House Manager: Melanie Wheat
Director: Hannah Requa
Administration:
Hannah Requa, BFA Ballet & Modern Dance
Joseph Taylor: Associate Professor of Theatre
Movement and Dance.
McLennan Community College
Doreen Ravenscroft, President
Cultural Arts of Waco
Tyler Vansyckle, IT & Digital Media Specialist
Cultural Arts of Waco
