By: Casey Copeland

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Florida State University School of Dance Alumna, Holly Borrelli (BFA ’25) will premiere her work “Floor 13,” an original evening-length dance theatre production, on October 17 and 18, 2026 at the Peridance Center’s KnJ Theatre.

“Floor 13” is an immersive experience that blends concert dance, physical theatre, and dark humor to tell the story of a group of seemingly innocent strangers who are united amongst one theme: betrayal. Guided by a mysterious bellhop, audience members will step inside the infamous Harmony Hights hotel for an experience that bridges the gap between concert dance and immersive theatre.

“Floor 13 is not just dance, not just theatre, not just performance…it’s mystery!”

-Holly Borrelli

Borrelli began developing “Floor 13” in 2024 while a BFA student in the School of Dance and just two years later, it is set to premiere at the KnJ Theatre at the Peridance Center in New York City October 17th-18th. “My experience in the Arts in NYC program through FSU really launched this project” Borrelli said, “I really drew on the variety of my experiences at FSU in developing this Floor 13, because it was really at FSU that I developed my artistic voice, but also learned the more practical side of things, like running a rehearsal and how to foster a supportive artistic work environment for my collaborators” While at FSU, Borrelli was awarded the FSU Anthony Morgan Undergraduate Choreographic Award in Dance.

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Floor 13 features several other FSU collaborators including fellow alumni of the School of Dance, Emmett Higgins (BFA ’25) Gemma Leary (BFA ‘25), Jessica Cassette (BFA ’25), and Lizzy Mineau (BFA ’25) as well as collaborators in the College of Music: Elizabeth Grice, Maya Johnson, Jaxson Sterwart, Thu Vo, and composer for the project, Jacob Grice.

Whether you’re a fan of dance, theatre, mystery, or music, “Floor 13” has something for everyone this Halloween season.

Tickets are on sale now. To learn more about the “Floor 13″ and purchase tickets, visit SecretsOnFloor13.com.

“Dance has been a way to breathe in unbreathable spaces, a way to be held by people who are no longer here, whispering states of unconditional love,” she said.  “I remember when I was five, my favorite place to improvise my dancing moves was down the grocery store aisles. It was there, under my father’s gaze that he first told me to “do the dance.” Now here without him 27 years later, I continue to “do the dance.”   

“Floating Metal: UNDERcurrents in My Father’s Garden,” is an expansive project that is deeply personal for the artist, exploring her connection to her father through their art, examining inheritance and memory, and reflecting on the still-lingering impacts of trans-Atlantic slave trade and the Middle Passage.  

Part of this Guggenheim-winning work will be a large-scale exhibition, scheduled to open in August 2026 at the FSU Museum of Fine Arts. It will encompass three galleries and feature a dialogue between love’s performance work and her father’s sculptures, paintings and photographs.  

love was selected as part of the 101^st class of Guggenheim fellows from among more than 5,000 applicants. She joins 223 distinguished artists, scholars and scientists, representing 55 distinct fields. She is the third current FSU School of Dance faculty member to achieve this honor, joining colleagues Jawole Willa Jo Zollar (2009 Fellow) and Gwen Welliver (2025 Fellow).   

For more information about the FSU School of Dance, visit dance.fsu.edu.  

To learn more about upcoming exhibitions at the FSU Museum of Fine Arts, including “Floating Metal: UNDERcurrents in My Father’s Garden,” visit MoFA.fsu.edu or follow the museum on Instagram, at @fsumofa.